Notes in a Library Book: Season 2 · chapter 3 of 6
Dumplings for Three
三个人的饺子
Grandma tests He Yan with bold questions over dumplings. Then a letter falls out of his bag.
Read what you hear
- Grandma 何言，手洗了吗？来，我们包饺子！
Hé Yán, shǒu xǐ le ma? Lái, wǒmen bāo jiǎozi!
He Yan, have you washed your hands? Come on, let's wrap dumplings!
- Xu Man 奶奶，他是客人，您别这样。他今天才来。
Nǎinai, tā shì kèrén, nín bié zhèyàng. Tā jīntiān cái lái.
Grandma, he's a guest, don't do this. He only just got here.
- Grandma 客人也要做事。来，看这里，这样包。
Kèrén yě yào zuò shì. Lái, kàn zhèlǐ, zhèyàng bāo.
Guests work too. Come on, look here, wrap it like this.
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Notes in a Library Book: Season 2 is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- He Yan 这样吗？我包得对不对？
Zhèyàng ma? Wǒ bāo de duì bu duì?
Like this? Am I doing it right?
- Grandma 不对，不对！太大了，像一只小船！你想坐船去哪儿？
Bú duì, bú duì! Tài dà le, xiàng yì zhī xiǎo chuán! Nǐ xiǎng zuò chuán qù nǎr?
No, no! It's too big, it looks like a little boat! Where do you want to sail?
- Xu Man 哈哈，何言，你的饺子像小船！
Hāhā, Hé Yán, nǐ de jiǎozi xiàng xiǎo chuán!
Ha ha, He Yan, your dumpling looks like a little boat!
- He Yan 小船也好吃。我想吃三只。
Xiǎo chuán yě hǎochī. Wǒ xiǎng chī sān zhī.
Little boats taste good too. I'd like three.
- Grandma 这个孩子，我喜欢！许曼，你也喜欢吧？
Zhège háizi, wǒ xǐhuan! Xǔ Màn, nǐ yě xǐhuan ba?
I like this boy! Xu Man, you like him too, right?
- Xu Man 奶奶，水开了！
Nǎinai, shuǐ kāi le!
Grandma, the water's boiling!
- Grandma 好，都放进去。你们去桌子那边坐下。
Hǎo, dōu fàng jìnqù. Nǐmen qù zhuōzi nàbiān zuòxià.
Good, put them all in. You two go sit at the table.
- Xu Man 何言，你的毛衣上都是面，像下雪了。
Hé Yán, nǐ de máoyī shang dōu shì miàn, xiàng xià xuě le.
He Yan, your sweater is covered in flour, like it snowed.
- He Yan 没关系。我喜欢今天，也喜欢饺子。
Méi guānxi. Wǒ xǐhuan jīntiān, yě xǐhuan jiǎozi.
It's fine. I like today, and I like dumplings.
- Xu Man 我也喜欢今天。
Wǒ yě xǐhuan jīntiān.
I like today too.
- Grandma 饺子好了！快吃，快吃！
Jiǎozi hǎo le! Kuài chī, kuài chī!
The dumplings are ready! Eat, eat!
- Grandma 吃饭！吃完，我问，你写。快一点！
Chī fàn! Chī wán, wǒ wèn, nǐ xiě. Kuài yìdiǎn!
Eat! When we're done, I ask and you write. Hurry up!
- Grandma 你今年几岁？
Nǐ jīnnián jǐ suì?
How old are you this year?
- He Yan 二十八岁。怎么了？
Èrshíbā suì. Zěnme le?
Twenty-eight. Why?
- Grandma 你做什么工作？在哪儿工作？
Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò? Zài nǎr gōngzuò?
What work do you do? Where do you work?
- He Yan 我做书。我爱书。我也爱这里的图书馆。
Wǒ zuò shū. Wǒ ài shū. Wǒ yě ài zhèlǐ de túshūguǎn.
I make books. I love books. I love this library too.
- Grandma 你喜欢许曼吗？说真话。
Nǐ xǐhuan Xǔ Màn ma? Shuō zhēn huà.
Do you like Xu Man? Tell the truth.
- Xu Man 何言，你不用回答！奶奶只是在开玩笑！
Hé Yán, nǐ bú yòng huídá! Nǎinai zhǐshì zài kāi wánxiào!
He Yan, you don't have to answer! Grandma's just joking!
- Xu Man 奶奶！！
Nǎinai!!
Grandma!!
- He Yan ……喜欢。
...Xǐhuan.
...I do.
- Grandma 好！这个孩子，我要了！许曼，你说呢？
Hǎo! Zhège háizi, wǒ yào le! Xǔ Màn, nǐ shuō ne?
Good! I'll keep this boy! Xu Man, what do you say?
- Xu Man 奶奶，您真是的！我要回家了……
Nǎinai, nín zhēn shì de! Wǒ yào huí jiā le...
Grandma, honestly! I'm going home...
- Grandma 哎呀，何言，你的包掉了。
Āiyā, Hé Yán, nǐ de bāo diào le.
Oh dear, He Yan, your bag fell.
- Xu Man 我来拿。咦，这里有一封信掉出来了。
Wǒ lái ná. Yí, zhèlǐ yǒu yì fēng xìn diào chūlái le.
I'll get it. Oh, a letter fell out here.
- Xu Man 上海……图书馆？
Shànghǎi... túshūguǎn?
Shanghai... library?
- Xu Man 何言，你要去上海吗？你为什么不告诉我？
Hé Yán, nǐ yào qù Shànghǎi ma? Nǐ wèishénme bù gàosu wǒ?
He Yan, are you going to Shanghai? Why didn't you tell me?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Grandma say about He Yan's first dumpling?
“太大了，像一只小船！”
- How does He Yan answer the joke?
“小船也好吃。”
- What is He Yan's job?
“我做书。我爱书。”
- What does He Yan say when asked if he likes Xu Man?
“……喜欢。”
- What falls out of his bag?
“上海……图书馆？”