Notes in a Library Book: Season 2 · chapter 4 of 6
The Empty Shelf
空书架
Xu Man is hurt, the library is emptying, and He Yan comes through the rain. Grandma has a plan.
Read what you hear
- Auntie Zhou 这一箱是小说，那一箱是诗。哪一箱都很重。
Zhè yì xiāng shì xiǎoshuō, nà yì xiāng shì shī. Nǎ yì xiāng dōu hěn zhòng.
This box is novels, that box is poems. Every box is heavy.
- Xu Man 周阿姨，我来帮您。我不想坐着。
Zhōu āyí, wǒ lái bāng nín. Wǒ bù xiǎng zuòzhe.
Auntie Zhou, let me help you. I don't want to sit around.
- Auntie Zhou 你的眼睛红了。是不是哭了？
Nǐ de yǎnjing hóng le. Shì bu shì kū le?
Your eyes are red. Have you been crying?
Chapter 4 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.
- Xu Man 我没事。我只是不想说话。
Wǒ méi shì. Wǒ zhǐshì bù xiǎng shuōhuà.
I'm fine. I just don't feel like talking.
- Auntie Zhou 何言的事，奶奶都跟我说了。
Hé Yán de shì, nǎinai dōu gēn wǒ shuō le.
Your grandma told me all about He Yan.
- Xu Man 他为什么不告诉我？我是最后一个知道的！
Tā wèishénme bù gàosu wǒ? Wǒ shì zuìhòu yí gè zhīdào de!
Why didn't he tell me? I was the last one to know!
- Auntie Zhou 也许，他怕你难过，才没有说。
Yěxǔ, tā pà nǐ nánguò, cái méiyǒu shuō.
Maybe he was afraid you'd be sad, so he didn't say.
- Xu Man 我现在就很难过。我很生气，也很难过。
Wǒ xiànzài jiù hěn nánguò. Wǒ hěn shēngqì, yě hěn nánguò.
I'm sad right now. I'm angry, and I'm sad.
- Auntie Zhou 你看，谁来了？
Nǐ kàn, shéi lái le?
Look, who's here?
- He Yan 对不起。我还没有决定。
Duìbuqǐ. Wǒ hái méiyǒu juédìng.
I'm sorry. I haven't decided yet.
- Xu Man 你为什么不早点告诉我？我们每个星期六都见面！
Nǐ wèishénme bù zǎo diǎn gàosu wǒ? Wǒmen měi gè xīngqīliù dōu jiànmiàn!
Why didn't you tell me sooner? We meet every Saturday!
- He Yan 我怕你说：“去吧。”
Wǒ pà nǐ shuō: “Qù ba.”
I was afraid you'd say, “Go.”
- Xu Man 我为什么要说“去吧”？
Wǒ wèishénme yào shuō “qù ba”?
Why would I say “go”?
- He Yan 你那么好。你会想让我去。
Nǐ nàme hǎo. Nǐ huì xiǎng ràng wǒ qù.
You're so kind. You'd want me to go.
- Xu Man 我不想你走。可是……
Wǒ bù xiǎng nǐ zǒu. Kěshì...
I don't want you to leave. But...
- He Yan 可是什么？
Kěshì shénme?
But what?
- Xu Man 可是那是你想做的工作。你会很高兴。
Kěshì nà shì nǐ xiǎng zuò de gōngzuò. Nǐ huì hěn gāoxìng.
But it's the work you want to do. You'll be happy.
- He Yan 我想做书。我也想留下来，和你在一起。
Wǒ xiǎng zuò shū. Wǒ yě xiǎng liú xiàlái, hé nǐ zài yìqǐ.
I want to make books. And I want to stay, with you.
- Xu Man 你先回家吧。你看，你的头发都是雨。
Nǐ xiān huí jiā ba. Nǐ kàn, nǐ de tóufa dōu shì yǔ.
Go home first. Look, your hair is full of rain.
- Grandma 别哭了！我在门口都听到了！我有一个好主意！
Bié kū le! Wǒ zài ménkǒu dōu tīngdào le! Wǒ yǒu yí gè hǎo zhǔyi!
Stop crying! I heard it all from the doorway! I have a great idea!
- Grandma 星期六，我们开一个书会！
Xīngqīliù, wǒmen kāi yí gè shū huì!
On Saturday, we're having a book party!
- Auntie Zhou 每个人都来，写一张纸条。
Měi gè rén dōu lái, xiě yì zhāng zhǐtiáo.
Everyone comes and writes a note.
- Xu Man 写给谁呢？
Xiě gěi shéi ne?
Write to whom?
- Grandma 写给这个图书馆！
Xiě gěi zhège túshūguǎn!
To this library!
- Xu Man 好，我来写大字。请大家都来！
Hǎo, wǒ lái xiě dà zì. Qǐng dàjiā dōu lái!
Okay, I'll write it in big letters. Everyone's invited!
- Xu Man 一百张纸条，孙先生会看吗？
Yì bǎi zhāng zhǐtiáo, Sūn xiānsheng huì kàn ma?
A hundred notes. Will Mr. Sun read them?
- Auntie Zhou 你自己问他吧。门口那个人就是孙先生，楼的主人！
Nǐ zìjǐ wèn tā ba. Ménkǒu nàge rén jiù shì Sūn xiānsheng, lóu de zhǔrén!
Ask him yourself. That man at the door is Mr. Sun, the owner of the building!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why is Xu Man upset?
“他为什么不告诉我？我是最后一个知道的！”
- What was He Yan afraid Xu Man would say?
“我怕你说：‘去吧。’”
- What does Xu Man say about his work?
“可是那是你想做的工作。”
- What is Grandma's idea?
“星期六，我们开一个书会！”
- Who is standing at the door at the end?
“门口那个人就是孙先生，楼的主人！”