Original Mandarin story series
The Second Cup of Tea
第二杯茶
The Second Cup of Tea (第二杯茶, Dì èr bēi chá) is a SayMei Original, written in simple Mandarin as an 8-chapter story with audio for learners at about HSK 1 (Beginner).
An original eight-chapter Mandarin romance. For six months, Jiang Ning and Lu Wei have shared a teahouse window and exactly two sentences, hello and goodbye — until one rainy Thursday, and a little teahouse that needs saving.
Meet the voices
- Jiang Ning · 江宁 — A Thursday regular at a small teahouse. She has rehearsed one sentence for Lu Wei so many times she could say it in her sleep — just never to him.
- Lu Wei · 陆伟 — Green tea, the window seat, every Thursday. He always says hello. He has never said much more.
- Lu Fang · 陆芳 — She arrives late, laughs easily, and seems to know far more about Jiang Ning than Jiang Ning expects.
- Auntie Wang · 王阿姨 — The owner of the little teahouse, in her sixties, who has poured Thursday tea for twenty years and has been quietly rooting for Jiang Ning and Lu Wei all along.
8 chapters, one journey
Chapter 1: Two Cups at the Window
窗边的两杯茶
Jiang Ning has one sentence ready for Lu Wei tonight. Then she sees two cups on his table — and someone else walks in.
Free to read
Chapter 2: Who Are the Flowers For?
花是给谁的？
The woman at Lu Wei's table walks over with a surprise. Then Lu Wei brings one of his own — along with news that changes the evening.
Free to read
Chapter 3: Another Thursday
又一个星期四
Lu Wei has a train to catch and no umbrella. Jiang Ning has one umbrella — and one sentence left to say.
Free to read
Chapter 4: Our First Walk
河边走走
Lu Wei is back, and their first date is a sunny walk by the river. Two nervous people, two cups of bubble tea, and a confession about green tea.
Free to read
Chapter 5: His Sister's Questions
一百个问题
Dinner at Lu Fang's comes with six dishes and a notebook full of questions. Jiang Ning has one of her own, and then Lu Fang asks a strange last one.
Free to read
Chapter 6: A Voice on the Phone
电话里的声音
Late one night, Jiang Ning calls Lu Wei just to hear his voice. What she hears instead is a whisper, a woman's laugh, and her own name.
Free to read
Chapter 7: The Teahouse Is Closing
茶馆要关门了
Jiang Ning goes to the teahouse on the wrong night and finds a sign on the counter. Then she learns that someone already knew.
Free to read
Chapter 8: Our Thursday
我们的星期四
The last Thursday at the teahouse. It's raining again, Lu Wei has one thing to tell her, and Jiang Ning is afraid it will be goodbye.
Free to read
Key words in The Second Cup of Tea
Behind the story
An original story written for SayMei learners: short lines, one teahouse, and the kind of small moment that makes a first real conversation so hard to start.
Teahouses (茶馆) are a quiet way to spend an evening in China: a pot of green tea, refills from the staff, and hours at the same table. Pouring tea for someone else is a small way to show you care.
Did you know?
- Chinese green teas such as Longjing (龙井) from Hangzhou are drunk plain, with no milk or sugar.
- In southern China, people tap two fingers on the table to say thanks when someone refills their cup.
- 第二杯 (dì-èr bēi) means “the second cup.” Putting 第 before a number makes it first, second, third.