The Second Cup of Tea · chapter 5 of 8
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.
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Read what you hear
- Jiang Ning 星期天晚上，我第一次去陆芳家吃饭。
Xīngqītiān wǎnshang, wǒ dì yī cì qù Lù Fāng jiā chīfàn.
On Sunday evening, I go to Lu Fang's place for dinner for the first time.
- Jiang Ning 桌子上有六个菜，都是她做的。
Zhuōzi shang yǒu liù gè cài, dōu shì tā zuò de.
There are six dishes on the table, and she made every one of them.
- Lu Fang 江宁，快坐！多吃点儿！
Jiāng Níng, kuài zuò! Duō chī diǎnr!
Jiang Ning, sit, sit! Eat up!
- Jiang Ning 我刚拿起筷子，陆芳就拿出了一个本子。
Wǒ gāng ná qǐ kuàizi, Lù Fāng jiù ná chū le yí gè běnzi.
I've barely picked up my chopsticks when Lu Fang pulls out a notebook.
- Jiang Ning 他们家的人，都喜欢写问题。
Tāmen jiā de rén, dōu xǐhuan xiě wèntí.
This whole family loves writing down questions.
- Lu Fang 第一个问题：你做什么工作？
Dì yī gè wèntí: nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?
Question one: what do you do for a living?
- Jiang Ning 我是小学老师。
Wǒ shì xiǎoxué lǎoshī.
I teach elementary school.
- Lu Fang 老师好！第二个问题：你喜欢阿伟什么？
Lǎoshī hǎo! Dì èr gè wèntí: nǐ xǐhuan Ā Wěi shénme?
Hello, Teacher! Question two: what do you like about A-Wei?
- Lu Wei 姐！你让她吃饭吧！
Jiě! Nǐ ràng tā chīfàn ba!
Sis! Let her eat!
- Lu Fang 不说？好，下一个。你们什么时候结婚？
Bù shuō? Hǎo, xià yí gè. Nǐmen shénme shíhou jiéhūn?
Not telling? Fine, next one. When are you two getting married?
- Jiang Ning 结婚？我拿着筷子，又说不出来了。
Jiéhūn? Wǒ názhe kuàizi, yòu shuō bù chūlái le.
Married? I sit there holding my chopsticks, and once again the words won't come.
- Lu Wei 姐！我们昨天才一起喝了奶茶！
Jiě! Wǒmen zuótiān cái yìqǐ hē le nǎichá!
Sis! We only had bubble tea together yesterday!
- Jiang Ning 陆伟不敢看我。可是我听见，他在笑。
Lù Wěi bù gǎn kàn wǒ. Kěshì wǒ tīngjiàn, tā zài xiào.
Lu Wei can't even look at me. But I can hear him laughing.
- Jiang Ning 陆芳，我也有一个问题。可以问吗？
Lù Fāng, wǒ yě yǒu yí gè wèntí. Kěyǐ wèn ma?
Lu Fang, I have a question too. May I ask it?
- Lu Fang 好啊！你问！
Hǎo a! Nǐ wèn!
Ooh, yes! Ask away!
- Jiang Ning 那天在茶馆，你真的来晚了吗？
Nà tiān zài cháguǎn, nǐ zhēn de lái wǎn le ma?
That night at the teahouse, were you really late?
- Lu Fang 你怎么知道？我没有来晚。我早就到了！
Nǐ zěnme zhīdào? Wǒ méiyǒu lái wǎn. Wǒ zǎo jiù dào le!
How did you know? I wasn't late at all. I was there early!
- Lu Fang 我在门外等了二十分钟，想让阿伟一个人跟你说。
Wǒ zài mén wài děng le èrshí fēnzhōng, xiǎng ràng Ā Wěi yí gè rén gēn nǐ shuō.
I waited outside for twenty minutes so A-Wei could ask you himself.
- Lu Fang 可是他太慢了！外边下着雨，我太冷了！
Kěshì tā tài màn le! Wàibian xiàzhe yǔ, wǒ tài lěng le!
But he was so slow! It was raining out there, and I was freezing!
- Lu Wei 我就要说了！
Wǒ jiù yào shuō le!
I was just about to ask!
- Lu Fang 六个月了，你还是“就要说了”！阿伟，我喜欢她！
Liù gè yuè le, nǐ háishi “jiù yào shuō le”! Ā Wěi, wǒ xǐhuan tā!
Six months, and you're still “just about to ask”! A-Wei, I like her!
- Lu Fang 最后一个问题：你喜欢那家茶馆吗？
Zuìhòu yí gè wèntí: nǐ xǐhuan nà jiā cháguǎn ma?
Last question: do you like that teahouse?
- Jiang Ning 喜欢啊！那是我们的茶馆。
Xǐhuan a! Nà shì wǒmen de cháguǎn.
Of course! It's our teahouse.
- Jiang Ning 陆芳看了看陆伟，陆伟看了看陆芳。他们怎么不笑了？
Lù Fāng kàn le kàn Lù Wěi, Lù Wěi kàn le kàn Lù Fāng. Tāmen zěnme bú xiào le?
Lu Fang looks at Lu Wei, and Lu Wei looks at Lu Fang. Why have they both stopped smiling?
What changed in the story?
- What does Lu Fang take out as soon as dinner starts?
“陆芳就拿出了一个本子”
- What is Jiang Ning's job?
“我是小学老师。”
- Which question leaves Jiang Ning speechless?
“你们什么时候结婚？……又说不出来了”
- What really happened the night Lu Fang “arrived late” at the teahouse?
“我早就到了……想让阿伟一个人跟你说”
- What happens when Jiang Ning calls it “our teahouse”?
“陆芳看了看陆伟，陆伟看了看陆芳。他们怎么不笑了？”