The Second Cup of Tea · chapter 2 of 8
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.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Jiang Ning 我看着窗外的雨。我不想回头，不想看他们。
Wǒ kàn zhe chuāng wài de yǔ. Wǒ bù xiǎng huítóu, bù xiǎng kàn tāmen.
I watch the rain outside the window. I don't want to turn around. I don't want to see them.
- Lu Fang 你好！你就是江宁吧？
Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ jiù shì Jiāng Níng ba?
Hi! You must be Jiang Ning?
- Jiang Ning 你……你怎么知道我的名字？
Nǐ…… nǐ zěnme zhīdào wǒ de míngzi?
How… how do you know my name?
- Lu Fang 我弟弟天天说你！“星期四的江宁，喝红茶的江宁！”
Wǒ dìdi tiāntiān shuō nǐ! “Xīngqīsì de Jiāng Níng, hē hóngchá de Jiāng Níng!”
My little brother talks about you every day! “Thursday Jiang Ning! Black-tea Jiang Ning!”
- Jiang Ning 弟弟？
Dìdi?
Little brother?
- Lu Fang 对啊。我是阿伟的姐姐，陆芳。
Duì a. Wǒ shì Ā Wěi de jiějie, Lù Fāng.
Yep. I'm A-Wei's big sister, Lu Fang.
- Jiang Ning 姐姐！我的脸一下子红了。
Jiějie! Wǒ de liǎn yíxiàzi hóng le.
His sister! My face goes red all at once.
- Lu Fang 你以为我是他的女朋友吧？哈哈！
Nǐ yǐwéi wǒ shì tā de nǚpéngyou ba? Hāha!
You thought I was his girlfriend, didn't you? Ha!
- Jiang Ning 我……我没有！
Wǒ…… wǒ méiyǒu!
I… I did not!
- Jiang Ning 那……那些花呢？
Nà…… nàxiē huā ne?
Then… what about the flowers?
- Lu Fang 花是给王阿姨的。今天是她的生日！
Huā shì gěi Wáng āyí de. Jīntiān shì tā de shēngrì!
The flowers are for Auntie Wang. It's her birthday today!
- Lu Fang 我去后面找王阿姨。你们两个，好好说话吧！
Wǒ qù hòumiàn zhǎo Wáng āyí. Nǐmen liǎng gè, hǎohāo shuōhuà ba!
I'm going out back to find Auntie Wang. You two, have a proper talk!
- Lu Wei 江宁，这杯是给你的。热的红茶，你喜欢的。
Jiāng Níng, zhè bēi shì gěi nǐ de. Rè de hóngchá, nǐ xǐhuan de.
Jiang Ning, this one's for you. Hot black tea, the kind you like.
- Jiang Ning 第二杯茶……是给我的？
Dì èr bēi chá…… shì gěi wǒ de?
The second cup… was for me?
- Lu Wei 每个星期四，我都想请你喝一杯茶。可是我不敢。
Měi gè xīngqīsì, wǒ dōu xiǎng qǐng nǐ hē yì bēi chá. Kěshì wǒ bù gǎn.
Every Thursday, I wanted to buy you a cup of tea. But I never dared.
- Jiang Ning 你也不敢？我也不敢！
Nǐ yě bù gǎn? Wǒ yě bù gǎn!
You didn't dare either? Neither did I!
- Jiang Ning 原来，他和我一样。我的心暖暖的。
Yuánlái, tā hé wǒ yíyàng. Wǒ de xīn nuǎnnuǎn de.
So he's just like me. Something warm spreads through me.
- Lu Wei 今天我一定要请你。因为今天，是我在这里的最后一个星期四。
Jīntiān wǒ yídìng yào qǐng nǐ. Yīnwèi jīntiān, shì wǒ zài zhèlǐ de zuìhòu yí gè xīngqīsì.
Tonight I had to ask. Because tonight is my last Thursday here.
- Jiang Ning 最后一个？为什么？
Zuìhòu yí gè? Wèishénme?
Your last? Why?
- Lu Wei 公司让我去北京工作。我今天晚上坐火车走。
Gōngsī ràng wǒ qù Běijīng gōngzuò. Wǒ jīntiān wǎnshang zuò huǒchē zǒu.
My company is sending me to work in Beijing. I leave on the train tonight.
- Jiang Ning 北京？那么远……
Běijīng? Nàme yuǎn……
Beijing? That's so far…
- Jiang Ning 去……多久？
Qù…… duōjiǔ?
For… how long?
- Lu Wei 我也不知道。可能一年，可能更久。
Wǒ yě bù zhīdào. Kěnéng yì nián, kěnéng gèng jiǔ.
I don't know. Maybe a year. Maybe longer.
- Jiang Ning 说啊，江宁！第三句话，快说啊！
Shuō a, Jiāng Níng! Dì sān jù huà, kuài shuō a!
Say it, Jiang Ning! The third sentence, say it now!
- Lu Wei 火车不等人。我该走了。江宁，再见。
Huǒchē bù děng rén. Wǒ gāi zǒu le. Jiāng Níng, zàijiàn.
Trains don't wait. I should go. Goodbye, Jiang Ning.
- Jiang Ning 再……再见。
Zài…… zàijiàn.
Good… goodbye.
- Jiang Ning 他走向门口。第二句话，我说了。
Tā zǒu xiàng ménkǒu. Dì èr jù huà, wǒ shuō le.
He walks to the door. I've said the second sentence.
- Jiang Ning 他要走了……我的第三句话，怎么办？
Tā yào zǒu le…… wǒ de dì sān jù huà, zěnme bàn?
He's leaving… so what about my third sentence?
What changed in the story?
- Who is the woman at Lu Wei's table?
“我是阿伟的姐姐，陆芳。”
- Who are the flowers for?
“花是给王阿姨的。今天是她的生日！”
- Why did Lu Wei never buy Jiang Ning tea before?
“每个星期四，我都想请你喝一杯茶。可是我不敢。”
- Why is tonight Lu Wei's last Thursday?
“公司让我去北京工作。我今天晚上坐火车走。”
- Which sentence does Jiang Ning say before he walks to the door?
“再……再见。”