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，不想回头。
Wǒ kànzhe chuāng wài de yǔ, bù xiǎng huítóu.
I watch the rain outside the window. I don't want to look back.
- 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 那个女人站在我桌边，笑着看我。
Nàge nǚrén zhàn zài wǒ zhuō biān, xiàozhe kàn wǒ.
The woman is standing at my table, smiling at me.
- Jiang Ning 你怎么知道我的名字？
Nǐ zěnme zhīdào wǒ de míngzi?
How do you know my name?
- Lu Fang 我弟弟常常说起你。“星期四的江宁，喝红茶的江宁。”
Wǒ dìdi chángcháng shuō qǐ nǐ. “Xīngqīsì de Jiāng Níng, hē hóngchá de Jiāng Níng.”
My little brother talks about you all the time. “Thursday Jiang Ning. Black-tea Jiang Ning.”
- Jiang Ning 弟弟？
Dìdi?
Little brother?
- Lu Fang 我是阿伟的姐姐，陆芳。
Wǒ shì Ā Wěi de jiějie, Lù Fāng.
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 turns red all at once.
- Lu Fang 那些花是给王阿姨的。今天是她的生日。
Nàxiē huā shì gěi Wáng āyí de. Jīntiān shì tā de shēngrì.
The flowers are for Auntie Wang. It's her birthday today.
- Jiang Ning 王阿姨是茶馆的老板。陆芳拿着花，去厨房找她了。
Wáng āyí shì cháguǎn de lǎobǎn. Lù Fāng názhe huā, qù chúfáng zhǎo tā le.
Auntie Wang owns the teahouse. Lu Fang takes the flowers to the kitchen to find her.
- Jiang Ning 陆伟走过来，手里拿着一杯茶。
Lù Wěi zǒu guòlái, shǒu lǐ názhe yì bēi chá.
Lu Wei walks over, holding a cup of tea.
- Lu Wei 这杯是给你的。红茶，你喜欢的。
Zhè bēi shì gěi nǐ de. Hóngchá, nǐ xǐhuan de.
This one's for you. 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 他也不敢？我笑了，心里暖暖的。
Tā yě bù gǎn? Wǒ xiào le, xīnli nuǎnnuǎn de.
He didn't dare either? I laugh, and 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… it's my last Thursday here.
- Jiang Ning 最后一个？
Zuìhòu yí gè?
Your last?
- 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 Beijing. I leave on the train tonight.
- Jiang Ning 去多久？
Qù duō jiǔ?
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 我的第三句话就在嘴边，可是说不出来。
Wǒ de dì sān jù huà jiù zài zuǐ biān, kěshì shuō bù chūlái.
My third sentence is right on the tip of my tongue, but it won't come out.
- Lu Wei 我该走了。江宁，再见。
Wǒ gāi zǒu le. Jiāng Níng, zàijiàn.
I should go. Goodbye, Jiang Ning.
- Jiang Ning 再见。
Zàijiàn.
Goodbye.
- Jiang Ning 他走向门口。我的第三句话，还在心里。
Tā zǒu xiàng ménkǒu. Wǒ de dì sān jù huà, hái zài xīnli.
He walks to the door. My third sentence is still stuck inside me.
What changed in the story?
- Who is the woman at Lu Wei's table?
She says, “我是阿伟的姐姐，陆芳.”
- Who are the flowers for?
Lu Fang says the flowers are for Auntie Wang: “今天是她的生日.”
- What has Lu Wei wanted to do every Thursday?
He admits, “每个星期四，我都想请你喝一杯茶。可是我不敢.”
- Why does Lu Wei finally ask her today?
He says today is “我在这里的最后一个星期四” — he leaves for Beijing tonight.
- How does Jiang Ning feel as Lu Wei walks to the door?
Her third sentence is “就在嘴边，可是说不出来” — on the tip of her tongue.