The Long Way Home · chapter 3 of 3
An Extra Pair of Chopsticks
多一双筷子
Two kilometers of snow, five minutes to midnight, and a dinner table that has been waiting three years.
Read what you hear
- Xiao Lin 我下了车，拖着箱子，走进了雪里。
Wǒ xià le chē, tuōzhe xiāngzi, zǒu jìn le xuě lǐ.
I climb out and drag my suitcase into the snow.
- Master Wang 姑娘，路上小心！新年快乐！
Gūniang, lù shang xiǎoxīn! Xīnnián kuàilè!
Careful on the road, miss! Happy New Year!
- Xiao Lin 王师傅，您也是！您孙子一定很高兴！
Wáng shīfu, nín yě shì! Nín sūnzi yídìng hěn gāoxìng!
You too, Master Wang! Your grandson's going to be so happy!
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Long Way Home 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 and The Odyssey from start to finish.
- Xiao Lin 雪到了我的小腿。箱子的轮子坏了，我只好抱着它走。
Xuě dào le wǒ de xiǎotuǐ. Xiāngzi de lúnzi huài le, wǒ zhǐhǎo bàozhe tā zǒu.
The snow reaches my calves. A wheel on my suitcase breaks, so I carry it in my arms.
- Xiao Lin 很冷，很累。可是我一直往前走。
Hěn lěng, hěn lèi. Kěshì wǒ yìzhí wǎng qián zǒu.
It's so cold, and I'm so tired. But I keep going.
- Xiao Lin 远远地，我看见了村口的那棵老树，和我家窗户的灯光。
Yuǎnyuǎn de, wǒ kànjiàn le cūn kǒu de nà kē lǎo shù, hé wǒ jiā chuānghu de dēngguāng.
Far off, I see the old tree at the edge of the village, and the light in our window.
- Xiao Lin 十一点五十五分。我站在家门口，心跳得很快。
Shíyī diǎn wǔshíwǔ fēn. Wǒ zhàn zài jiā ménkǒu, xīn tiào de hěn kuài.
11:55. I'm standing at our front door, heart pounding.
- Xiao Lin 我敲了敲门。
Wǒ qiāo le qiāo mén.
I knock.
- Mom 谁啊？这么晚了……
Shéi a? Zhème wǎn le…
Who's there? This late…
- Xiao Lin 门开了。妈妈站在门口，手里还拿着擀面杖。
Mén kāi le. Māma zhàn zài ménkǒu, shǒu lǐ hái názhe gǎnmiànzhàng.
The door opens. Mom stands there, still holding a rolling pin.
- Xiao Lin 妈，我回来了。
Mā, wǒ huílái le.
Mom, I'm home.
- Mom 小林？！你……你不是说不回来吗？
Xiǎo Lín?! Nǐ… nǐ bú shì shuō bù huílái ma?
Xiao Lin?! You… didn't you say you weren't coming?
- Xiao Lin 妈妈抱住我，哭了。我也哭了。
Māma bào zhù wǒ, kū le. Wǒ yě kū le.
Mom throws her arms around me and cries. I cry too.
- Mom 你这个孩子，身上怎么这么冷！快进来，快进来！
Nǐ zhège háizi, shēn shang zěnme zhème lěng! Kuài jìnlái, kuài jìnlái!
You silly child, you're frozen! Come in, come in!
- Xiao Lin 桌子上摆着饭菜。我看见，桌子上有三双筷子。
Zhuōzi shang bǎizhe fàncài. Wǒ kànjiàn, zhuōzi shang yǒu sān shuāng kuàizi.
Dinner is laid out on the table. I notice there are three pairs of chopsticks.
- Xiao Lin 可是家里只有爸爸和妈妈。
Kěshì jiā lǐ zhǐ yǒu bàba hé māma.
But only Mom and Dad live here.
- Xiao Lin 妈，为什么有三双筷子？
Mā, wèishénme yǒu sān shuāng kuàizi?
Mom, why are there three pairs of chopsticks?
- Mom 这三年，每年除夕，我都给你摆一双。
Zhè sān nián, měi nián chúxī, wǒ dōu gěi nǐ bǎi yì shuāng.
These three years, every New Year's Eve, I've set out a pair for you.
- Mom 我想，万一你回来了呢？
Wǒ xiǎng, wànyī nǐ huílái le ne?
I thought, what if you came home?
- Xiao Lin 我说不出话来。
Wǒ shuō bù chū huà lái.
I can't say a word.
- Xiao Lin 十二点，外面的鞭炮响了。爸爸端来了一盘热热的饺子。
Shí'èr diǎn, wàimiàn de biānpào xiǎng le. Bàba duān lái le yì pán rèrè de jiǎozi.
At midnight, firecrackers go off outside. Dad brings in a plate of hot dumplings.
- Xiao Lin 那是我吃过的最好吃的饺子。因为这一次，那双筷子，终于有人用了。
Nà shì wǒ chī guo de zuì hǎochī de jiǎozi. Yīnwèi zhè yí cì, nà shuāng kuàizi, zhōngyú yǒu rén yòng le.
They were the best dumplings I've ever eaten. Because this time, that pair of chopsticks was finally used.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What breaks on the walk home?
“箱子的轮子坏了.”
- What time does she reach the front door?
“十一点五十五分.”
- What is Mom holding when she opens the door?
“手里还拿着擀面杖.”
- Why are there three pairs of chopsticks?
“每年除夕，我都给你摆一双……万一你回来了呢？”
- Why were they the best dumplings she'd ever eaten?
“那双筷子，终于有人用了.”