Original Mandarin story series
The Second Cup of Tea: Season 2
第二杯茶：第二季
The Second Cup of Tea: Season 2 (第二杯茶：第二季, Dì'èr bēi chá: dì'èr jì) 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-episode Mandarin romance, the sequel to The Second Cup of Tea. Lu Wei's mother arrives from Chengdu with a notebook of one thousand questions, and a secret about green tea can't stay secret.
Meet the voices
- Jiang Ning · 江宁 — A primary-school teacher who is brave with words but terrible in the kitchen, and who tells the story in her own voice.
- Lu Wei · 陆伟 — Gentle and kind, and still learning how to say no to the people he loves.
- Lu Fang · 陆芳 — Lu Wei's older sister, who laughs easily and always has a question ready.
- Auntie Wang · 王阿姨 — The owner of the little teahouse, who has poured tea for twenty years and cheers for everyone.
- Mama Lu · 陆妈妈 — Lu Wei and Lu Fang's mother, who runs a tiny green tea shop in Chengdu and carries a notebook of one thousand questions.
8 chapters, one journey
Chapter 1: Mama Is Coming
妈妈来了
Lu Wei has told his mother for twenty years that he loves green tea. Now she is coming to visit, and Jiang Ning has one clever plan. Then the door opens.
Free to read
Chapter 2: A Thousand Questions
一千个问题
Mama opens her notebook and starts on question one. Jiang Ning has a job, a secret and one hot pot of water to survive. Then Mama asks the worst question.
SayMei Stories
Chapter 3: Jiang Ning Cooks
江宁做饭
Jiang Ning has one morning to learn one dish. Lu Fang coaches, the eggs escape, and Mama is on her way. Then Mama pours Lu Wei a very big cup of tea.
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Chapter 4: The Truth About Green Tea
绿茶的真话
Twenty years of green tea, and one honest sentence. Lu Wei finally tells his mother the truth, and Mama's answer is a train ticket.
SayMei Stories
Chapter 5: The Six O'Clock Train
早上六点的火车
Lu Wei has one night to work out how to say a very small word to a very big person. The platform is cold, and the train does not wait.
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Chapter 6: The First Cup
第一杯茶
The three of them take the train to Chengdu to return a notebook. A tiny shop is waiting behind a faded sign, and so is a secret.
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Chapter 7: Say No, Say Yes
说“不”，说“好”
Lu Wei says no to one thing and yes to another. Then Jiang Ning makes a phone call that could change Mama's mind, or her whole week.
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Chapter 8: The Third Cup
第三杯茶
Thursday night, and the teahouse is full. Mama's green tea gets its big test, Lu Wei takes his sips, and there is one more invitation.
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Key words in The Second Cup of Tea: Season 2
Behind the story
This is an original SayMei story, the second season of The Second Cup of Tea. It follows Jiang Ning and Lu Wei after their teahouse is saved, when Lu Wei's mother comes to meet the woman her son is dating.
Tea is part of everyday Chinese life. Chengdu, where Mama has her shop, is famous for its relaxed teahouses, and meeting the family over a cup of tea is a natural way to show respect. Many families also have a favorite tea that everyone at home is expected to love.
Did you know?
- Green tea (绿茶) is the most widely drunk kind of tea in China. What English speakers call black tea, Chinese speakers call red tea (红茶).
- Chengdu is well known for its old-style teahouses, where people sit for hours over one cup and keep refilling it with hot water.
- Spring Festival, called 过年 in everyday speech, is the time of year when families gather from all over the country, and inviting a partner home for it is a big step.