The White Snake · chapter 17 of 25
A Cup of Tea
一杯茶
On the baby's one-month day, Bai begs Xu to stay by her side, but a guest comes to the door and asks for a cup of tea.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 天亮了，今天是梦蛟满月的好日子。
Tiān liàng le, jīntiān shì Mèngjiāo mǎnyuè de hǎo rìzi.
Morning came. Today was Mengjiao's one-month day, a happy day.
- Bai Suzhen 梦蛟，来，让妈妈抱一抱。你今天一个月大了！
Mèngjiāo, lái, ràng māma bào yi bào. Nǐ jīntiān yí gè yuè dà le!
Come, Mengjiao, let Mother hold you. You're one month old today!
- Xu Xian 娘子，你的脸怎么这么白？
Niángzǐ, nǐ de liǎn zěnme zhème bái?
My dear, why are you so pale?
Chapter 17 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of The White Snake (chapters 1–5) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Bai Suzhen 没什么，昨天晚上没睡好。
Méi shénme, zuótiān wǎnshang méi shuì hǎo.
It's nothing. I didn't sleep well last night.
- Bai Suzhen 官人，今天你哪儿也别去，就在房间里，好吗？
Guānrén, jīntiān nǐ nǎr yě bié qù, jiù zài fángjiān lǐ, hǎo ma?
Dear, don't go anywhere today. Stay here in the room with me, will you?
- Xu Xian 娘子今天怎么这么想我啊？
Niángzǐ jīntiān zěnme zhème xiǎng wǒ a?
Why can't you bear to let me out of your sight today, my dear?
- Bai Suzhen 我要弄头发，还要给梦蛟穿衣服，你就在旁边看着我们。
Wǒ yào nòng tóufa, hái yào gěi Mèngjiāo chuān yīfu, nǐ jiù zài pángbiān kànzhe wǒmen.
I have to do my hair and dress Mengjiao. Just sit beside us and watch.
- Xu Xian 好，好！可是今天客人多，客人来了，我得去楼下。
Hǎo, hǎo! Kěshì jīntiān kèrén duō, kèrén lái le, wǒ děi qù lóuxià.
All right, all right! But lots of guests are coming today. When they arrive, I'll have to go down.
- Bai Suzhen 危险在他的手上。只要他今天手上不拿东西，就没事了。
Wēixiǎn zài tā de shǒu shàng. Zhǐyào tā jīntiān shǒu shàng bù ná dōngxi, jiù méishì le.
The danger is in his hands. As long as he carries nothing today, all will be well.
- Xu Xian 娘子，你听，客人来了！我去楼下看看。
Niángzǐ, nǐ tīng, kèrén lái le! Wǒ qù lóuxià kànkan.
Listen, my dear, a guest! I'll go down and see.
- Bai Suzhen 官人，那你快去快回。
Guānrén, nà nǐ kuài qù kuài huí.
Then hurry back, dear.
- Xu Xian 放心吧，娘子，我很快就回来。
Fàngxīn ba, niángzǐ, wǒ hěn kuài jiù huílái.
Don't worry, my dear. I'll be back in no time.
- Narrator 许仙下了楼，笑着打开了门。
Xǔ Xiān xià le lóu, xiàozhe dǎkāi le mén.
Xu Xian went downstairs and opened the door with a smile.
- Xu Xian 法海师父？您，您怎么来了？
Fǎhǎi shīfu? Nín, nín zěnme lái le?
Master Fahai? What... what brings you here?
- Fahai 许仙，你的头发还在啊。
Xǔ Xiān, nǐ de tóufa hái zài a.
Xu Xian, I see you still have your hair.
- Xu Xian 还在，还在。师父，您不是来找我娘子的吧？
Hái zài, hái zài. Shīfu, nín bú shì lái zhǎo wǒ niángzǐ de ba?
Yes, still here... Master, you haven't come for my wife, have you?
- Fahai 听说你有了儿子。我渴了，就来喝一杯茶。
Tīngshuō nǐ yǒu le érzi. Wǒ kě le, jiù lái hē yì bēi chá.
I hear you have a son. I'm thirsty, so I've come for a cup of tea.
- Xu Xian 喝茶？好，好，我去拿杯子。
Hē chá? Hǎo, hǎo, wǒ qù ná bēizi.
Tea? Of course! I'll get a cup.
- Fahai 不用了。你家的杯子，不干净。
Bú yòng le. Nǐ jiā de bēizi, bù gānjìng.
No need. Your cups aren't clean.
- Xu Xian 不干净？我们天天洗啊！
Bù gānjìng? Wǒmen tiāntiān xǐ a!
Not clean? We wash them every day!
- Fahai 用我的金钵吧。去，拿茶来。
Yòng wǒ de jīnbō ba. Qù, ná chá lái.
Use my golden bowl. Go and bring the tea.
- Xu Xian 好，好，楼上有热茶，我马上去拿！
Hǎo, hǎo, lóu shàng yǒu rè chá, wǒ mǎshàng qù ná!
Yes, yes! There's hot tea upstairs. I'll fetch it right away!
- Xu Xian 法海师父不生气了，还来看我的儿子。真是个好和尚！
Fǎhǎi shīfu bù shēngqì le, hái lái kàn wǒ de érzi. Zhēn shì gè hǎo héshang!
Master Fahai isn't angry anymore, and he's even come to see my son. What a good monk!
- Xu Xian 娘子，法海师父来看梦蛟了，我给他拿杯茶！
Niángzǐ, Fǎhǎi shīfu lái kàn Mèngjiāo le, wǒ gěi tā ná bēi chá!
My dear, Master Fahai has come to see Mengjiao. I'm taking him some tea!
- Bai Suzhen 官人！你手上拿的是什么？
Guānrén! Nǐ shǒu shàng ná de shì shénme?
Dear! What's that in your hands?
- Xu Xian 法海师父的金钵啊。怎么了？
Fǎhǎi shīfu de jīnbō a. Zěnme le?
Master Fahai's golden bowl. Why?
- Bai Suzhen 快把它放下，快！
Kuài bǎ tā fàngxià, kuài!
Put it down, quick!
- Narrator 可是，金钵已经从许仙的手上飞了起来。
Kěshì, jīnbō yǐjīng cóng Xǔ Xiān de shǒu shàng fēi le qǐlái.
But the golden bowl had already flown up out of Xu Xian's hands.
- Xu Xian 它，它自己飞起来了！好亮啊！
Tā, tā zìjǐ fēi qǐlái le! Hǎo liàng a!
It's... it's flying by itself! It's so bright!
- Narrator 金钵亮得像太阳一样，盖在了白素贞的头上。
Jīnbō liàng de xiàng tàiyáng yíyàng, gài zài le Bái Sùzhēn de tóu shàng.
Shining like the sun, the golden bowl came down over Bai Suzhen's head.
- Bai Suzhen 啊！官人，救我！
Ā! Guānrén, jiù wǒ!
Ah! Dear, save me!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does Bai want Xu to stay in the room with her?
“危险在他的手上”
- Who is the guest at the door?
“法海师父？您，您怎么来了”
- Why won't Fahai drink from the family's cups?
“你家的杯子，不干净”
- What does Xu think as he carries the bowl upstairs?
“法海师父不生气了，还来看我的儿子”
- What happens to the bowl when Xu brings it into the room?
“飞了起来……盖在了白素贞的头上”