HSK 3 · Chapter 2 · 407 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/long-life-noodles

长寿面

Long-life noodles

Name: ________________ Date: ________

“您好nínhǎo，”小芳xiǎofāng说shuō，“这zhè个gè蛋糕dàngāo是shì您nín的de。外卖员wàimàiyuán送sòng错cuò了le。”

老人lǎorén看kàn着zhe蛋糕dàngāo上shàng的de字zì，半天bàntiān没méi说话shuōhuà。然后ránhòu他tā笑xiào了le，眼睛yǎnjing有点yóudiǎn红hóng：“是shì我wǒ女儿nǚ’ér。她tā在zài国外guówài工作gōngzuò，很hěn少shǎo回来huílái，可是kěshì我wǒ的de生日shēngrì，她tā从来没cóngláiméi忘wàng过guò。”

他tā赶紧gánjǐn请qǐng小芳xiǎofāng进来jìnlái，指zhǐ了le指zhǐ桌子zhuōzi上shàng的de面miàn：“你nǐ看kàn，我wǒ还hái以为yǐwéi这zhè碗面wǎnmiàn也yě是shì她tā点diǎn的de。”

小芳xiǎofāng看kàn着zhe那nà碗面wǎnmiàn。面miàn已经yǐjīng被bèi吃chī了le一半yíbàn。

“过生日guòshēngrì要yào吃chī长寿面chángshòumiàn，”老人lǎorén说shuō，“我wǒ以为yǐwéi她tā还hái记得jìde这zhè个gè习惯xíguàn。刚才gāngcái我wǒ一yí个gè人rén高兴gāoxìng了le半天bàntiān。”

小芳xiǎofāng本来běnlái想xiǎng说shuō：那nà是shì我wǒ的de面miàn。可是kěshì她tā看kàn着zhe老人lǎorén的de脸liǎn，突然tūrán说不出来shuōbuchūlái了le。

“您nín吃chī吧ba，”她tā说shuō，“面miàn要yào趁热chènrè吃chī才cái好吃hǎochī。”

老人lǎorén拿来nálái两liǎng个gè盘子pánzi，坚持jiānchí要yào她tā留下来liúxialai吃chī蛋糕dàngāo：“一yí个gè人rén吃不完chībuwán。你nǐ帮bāng我wǒ吃chī一块yíkuài，就算jiùsuàn帮bāng我wǒ过生日guòshēngrì了le。”

他们tāmen坐zuò在zài小xiǎo桌子zhuōzi两边liǎngbiān，一个yígè吃chī面miàn，一个yígè吃chī蛋糕dàngāo。老人lǎorén告诉gàosù她tā，他tā姓xìng马mǎ，退休tuìxiū以前yǐqián是shì中学zhōngxué老师lǎoshī，女儿nǚ’ér去qù国外guówài已经yǐjīng八bā年nián了le。

九点半jiúdiǎnbàn，马爷爷的de手机shǒujī响xiǎng了le。是shì女儿nǚ’ér打dǎ来lái的de视频shìpín电话diànhuà：“爸bà，蛋糕dàngāo收到shōudào了le吗ma？”

“收到shōudào了le，收到shōudào了le。还有háiyǒu面miàn，也yě收到shōudào了le。”马爷爷说shuō，“面miàn很hěn好吃hǎochī。你nǐ怎么zěnme知道zhīdào我wǒ想xiǎng吃chī牛肉面niúròumiàn？”

手机shǒujī那边nàbiān的de女儿nǚ’ér愣lèng了le一下yíxià。小芳xiǎofāng在zài旁边pángbiān，轻轻qīngqīng地de摇yáo了le摇头yáotóu。

女儿nǚ’ér仔细zǐxì看kàn了le看kàn小芳xiǎofāng，好像hǎoxiàng明白míngbai了le什么shénme，笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“爸bà，你nǐ喜欢xǐhuān就jiù好hǎo。”

那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang，小芳xiǎofāng回到huídào家jiā，肚子dùzi里只有zhíyǒu一yí块kuài蛋糕dàngāo。奇怪qíguài的de是shì，她tā一点yìdiǎn也yě不bù觉得juéde饿è。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
错cuòwrong; mistaken; mistake; fault
笑xiàoto laugh; to smile
眼睛yǎnjingeye
回来huíláito come back; to return
生日shēngrìbirthday
忘wàngto forget; to overlook
过guò(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
进来jìnláito come in; to enter
面miànnoodles; flour
记得jìdeto remember
帮bāngto help; to assist
蛋糕dàngāocake

English (for the teacher)

“Hello,” Xiaofang said, “this cake is yours. The delivery man brought it to the wrong place.”

The old man looked at the words on the cake and said nothing for a long while. Then he smiled, his eyes a little red: “It’s my daughter. She works abroad and rarely comes back, but she has never once forgotten my birthday.”

He quickly asked Xiaofang in and pointed at the noodles on the table: “Look, I thought she’d ordered these noodles too.”

Xiaofang looked at the bowl of noodles. Half of them had already been eaten.

“On your birthday you eat long-life noodles,” the old man said. “I thought she still remembered the custom. I’ve been happy all on my own for ages.”

Xiaofang had been about to say: those are my noodles. But looking at the old man’s face, she suddenly couldn’t say it.

“You eat them,” she said. “Noodles are best while they’re hot.”

The old man brought two plates and insisted she stay for some cake: “I can’t finish it on my own. If you help me eat a slice, that’s helping me celebrate my birthday.”

They sat at either side of the little table, one eating noodles, one eating cake. The old man told her his name was Ma; before he retired he was a secondary school teacher, and his daughter had been abroad for eight years.

At half past nine, Grandpa Ma’s phone rang. It was his daughter on a video call: “Dad, did you get the cake?”

“I got it, I got it. And the noodles, I got those too.” Grandpa Ma said. “The noodles are delicious. How did you know I wanted beef noodles?”

On the other end, his daughter paused for a moment. Beside him, Xiaofang gently shook her head.

The daughter looked carefully at Xiaofang, seemed to understand something, and said with a smile: “Dad, as long as you like them.”

That night, Xiaofang went home with only a slice of cake in her stomach. Strangely, she didn’t feel hungry at all.