HSK 3 · Chapter 1 · 324 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/not-my-cake

不是我的蛋糕

Not my cake

Name: ________________ Date: ________

小芳xiǎofāng在zài公司gōngsī加班jiābān到dào九jiǔ点diǎn。回到huídào家jiā，她tā太tài累lèi了le，不想bùxiǎng做饭zuòfàn，就jiù在zài手机shǒujī上shàng点diǎn了le一yì碗wǎn牛肉面niúròumiàn。

半bàn个gè小时xiǎoshí以后yǐhòu，有人yǒurén敲门qiāomén。外卖员wàimàiyuán把bǎ一个yígè大dà盒子hézi放fàng在zài门口ménkǒu，说shuō了le一yí句jù“祝zhù您nín生日快乐shēngrì-kuàilè”，就jiù跑pǎo下楼xiàlóu了le。

生日快乐shēngrì-kuàilè？小芳xiǎofāng的de生日shēngrì在zài十二月shí’èryuè，现在xiànzài才cái五月wǔyuè。

她tā打开dǎkāi盒子hézi，里面lǐmiàn是shì一yí个gè蛋糕dàngāo，上面shàngmiàn写xiě着zhe：爸爸bàba，生日快乐shēngrì-kuàilè。蛋糕dàngāo旁边pángbiān还有háiyǒu一yì张zhāng小xiǎo卡片kǎpiàn：“爸bà，今年jīnnián我wǒ又yòu不能bùnéng回家huíjiā了le。对不起duìbuqǐ。你nǐ的de女儿nǚ’ér”

小芳xiǎofāng看kàn了le看kàn外卖wàimài单。地址dìzhǐ是shì“三sān号hào楼lóu502”。她tā住zhù的de是shì“五wǔ号hào楼lóu502”。

她tā给gěi外卖员wàimàiyuán打电话dǎdiànhuà。外卖员wàimàiyuán一直yìzhí说shuō对不起duìbuqǐ：“我wǒ现在xiànzài在zài送sòng另lìng一yì单dān，太tài远yuǎn了le，回不去huíbuqù。你nǐ能不能néngbunéng……”

“我wǒ送sòng过去guòqu吧ba。”小芳xiǎofāng说shuō，“三sān号hào楼lóu不bù远yuǎn。”

她tā拿ná着zhe蛋糕dàngāo下xià了le楼lóu。五月wǔyuè的de晚上wǎnshang有yǒu一点yìdiǎn冷lěng，小区xiǎoqū里很hěn安静ānjìng。她tā一边yìbiān走zǒu一边yìbiān想xiǎng：这zhè个gè女儿nǚ’ér在zài哪儿nǎr？她tā爸爸bàba今年jīnnián多大duōdà了le？他tā一yí个gè人rén过生日guòshēngrì吗ma？

三sān号hào楼lóu的de电梯diàntī坏huài了le。她tā爬pá到dào五wǔ楼lóu，站zhàn在zài502门口ménkǒu，敲qiāo了le敲门qiāomén。

门mén开kāi了le。一yí位wèi头发tóufa全quán白bái的de老人lǎorén站zhàn在zài门口ménkǒu，手里shǒuli拿ná着zhe一yì双shuāng筷子kuàizi。

小芳xiǎofāng看见kànjiàn，他tā身后shēnhòu的de桌子zhuōzi上shàng放fàng着zhe一yì碗wǎn牛肉面niúròumiàn。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
累	lèi	tired; weary; to tire; to wear out
门口	ménkǒu	doorway; entrance; gate
生日	shēngrì	birthday
打开	dǎkāi	to open
里面	lǐmiàn	inside; interior
上面	shàngmiàn	above; on top of; on the surface of
旁边	pángbiān	beside; next to; nearby
楼	lóu	building (with more than one story)
远	yuǎn	far; distant
送	sòng	to give (as a present)
拿	ná	to take; to hold; to carry
碗	wǎn	bowl

English (for the teacher)

Xiaofang worked late at the office until nine. When she got home she was too tired to cook, so she ordered a bowl of beef noodles on her phone.

Half an hour later, someone knocked on the door. The delivery man put a big box down at the door, said “Happy birthday to you,” and ran off downstairs.

Happy birthday? Xiaofang’s birthday was in December, and it was only May.

She opened the box; inside was a cake, and on it was written: Happy birthday, Dad. Next to the cake was a little card: “Dad, I can’t come home again this year. I’m sorry. Your daughter”

Xiaofang looked at the delivery slip. The address was “Building 3, 502”. She lived in “Building 5, 502”.

She called the delivery man. The delivery man kept saying sorry: “I’m on another delivery now; it’s too far, I can’t go back. Could you…”

“I’ll take it over.” Xiaofang said. “Building 3 isn’t far.”

She carried the cake downstairs. The May evening was a little cold, and the estate was very quiet. As she walked, she wondered: where was this daughter? How old was her dad this year? Was he spending his birthday alone?

The lift in Building 3 was broken. She climbed to the fifth floor, stood at the door of 502 and knocked.

The door opened. An old man with completely white hair stood in the doorway, holding a pair of chopsticks.

Xiaofang saw that on the table behind him was a bowl of beef noodles.