HSK 2 · Story · 271 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/seven-oclock-call

七点的电话

The seven o’clock call

Name: ________________ Date: ________

丽丽lìlì在zài北京běijīng工作gōngzuò。她tā一yí个gè人rén住zhù，家jiā在zài一个yígè很hěn小xiǎo的de地方dìfang，坐zuò火车huǒchē要yào五wǔ个gè小时xiǎoshí。

每天měitiān晚上wǎnshang七qī点diǎn，妈妈māma都dōu给gěi她tā打电话dǎdiànhuà。妈妈māma总是zǒngshì问wèn：“今天jīntiān吃饭chīfàn了le吗ma？冷不冷lěngbulěng？工作gōngzuò忙不忙mángbumáng？”

丽丽lìlì说shuō：“妈mā，我wǒ很hěn好hǎo。你nǐ别bié想xiǎng太tài多duō。”

今天jīntiān是shì星期五xīngqīwǔ。七qī点diǎn了le，电话diànhuà没有méiyǒu来lái。七点半qīdiǎnbàn了le，电话diànhuà还是háishi没有méiyǒu来lái。

丽丽lìlì给gěi妈妈māma打电话dǎdiànhuà，妈妈māma没有méiyǒu接jiē。她tā给gěi爸爸bàba打电话dǎdiànhuà，爸爸bàba也yě没有méiyǒu接jiē。

她tā不想bùxiǎng吃饭chīfàn了le，也yě不想bùxiǎng看kàn电视diànshì。她tā坐zuò在zài椅子yǐzi上shàng，一直yìzhí看kàn手机shǒujī。

八bā点diǎn多duō，有人yǒurén在zài门外ménwài叫jiào：“丽丽lìlì！丽丽lìlì！”

丽丽lìlì开门kāimén一yí看kàn，是shì妈妈māma！妈妈māma手里shǒuli有yǒu一个yígè大dà包bāo，爸爸bàba在zài她tā后面hòumiàn笑xiào。

“你们nǐmen怎么zěnme来lái了le？为什么wèishénme不bù接电话jiēdiànhuà？”

“我们wǒmen在zài火车huǒchē上shàng，手机shǒujī没电méidiàn了le。”妈妈māma说shuō，“明天míngtiān是shì你nǐ的de生日shēngrì。我们wǒmen想来xiǎnglái看看kànkan你nǐ。”

爸爸bàba打开dǎkāi大dà包bāo：“你nǐ妈mā给gěi你nǐ做zuò了le包子bāozi，还hái热rè呢ne。”

丽丽lìlì一边yìbiān吃chī包子bāozi，一边yìbiān笑xiào。这个zhège星期五xīngqīwǔ，妈妈māma没有méiyǒu打电话dǎdiànhuà。她tā自己zìjǐ来lái了le。

Key words

Lili works in Beijing. She lives on her own; her home is in a very small place, five hours away by train.

Every evening at seven, her mum calls her. Her mum always asks: “Have you eaten today? Are you cold? Is work busy?”

Lili says: “Mum, I’m fine. Don’t worry so much.”

Today is Friday. It’s seven o’clock, and the call hasn’t come. It’s half past seven, and the call still hasn’t come.

Lili calls her mum, and her mum doesn’t answer. She calls her dad, and her dad doesn’t answer either.

She doesn’t feel like eating any more, or watching TV. She sits on a chair, looking at her phone the whole time.

A little after eight, someone calls outside the door: “Lili! Lili!”

Lili opens the door and looks: it’s Mum! Mum has a big bag in her hand, and Dad is behind her, smiling.

“What are you doing here? Why didn’t you answer the phone?”

“We were on the train, and our phones ran out of battery.” Mum says. “Tomorrow is your birthday. We wanted to come and see you.”

Dad opens the big bag: “Your mum made you baozi; they’re still warm.”

Lili eats the baozi and smiles at the same time. This Friday, Mum didn’t call. She came herself.