HSK 2 · Story · 220 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-new-neighbour-in-chinese

对面的新邻居

The new neighbour: a bowl that keeps coming back

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我家wǒjiā对面duìmiàn，来lái了le一个yígè新xīn邻居línjū。他tā二十多岁èrshí-duōsuì，一yí个gè人rén住zhù。

妈妈māma做zuò了le包子bāozi，说shuō：“给gěi他tā拿ná几jǐ个gè吧ba。”

我wǒ拿ná了le一yì碗wǎn包子bāozi，去qù了le他tā家jiā。他tā很hěn高兴gāoxìng：“谢谢xièxie你们nǐmen！”

第二天dì’èrtiān，他tā拿ná着zhe碗wǎn来lái了le我家wǒjiā。碗wǎn里有yǒu很hěn多duō水果shuíguǒ。“谢谢xièxie你们nǐmen的de包子bāozi！”

妈妈māma说shuō：“碗wǎn不能bùnéng空kōng着zhe回去。”她tā在zài碗wǎn里放fàng了le几jǐ个gè鸡蛋jīdàn。

第三dìsān天tiān，碗wǎn来lái了le，里边lǐbian是shì米饭mǐfàn和hé菜cài。

第四dìsì天tiān，碗wǎn回去了le，里边lǐbian是shì面包miànbāo。

一yí个gè星期xīngqī，这zhè个gè碗wǎn在zài我们wǒmen两liǎng家jiā走zǒu了le七qī次cì。

星期天xīngqītiān，妈妈māma说shuō：“别bié送sòng了le，请qǐng他tā来lái我们wǒmen家jiā吃饭chīfàn吧ba！”

晚上wǎnshang，新xīn邻居línjū来lái了le，他tā也yě拿ná着zhe一yí个gè碗wǎn。

妈妈māma看kàn了le看kàn：“这zhè个gè碗wǎn，是shì你nǐ的de吧ba？”

他tā也yě看kàn了le看kàn：“不是búshì，是shì你们nǐmen家jiā的de吧ba？”

我们wǒmen看kàn了le很hěn长cháng时间shíjiān，都dōu不bù知道zhīdào。

妈妈māma笑xiào了le：“好hǎo，这zhè是shì我们wǒmen两liǎng家jiā的de碗wǎn！”

Key words

A new neighbour moved in across from us. He’s in his twenties and lives on his own.

Mum made steamed buns and said, “Take him a few.”

I took a bowl of buns across to his place. He was delighted. “Thank you so much!”

The next day he came to our flat with the bowl. The bowl was full of fruit. “Thanks for the buns!”

Mum said, “A bowl can’t go back empty.” She put a few eggs in it.

On the third day the bowl came back, with rice and vegetables inside.

On the fourth day it went back, with bread inside.

In one week, that bowl went between our two homes seven times.

On Sunday, Mum said, “Let’s stop sending things. Let’s invite him round for dinner!”

That evening our new neighbour came, and he was carrying a bowl too.

Mum took a look. “This bowl is yours, isn’t it?”

He took a look too. “No, it’s yours, isn’t it?”

We all looked at it for a long time, and none of us knew.

Mum laughed. “Fine, then it’s both our families’ bowl!”