HSK 4 · Story · 268 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/who-likes-eggplant

谁爱吃茄子

Who Likes Eggplant

Name: ________________ Date: ________

和hé小周住zhù在zài一起yìqǐ以后yǐhòu，我wǒ一周yìzhōu吃chī了le三次sāncì茄子qiézi。问题wèntí是shì，我wǒ不bù喜欢xǐhuān吃chī茄子qiézi。

第一次dìyīcì是shì他tā做zuò的de。我wǒ想xiǎng，他tā一定yídìng很hěn喜欢xǐhuān吃chī。我wǒ把bǎ碗wǎn里的de茄子qiézi吃chī完wán了le，还hái说shuō：“不错búcuò。”

第二次去qù买菜mǎicài，我wǒ给gěi他tā买mǎi了le两liǎng个gè。他tā看见kànjiàn了le，笑xiào着zhe拿ná过去guòqu。

第三dìsān次cì，他tā又yòu端duān来lái满满mánmǎn一yì盘pán茄子qiézi。我wǒ看kàn着zhe盘pán里的de茄子qiézi，又yòu看kàn了le看kàn他tā。

“怎么zěnme了le？”他tā问wèn。

“没什么méishénme。”我wǒ用yòng筷子kuàizi夹jiā起qǐ一块yíkuài，慢慢mànmàn吃chī。

他tā也yě用yòng筷子kuàizi夹jiā起qǐ一块yíkuài，比bǐ我wǒ吃chī得de还hái慢màn。

屋wū里很hěn安静ānjìng。过guò了le好hǎo一会儿yíhuìr，我wǒ问wèn：“你nǐ真的zhēnde喜欢xǐhuān吃chī茄子qiézi吗ma？”

小周放下fàngxià筷子kuàizi：“不是búshì你nǐ喜欢xǐhuān吃chī吗ma？”

我们wǒmen看kàn着zhe对方duìfāng，谁shéi也yě没méi说话shuōhuà。然后ránhòu，他tā先xiān笑xiào了le。

“那天nàtiān你nǐ说shuō不错búcuò。”

“我wǒ是shì说shuō，你nǐ愿意yuànyì做饭zuòfàn，很hěn不错búcuò。”

冰箱bīngxiāng里还有háiyǒu一yí个gè茄子qiézi。我们wǒmen打开dǎkāi冰箱bīngxiāng，对duì着zhe它tā看kàn了le一会儿yíhuìr，决定juédìng明天míngtiān一起yìqǐ吃掉chīdiào。

“那nà今晚jīnwǎn呢？”他tā问wèn。

我wǒ把bǎ桌zhuō上shàng那nà盘pán土豆tǔdòu拉lā到dào中间zhōngjiān。这zhè一次yícì，我们wǒmen吃chī得de一样yíyàng快kuài。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
以后	yǐhòu	later; afterwards; in the future
一定	yídìng	surely; certainly; must
碗	wǎn	bowl
用	yòng	to use; use; usefulness
筷子	kuàizi	chopsticks
起	qǐ	to rise; to get up
安静	ānjìng	quiet; peaceful; calm
先	xiān	first; in advance
冰箱	bīngxiāng	refrigerator; fridge
决定	juédìng	to decide; decision
对方	duìfāng	the other side; the other party; counterpart
拉	lā	to empty one's bowels; to have (diarrhea)

After I moved in with Xiao Zhou, I ate eggplant three times in one week. The problem was, I didn’t like eggplant.

He cooked it the first time. I thought he must really like it. I finished the eggplant in my bowl and even said, ‘Not bad.’

The second time, when I went grocery shopping, I bought him two eggplants. When he saw them, he smiled and took them.

The third time, he brought out another plate piled with eggplant. I looked at the eggplant on the plate, then at him.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

‘Nothing.’ I picked up a piece with my chopsticks and ate slowly.

He picked up a piece with his chopsticks too, and ate even more slowly than I did.

The room was very quiet. After quite a while, I asked, ‘Do you really like eggplant?’

Xiao Zhou put down his chopsticks. ‘Isn’t it you who likes it?’

We looked at each other without saying anything. Then he was the first to laugh.

‘You said it was not bad that day.’

‘I meant that it was really nice of you to cook.’

There was still one eggplant in the fridge. We opened the fridge, looked at it for a while and decided to eat it together tomorrow.

‘What about tonight, then?’ he asked.

I pulled the plate of potatoes on the table into the middle. This time, we ate at the same speed.