Famous story: 《故乡》- Hometown by Lu Xun

Advanced 2026-06-24 Novels source ↗

If you’ve ever returned home after many years of absence to find that you had changed and grown, while everyone else had stagnated, this famous short story by Lu Xun, one of China’s greatest all-time writers, is for you.

故乡gù xiāng

我wǒ冒mào了le严yān寒hán，回到huí dào相隔xiāng gé二èr千qiān余Yú里lǐ，别Bié了le二十èr shí余年yú nián的de故乡gù xiāng去qù。

时shí候hòu既然jì rán是shì深shēn冬dōng；渐jiǎn近jìn故乡gù xiāng时shí，天气tiān qì又yòu阴Yīn晦了le，冷Lěng风fēng吹chuī进jìn船chuán舱cang中Zhōng，呜呜的de响xiǎng，从cóng蓬pēng隙xǐ向外xiàng wài一yī望wàng，苍cang黄Huáng的de天tiān底dí下xià，远近yuǎn jìn横héng着zhāo几个jǐ ge萧索xiāo suǒ的de荒huāng村cūn，没有méi yǒu一些yī xiē活huó气qì。我wǒ的de心xīn禁jīn不bù住zhù悲凉bēi liáng起qǐ来lái了le。阿ā！这不zhè bu是shì我wǒ二十èr shí年Nián来lái时时shí shí记得jì de的de故乡gù xiāng？

我wǒ所suǒ记得jì de的de故乡gù xiāng全Quán不如bù rú此cǐ。我wǒ的de故乡gù xiāng好hǎo得dé多duō了le。但dàn要yāo我wǒ记起jì qǐ他tā的de美Měi丽lǐ，说出shuō chū他tā的de佳jia处chǔ来lái，却què又yòu没有méi yǒu影yǐng像xiàng，没有méi yǒu言辞yán cí了le。仿fǎng佛fū也Yě就jìu如此rú cǐ。于是yú shì我wǒ自己zì jǐ解释jiě shì说shuì：故乡gù xiāng本běn也Yě如此rú cǐ，——虽然suī rán没有méi yǒu进步jìn bù，也Yě未必wèi bì有如yǒu rú我wǒ所suǒ感gǎn的de悲凉bēi liáng，这zhè只是zhǐ shì我wǒ自己zì jǐ心情xīn qíng的de改变gǎi biàn罢了bà le，因为yīn wèi我wǒ这zhè次cì回Huí乡xiang，本běn没有méi yǒu什shén么má好心hǎo xīn绪xǔ。

我wǒ这zhè次cì是shì专zhuan为了wèi le别Bié他tā而ér来lái的de。我wǒ们men多年duō nián聚jǔ族zú而ér居Jū的de老lǎo屋wū，已经yǐ jīng公gōng同tóng卖mài给gěi别Bié姓xìng了le，交jiāo屋wū的de期限qī xiàn，只zhī在zài本běn年Nián，所以suǒ yǐ必须bì xū赶gǎn在zài正月Zhēng yuè初一chū yī以前yǐ qián，永别yǒng bié了le熟shú识shí的de老lǎo屋wū，而ér且qiě远离yuǎn lí了le熟shú识shí的de故乡gù xiāng，搬bān家jiā到dào我wǒ在zài谋mōu食shí的de异地yì dì去qù。

第dì二èr日rì清早qīng zǎo晨chén我wǒ到了dào liǎo我wǒ家的jiā de门口mén kǒu了le。瓦wǎ楞上shǎng许多xǔ duō枯ku草cǎo的de断duàn茎jing当dāng风fēng抖dóu着zhāo，正zhēng在zài说明shuō míng这zhè老lǎo屋wū难nán免miǎn易Yì主zhǔ的de原因yuán yīn。几jī房Fáng的de本家běn jiā大约dà yuē已经yǐ jīng搬bān走zǒu了le，所以suǒ yǐ很hěn寂jǐ静jìng。我wǒ到了dào liǎo自家zì jiā的de房Fáng外wài，我wǒ的de母亲mǔ qīn早已zǎo yǐ迎yíng着zhāo出chū来lái了le，接着jiē zhe便biàn飞出fēi chū了le八bā岁suì的de侄儿ér宏hōng儿ér。

我wǒ的de母亲mǔ qīn很hěn高兴gāo xìng，但dàn也Yě藏Zàng着zhāo许多xǔ duō凄qi凉Liáng的de神情shén qíng，教Jiào我wǒ坐下zuò xia，歇息xiē xi，喝hē茶chá，且qiě不bù谈Tán搬bān家的jiā de事shì。宏hōng儿ér没有méi yǒu见jiàn过Guō我wǒ，远远yuǎn yuǎn的de对面duì miàn站zhàn着zhāo只是zhǐ shì看kān。

但dàn我wǒ们men终zhong于Yú谈到tán dào搬bān家的jiā de事shì。我wǒ说shuì外间wài jiān的de寓yǔ所suǒ已经yǐ jīng租zū定dìng了le，又yòu买mǎi了le几jī件jiàn家具jiā jù，此外cǐ wài须xū将jiāng家里jiā lǐ所有suǒ yǒu的de木器mù qì卖mài去qù，再zài去qù增zēng添tian。母亲mǔ qīn也Yě说好shuō hǎo，而ér且qiě行háng李lí也Yě略lu:e4已yǐ齐集qí jí，木器mù qì不bù便biàn搬bān运yùn的de，也Yě小半xiǎo bàn卖mài去qù了le，只是zhǐ shì收shōu不bù起qǐ钱Qián来lái。

“你nǐ休息xīu xi一yī两liǎng天tiān，去qù拜bǎi望wàng亲戚qīn qi本家běn jiā一yī回Huí，我wǒ们men便biàn可以kě yǐ走zǒu了le。”母亲mǔ qīn说shuì。

“是的shì de。”

“还有hái yǒu闰土Tǔ，他tā每měi到dào我wǒ家jiā来lái时shí，总zǒng问wèn起qǐ你nǐ，很hěn想见xiǎng jiàn你nǐ一yī回Huí面miàn。我wǒ已经yǐ jīng将jiāng你nǐ到家dào jiā的de大约dà yuē日期rì qī通知tōng zhī他tā，他tā也许yě xǔ就要jìu yào来lái了le。”

这时zhè shí候hòu，我wǒ的de脑nǎo里lǐ忽然hū rán闪shán出chū一yī幅fú神异shén yì的de图画tú huà来lái：深shēn蓝Lán的de天空tiān kōng中Zhōng挂guà着zhāo一yī轮lūn金黄jīn huáng的de圆月yuán yuè，下面xià miàn是shì海边hǎi biān的de沙sha地de，都Dū种zhǒng着zhāo一yī望wàng无mó际jǐ的de碧绿bì lu:4的de西瓜xī guā，其间qí jiān有yǒu一个yī ge十一Shí Yī二èr岁suì的de少年shào nián，项Xiàng带dài银yín圈quan，手shǒu捏nie一yī柄bíng钢gāng叉cha，向Xiàng一yī匹pǐ猹尽力jìn lì的de刺cī去qù，那Nā猹却què将jiāng身shēn一yī扭niú，反fǎn从cóng他tā的de胯下xià逃tāo走zǒu了le。

这zhè少年shào nián便biàn是shì闰土Tǔ。我wǒ认rèn识shí他tā时shí，也Yě不过bù guò十shí多duō岁suì，离chī现xiàn在zài将jiāng有yǒu三十sān shí年Nián了le；那时nà shí我wǒ的de父亲fù qīn还Huán在zài世Shì，家jiā景Jǐng也好yě hǎo，我wǒ正是zhèng shì一个yī ge少爷shào ye。那Nā一yī年Nián，我wǒ家jiā是shì一yī件jiàn大dà祭Zhài祀的de值zhī年Nián。这zhè祭Zhài祀，说shuì是shì三十sān shí多年duō nián才cái能Néng轮lūn到dào一yī回Huí，所以suǒ yǐ很hěn郑zhěng重chóng；正月Zhēng yuè里lǐ供gong祖Zǔ像xiàng，供gong品pǐn很hěn多duō，祭器jì qì很hěn讲jiǎng究jīu，拜bǎi的de人rén也Yě很hěn多duō，祭器jì qì也Yě很hěn要yāo防fāng偷tou去qù。我wǒ家jiā只有zhǐ yǒu一个yī ge忙máng月yuè（我wǒ们men这里zhè lǐ给gěi人rén做zuò工gōng的de分fēn三Sān种zhǒng：整zhěng年Nián给gěi一定yī dìng人家rén jiā做zuò工gōng的de叫jiào长cháng工gōng；按ǎn日rì给gěi人rén做zuò工gōng的de叫jiào短工duǎn gōng；自己zì jǐ也Yě种地zhòng dì，只zhī在zài过年guò nián过节guò jié以yǐ及jí收shōu租zū时shí候hòu来lái给gěi一定yī dìng人家rén jiā做zuò工gōng的de称chèn忙máng月yuè），忙máng不过bù guò来lái，他tā便biàn对duì父亲fù qīn说shuì，可以kě yǐ叫jiào他tā的de儿子ér zi闰土Tǔ来lái管guǎn祭器jì qì的de。

我wǒ的de父亲fù qīn允许yǔn xǔ了le；我wǒ也Yě很hěn高兴gāo xìng，因为yīn wèi我wǒ早zǎo听到tīng dào闰土Tǔ这zhè名字míng zi，而ér且qiě知道zhī dào他tā和hé我wǒ仿fǎng佛fū年纪nián jì，闰月yuè生shēng的de，五行wǔ xíng缺quē土Tǔ，所以suǒ yǐ他tā的de父亲fù qīn叫jiào他tā闰土Tǔ。他tā是shì能Néng装zhuāng〔弓Gōng京Jīng〕捉zhuo小鸟xiǎo niǎo雀quě的de。

我wǒ于是yú shì日日rì rì盼pǎn望wàng新年xīn nián，新年xīn nián到dào，闰土Tǔ也Yě就jìu到了dào liǎo。好hǎo容Róng易Yì到了dào liǎo年末nián mò，有yǒu一yī日rì，母亲mǔ qīn告gào诉sù我wǒ，闰土Tǔ来lái了le，我wǒ便biàn飞跑fēi pǎo的de去qù看kān。他tā正zhēng在zài厨房chú fáng里lǐ，紫色zǐ sè的de圆yuán脸liǎn，头tóu戴Dài一yī顶dǐng小xiǎo毡zhān帽mào，颈jíng上shǎng套tào一个yī ge明Míng晃huáng晃huáng的de银yín项Xiàng圈quan，这zhè可见kě jiàn他tā的de父亲fù qīn十分shí fēn爱ài他tā，怕Pà他tā死去sǐ qù，所以suǒ yǐ在zài神Shén佛fū面前miàn qián许下xǔ xià愿yuàn心xīn，用yòng圈quan子zǐ将jiāng他tā套tào住zhù了le。他tā见jiàn人rén很hěn怕Pà羞xiu，只是zhǐ shì不怕bù pà我wǒ，没有méi yǒu旁人páng rén的de时shí候hòu，便biàn和hé我wǒ说话shuō huà，于是yú shì不到bù dào半bàn日rì，我wǒ们men便biàn熟shú识shí了le。

我wǒ们men那时nà shí候hòu不知bù zhī道dào谈Tán些xiē什shén么má，只zhī记得jì de闰土Tǔ很hěn高兴gāo xìng，说shuì是shì上城Shàng chéng之zhī后Hòu，见jiàn了le许多xǔ duō没有méi yǒu见jiàn过Guō的de东Dōng西Xī。

第dì二èr日rì，我wǒ便biàn要yāo他tā捕bú鸟diǎo。他tā说shuì：

“这不zhè bu能Néng。须xū大雪Dà xuě下xià了le才cái好hǎo。我wǒ们men沙sha地上dì shang，下xià了le雪Xuě，我wǒ扫sǎo出chū一块yī kuài空地kōng dì来lái，用yòng短duǎn棒bǎng支Zhī起qǐ一个yī ge大竹Dà zhú匾，撒sa下xià秕谷gǔ，看kān鸟diǎo雀quě来lái吃chī时shí，我wǒ远远yuǎn yuǎn地de将jiāng缚fǔ在zài棒bǎng上shǎng的de绳子shéng zi只zhī一yī拉lā，那Nā鸟diǎo雀quě就jìu罩zhào在zài竹zhú匾下xià了le。什shén么má都Dū有yǒu：稻dào鸡jī，角Jué鸡jī，鹁鸪，蓝Lán背běi……”

我wǒ于是yú shì又yòu很hěn盼pǎn望wàng下雪xià xuě。

闰土Tǔ又yòu对duì我wǒ说shuì：

“现xiàn在zài太tài冷Lěng，你nǐ夏天xià tiān到dào我wǒ们men这里zhè lǐ来lái。我wǒ们men日里rì lǐ到dào海边hǎi biān捡jián贝壳bèi ké去qù，红Hóng的de绿lù的de都Dū有yǒu，鬼guǐ见jiàn怕Pà也Yě有yǒu，观音Guān yīn手shǒu也Yě有yǒu。晚上wǎn shang我wǒ和hé爹diē管guǎn西瓜xī guā去qù，你nǐ也Yě去qù。”

“管guǎn贼么má？”

“不是bù shì。走路zǒu lù的de人口rén kǒu渴kě了le摘zhāi一个yī ge瓜guā吃chī，我wǒ们men这里zhè lǐ是shì不bù算suàn偷tou的de。要yāo管guǎn的de是shì獾猪zhū，刺cī猬，猹。月亮yuè liang底dí下xià，你nǐ听yǐn，啦lā啦lā的de响xiǎng了le，猹在zài咬yáo瓜guā了le。你nǐ便biàn捏nie了le胡Hú叉cha，轻轻qīng qīng地de走去zǒu qù……”

我wǒ那时nà shí并bìng不知bù zhī道dào这zhè所suǒ谓wěi猹的de是shì怎zěn么má一yī件jiàn东Dōng西Xī——便biàn是shì现xiàn在zài也Yě没有méi yǒu知道zhī dào——只是zhǐ shì无端wú duān的de觉得jué de状zhuàng如rú小狗xiǎo gǒu而ér很hěn凶猛xīong měng。

“他tā不bù咬yáo人rén么má？”

“有yǒu胡Hú叉cha呢ne。走zǒu到了dào liǎo，看见kàn jiàn猹了le，你nǐ便biàn刺cī。这zhè畜生chù sheng很hěn伶俐，倒dǎo向Xiàng你nǐ奔bēn来lái，反fǎn从cóng胯下xià窜cuàn了le。他tā的de皮毛pí máo是shì油yóu一般yī bān的de滑Huá……”

我wǒ素sù不知bù zhī道dào天下tiān xià有yǒu这zhè许多xǔ duō新鲜xīn xiān事shì：海边hǎi biān有如yǒu rú许Xǔ五色wǔ sè的de贝壳bèi ké；西瓜xī guā有yǒu这zhè样yàng危险wēi xiǎn的de经历jīng lì，我wǒ先前xiān qián单Shàn知道zhī dào他tā在zài水Shuǐ果guǒ电diàn里lǐ出卖chū mài罢了bà le。

“我wǒ们men沙sha地de里lǐ，潮cháo汛要yāo来lái的de时shí候hòu，就jìu有yǒu许多xǔ duō跳tiào鱼Yú儿ér只是zhǐ shì跳tiào，都Dū有yǒu青蛙qīng wā似shǐ的de两liǎng个gě脚jiǎo……”

阿ā！闰土Tǔ的de心里xīn li有无yǒu wú穷qíong无尽wú jìn的de希xī奇jī的de事shì，都Dū是shì我wǒ往常wǎng cháng的de朋友péng you所suǒ不知bù zhī道dào的de。他tā们men不知bù zhī道dào一些yī xiē事shì，闰土Tǔ在zài海边hǎi biān时shí，他tā们men都Dū和hé我wǒ一yī样yàng只zhī看见kàn jiàn院子yuàn zi里lǐ高Gāo墙qiáng上shǎng的de四角sì jiǎo的de天空tiān kōng。

可kě惜xi正月Zhēng yuè过去guò qù了le，闰土Tǔ须xū回家huí jiā里lǐ去qù，我wǒ急jí得dé大dà哭kū，他tā也Yě躲duǒ到dào厨房chú fáng里lǐ，哭kū着zhāo不bù肯kěn出门chū mén，但dàn终zhong于Yú被bèi他tā父亲fù qīn带走dài zǒu了le。他tā后Hòu来lái还Huán托tuo他tā的de父亲fù qīn带dài给gěi我wǒ一yī包Bāo贝壳bèi ké和hé几jī支Zhī很hěn好看hǎo kàn的de鸟diǎo毛Máo，我wǒ也Yě曾Zēng送sòng他tā一yī两liǎng次cì东Dōng西Xī，但dàn从此cóng cǐ没有méi yǒu再zài见面jiàn miàn。

现xiàn在zài我wǒ的de母亲mǔ qīn提起tí qǐ了le他tā，我这儿wǒ zhe r时shí的de记jì忆yǐ，忽而hū ér全都quán dōu闪shán电diàn似shǐ的de苏生sū shēng过Guō来lái，似shǐ乎hu看到kàn dào了le我wǒ的de美Měi丽lǐ的de故乡gù xiāng了le。我wǒ应声yìng shēng说shuì：

“这zhè好hǎo极jí！他tā，——怎zěn样yàng？……”

“他tā？……他tā景Jǐng况kuàng也Yě很hěn不如bù rú意yì……”母亲mǔ qīn说shuì着zhāo，便biàn向Xiàng房Fáng外wài看kān，“这些zhè xiē人rén又yòu来lái了le。说shuì是shì买mǎi木器mù qì，顺手shùn shǒu也Yě就jìu随Suí便biàn拿走ná zǒu的de，我wǒ得dé去qù看看kàn kan。”

母亲mǔ qīn站起zhàn qǐ身shēn，出去chū qù了le。门外mén wài有yǒu几个jǐ ge女人nu:3 rén的de声音shēng yīn。我wǒ便biàn招zhao宏hōng儿ér走近zǒu jìn面前miàn qián，和hé他tā闲话xián huà：问wèn他tā可kě会huì写字xiě zì，可kě愿yuàn意yì出门chū mén。

“我wǒ们men坐Zuò火车huǒ chē去qù么má？”

“我wǒ们men坐Zuò火车huǒ chē去qù。”

“船chuán呢ne？”

“先xiān坐Zuò船chuán，……”

“哈Hā！这zhè模mō样yàng了le！胡Hú子zǐ这么zhè me长cháng了le！”一种yī zhǒng尖利jiān lì的de怪guǎi声shēng突然tū rán大dà叫jiào起qǐ来lái。

我wǒ吃chī了le一yī吓xiǎ，赶忙gǎn máng抬tái起qǐ头tóu，却què见jiàn一个yī ge凸tu颧骨gū，薄bāo嘴zuǐ唇chún，五十wǔ shí岁suì上下shàng xià的de女人nu:3 rén站zhàn在zài我wǒ面前miàn qián，两手liǎng shǒu搭da在zài髀间jiān，没有méi yǒu系xì裙qún，张Zhāng着zhāo两liǎng脚jiǎo，正zhēng像xiàng一个yī ge画图huà tú仪yī器qì里lǐ细xì脚jiǎo伶仃的de圆规yuán guī。

我wǒ愕然è rán了le。

“不bù认rèn识shí了le么má？我wǒ还Huán抱bào过Guō你nǐ咧！”

我wǒ愈yǔ加Jiā愕然è rán了le。幸而xìng ér我wǒ的de母亲mǔ qīn也Yě就jìu进jìn来lái，从cóng旁páng说shuì：

“他tā多年duō nián出门chū mén，统tóng忘却wàng què了le。你nǐ该gāi记得jì de罢bà，”便biàn向着xiàng zhe我wǒ说shuì，“这zhè是shì斜对xié duì门Mén的de杨yāng二èr嫂，……开kāi豆腐dòu fu店diàn的de。”

哦ō，我wǒ记得jì de了le。我wǒ孩子hái zi时shí候hòu，在zài斜对xié duì门Mén的de豆腐dòu fu店diàn里lǐ确què乎hu终zhong日rì坐Zuò着zhāo一个yī ge杨yāng二èr嫂，人rén都Dū叫jiào伊“豆腐dòu fu西施Xī shī”。但dàn是shì擦cā着zhāo白粉bái fěn，颧骨gū没有méi yǒu这么zhè me高Gāo，嘴zuǐ唇chún也Yě没有méi yǒu这么zhè me薄bāo，而ér且qiě终zhong日rì坐Zuò着zhāo，我wǒ也Yě从没cóng méi有yǒu见jiàn过Guō这zhè圆规yuán guī式shì的de姿势zī shì。那时nà shí人rén说shuì：因为yīn wèi伊，这zhè豆腐dòu fu店diàn的de买卖mǎi mài非常fēi cháng好hǎo。但dàn这zhè大约dà yuē因为yīn wèi年龄nián líng的de关Guān系xì，我wǒ却què并bìng未wèi蒙mēng着zhāo一yī毫háo感gǎn化huā，所以suǒ yǐ竟jǐng完全wán quán忘却wàng què了le。然而rán ér圆规yuán guī很hěn不平bù píng，显出xiǎn chū鄙bí夷yī的de神色shén sè，仿fǎng佛fū嗤笑xiào法fǎ国人guó rén不知bù zhī道dào拿ná破pò仑lún，美国人Měi guó rén不知bù zhī道dào华盛顿Huá shèng dùn似shǐ的de，冷笑lěng xiào说shuì：

“忘wàng了le？这zhè真是zhēn shi贵人guì rén眼高yǎn gāo……”

“那Nā有yǒu这zhè事shì……我wǒ……”我wǒ惶huáng恐kóng着zhāo，站起zhàn qǐ来lái说shuì。

“那么nà me，我wǒ对duì你nǐ说shuì。迅xǔn哥gē儿ér，你nǐ阔kuò了le，搬bān动dòng又yòu笨běn重chóng，你nǐ还Huán要yāo什shén么má这些zhè xiē破pò烂lǎn木器mù qì，让ràng我wǒ拿ná去qù罢bà。我wǒ们men小xiǎo户hù人家rén jiā，用得着yòng de zháo。”

“我wǒ并bìng没有méi yǒu阔kuò哩。我wǒ须xū卖mài了le这些zhè xiē，再zài去qù……”

“阿ā呀yā呀yā，你nǐ放fàng了le道台dào tái了le，还Huán说shuì不bù阔kuò？你nǐ现xiàn在zài有yǒu三Sān房Fáng姨yī太太tài tai；出门chū mén便biàn是shì八bā抬tái的de大dà轿，还Huán说shuì不bù阔kuò？吓xiǎ，什shén么má都Dū瞒mān不过bù guò我wǒ。”

我wǒ知道zhī dào无mó话huà可kě说shuì了le，便biàn闭bì了le口kǒu，默默mò mò的de站zhàn着zhāo。

“阿ā呀yā阿ā呀yā，真是zhēn shi愈yǔ有钱yǒu qián，便biàn愈yǔ是shì一yī毫不háo bù肯kěn放松fàng sōng，愈yǔ是shì一yī毫不háo bù肯kěn放松fàng sōng，便biàn愈yǔ有钱yǒu qián……”圆规yuán guī一面yī miàn愤fěn愤fěn的de回转huí zhuǎn身shēn，一面yī miàn絮絮的de说shuì，慢màn慢màn向外xiàng wài走zǒu，顺shùn便biàn将jiāng我wǒ母亲mǔ qīn的de一yī副手fù shǒu套tào塞sai在zài裤kǔ腰yao里lǐ，出去chū qù了le。

此cǐ后Hòu又yòu有yǒu近处jìn chù的de本家běn jiā和hé亲戚qīn qi来lái访问fǎng wèn我wǒ。我wǒ一面yī miàn应酬yìng chou，偷tou空kōng便biàn收shōu拾shè些xiē行háng李lí，这zhè样yàng的de过Guō了le三Sān四sì天tiān。

一yī日rì是shì天气tiān qì很hěn冷Lěng的de午wǔ后Hòu，我wǒ吃chī过Guō午wǔ饭fàn，坐Zuò着zhāo喝hē茶chá，觉得jué de外面wài miàn有人yǒu rén进jìn来lái了le，便biàn回Huí头tóu去qù看kān。我wǒ看kān时shí，不由bù yóu的de非常fēi cháng出惊chū jīng，慌huang忙máng站起zhàn qǐ身shēn，迎yíng着zhāo走去zǒu qù。

这zhè来lái的de便biàn是shì闰土Tǔ。虽然suī rán我wǒ一yī见jiàn便biàn知道zhī dào是shì闰土Tǔ，但dàn又yòu不是bù shì我wǒ这zhè记jì忆yǐ上shǎng的de闰土Tǔ了le。他tā身shēn材cāi增加zēng jiā了le一yī倍bèi；先前xiān qián的de紫色zǐ sè的de圆yuán脸liǎn，已经yǐ jīng变作biàn zuò灰huī黄Huáng，而ér且qiě加上jiā shàng了le很hěn深shēn的de皱纹zhòu wén；眼睛yǎn jing也Yě像xiàng他tā父亲fù qīn一yī样yàng，周围zhōu wéi都Dū肿zhóng得dé通红tōng hóng，这zhè我wǒ知道zhī dào，在zài海边hǎi biān种地zhòng dì的de人rén，终zhong日rì吹chuī着zhāo海风hǎi fēng，大dà抵dí是shì这zhè样yàng的de。他tā头tóu上shǎng是shì一yī顶dǐng破pò毡zhān帽mào，身上shēn shang只zhī一yī件jiàn极jí薄bāo的de棉衣yī，浑hūn身shēn瑟sè索suó着zhāo；手里shǒu lǐ提dī着zhāo一个yī ge纸zhǐ包Bāo和hé一yī支Zhī长cháng烟yan管guǎn，那Nā手shǒu也Yě不是bù shì我wǒ所suǒ记得jì de的de红Hóng活huó圆yuán实shí的de手shǒu，却què又yòu粗cū又yòu笨běn而ér且qiě开kāi裂liě，像xiàng是shì松树sōng shù皮Pí了le。

我wǒ这时zhè shí很hěn兴Xīng奋fěn，但dàn不知bù zhī道dào怎zěn么má说shuì才cái好hǎo，只是zhǐ shì说shuì：

“阿ā！闰土Tǔ哥gē，——你nǐ来lái了le？……”

我wǒ接着jiē zhe便biàn有yǒu许多xǔ duō话huà，想要xiǎng yào连珠lián zhū一般yī bān涌yóng出chū：角Jué鸡jī，跳tiào鱼Yú儿ér，贝壳bèi ké，猹，……但dàn又yòu总zǒng觉得jué de被bèi什shén么má挡dáng着zhāo似shǐ的de，单Shàn在zài脑nǎo里面lǐ miàn回Huí旋xuān，吐tú不bù出口chū kǒu外wài去qù。

他tā站zhàn住zhù了le，脸liǎn上shǎng现xiàn出chū欢喜huān xǐ和hé凄qi凉Liáng的de神情shén qíng；动dòng着zhāo嘴zuǐ唇chún，却què没有méi yǒu作zuō声shēng。他tā的de态tài度dù终zhong于Yú恭敬gōng jìng起qǐ来lái了le，分明fēn míng的de叫道jiào dào：

“老爷lǎo ye！……”

我wǒ似shǐ乎hu打dá了le一个yī ge寒hán噤；我wǒ就jìu知道zhī dào，我wǒ们men之间zhī jiān已经yǐ jīng隔gé了le一层yī céng可悲kě bēi的de厚hòu障壁zhàng bì了le。我wǒ也Yě说不出shuō bu chū话huà。

他tā回Huí过Guō头tóu去qù说shuì，“水生shuǐ shēng，给gěi老爷lǎo ye磕ke头tóu。”便biàn拖tuo出chū躲duǒ在zài背běi后Hòu的de孩子hái zi来lái，这zhè正是zhèng shì一个yī ge廿niàn年前nián qián的de闰土Tǔ，只是zhǐ shì黄Huáng瘦shòu些xiē，颈jíng子zǐ上shǎng没有méi yǒu银yín圈quan罢了bà le。“这zhè是shì第dì五wǔ个gě孩子hái zi，没有méi yǒu见jiàn过世guò shì面miàn，躲duǒ躲duǒ闪shán闪shán……”

母亲mǔ qīn和hé宏hōng儿ér下楼xià lóu来lái了le，他tā们men大约dà yuē也Yě听到tīng dào了le声音shēng yīn。

“老太太lǎo tài tai。信xìn是shì早zǎo收到shōu dào了le。我wǒ实shí在zài喜欢xǐ huan的de不得了bù dé liǎo，知道zhī dào老爷lǎo ye回Huí来lái……”闰土Tǔ说shuì。

“阿ā，你nǐ怎zěn的de这zhè样yàng客气kè qi起qǐ来lái。你nǐ们men先前xiān qián不是bù shì哥gē弟dì称chèn呼hu么má？还是hái shi照旧zhào jìu：迅xǔn哥gē儿ér。”母亲mǔ qīn高兴gāo xìng的de说shuì。

“阿ā呀yā，老太太lǎo tài tai真是zhēn shi……这zhè成Chéng什shén么má规矩guī ju。那时nà shí是shì孩子hái zi，不bù懂dǒng事shì……”闰土Tǔ说shuì着zhāo，又yòu叫jiào水生shuǐ shēng上shǎng来lái打dá拱，那Nā孩子hái zi却què害hài羞xiu，紧jǐn紧jǐn的de只zhī贴tie在zài他tā背běi后Hòu。

“他tā就是jìu shì水生shuǐ shēng？第dì五wǔ个gě？都Dū是shì生人shēng rén，怕生pà shēng也Yě难nán怪guǎi的de；还是hái shi宏hōng儿ér和hé他tā去qù走zǒu走zǒu。”母亲mǔ qīn说shuì。

宏hōng儿ér听yǐn得dé这zhè话huà，便biàn来lái招zhao水生shuǐ shēng，水生shuǐ shēng却què松Sōng松Sōng爽shuáng爽shuáng同tóng他tā一路yī lù出去chū qù了le。母亲mǔ qīn叫jiào闰土Tǔ坐Zuò，他tā迟Chí疑yí了le一yī回Huí，终zhong于Yú就jìu了le坐Zuò，将jiāng长cháng烟yan管guǎn靠kào在zài桌zhuō旁páng，递dǐ过Guō纸zhǐ包Bāo来lái，说shuì：

“冬天dōng tiān没有méi yǒu什shén么má东Dōng西Xī了le。这zhè一点yī diǎn干gān青豆qīng dòu倒dǎo是shì自家zì jiā晒shài在zài那里nà li的de，请qǐng老爷lǎo ye……”

我wǒ问wèn问wèn他tā的de景Jǐng况kuàng。他tā只是zhǐ shì摇yāo头tóu。

“非常fēi cháng难nán。第dì六lìu个gě孩子hái zi也Yě会huì帮忙bāng máng了le，却què总zǒng是shì吃chī不够bù gòu……又yòu不bù太平Tài píng……什shén么má地方dì fāng都Dū要钱yào qián，没有méi yǒu规定guī dìng……收成shōu chéng又yòu坏huài。种zhǒng出chū东Dōng西Xī来lái，挑tiao去qù卖mài，总zǒng要yāo捐juan几jī回Huí钱Qián，折zhē了le本běn；不bù去qù卖mài，又yòu只zhī能Néng烂lǎn掉diào……”

他tā只是zhǐ shì摇yāo头tóu；脸liǎn上shǎng虽然suī rán刻kè着zhāo许多xǔ duō皱纹zhòu wén，却què全然quán rán不动bù dòng，仿fǎng佛fū石Shí像xiàng一般yī bān。他tā大约dà yuē只是zhǐ shì觉得jué de苦kǔ，却què又yòu形容xíng róng不bù出chū，沉chēn默mò了le片时piàn shí，便biàn拿起ná qǐ烟yan管guǎn来lái默默mò mò的de吸xi烟yan了le。

母亲mǔ qīn问wèn他tā，知道zhī dào他tā的de家里jiā lǐ事务shì wù忙máng，明天míng tiān便biàn得dé回去huí qu；又yòu没有méi yǒu吃chī过Guō午wǔ饭fàn，便biàn叫jiào他tā自己zì jǐ到dào厨chú下xià炒饭chǎo fàn吃chī去qù。

他tā出去chū qù了le；母亲mǔ qīn和hé我wǒ都Dū叹tǎn息xī他tā的de景Jǐng况kuàng：多duō子zǐ，饥ji荒huāng，苛税shuǐ，兵bing，匪fěi，官Guān，绅shen，都Dū苦kǔ得dé他tā像xiàng一个yī ge木Mù偶óu人rén了le。母亲mǔ qīn对duì我wǒ说shuì，凡是fán shì不必bù bì搬bān走zǒu的de东Dōng西Xī，尽jǐn可以kě yǐ送sòng他tā，可以kě yǐ听yǐn他tā自己zì jǐ去qù拣jián择zē。

下xià午wǔ，他tā拣jián好hǎo了le几jī件jiàn东Dōng西Xī：两liǎng条tiáo长cháng桌zhuō，四sì个gě椅yǐ子zǐ，一yī副fù香炉xiāng lú和hé烛zhū台Tái，一yī杆gan抬tái秤chěng。他tā又yòu要yāo所有suǒ yǒu的de草cǎo灰huī（我wǒ们men这里zhè lǐ煮饭zhǔ fàn是shì烧shāo稻草dào cǎo的de，那Nā灰huī，可以kě yǐ做zuò沙sha地de的de肥fēi料liào），待dǎi我wǒ们men启程qǐ chéng的de时shí候hòu，他tā用yòng船chuán来lái载zǎi去qù。

夜间yè jiān，我wǒ们men又yòu谈Tán些xiē闲xián天tiān，都Dū是shì无mó关Guān紧jǐn要yāo的话de huà；第dì二èr天tiān早晨zǎo chén，他tā就jìu领lǐng了le水生shuǐ shēng回去huí qu了le。

又yòu过Guō了le九jǐu日rì，是shì我wǒ们men启程qǐ chéng的de日期rì qī。闰土Tǔ早晨zǎo chén便biàn到了dào liǎo，水生shuǐ shēng没有méi yǒu同tóng来lái，却què只zhī带dài着zhāo一个yī ge五wǔ岁suì的de女儿nu:3 ér管guǎn船只chuán zhī。我wǒ们men终zhong日rì很hěn忙máng碌lǔ，再zài没有méi yǒu谈天tán tiān的de工夫gōng fū。来lái客kè也Yě不少bù shǎo，有yǒu送行sòng xíng的de，有yǒu拿ná东Dōng西Xī的de，有yǒu送行sòng xíng兼jian拿ná东Dōng西Xī的de。待dǎi到dào傍bǎng晚wǎn我wǒ们men上船shàng chuán的de时shí候hòu，这zhè老lǎo屋wū里lǐ的de所有suǒ yǒu破旧pò jìu大小dà xiǎo粗细cū xì东Dōng西Xī，已经yǐ jīng一yī扫sǎo而ér空kōng了le。

我wǒ们men的de船chuán向前xiàng qián走zǒu，两岸liǎng àn的de青山Qīng shān在zài黄昏huáng hūn中Zhōng，都Dū装成zhuāng chéng了le深shēn黛dài颜色yán sè，连Lián着zhāo退tuì向Xiàng船chuán后Hòu梢shao去qù。

宏hōng儿ér和hé我靠wǒ kào着zhāo船chuán窗chuāng，同tóng看kān外面wài miàn模mō糊hū的de风fēng景Jǐng，他tā忽然hū rán问道wèn dào：

“大dà伯bō！我wǒ们men什shén么má时shí候hòu回Huí来lái？”

“回Huí来lái？你nǐ怎zěn么má还Huán没有méi yǒu走zǒu就jìu想xiǎng回Huí来lái了le。”

“可是kě shì，水生shuǐ shēng约yāo我wǒ到dào他tā家jiā玩wán去qù咧……”他tā睁zheng着zhāo大dà的de黑Hēi眼睛yǎn jing，痴痴chī chī的de想xiǎng。

我wǒ和hé母亲mǔ qīn也Yě都Dū有些yǒu xiē惘然rán，于是yú shì又yòu提起tí qǐ闰土Tǔ来lái。母亲mǔ qīn说shuì，那Nā豆腐dòu fu西施Xī shī的de杨yāng二èr嫂，自从zì cóng我wǒ家jiā收shōu拾shè行háng李lí以yǐ来lái，本běn是shì每日měi rì必bì到dào的de，前天qián tiān伊在zài灰huī堆duī里lǐ，掏tao出chū十shí多个duō ge碗wǎn碟来lái，议yǐ论Lún之zhī后Hòu，便biàn定说dìng shuō是shì闰土Tǔ埋mái着zhāo的de，他tā可以kě yǐ在zài运yùn灰huī的de时shí候hòu，一齐yī qí搬bān回家huí jiā里lǐ去qù；杨yāng二èr嫂发fā见jiàn了le这zhè件jiàn事shì，自己zì jǐ很hěn以为yǐ wéi功gōng，便biàn拿ná了le那Nā狗gǒu气qì杀shā（这zhè是shì我wǒ们men这里zhè lǐ养yǎng鸡jī的de器具qì jù，木Mù盘pán上面shàng miàn有着yǒu zhe栅栏lān，内nèi盛Shèng食料shí liào，鸡jī可以kě yǐ伸shen进jìn颈jíng子zǐ去qù啄zhuó，狗gǒu却què不bù能Néng，只zhī能Néng看kān着zhāo气死qì sǐ），飞fēi也Yě似shǐ的de跑páo了le，亏kui伊装zhuāng着zhāo这么zhè me高低gāo dī的de小xiǎo脚jiǎo，竟jǐng跑páo得dé这zhè样yàng快kuài。

老lǎo屋wū离chī我wǒ愈yǔ远yuǎn了le；故乡gù xiāng的de山水Shān shuǐ也Yě都Dū渐jiǎn渐jiǎn远离yuǎn lí了le我wǒ，但dàn我wǒ却què并bìng不bù感gǎn到dào怎zěn样yàng的de留líu恋liǎn。我wǒ只zhī觉得jué de我wǒ四面sì miàn有yǒu看不见kàn bu jiàn的de高Gāo墙qiáng，将jiāng我wǒ隔gé成Chéng孤身gū shēn，使shǐ我wǒ非常fēi cháng气qì闷mēn；那Nā西瓜xī guā地上dì shang的de银yín项Xiàng圈quan的de小xiǎo英雄yīng xíong的de影yǐng像xiàng，我wǒ本běn来lái十分shí fēn清Qīng楚Chǔ，现xiàn在zài却què忽地hū de模mō糊hū了le，又yòu使shǐ我wǒ非常fēi cháng的de悲bēi哀ai。

母亲mǔ qīn和hé宏hōng儿ér都Dū睡着shuì zháo了le。

我wǒ躺tǎng着zhāo，听yǐn船chuán底dí潺潺的de水Shuǐ声shēng，知道zhī dào我wǒ在zài走zǒu我wǒ的de路Lù。我wǒ想xiǎng：我wǒ竟jǐng与yú闰土Tǔ隔绝gé jué到dào这zhè地步dì bù了le，但dàn我wǒ们men的de后Hòu辈bèi还是hái shi一气yī qì，宏hōng儿ér不是bù shì正zhēng在zài想念xiǎng niàn水生shuǐ shēng么má。我wǒ希望xī wàng他tā们men不bù再zài像xiàng我wǒ，又yòu大家dà jiā隔膜gé mó起qǐ来lái……然而rán ér我wǒ又yòu不bù愿yuàn意yì他tā们men因为yīn wèi要yāo一气yī qì，都Dū如rú我wǒ的de辛Xīn苦kǔ展转zhǎn zhuǎn而ér生shēng活huó，也Yě不bù愿yuàn意yì他tā们men都Dū如rú闰土Tǔ的de辛Xīn苦kǔ麻木má mù而ér生shēng活huó，也Yě不bù愿yuàn意yì都Dū如rú别人bié ren的de辛Xīn苦kǔ恣睢而ér生shēng活huó。他tā们men应Yīng该gāi有yǒu新Xīn的de生shēng活huó，为wéi我wǒ们men所suǒ未经wèi jīng生shēng活huó过Guō的de。

我wǒ想到xiǎng dào希望xī wàng，忽然hū rán害怕hài pà起qǐ来lái了le。闰土Tǔ要yāo香炉xiāng lú和hé烛zhū台Tái的de时shí候hòu，我wǒ还Huán暗àn*乩jī镄λ*以为yǐ wéi他tā总zǒng是shì崇Chóng拜bǎi偶像ǒu xiàng，什shén么má时shí候hòu都Dū不bù忘却wàng què。现xiàn在zài我wǒ所suǒ谓wěi希望xī wàng，不bù也Yě是shì我wǒ自己zì jǐ手制shǒu zhì的de偶像ǒu xiàng么má？只是zhǐ shì他tā的de愿yuàn望wàng切近qiè jìn，我wǒ的de愿yuàn望wàng茫māng远yuǎn罢了bà le。

我wǒ在zài朦胧中Zhōng，眼前yǎn qián展开zhǎn kāi一yī片piān海边hǎi biān碧绿bì lu:4的de沙sha地de来lái，上面shàng miàn深shēn蓝Lán的de天空tiān kōng中Zhōng挂guà着zhāo一yī轮lūn金黄jīn huáng的de圆月yuán yuè。我wǒ想xiǎng：希望xī wàng本běn是shì无mó所suǒ谓wěi有yǒu，无mó所suǒ谓wěi无mó的de。这zhè正如zhèng rú地上dì shang的de路Lù；其实qí shí地上dì shang本běn没有méi yǒu路Lù，走zǒu的de人rén多duō了le，也Yě便biàn成了chéng le路Lù。

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.

Lesson vocabulary 1040 words · 10 curated by the source

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
故乡	gù xiāng	hometown, native place
悲凉	bēi liáng	sorrowful and bleak; desolate
萧索	xiāo suǒ	desolate, bleak
愕然	è rán	astonished, stunned
恭敬	gōng jìng	respectful, deferential
障壁	zhàng bì	barrier, wall (of separation)
隔膜	gé mó	estrangement, distance between people
皱纹	zhòu wén	wrinkles
偶像	ǒu xiàng	idol
希望	xī wàng	hope
我	wǒ	I; me; my
冒	mào	old variant of 冒[mao4]; surname Mao
了	le	(completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause); (bound form) clear in one's mind; to understand clearly
严	yān	strict; severe; tight; rigorous; father (formal); surname Yan
寒	hán	cold; poor; to tremble
回到	huí dào	to return to
相隔	xiāng gé	separated by (distance or time etc)
二	èr	two; 2; (Beijing dialect) stupid
千	qiān	thousand; used in 鞦韆\|秋千[qiu1 qian1]
余	Yú	surname Yu; extra; surplus; remaining; remainder after division; (following numerical value) or more; in excess of (some number); residue (math.); after; I; me
里	lǐ	variant of 裡\|里[li3]; lining; interior; inside; internal; also written 裏\|里[li3]; surname Li
别	Bié	surname Bie; to make sb change their ways, opinions etc
二十	èr shí	twenty; 20
余年	yú nián	one's remaining years
的	de	of; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis); (used after a noun, verb or adjective to…
去	qù	to go; to go to (a place); (of a time etc) last; just passed; to send; to remove; to get rid of; to reduce; to be apart from in space or time; to die (euphemism); to play (a part);…
时	shí	old variant of 時\|时[shi2]; surname Shi
候	hòu	to wait; to inquire after; to watch; season; climate; (old) period of five days
既然	jì rán	since; as; this being the case
是	shì	to be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true; (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well; (adverb for emphatic assertion); variant of 是[shi4]
深	shēn	old variant of 深[shen1]; (lit. and fig.) deep
冬	dōng	winter; surname Dong
渐	jiǎn	to imbue
近	jìn	near; close to; approximately
天气	tiān qì	weather
又	yòu	(once) again; also; both... and...; and yet; (used for emphasis) anyway
阴	Yīn	surname Yin; variant of 陰\|阴[yin1]
晦
冷	Lěng	surname Leng
风	fēng	wind; news; style; custom; manner; CL:陣\|阵[zhen4],絲\|丝[si1]
吹	chuī	to blow; to play a wind instrument; to blast; to puff; to boast; to brag; to end in failure; to fall through
进	jìn	to go forward; to advance; to go in; to enter; to put in; to submit; to take in; to admit; (math.) base of a number system; classifier for sections in a building or residential com…
船	chuán	variant of 船[chuan2]; boat; vessel; ship; CL:條\|条[tiao2],艘[sou1],隻\|只[zhi1]
舱	cang	cabin
中	Zhōng	(bound form) China; Chinese; surname Zhong
呜
响	xiǎng	echo; sound; noise; to make a sound; to sound; to ring; loud; classifier for noises
从	cóng	variant of 從\|从[cong2]; surname Cong
蓬	pēng	fluffy; dishevelled; bitter fleabane (a weed); surname Peng
隙	xǐ	crack; gap or interval; discord
向外	xiàng wài	outward
一	yī	one; single; a (article); as soon as; entire; whole; all; throughout; "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1); also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out …
望	wàng	full moon; to hope; to expect; to visit; to gaze (into the distance); to look towards; towards; 15th day of month (lunar calendar); old variant of 望[wang4]
苍	cang	dark green; grey; pale; the heavens; grey-haired
黄	Huáng	surname Huang or Hwang
天	tiān	day; sky; heaven
底	dí	(equivalent to 的 as possessive particle)
下	xià	down; downwards; below; lower; later; next (week etc); second (of two parts); to decline; to go down; to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc); measure word to show the frequency …
远近	yuǎn jìn	far and near; distance
横	héng	horizontal; across; crosswise; horizontal stroke (in Chinese characters); to place (sth) flat (on a surface); to cross (a river, etc); in a jumble; chaotic; (in fixed expressions) …
着	zhāo	variant of 著\|着[zhao1]; a move in chess (Taiwan pr. [zhuo2]); trick; tactic; (dialect) okay; all right; (dialect) to put in; to add
几个	jǐ ge	a few; several; how many
荒	huāng	desolate; shortage; scarce; out of practice; absurd; uncultivated; to neglect
村	cūn	village; (dialect) to scold; rustic; boorish; variant of 村[cun1]
没有	méi yǒu	haven't; hasn't; doesn't exist; to not have; to not be
一些	yī xiē	some; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er
活	huó	to live; alive; living; work; workmanship
气	qì	gas; air; smell; weather; to make angry; to annoy; to get angry; vital energy; qi
心	xīn	heart; mind; intention; center; core; CL:顆\|颗[ke1],個\|个[ge4]
禁	jīn	to endure
不	bù	no; not so; (bound form) not; un-
住	zhù	to live; to reside; to stay; to stop; to cease; (result complement indicating firmness or a stable achieved state)
起	qǐ	to rise; to raise; to get up; to set out; to start; to appear; to launch; to initiate (action); to draft; to establish; to get (from a depot or counter); verb suffix, to start; sta…
来	lái	to come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來\|回来[hui2 lai5]); ever since (as in 自古以來\|自古以来[zi4 gu3…
阿	ā	prefix used before monosyllabic names, kinship terms etc to indicate familiarity; used in transliteration; (bound form) Afghanistan (abbr. for 阿富汗[A1 fu4 han4]); (bound form) Alban…
这不	zhè bu	(coll.) As a matter of fact, ... (used to introduce evidence for what one has just asserted)
年	Nián	surname Nian; grain; harvest (old); variant of 年[nian2]
时时	shí shí	often; constantly
记得	jì de	to remember
所	suǒ	actually; place; classifier for houses, small buildings, institutions etc; that which; particle introducing a relative clause or passive; CL:個\|个[ge4]
全	Quán	surname Quan
不如	bù rú	not equal to; not as good as; inferior to; it would be better to
此	cǐ	this; these
好	hǎo	good; appropriate; proper; all right!; (before a verb) easy to; (before a verb) good to; (before an adjective for exclamatory effect) so; (verb complement indicating completion); (…
得	dé	to obtain; to get; to gain; to catch (a disease); proper; suitable; proud; contented; to allow; to permit; ready; finished
多	duō	many; much; more; a lot of; too many; in excess; (after a numeral) ... odd; how (to what extent) (Taiwan pr. [duo2]); (bound form) multi-; poly-
但	dàn	but; yet; however; still; merely; only; just
要	yāo	(bound form) to demand; to coerce
记起	jì qǐ	to recall; to recollect
他	tā	(third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his; (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日[ta1 ri4] and 他人[ta1 ren2])
美	Měi	(bound form) the Americas (abbr. for 美洲[Mei3 zhou1]); (bound form) USA (abbr. for 美國\|美国[Mei3 guo2])
丽	lǐ	used in place names, notably 高麗\|高丽[Gao1 li2] and 麗水\|丽水[Li2 shui3]
说出	shuō chū	to speak out; to declare (one's view)
佳	jia	good; excellent; fine
处	chǔ	to reside; to live; to dwell; to be in; to be situated at; to stay; to get along with; to be in a position of; to deal with; to discipline; to punish
却	què	old variant of 卻\|却[que4]; but; yet; however; while; to go back; to decline; to retreat; nevertheless; even though
影	yǐng	picture; image; film; movie; photograph; reflection; shadow; trace
像	xiàng	to resemble; to be like; to look as if; such as; appearance; image; portrait; image under a mapping (math.)
言辞	yán cí	words; expression; what one says
仿	fǎng	to imitate; to copy; variant of 仿[fang3]
佛	fū	Buddha; Buddhism (abbr. for 佛陀[Fo2 tuo2])
也	Yě	surname Ye
就	jìu	(after a suppositional clause) in that case; then; (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after; (same as 就是[jiu4 shi4]) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precise…
如此	rú cǐ	like this; so; such
于是	yú shì	thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence
自己	zì jǐ	oneself; (attributive) one's own
解释	jiě shì	explanation; to explain; to interpret; to resolve; CL:個\|个[ge4]
说	shuì	to persuade; variant of 說\|说[shuo1]
本	běn	(bound form) root; stem; (bound form) origin; source; (bound form) one's own; this; (bound form) this; the current (year etc); (bound form) original; (bound form) inherent; origina…
虽然	suī rán	although; even though (often used correlatively with 可是[ke3 shi4] or 但是[dan4 shi4] etc)
进步	jìn bù	progress; improvement; to improve; to progress
未必	wèi bì	not necessarily; maybe not
有如	yǒu rú	to be like sth; similar to; alike
感	gǎn	to feel; to move; to touch; to affect; feeling; emotion; (suffix) sense of ~
这	zhè	(pronoun) this; these; (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun); (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. [zhei4], esp. in Beijing)
只是	zhǐ shì	merely; only; just; nothing but; simply; but; however
心情	xīn qíng	mood; frame of mind
改变	gǎi biàn	to change; to alter; to transform
罢了	bà le	a modal particle indicating (that's all, only, nothing much)
因为	yīn wèi	because; owing to; on account of
次	cì	next in sequence; second; the second (day, time etc); secondary; vice-; sub-; infra-; inferior quality; substandard; order; sequence; hypo- (chemistry); classifier for enumerated e…
回	Huí	Hui ethnic group (Chinese Muslims); to curve; to return; to revolve; variant of 迴\|回[hui2]
乡	xiang	country or countryside; home village or town
什	shén	what
么	má	exclamatory final particle; variant of 麼\|么[me5]
好心	hǎo xīn	kindness; good intentions
绪	xǔ	beginnings; mental state
专	zhuan	for a particular person, occasion, purpose; special; particular (to sth); specialized
为了	wèi le	for; for the purpose of; in order to
而	ér	and; as well as; and so; but (not); yet (not); (indicates causal relation); (indicates change of state); (indicates contrast)
们	men	plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
多年	duō nián	many years; for many years; longstanding
聚	jǔ	to assemble; to gather (transitive or intransitive)
族	zú	race; nationality; ethnicity; clan; by extension, social group (e.g. office workers 上班族)
居	Jū	surname Ju
老	lǎo	prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity; old (of people); venerabl…
屋	wū	(bound form) house; (bound form) room
已经	yǐ jīng	already
公	gōng	public; collectively owned; common; international (e.g. high seas, metric system, calendar); make public; fair; just; Duke, highest of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wu3 deng3 jue2 w…
同	tóng	like; same; similar; together; alike; with; used in 衚衕\|胡同[hu2 tong4]
卖	mài	to sell; to betray; to spare no effort; to show off or flaunt
给	gěi	to; for; for the benefit of; to give; to allow; to do sth (for sb); (grammatical equivalent of 被); (grammatical equivalent of 把); (sentence intensifier)
姓	xìng	family name; surname; to be surnamed ...
交	jiāo	to hand over; to deliver; to pay (money); to turn over; to make friends; (of lines) to intersect; variant of 跤[jiao1]
期限	qī xiàn	time limit; deadline; allotted time
只	zhī	variant of 隻\|只[zhi1]; variant of 只[zhi3]; grain that has begun to ripen; classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc
在	zài	to exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at; (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
所以	suǒ yǐ	therefore; as a result; so; the reason why
必须	bì xū	to have to; must; compulsory; necessarily
赶	gǎn	to overtake; to catch up with; to hurry; to rush; to try to catch (the bus etc); to drive (cattle etc) forward; to drive (sb) away; to avail oneself of (an opportunity); until; by …
正月	Zhēng yuè	first month of the lunar year
初一	chū yī	first year in junior middle school; first day of a lunar month
以前	yǐ qián	before; formerly; previous; ago
永别	yǒng bié	to part forever; eternal parting (i.e. death)
熟	shú	ripe; mature; thoroughly cooked; done; familiar; acquainted; experienced; skilled; (of sleep etc) deep; profound; also pr. [shou2]
识	shí	to know; knowledge; Taiwan pr. [shi4]
且	qiě	and; moreover; yet; for the time being; to be about to; both (... and...)
远离	yuǎn lí	to be far from; to keep away from
搬	bān	to move (i.e. relocate oneself); to move (sth relatively heavy or bulky); to shift; to copy indiscriminately
家	jiā	used in 傢伙\|家伙[jia1 huo5] and 傢俱\|家俱[jia1 ju4]; home; family; (polite) my (sister, uncle etc); classifier for families or businesses; refers to the philosophical schools of pre-Han China; noun suffix for a specialist in some act…
到	dào	to reach; to arrive; to leave for; to go to; to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point); (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point); considerate; thoug…
谋	mōu	to plan; scheme
食	shí	to eat; food; animal feed; eclipse
异地	yì dì	different place; abroad
第	dì	(prefix indicating ordinal number, as in 第六[di4 liu4] "sixth"); (literary) grades in which successful candidates in the imperial examinations were placed; (old) residence of a high…
日	rì	(bound form) sun; day; day of the month; (bound form) Japan (abbr. for 日本[Ri4 ben3]); (vulgar) to fuck; to have sex with
清早	qīng zǎo	first thing in the morning; at daybreak
晨	chén	morning; dawn; daybreak
到了	dào liǎo	at last; finally; in the end
家的	jiā de	(old) wife
门口	mén kǒu	doorway; gate; CL:個\|个[ge4]
瓦	wǎ	roof tile; abbr. for 瓦特[wa3 te4]
楞
上	shǎng	used in 上聲\|上声[shang3 sheng1]
许多	xǔ duō	many; a lot of; much
枯	ku	(of plants) withered; (bound form) dull; boring
草	cǎo	variant of 草[cao3]; grass; straw; manuscript; draft (of a document); careless; rough; CL:棵[ke1],撮[zuo3],株[zhu1],根[gen1]
断	duàn	to break; to snap; to cut off; to give up or abstain from sth; to judge; (usu. used in the negative) absolutely; definitely; decidedly
茎	jing	stalk; CL:條\|条[tiao2]
当	dāng	(onom.) dong; ding dong (bell); to be; to act as; manage; withstand; when; during; ought; should; match equally; equal; same; obstruct; just at (a time or place); on the spot; right; just at
抖	dóu	to tremble; to reveal
正	zhēng	first month of the lunar year
说明	shuō míng	to explain; to illustrate; to indicate; to show; to prove; explanation; directions; caption; CL:個\|个[ge4]
难	nán	difficult (to...); problem; difficulty; difficult; not good
免	miǎn	to excuse sb; to exempt; to remove or dismiss from office; to avoid; to avert; to escape; to be prohibited
易	Yì	surname Yi; I Ching; Book of Changes (abbr. for 易經\|易经[Yi4 jing1])
主	zhǔ	owner; master; host; individual or party concerned; God; Lord; main; to indicate or signify; trump card (in card games)
原因	yuán yīn	cause; origin; root cause; reason; CL:個\|个[ge4]
几	jī	small table; (literary) almost
房	Fáng	surname Fang
本家	běn jiā	a member of the same clan; a distant relative with the same family name
大约	dà yuē	approximately; probably
走	zǒu	to walk; to go; to run; to move (of vehicle); to visit; to leave; to go away; to die (euph.); from; through; away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走[che4 zou3]); to change (shape, form…
很	hěn	very; quite; (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element)
寂	jǐ	silent; Taiwan pr. [ji2]
静	jìng	still; calm; quiet; not moving
自家	zì jiā	oneself; one's own family
外	wài	outside; in addition; foreign; external
母亲	mǔ qīn	mother
早已	zǎo yǐ	for a long time; long since; (dialect) in the past
迎	yíng	to welcome; to meet; to forge ahead (esp. in the face of difficulties); to meet face to face
出	chū	to go out; to come out; to arise; to occur; to produce; to yield; to go beyond; to exceed; (used after a verb to indicate an outward direction or a positive result); classifier for…; variant of 出[chu1] (classifier for plays or chapters of classical novels)
接着	jiē zhe	to catch and hold on; to continue; to go on to do sth; to follow; to carry on; then; after that; subsequently; to proceed; to ensue; in turn; in one's turn
便	biàn	plain; informal; suitable; convenient; opportune; to urinate or defecate; equivalent to 就[jiu4]: then; in that case; even if; soon afterwards
飞出	fēi chū	to fly out
八	bā	eight
岁	suì	variant of 歲\|岁[sui4], year; years old; classifier for years (of age); year; year (of crop harvests)
侄
儿	ér	child; son
宏	hōng	great; macro (computing)
高兴	gāo xìng	happy; glad; willing (to do sth); in a cheerful mood
藏	Zàng	Tibetan ethnic group; Tibet Autonomous Region (short name for 西藏自治區\|西藏自治区[Xi1 zang4 Zi4 zhi4 qu1])
凄	qi	intense cold; dismal; bleak; mournful
凉	Liáng	the five Liang of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely: Former Liang 前涼\|前凉 (314-376), Later Liang 後涼\|后凉 (386-403), Northern Liang 北涼\|北凉 (398-439), Southern Liang 南涼\|南凉[Nan2 Liang2] (397-41…
神情	shén qíng	look; expression
教	Jiào	surname Jiao
坐下	zuò xia	to sit down
歇息	xiē xi	to have a rest; to stay for the night; to go to bed; to sleep
喝	hē	to drink; variant of 嗬[he1]
茶	chá	tea; tea plant; CL:杯[bei1],壺\|壶[hu2]
谈	Tán	surname Tan
事	shì	matter; thing; item; work; affair; CL:件[jian4],樁\|桩[zhuang1],回[hui2]
见	jiàn	to see; to meet; to appear (to be sth); to interview; opinion; view
过	Guō	surname Guo
远远	yuǎn yuǎn	distant; by far
对面	duì miàn	opposite; across (the street etc); directly in front of one; up ahead; face to face
站	zhàn	station; to stand; to halt; to stop; branch of a company or organization; website
看	kān	to look after; to take care of; to watch; to guard
终	zhong	end
于	Yú	surname Yu; (of time or place) in; at; on; (indicating any indirect relation) to; toward; vis-à-vis; with regard to; for; (indicating a source) from; out of; (used in comparison) than; (used i…
谈到	tán dào	to refer to; to speak about; to talk about
外间	wài jiān	outer room; the external world; outside
寓	yǔ	(bound form) to reside; to inhabit; (bound form) to imply; to place; to contain (sth abstract)
租	zū	to hire; to rent; to charter; to rent out; to lease out; rent; land tax
定	dìng	to fix; to set; to make definite; to subscribe to (a newspaper etc); to book (tickets etc); to order (goods etc); to congeal; to coagulate; (literary) definitely
买	mǎi	to buy; to purchase
件	jiàn	item; component; classifier for events, things, clothes etc
家具	jiā jù	furniture; CL:件[jian4],套[tao4]
此外	cǐ wài	besides; in addition; moreover; furthermore
须	xū	must; to have to; to wait; beard; mustache; feeler (of an insect etc); tassel
将	jiāng	will; shall; to use; to take; to checkmate; just a short while ago; (introduces object of main verb, used in the same way as 把[ba3])
家里	jiā lǐ	home
所有	suǒ yǒu	all; to have; to possess; to own
木器	mù qì	wooden articles
再	zài	again; once more; re-; further; beyond this point of time; (before an adjective) more; then (after sth, and not until then); no matter how ... (followed by an adjective or verb, an…
增	zēng	(bound form) to increase; to augment; to add to
添	tian	to add; to increase; to replenish
说好	shuō hǎo	to come to an agreement; to complete negotiations
行	háng	(bound form) row; line; (bound form) line of business; trade; profession; (bound form) commercial firm; (bound form) to rank (first, second etc) among one's siblings (by age); (in …
李	lí	plum; surname Li
略	lu:e4	brief; sketchy; outline; summary; to omit; (bound form before a single-character verb) a bit; somewhat; slightly; plan; strategy; to capture (territory); variant of 略[lu:e4]
已	yǐ	already; to stop; then; afterwards
齐集	qí jí	to gather together; to assemble (in one place)
运	yùn	to move; to transport; to use; to apply; fortune; luck; fate
小半	xiǎo bàn	a portion smaller than a half; the lesser part; the smaller part
收	shōu	to receive; to accept; to collect; to put away; to restrain; to stop; in care of (used on address line after name)
钱	Qián	surname Qian
你	nǐ	you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您[nin2]); you (Note: In Taiwan, 妳 is used to address females, but in mainland China, it is not commonly used. Instead, 你 is used to address both males and females.)
休息	xīu xi	rest; to rest
两	liǎng	two; both; some; a few; tael, unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤[jin1] (old)
拜	bǎi	to bow to; to pay one's respects; to make a courtesy call; to acknowledge sb as one's (master, godfather etc)
亲戚	qīn qi	a relative (i.e. family relation); CL:門\|门[men2],個\|个[ge4],位[wei4]
可以	kě yǐ	can; may; possible; able to; not bad; pretty good
是的	shì de	yes, that's right; variant of 似的[shi4 de5]
还有	hái yǒu	there still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition
闰
土	Tǔ	surname Tu; Tu ethnic group
每	měi	each; every
总	zǒng	(bound form) general; overall; to sum up; in every case; always; invariably; anyway; after all; eventually; sooner or later; surely; (after a person's name) abbr. for 總經理\|总经理[zong3…
问	wèn	to ask; to inquire
想见	xiǎng jiàn	to infer; to gather
面	miàn	face; side; surface; aspect; top; classifier for objects with flat surfaces such as drums, mirrors, flags etc; variant of 麵\|面[mian4]; flour; noodles; (of food) soft (not crunchy); (slang) (of a person) ineffectual; spineless
到家	dào jiā	perfect; excellent; brought to the utmost degree
日期	rì qī	date
通知	tōng zhī	to notify; to inform; notice; notification; CL:個\|个[ge4]
也许	yě xǔ	perhaps; maybe
就要	jìu yào	will; shall; to be going to
这时	zhè shí	at this time; at this moment
脑	nǎo	brain; mind; head; essence
忽然	hū rán	suddenly; all of a sudden
闪	shán	to flash; to dodge; to sidestep; to sprain; a lightning flash
幅	fú	width; roll; classifier for textiles or pictures
神异	shén yì	magical; miraculous; mystical
图画	tú huà	drawing; picture
蓝	Lán	surname Lan
天空	tiān kōng	sky
挂	guà	to hang; to suspend (from a hook etc); to hang up (the phone); (of a line) to be dead; to be worried; to be concerned; (dialect) to make a phone call; to register (at a hospital); …
轮	lūn	wheel; disk; ring; to take turns; to rotate
金黄	jīn huáng	golden yellow; golden
圆月	yuán yuè	full moon
下面	xià miàn	below; under; next; the following; also pr. [xia4 mian5]
海边	hǎi biān	coast; seaside; seashore; beach
沙	sha	sand; granule; (of voice) hoarse; surname Sha
地	de	-ly; structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct
都	Dū	surname Du
种	zhǒng	seed; species; kind; type; classifier for types, kinds, sorts
无	mó	used in 南無\|南无[na1 mo2]
际	jǐ	border; boundary; between; to meet; occasion
碧绿	bì lu:4	dark green
西瓜	xī guā	watermelon; CL:顆\|颗[ke1]
其间	qí jiān	in between; within that interval; in the meantime
有	yǒu	to have; there is; (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[you3 yi4] intentional)
一个	yī ge	a; an; one; the whole (afternoon, summer vacation etc)
十一	Shí Yī	PRC National Day (October 1st)
少年	shào nián	early youth; youngster; (literary) youth; young man
项	Xiàng	surname Xiang
带	dài	band; belt; girdle; ribbon; tire; area; zone; region; CL:條\|条[tiao2]; to wear; to carry; to take along; to bear (i.e. to have); to lead; to bring; to look after; to raise
银	yín	silver; silver-colored; relating to money or currency
圈	quan	to confine; to pen in
手	shǒu	hand; (formal) to hold; person engaged in certain types of work; person skilled in certain types of work; personal(ly); convenient; classifier for skill; CL:雙\|双[shuang1],隻\|只[zhi1]
捏	nie	to hold between the thumb and fingers; to mold (using the fingers); to join together
柄	bíng	handle or shaft (of an axe etc); sth that affords an advantage to an opponent
钢	gāng	steel
叉	cha	fork; prong; cross; "X"
向	Xiàng	surname Xiang; to tend toward; to guide; variant of 向[xiang4]; variant of 向[xiang4]; direction; orientation; to face; to turn toward; to; towards; shortly before; formerly
匹	pǐ	(bound form) matching; comparable to; (bound form) alone; single; one of a pair; classifier for horses, mules etc (Taiwan pr. [pi1]); classifier for cloth: bolt; horsepower; variant of 匹[pi3]; classifier for cloth: bolt
猹
尽力	jìn lì	to strive one's hardest; to spare no effort
刺	cī	(onom.) whoosh
那	Nā	surname Na
身	shēn	body; life; oneself; personally; one's morality and conduct; the main part of a structure or body; pregnant; classifier for sets of clothes: suit, twinset; Kangxi radical 158
扭	niú	to turn; to wring; to swing one's hips
反	fǎn	contrary; in reverse; inside out or upside down; to reverse; to return; to oppose; opposite; against; anti-; to rebel; to use analogy; instead; abbr. for 反切[fan3 qie4] phonetic sys…
胯
逃	tāo	to escape; to flee
认	rèn	to recognize; to know; to admit
不过	bù guò	only; merely; no more than; but; however; anyway (to get back to a previous topic); cannot be more (after adjectival)
十	shí	ten; 10
离	chī	mythical beast (archaic); surname Li
现	xiàn	to appear; present; now; existing; current
三十	sān shí	thirty; 30
那时	nà shí	then; at that time; in those days
父亲	fù qīn	father; also pr. [fu4 qin5]; CL:個\|个[ge4]
还	Huán	surname Huan
世	Shì	surname Shi
景	Jǐng	surname Jing
也好	yě hǎo	that's fine; may as well; (reduplicated) regardless of whether ... or ...
正是	zhèng shì	is precisely
少爷	shào ye	son of the boss; young master of the house; your son (honorific)
大	dà	big; large; great; older (than another person); eldest (as in 大姐[da4 jie3]); greatly; freely; fully; (dialect) father; (dialect) uncle (father's brother)
祭	Zhài	surname Zhai
祀
值	zhī	value; to happen to
才	cái	ability; talent; sb of a certain type; a capable individual; then and only then; just now; (before an expression of quantity) only; (emphatic, esp. in contrast or correction) reall…; (variant of 才[cai2]) just now; (variant of 才[cai2]) (before an expression of quantity) only
能	Néng	surname Neng
郑	zhěng	surname Zheng; (hist.) the Zheng state (a Zhou-dynasty vassal state)
重	chóng	to repeat; repetition; again; re-; classifier: layer
供	gong	to provide; to supply
祖	Zǔ	surname Zu
品	pǐn	(bound form) article; commodity; product; goods; (bound form) grade; rank; kind; type; variety; character; disposition; nature; temperament; to taste sth; to sample; to criticize; …
祭器	jì qì	ritual dishes; sacrificial vessels
讲	jiǎng	to speak; to explain; to negotiate; to emphasize; to be particular about; as far as sth is concerned; speech; lecture
究	jīu	after all; to investigate; to study carefully; Taiwan pr. [jiu4]
人	rén	person; people; CL:個\|个[ge4],位[wei4],名[ming2]
防	fāng	to protect; to guard against
偷	tou	to steal; to snatch; stealthily
只有	zhǐ yǒu	only have ...; there is only ...; (used in combination with 才[cai2]) it is only if ... (that one can ...) (as in 只有通過治療才能痊愈\|只有通过治疗才能痊愈[zhi3 you3 tong1 guo4 zhi4 liao2 cai2 neng2 qu…
忙	máng	busy; hurriedly; to hurry; to rush
月	yuè	moon; month; monthly; CL:個\|个[ge4],輪\|轮[lun2]
这里	zhè lǐ	variant of 這裡\|这里[zhe4 li3]
做	zuò	to make; to produce; to write; to compose; to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc); (of a person) to be (an intermediary, a good student etc); to become (husband and wife, frien…
工	gōng	work; worker; skill; profession; trade; craft; labor
分	fēn	to divide; to separate; to distribute; to allocate; to distinguish (good and bad); (bound form) branch of (an organization); sub- (as in 分局[fen1 ju2]); fraction; one tenth (of cert…
三	Sān	surname San
整	zhěng	(bound form) whole; complete; entire; (before a measure word) whole; (before or after number + measure word) exactly; (bound form) in good order; tidy; neat; (bound form) to put in…
一定	yī dìng	surely; certainly; definitely; fixed; settled; a certain ...; a given ...
人家	rén jiā	household; dwelling; family; sb else's house; household business; house of woman's husband-to-be; CL:戶\|户[hu4],家[jia1]
叫	jiào	to shout; to call; to order; to ask; to be called; by (indicates agent in the passive mood); variant of 叫[jiao4]
长	cháng	long; (bound form) length; (bound form) strong point; forte; (bound form) to be good at; (literary) surplus; spare (Taiwan pr. [zhang4])
按	ǎn	to press; to leave aside or shelve; to restrain; to check or refer to; in the light of
短工	duǎn gōng	temporary job; odd job; seasonal worker
种地	zhòng dì	to farm; to work the land
过年	guò nián	to celebrate the Chinese New Year
过节	guò jié	to celebrate a festival; after the celebrations (i.e. once the festival is over)
以	yǐ	old variant of 以[yi3]; abbr. for Israel 以色列[Yi3 se4 lie4]
及	jí	and; to reach; up to; in time for
称	chèn	to fit; to match; to suit; (coll.) to have; to possess; Taiwan pr. [cheng4]
对	duì	right; correct; towards; at; for; concerning; regarding; to treat (sb a certain way); to face; (bound form) opposite; facing; matching; to match together; to adjust; to fit; to sui…
儿子	ér zi	son
管	guǎn	variant of 管[guan3]; surname Guan
允许	yǔn xǔ	to permit; to allow
早	zǎo	early; morning; Good morning!; long ago; prematurely
听到	tīng dào	to hear
名字	míng zi	name (of a person or thing)
知道	zhī dào	to know; to become aware of; also pr. [zhi1dao5]
和	hé	old variant of 和[he2]; surname He; (literary) harmonious (variant of 和[he2])
年纪	nián jì	age; CL:把[ba3],個\|个[ge4]
生	shēng	to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born; to arise; to occur; to light (a fire); to live; to be alive; life; raw; uncooked; unprocessed; unfamiliar; strange; (bound form) stu…
五行	wǔ xíng	five phases of Chinese philosophy: wood 木, fire 火, earth 土, metal 金, water 水
缺	quē	deficiency; lack; scarce; vacant post; to run short of
装	zhuāng	adornment; to adorn; dress; clothing; costume (of an actor in a play); to play a role; to pretend; to install; to fix; to wrap (sth in a bag); to load; to pack
弓	Gōng	surname Gong
京	Jīng	surname Jing; short name for Beijing 北京[Bei3 jing1]; Gin or Jing, ethnic minority of China, descendants of ethnic Vietnamese people living mainly in Guangxi; Kinh, the ethnic major…
捉	zhuo	to clutch; to capture
小鸟	xiǎo niǎo	small bird; young bird (hatchling, nestling, fledgling, chick); (fig.) penis (kiddie term); (golf) birdie
雀	quě	a freckle
日日	rì rì	every day
盼	pǎn	to hope for; to expect
新年	xīn nián	New Year; CL:個\|个[ge4]
容	Róng	surname Rong
年末	nián mò	end of the year
告	gào	(bound form) to say; to tell; to announce; to report; to denounce; to file a lawsuit; to sue
诉	sù	variant of 訴\|诉[su4]; to complain; to sue; to tell
飞跑	fēi pǎo	to run like the wind; to rush; to gallop
厨房	chú fáng	kitchen; CL:間\|间[jian1]
紫色	zǐ sè	purple; violet (color)
圆	yuán	circle; round; circular; spherical; (of the moon) full; unit of Chinese currency (yuan); tactful; to make consistent and whole (the narrative of a dream or a lie)
脸	liǎn	face; CL:張\|张[zhang1],個\|个[ge4]
头	tóu	head; hair style; the top; end; beginning or end; a stub; remnant; chief; boss; side; aspect; first; leading; classifier for pigs or livestock; CL:個\|个[ge4]
戴	Dài	surname Dai
顶	dǐng	apex; crown of the head; top; roof; most; to carry on the head; to push to the top; to go against; to replace; to substitute; to be subjected to (an aerial bombing, hailstorm etc);…
小	xiǎo	small; tiny; few; young
毡	zhān	felt (fabric); variant of 氈\|毡[zhan1]
帽	mào	old variant of 帽[mao4]; hat; cap
颈	jíng	used in 脖頸\|脖颈[bo2 geng3]
套	tào	to cover; to encase; cover; sheath; to overlap; to interleave; to model after; to copy; formula; harness; loop of rope; (fig.) to fish for; to obtain slyly; classifier for sets, co…
明	Míng	Ming Dynasty (1368–1644); surname Ming; Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝[Yan2 di4] descended from Shennong 神農\|神农[Shen2 nong2] Farmer God
晃	huáng	to sway; to shake; to flash past (huang4); to dazzle (huang3)
可见	kě jiàn	it can clearly be seen (that this is the case); it is (thus) clear; clear; visible
十分	shí fēn	very; completely; utterly; extremely; absolutely; hundred percent; to divide into ten equal parts
爱	ài	to love; to be fond of; to like; affection; to be inclined (to do sth); to tend to (happen)
怕	Pà	surname Pa
死去	sǐ qù	to die
神	Shén	God
面前	miàn qián	in front of; facing; (in the) presence (of)
许下	xǔ xià	to make a promise
愿	yuàn	honest and prudent; variant of 願\|愿[yuan4]; (bound form) wish; hope; desire; to be willing; to wish (that sth may happen); may ...; vow; pledge
用	yòng	to use; to make use of; to employ; (coverb) with; using; to need; to have to (usu. used in the negative or in questions); usefulness; utility; (bound form) expense; outlay; (courte…
子	zǐ	son; child; seed; egg; small thing; 1st earthly branch: 11 p.m.–1 a.m., midnight, 11th solar month (7th December to 5th January), year of the rat; viscount, fourth of five orders o…
羞	xiu	shy; shame
不怕	bù pà	fearless; not worried (by setbacks or difficulties); even if; even though
旁人	páng rén	other people; bystanders; onlookers; outsiders
说话	shuō huà	to speak; to say; to talk; to gossip; to tell stories; talk; word
不到	bù dào	not to arrive; not reaching; insufficient; less than
半	bàn	half; semi-; incomplete; (after a number) and a half
不知	bù zhī	not to know; unaware; unknowingly; fig. not to admit (defeat, hardships, tiredness etc)
道	dào	road; path (CL:條\|条[tiao2],股[gu3]); (bound form) way; reason; principle; (bound form) a skill; an art; a specialization; (Daoism) the Way; the Dao; to say (introducing a direct quot…
些	xiē	classifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several
上城	Shàng chéng	see 上城區\|上城区[Shang4 cheng2 Qu1]
之	zhī	(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]); him; her; it
后	Hòu	surname Hou; back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later; post-
东	Dōng	surname Dong
西	Xī	the West; abbr. for Spain 西班牙[Xi1 ban1 ya2]; Spanish
捕	bú	to catch; to seize; to capture
鸟	diǎo	variant of 屌[diao3]; penis
大雪	Dà xuě	Daxue or Great Snow, 21st of the 24 solar terms 二十四節氣\|二十四节气 7th-21st December
地上	dì shang	on the ground; on the floor
雪	Xuě	surname Xue
扫	sǎo	to sweep (with a brush or broom); to sweep away; to wipe out; to get rid of; to sweep (one's eyes etc) over; to scan
一块	yī kuài	a piece; a chunk; (fig.) (coll.) (typically preceded by a specifier such as 這\|这[zhe4]) aspect; area; dimension (Example: 情感這一塊\|情感这一块[qing2 gan3 zhe4 yi1 kuai4] "the emotional aspec…
空地	kōng dì	air-to-surface (missile)
短	duǎn	short; brief; to lack; weak point; fault
棒	bǎng	excellent, amazing
支	Zhī	surname Zhi
大竹	Dà zhú	see 大竹縣\|大竹县[Da4 zhu2 Xian4]
匾
撒	sa	to let go; to let loose; to give expression to
秕
谷	gǔ	grain; corn; surname Gu
吃	chī	to eat; to consume; to eat at (a cafeteria etc); to eradicate; to destroy; to absorb; to suffer (shock, injury, defeat etc); variant of 吃[chi1]
缚	fǔ	to bind; Taiwan pr. [fu2]
绳子	shéng zi	cord; string; rope; CL:條\|条[tiao2]
拉	lā	to pull; to play (a bowed instrument); to drag; to draw; to chat; (coll.) to empty one's bowels
罩	zhào	to cover; to spread over; a cover; a shade; a hood; bamboo fish trap; bamboo chicken coop; (Tw) (coll.) to protect; to have sb's back; (Tw) (coll.) awesome; incredible; (Tw) (coll.…
竹	zhú	(bound form) bamboo; Kangxi radical 118
稻	dào	paddy; rice (Oryza sativa)
鸡	jī	fowl; chicken; CL:隻\|只[zhi1]; (slang) prostitute; variant of 雞\|鸡[ji1]
角	Jué	surname Jue
鹁
鸪
背	běi	the back; behind (bei4); to recite from memory (bei4); to carry on the back (bei1)
下雪	xià xuě	to snow
太	tài	highest; greatest; too (much); very; extremely
夏天	xià tiān	summer; CL:個\|个[ge4]
日里	rì lǐ	daytime; during the day
捡	jián	to pick up; to collect; to gather
贝壳	bèi ké	shell (of a mollusk)
红	Hóng	surname Hong
绿	lù	used in names
鬼	guǐ	disembodied spirit; ghost; devil; (suffix) person with a certain vice or addiction etc; sly; crafty; resourceful (variant of 詭\|诡[gui3]); one of the 28 constellations of ancient Chi…
观音	Guān yīn	Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion or Goddess of Mercy (Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara)
晚上	wǎn shang	evening; night; CL:個\|个[ge4]; in the evening
爹	diē	dad
贼
不是	bù shì	no; is not; not
走路	zǒu lù	to walk; to go on foot; to leave; to depart; (informal) to clear off; to beat it; (of sb who gets fired or resigns) to leave the job; to get out
人口	rén kǒu	population; people
渴	kě	thirsty
摘	zhāi	to take; to pick (flowers, fruit etc); to pluck; to remove; to take off (glasses, hat etc); to select; to pick out; to borrow money at a time of urgent need
瓜	guā	melon; gourd; squash; (slang) a piece of gossip
算	suàn	to calculate; to figure out; to include; to count in; to count; to be valid; to carry weight; to regard as; to consider (to be ...)
獾
猪	zhū	hog; pig; swine; CL:口[kou3],頭\|头[tou2]
猬
月亮	yuè liang	the moon
听	yǐn	smile (archaic); to listen to; to hear; to heed; to obey; a can (loanword from English "tin"); classifier for canned beverages; to let be; to allow (Taiwan pr. [ting4]); (literary) to administer; t…
啦	lā	(onom.) sound of singing, cheering etc; (phonetic); (dialect) to chat
咬	yáo	to bite
胡	Hú	surname Hu; used in 衚衕\|胡同[hu2 tong4]; beard; mustache; whiskers
轻轻	qīng qīng	lightly; softly
走去	zǒu qù	to walk over (to)
并	bìng	and; furthermore; also; together with; (not) at all; simultaneously; to combine; to join; to merge; to combine; to amalgamate; short name for Taiyuan 太原[Tai4 yuan2]; variant of 並\|并[bing4]
谓	wěi	to say; to call; to be called; meaning; so-called
怎	zěn	how
无端	wú duān	for no reason at all
觉得	jué de	to think that ...; to feel that ...; to feel (uncomfortable etc)
状	zhuàng	(bound form) form; appearance; shape; (bound form) state; condition; (bound form) to describe; (bound form) written complaint; lawsuit; (bound form) certificate
如	rú	as; as if; such as
小狗	xiǎo gǒu	pup; puppy
凶猛	xīong měng	fierce; violent; ferocious
呢	ne	(sentence-final particle) used in questions to link back to prior discourse or context ("what about...?", "and...?"); (sentence-final particle) indicating that a state or situation…
看见	kàn jiàn	to see; to catch sight of
畜生	chù sheng	domestic animal; brute; bastard
伶
俐
倒	dǎo	to fall; to collapse; to lie horizontally; to fail; to go bankrupt; to overthrow; to change (trains or buses); to move around; to resell at a profit
奔	bēn	to hurry; to rush; to run quickly; to elope; variant of 奔[ben1]; variant of 奔[ben4]
窜	cuàn	to flee; to scuttle; to exile or banish; to amend or edit
皮毛	pí máo	fur; fur clothing; skin and hair; superficial; superficial knowledge
油	yóu	oil; fat; grease; petroleum; to apply tung oil, paint or varnish; oily; greasy; glib; cunning
一般	yī bān	same; ordinary; so-so; common; general; generally; in general
滑	Huá	surname Hua
素	sù	raw silk; white; plain, unadorned; vegetarian (food); essence; nature; element; constituent; usually; always; ever
天下	tiān xià	land under heaven; the whole world; the whole of China; realm; rule
新鲜	xīn xiān	fresh (experience, food etc); freshness; novel; uncommon
许	Xǔ	surname Xu
五色	wǔ sè	multicolored; the rainbow; garish
样	yàng	manner; pattern; way; appearance; shape; classifier: kind, type
危险	wēi xiǎn	danger; dangerous
经历	jīng lì	to experience; to go through; experience (CL:段[duan4],次[ci4])
先前	xiān qián	before; previously
单	Shàn	surname Shan
水	Shuǐ	surname Shui; Shui ethnic group
果	guǒ	fruit; result; resolute; indeed; if really
电	diàn	lightning; electricity; electric (bound form); to get (or give) an electric shock; phone call or telegram etc; to send via telephone or telegram etc
出卖	chū mài	to offer for sale; to sell; to sell out; to betray
潮	cháo	tide; damp; moist; humid; fashionable; trendy; (coll.) inferior; substandard
汛
跳	tiào	to jump; to hop; to skip over; to bounce; to palpitate
鱼	Yú	surname Yu
青蛙	qīng wā	frog (CL:隻\|只[zhi1]); (old) (slang) ugly guy
似	shǐ	used in 似的[shi4 de5]
个	gě	used in 自個兒\|自个儿[zi4 ge3 r5]; variant of 個\|个[ge4]
脚	jiǎo	foot; leg (of an animal or an object); base (of an object); CL:雙\|双[shuang1],隻\|只[zhi1]; classifier for kicks
心里	xīn li	chest; heart; mind
有无	yǒu wú	to have or have not; surplus and shortfall; tangible and intangible; corporeal and incorporeal
穷	qíong	poor; destitute; to use up; to exhaust; thoroughly; extremely; (coll.) persistently and pointlessly
无尽	wú jìn	endless; inexhaustible
希	xī	to hope; to admire; variant of 稀[xi1]
奇	jī	odd (number)
往常	wǎng cháng	usual; customary
朋友	péng you	friend; CL:個\|个[ge4],位[wei4]
院子	yuàn zi	courtyard; garden; yard; patio; CL:個\|个[ge4]; (old) servant
高	Gāo	surname Gao
墙	qiáng	variant of 牆\|墙[qiang2]; wall (CL:面[mian4],堵[du3]); (slang) to block (a website) (usu. in the passive: 被牆\|被墙[bei4 qiang2])
四角	sì jiǎo	the four corners (of a rectangle); the eaves that the four corners of a building
可	kě	(prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit; to suit; (particle used for emphasis) certainly; very; but; however
惜	xi	to cherish; to pity
过去	guò qù	(in the) past; former; previous; to go over; to pass by
回家	huí jiā	to return home
急	jí	urgent; pressing; rapid; hurried; worried; to make (sb) anxious
哭	kū	to cry; to weep
躲	duǒ	to hide; to dodge; to avoid
肯	kěn	old variant of 肯[ken3]; to agree; to consent; to be willing to
出门	chū mén	to go out; to leave home; to go on a journey; away from home; (of a woman) to get married
被	bèi	quilt; to cover (with); (literary) to suffer (a misfortune); used to indicate passive voice (placed before the doer of the action like "by" in English passive-voice sentences, or, …
带走	dài zǒu	to carry; to take away
托	tuo	to hold up in one's hand; to support with one's palm; (bound form) a shill; torr (unit of pressure)
包	Bāo	surname Bao
好看	hǎo kàn	good-looking; nice-looking; (of a movie, book, TV show etc) good; in an embarrassing situation
毛	Máo	surname Mao
曾	Zēng	surname Zeng
送	sòng	to send; to deliver; to transmit; to give (as a present); to see (sb) off; to accompany; to go along with
从此	cóng cǐ	from now on; since then; henceforth
见面	jiàn miàn	to meet; to see each other; CL:次[ci4]
提起	tí qǐ	to mention; to bring up; (lit. and fig.) to lift; to raise; to initiate (legal proceedings)
我这儿	wǒ zhe r	where I am; my place
记	jì	to record; to note; to memorize; to remember; mark; sign; classifier for blows, kicks, shots
忆	yǐ	to recollect; memory
忽而	hū ér	suddenly; now (..., now...)
全都	quán dōu	all; without exception
苏生	sū shēng	to revive; to come back to life
乎	hu	(classical particle similar to 於\|于[yu2]) in; from; than
看到	kàn dào	to see
应声	yìng shēng	an answering voice; to answer a voice; to respond; to copy a voice; to parrot
极	jí	extremely; pole (geography, physics); utmost; top
况	kuàng	moreover; situation
意	yì	(bound form) idea; thought; meaning; sense; (bound form) intention; feeling; inclination; state of mind; (bound form) Italy (abbr. for 意大利[Yi4 da4 li4])
这些	zhè xiē	these
顺手	shùn shǒu	as an incidental action while doing sth else; while one is at it; in passing; smooth; easy; without difficulty
随	Suí	surname Sui
拿走	ná zǒu	to take away
看看	kàn kan	to take a look at; to examine; to survey; (coll.) pretty soon
站起	zhàn qǐ	to get up on hind legs (esp. of horse); to stand; to spring up
出去	chū qù	to go out
门外	mén wài	outside the door
女人	nu:3 rén	woman
声音	shēng yīn	sound; voice
招	zhao	to recruit; to beckon; to infect; a move (chess); device; to confess
走近	zǒu jìn	to approach; to draw near to
闲话	xián huà	casual conversation; chat; gossip; to talk about (whatever comes to mind)
会	huì	can; to have the skill; to know how to; to be likely to; to be sure to; to meet; to get together; meeting; gathering; (suffix) union; group; association; (bound form) a moment (Tai…
写字	xiě zì	to write (by hand); to practice calligraphy
坐	Zuò	surname Zuo
火车	huǒ chē	train; CL:列[lie4],節\|节[jie2],班[ban1],趟[tang4]
先	xiān	beforehand; first; earlier; at first; originally; for the time being; for now; (prefix) my late (in referring to deceased relatives older than oneself)
哈	Hā	abbr. for 哈薩克斯坦\|哈萨克斯坦[Ha1 sa4 ke4 si1 tan3], Kazakhstan; abbr. for 哈爾濱\|哈尔滨[Ha1 er3 bin1], Harbin
模	mō	to imitate; norm
这么	zhè me	so much; this much; how much?; this way; like this
一种	yī zhǒng	one kind of; one type of
尖利	jiān lì	sharp; keen; cutting; shrill; piercing
怪	guǎi	odd; strange; uncanny; to find strange; to regard as odd; (coll.) somewhat; rather
声	shēng	sound; voice; tone; noise; reputation; classifier for sounds
突然	tū rán	sudden; abrupt; unexpected
吓	xiǎ	to scare; to threaten; (interjection showing astonishment)
赶忙	gǎn máng	to hurry; to hasten; to make haste
抬	tái	to lift; to raise; (of two or more persons) to carry; variant of 抬[tai2]
凸	tu	to stick out; protruding; convex; male (connector etc)
颧
骨	gū	used in 骨碌碌[gu1 lu4 lu4]; used in 骨碌[gu1 lu5]; used in 骨朵[gu1 duo5]
薄	bāo	thin; flimsy; weak; cold (of relationships); to look down on (bao2); mint; slight (bo2)
嘴	zuǐ	mouth; beak; nozzle; spout (of teapot etc); CL:張\|张[zhang1],個\|个[ge4]
唇	chún	lip; variant of 唇[chun2]
五十	wǔ shí	fifty
上下	shàng xià	the top and bottom of sth; the full vertical extent of sth; from top to bottom; to go up and down; before and after (as in 上下文[shang4 xia4 wen2] "context"); (used after a quantity)…
两手	liǎng shǒu	one's two hands; two prongs (of a strategy); both aspects, eventualities etc; skills; expertise
搭	da	to put up; to hang (clothes on a pole); to join; to match; to throw in (resources)
髀
间	jiān	between; among; within a definite time or space; room; section of a room or lateral space between two pairs of pillars; classifier for rooms
系	xì	to connect; to relate to; to tie up; to bind; to be (literary); system; department; faculty; to tie; to fasten; to button up
裙	qún	old variant of 裙[qun2]; (bound form) skirt
张	Zhāng	surname Zhang
画图	huà tú	to draw designs, maps etc; picture (e.g. of life in the city)
仪	yī	apparatus; appearance; ceremony
器	qì	device; tool; utensil; CL:臺\|台[tai2]
细	xì	thin or slender; finely particulate; thin and soft; fine; delicate; trifling; (of a sound) quiet; frugal
仃
圆规	yuán guī	compass (drafting)
抱	bào	to hold; to carry (in one's arms); to hug; to embrace; to surround; to cherish; (coll.) (of clothes) to fit nicely
咧
愈	yǔ	the more...(the more...); to heal
加	Jiā	Canada (abbr. for 加拿大[Jia1 na2 da4]); surname Jia
幸而	xìng ér	by good fortune; luckily
旁	páng	one side; other; different; lateral component of a Chinese character (such as 刂[dao1], 亻[ren2] etc)
统	tóng	to gather; to unify
忘却	wàng què	(literary) to put out of one's mind; to forget
该	gāi	should; ought to; probably; must be; to deserve; to owe; to be sb's turn to do sth; that; the above-mentioned
罢	bà	to stop; to cease; to dismiss; to suspend; to quit; to finish
向着	xiàng zhe	towards; facing (sb or sth); (coll.) to side with; to favor
斜对	xié duì	catty-corner; to be diagonally opposite to
门	Mén	surname Men
杨	yāng	poplar; surname Yang
嫂
开	kāi	to open (transitive or intransitive); (of ships, vehicles, troops etc) to start; to turn on; to put in operation; to operate; to run; to boil; to write out (a prescription, check, …
豆腐	dòu fu	tofu; bean curd
店	diàn	inn; old-style hotel (CL:家[jia1]); (bound form) shop; store
哦	ō	to chant
孩子	hái zi	child
确	què	variant of 確\|确[que4]; variant of 埆[que4]; authenticated; solid; firm; real; true
伊
西施	Xī shī	Xishi (c. 450 BC), famous Chinese beauty, foremost of the four legendary beauties 四大美女[si4 da4 mei3 nu:3], given by King Gou Jian 勾踐\|勾践[Gou1 Jian4] of Yue as concubine to King of W…
擦	cā	to rub; to scratch; to wipe; to polish; to apply (lipstick, lotion etc); to brush (past); to shred (a vegetable etc)
白粉	bái fěn	face powder; chalk powder; heroin
从没	cóng méi	never (in the past); never did
式	shì	type; form; pattern; style
姿势	zī shì	posture; position
买卖	mǎi mài	to buy and sell
非常	fēi cháng	very; really; unusual; extraordinary
年龄	nián líng	(a person's) age; CL:把[ba3],個\|个[ge4]
关	Guān	surname Guan
未	wèi	not yet; did not; have not; not; 8th earthly branch: 1-3 p.m., 6th solar month (7th July-6th August), year of the Sheep; ancient Chinese compass point: 210°
蒙	mēng	(literary) sincere; honest; genuine
毫	háo	hair; drawing brush; (in the) least; one thousandth; currency unit, 0.1 yuan
化	huā	variant of 花[hua1]
竟	jǐng	unexpectedly; to go so far as to
完全	wán quán	complete; whole; totally; entirely
然而	rán ér	however; but; yet
不平	bù píng	uneven; injustice; unfairness; wrong; grievance; indignant; dissatisfied
显出	xiǎn chū	to express; to exhibit
鄙	bí	rustic; base; to despise
夷	yī	non-Han people, esp. to the East of China; to wipe out; to tear down
神色	shén sè	expression; look
嗤
笑	xiào	old variant of 笑[xiao4]; to laugh; to smile; to laugh at
法	fǎ	variant of 法[fa3]; France; French; abbr. for 法國\|法国[Fa3 guo2]; Taiwan pr. [Fa4]; old variant of 法[fa3]; law
国人	guó rén	compatriots (literary); fellow countrymen
拿	ná	old variant of 拿[na2]; variant of 拿[na2]; to hold; to seize; to catch; to apprehend; to take; (used in the same way as 把[ba3]: to mark the following noun as a direct object)
破	pò	broken; damaged; worn out; lousy; rotten; to break, split or cleave; to get rid of; to destroy; to break with; to defeat; to capture (a city etc); to expose the truth of
仑	lún	to arrange; variant of 崙\|仑[lun2]; used in 崑崙\|昆仑[Kun1 lun2]
美国人	Měi guó rén	American; American person; American people; CL:個\|个[ge4]
华盛顿	Huá shèng dùn	Washington (name); George Washington (1732-1799), first US president; Washington, US State; Washington, D.C. (US federal capital)
冷笑	lěng xiào	to sneer; to laugh grimly; grin of dissatisfaction (bitterness, helplessness, indignation etc); bitter, grim, sarcastic or angry smile
忘	wàng	to forget; to overlook; to neglect
真是	zhēn shi	indeed; truly; (coll.) (used to express disapproval, annoyance etc)
贵人	guì rén	nobility; person of high rank
眼高	yǎn gāo	haughty; contemptuous; to have high expectations
惶	huáng	(bound form) fear; dread; anxiety; trepidation
恐	kóng	afraid; to fear
那么	nà me	like that; in that way; to that extent; (before a number) ... or so; about ...; then; in that case
迅	xǔn	rapid
哥	gē	elder brother
阔	kuò	variant of 闊\|阔[kuo4]; rich; wide; broad
动	dòng	(of sth) to move; to set in movement; to displace; to touch; to make use of; to stir (emotions); to alter; abbr. for 動詞\|动词[dong4 ci2], verb
笨	běn	stupid; silly; clumsy
烂	lǎn	soft; mushy; to rot; to decompose; worn out; utterly; thoroughly
让	ràng	to yield; to permit; to let sb do sth; to have sb do sth; to make sb (feel sad etc); by (indicates the agent in a passive clause, like 被[bei4])
户	hù	a household; door; family
用得着	yòng de zháo	to be able to use; useable; to have a use for; (in a question) to be necessary to
哩
呀	yā	ah (used to express surprise); (onom.) creaking
放	fàng	to put; to place; to release; to free; to let go; to let out; to set off (fireworks)
道台	dào tái	(Ming and Qing dynasties) daotai (title for an official responsible for supervising a circuit 道\|道[dao4]), aka taotai and circuit intendant
姨	yī	mother's sister
太太	tài tai	married woman; Mrs.; Madam; wife; CL:個\|个[ge4],位[wei4]
轿
瞒	mān	to conceal from
话	huà	dialect; language; spoken words; speech; talk; words; conversation; what sb said; CL:種\|种[zhong3],席[xi2],句[ju4],口[kou3],番[fan1]; old variant of 話\|话[hua4]
闭	bì	to close; to stop up; to shut; to obstruct
口	kǒu	mouth; classifier for things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells etc); classifier for bites or mouthfuls
默默	mò mò	in silence; not speaking
有钱	yǒu qián	well-off; wealthy
毫不	háo bù	hardly; not in the least; not at all
放松	fàng sōng	to relax; to slacken; to loosen
一面	yī miàn	one side; one aspect; simultaneously... (and...); one's whole face
愤	fěn	indignant; resentment
回转	huí zhuǎn	variant of 迴轉\|回转[hui2 zhuan3]
絮
慢	màn	slow
顺	shùn	to obey; to follow; to arrange; to make reasonable; along; favorable
副手	fù shǒu	assistant
塞	sai	to plug; to stop up; to stuff in
裤	kǔ	trousers; pants
腰	yao	the waist and lower back; the waist of trousers or a skirt; (bound form) the middle section of an upright object (mountain, bottle etc)
近处	jìn chù	nearby
访问	fǎng wèn	to visit; to call on (a person or place); (computing) to visit (a website); to access (a network resource etc); (Tw) to interview (e.g. for a report or feature story); CL:次[ci4]
应酬	yìng chou	to engage in social activities; to socialize; dinner party; banquet; social engagement
空	kōng	empty; air; sky; in vain
拾	shè	to ascend in light steps
四	sì	four; 4
午	wǔ	7th earthly branch: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., noon, 5th solar month (6th June-6th July), year of the Horse; ancient Chinese compass point: 180° (south)
饭	fàn	cooked rice; CL:碗[wan3]; meal; CL:頓\|顿[dun4]; (loanword) fan; devotee
外面	wài miàn	outside (also pr. [wai4 mian5] for this sense); surface; exterior; external appearance
有人	yǒu rén	someone; people; anyone; there is someone there; occupied (as in restroom)
不由	bù yóu	can't help (doing sth)
出惊	chū jīng	see 吃驚\|吃惊[chi1 jing1]
慌	huang	to get panicky; to lose one's head
材	cāi	material; ability; a capable individual
增加	zēng jiā	to raise; to increase
倍	bèi	(two, three etc) -fold; times (multiplier); double; to increase or multiply
变作	biàn zuò	to change into; to turn into; to become
灰	huī	ash; dust; lime; gray; discouraged; dejected
加上	jiā shàng	plus; to put in; to add; to add on; to add into; in addition; on top of that
眼睛	yǎn jing	eye; CL:隻\|只[zhi1],雙\|双[shuang1]
周围	zhōu wéi	environs; surroundings; periphery
肿	zhóng	to swell; swollen
通红	tōng hóng	very red; red through and through; to blush (deep red)
海风	hǎi fēng	sea breeze
抵	dí	to press against; to support; to prop up; to be equal to; to match; to mortgage; to arrive at; to reach
身上	shēn shang	on the body; at hand; among
棉
衣	yī	clothes; CL:件[jian4]; Kangxi radical 145
浑	hūn	muddy; turbid; (bound form) simple; natural
瑟	sè	a type of standing harp, smaller than konghou 箜篌, with 5-25 strings
索	suó	rope; to search for; to demand; to exact; to reduce; surname Suo
手里	shǒu lǐ	in hand; (a situation is) in sb's hands
提	dī	used in 提防[di1 fang5] and 提溜[di1 liu5]
纸	zhǐ	variant of 紙\|纸[zhi3]; paper (CL:張\|张[zhang1],沓[da2]); classifier for documents, letters etc
烟	yan	cigarette or pipe tobacco; smoke; vapour; tobacco plant
实	shí	real; true; honest; really; solid; fruit; seed; definitely
粗	cū	(of sth long) wide; thick; (of sth granular) coarse; (of a voice) gruff; (of sb's manner etc) rough; crude; careless; rude; variant of 粗[cu1]; remote; distant; variant of 粗[cu1]
裂	liě	to split; to break open
松树	sōng shù	pine; pine tree; CL:棵[ke1]
皮	Pí	surname Pi
兴	Xīng	surname Xing
奋	fěn	to exert oneself (bound form)
想要	xiǎng yào	to want to; to feel like; to fancy; to care for sb; desirous of
连珠	lián zhū	joined as a string of pearls; in rapid succession; alignment; Renju, a Japanese game, also called Gomoku or five-in-a-row
涌	yóng	(used in place names)
挡	dáng	to resist; to hinder; to block (a blow); cover
里面	lǐ miàn	variant of 裡面\|里面[li3 mian4]
旋	xuān	to revolve; a circle
吐	tú	to spit; to say
出口	chū kǒu	an exit; CL:個\|个[ge4]; to speak; to export; (of a ship) to leave port
欢喜	huān xǐ	happy; joyous; delighted; to like; to be fond of
作	zuō	(bound form) worker; (bound form) workshop; (slang) troublesome; high-maintenance (person)
态	tài	(bound form); appearance; shape; form; state; attitude; (grammar) voice
度	dù	to pass; to spend (time); measure; limit; extent; degree of intensity; degree (angles, temperature etc); kilowatt-hour; classifier for events and occurrences
分明	fēn míng	clear; distinct; evidently; clearly
叫道	jiào dào	to call; to shout
老爷	lǎo ye	(respectful) lord; master; (coll.) maternal grandfather
打	dá	(loanword) dozen; Taiwan pr. [da3]
噤
之间	zhī jiān	(after a noun) between; among; amid; (used after certain bisyllabic words to form expressions indicating a short period of time, e.g. 彈指之間\|弹指之间[tan2 zhi3 zhi1 jian1])
隔	gé	to separate; to partition; to stand or lie between; at a distance from; after or at an interval of
一层	yī céng	one layer; one level
可悲	kě bēi	lamentable
厚	hòu	thick; deep or profound; kind; generous; rich or strong in flavor; to favor; to stress
说不出	shuō bu chū	unable to say
水生	shuǐ shēng	aquatic (plant, animal)
磕	ke	to tap; to knock (against sth hard); (esp.) to knock (mud from boots, ash from a pipe etc)
拖	tuo	to drag; to tow; to pull; to delay; to procrastinate
廿	niàn	twenty
年前	nián qián	by the end of the year; at the end of the year; shortly before New Year
瘦	shòu	thin; to lose weight; (of clothing) tight; (of meat) lean; (of land) unproductive
五	wǔ	five; 5
过世	guò shì	to die; to pass away
下楼	xià lóu	to go downstairs
老太太	lǎo tài tai	elderly lady (respectful); esteemed mother; CL:位[wei4]
信	xìn	letter; mail; CL:封[feng1]; to trust; to believe; to profess faith in; truthful; confidence; trust; at will; at random
收到	shōu dào	to receive
喜欢	xǐ huan	to like; to be fond of
不得了	bù dé liǎo	desperately serious; disastrous; extremely; exceedingly
客气	kè qi	polite; courteous; formal; modest
弟	dì	younger brother; junior male; I (modest word in letter)
呼	hu	to call; to shout; to exhale
还是	hái shi	still (as before); had better; unexpectedly; or
照旧	zhào jìu	as before; as in the past
成	Chéng	surname Cheng; short name for Chengdu 成都[Cheng2 du1]
规矩	guī ju	lit. compass and set square; fig. established standard; rule; customs; practices; fig. upright and honest; well-behaved
懂	dǒng	to understand; to comprehend
拱
害	hài	to do harm to; to cause trouble to; harm; evil; calamity
紧	jǐn	tight; strict; close at hand; near; urgent; tense; hard up; short of money; to tighten
贴	tie	to stick; to post (e.g. on a blog); to fit snugly; allowance (e.g. money for food or housing); classifier for sticking plaster: strip
就是	jìu shì	exactly; precisely; only; simply; just; (used correlatively with 也[ye3]) even; even if
生人	shēng rén	stranger; living person; to give birth; to be born (in a certain time or place)
怕生	pà shēng	fear of strangers; to be afraid of strangers (of small children)
松	Sōng	surname Song; loose; to loosen; to relax; floss (dry, fluffy food product made from shredded, seasoned meat or fish, used as a topping or filling)
爽	shuáng	bright; crisp; frank; to feel well; pleasurable; to deviate
一路	yī lù	the whole journey; all the way; going the same way; going in the same direction; of the same kind
迟	Chí	surname Chi
疑	yí	(bound form) to doubt; to suspect
靠	kào	to lean against or on; to stand by the side of; to come near to; to depend on; to trust; to fuck (vulgar); traditional military costume drama where the performers wear armor (old)
桌	zhuō	table; desk; classifier for tables of guests at a banquet etc; old variant of 桌[zhuo1]
递	dǐ	to hand over; to pass on; to deliver
冬天	dōng tiān	winter
一点	yī diǎn	a bit; a little bit; (used in negative expressions) (not) the least bit; (after an adjective, used to form the comparative) a bit more, -er; a point (in a discussion etc); (calligr…
干	gān	old variant of 乾\|干[gan1]; surname Gan; variant of 乾\|干[gan1]; tree trunk; main part of sth; to manage; to work; to do; capable; cadre; to kill (slang); to fuck (vulgar); (coll.) pissed off; annoyed
青豆	qīng dòu	green soybean; green peas
晒	shài	variant of 曬\|晒[shai4]; (of the sun) to shine on; to bask in (the sunshine); to dry (clothes, grain etc) in the sun; (fig.) to expose and share (one's experiences and thoughts) on the Web (loanword from "…
那里	nà li	there; that place
请	qǐng	to ask; to invite; please (do sth); to treat (to a meal etc); to request
摇	yāo	to shake; to wave; to rock; to sway
六	lìu	six; 6
帮忙	bāng máng	to help; to lend a hand; to do a favor; to do a good turn
不够	bù gòu	not enough; insufficient; inadequate
太平	Tài píng	see 太平區\|太平区[Tai4 ping2 Qu1]
地方	dì fāng	region; regional (away from the central administration); local
要钱	yào qián	to charge; to demand payment
规定	guī dìng	to stipulate; to specify; to prescribe; to fix (a price); to set (a quota); regulations; rules; provisions; stipulations
收成	shōu chéng	harvest
坏	huài	bad; spoiled; broken; to break down; (suffix) to the utmost
挑	tiao	to carry on a shoulder pole; to pick
捐	juan	to relinquish; to abandon; (bound form) tax; levy
折	zhē	to snap; (bound form) to sustain a loss (in business)
掉	diào	to fall; to drop; to lag behind; to lose; to go missing; to reduce; fall (in prices); to lose (value, weight etc); to wag; to swing; to turn; to change; to exchange; to swap; to sh…
刻	kè	quarter (hour); moment; to carve; to engrave; to cut; oppressive; classifier for short time intervals
全然	quán rán	completely
不动	bù dòng	motionless
石	Shí	surname Shi; abbr. for Shijiazhuang 石家莊\|石家庄[Shi2 jia1 zhuang1], the capital of Hebei
苦	kǔ	bitter; hardship; pain; to suffer; to bring suffering to; painstakingly
形容	xíng róng	to describe; (literary) countenance; appearance
沉	chēn	to sink; heavy; deep; to immerse; to keep down
默	mò	silent; to write from memory
片时	piàn shí	a short time; a moment
拿起	ná qǐ	to pick up
吸	xi	to breathe; to absorb
事务	shì wù	(political, economic etc) affairs; work; transaction (as in a computer database)
明天	míng tiān	tomorrow
回去	huí qu	to return; to go back
厨	chú	old variant of 廚\|厨[chu2]; kitchen
炒饭	chǎo fàn	fried rice; (Tw) (slang) to have sex
叹	tǎn	to sigh
息	xī	breath; news; interest (on an investment or loan); to cease; to stop; to rest; Taiwan pr. [xi2]
饥	ji	(bound form) hungry
苛
税	shuǐ	taxes
兵	bing	soldiers; an army; arms; warlike
匪	fěi	bandit; (literary) not
官	Guān	surname Guan
绅	shen	member of gentry
木	Mù	surname Mu
偶	óu	accidental; pair
凡是	fán shì	each and every; every; all; any
不必	bù bì	need not; does not have to; not necessarily
尽	jǐn	to the greatest extent; (when used before a noun of location) furthest or extreme; to be within the limits of; to give priority to; to use up; to exhaust; to end; to finish; to the utmost; exhausted; finished; to the limit (of sth); all; entirely
拣	jián	to choose; to sort out
择	zē	to select; to pick over; to differentiate; also pr. [zhai2]
条	tiáo	strip; item; article; clause (of law or treaty); classifier for long thin things (ribbon, river, road, trousers etc)
椅	yǐ	chair
副	fù	secondary; auxiliary; deputy; assistant; vice-; abbr. for 副詞\|副词 adverb; classifier for pairs, sets of things & facial expressions
香炉	xiāng lú	a censer (for burning incense); incense burner; thurible
烛	zhū	candle
台	Tái	Taiwan (abbr.); surname Tai; desk; table; counter; typhoon
杆	gan	(bound form) pole; shaft
秤	chěng	to weigh (; )
煮饭	zhǔ fàn	to cook
烧	shāo	to burn; to set on fire; to heat (over a fire); to boil (water, tea etc); to braise; to cook; to prepare food; to run a fever; fever; (coll.) to become full of oneself; to get carr…
稻草	dào cǎo	rice straw
肥	fēi	fat; loose-fitting or large; to become rich by illegal means; manure
料	liào	material; stuff; grain; feed; to expect; to anticipate; to guess
待	dǎi	to stay; to remain
启程	qǐ chéng	to set out on a journey
载	zǎi	to record in writing; to carry (i.e. publish in a newspaper etc); Taiwan pr. [zai4]; year
夜间	yè jiān	nighttime; evening or night (e.g. classes)
闲	xián	enclosure; (variant of 閒\|闲[xian2]) idle; unoccupied; leisure; idle; unoccupied; leisure
的话	de huà	if (coming after a conditional clause)
早晨	zǎo chén	early morning; also pr. [zao3chen5]
领	lǐng	neck; collar; to lead; to receive; classifier for clothes, mats, screens etc
九	jǐu	nine; 9
女儿	nu:3 ér	daughter
船只	chuán zhī	ship; boat; vessel
碌	lǔ	used in 碌碡[liu4 zhou5]
谈天	tán tiān	to chat
工夫	gōng fū	(old) laborer
客	kè	customer; visitor; guest; classifier for servings or portions (when ordering food)
不少	bù shǎo	many; quite a few; a good number of
送行	sòng xíng	to see someone off; to throw someone a send-off party
兼	jian	double; simultaneous
傍	bǎng	near; to depend on; Taiwan pr. [pang2], [bang1], [bang4]
晚	wǎn	evening; night; late
上船	shàng chuán	to get on the boat
破旧	pò jìu	shabby
大小	dà xiǎo	large and small; size; adults and children; consideration of seniority; at any rate
粗细	cū xì	thick and thin; coarse and fine; thickness (caliber); coarseness; quality of work
向前	xiàng qián	forward; onward
两岸	liǎng àn	bilateral; both shores; both sides; both coasts; Taiwan and mainland
青山	Qīng shān	see 青山區\|青山区[Qing1 shan1 Qu1]
黄昏	huáng hūn	dusk; evening; nightfall
装成	zhuāng chéng	to pretend
黛	dài	(literary) dark pigment traditionally used to paint the eyebrows
颜色	yán sè	color; countenance; appearance; facial expression; pigment; dyestuff
连	Lián	surname Lian
退	tuì	to retreat; to withdraw; to reject; to return (sth); to decline
梢	shao	tip of branch
我靠	wǒ kào	bosh!; crap!; see also 哇靠[wa1 kao4]
窗	chuāng	old variant of 窗[chuang1]; variant of 窗[chuang1]; window; CL:扇[shan4]
糊	hū	to paste; to stick; paste; muddled; scorched (in 糊了)
问道	wèn dào	to ask the way; to ask
伯	bō	uncle; the eldest among brothers; (honorific) count
想	xiǎng	to think (about); to think of; to devise; to think (that); to believe (that); to desire; to want (to); to miss (feel wistful about the absence of)
可是	kě shì	but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed
约	yāo	to weigh in a balance or on a scale
玩	wán	to play; to have fun; to trifle with; toy; sth used for amusement; curio or antique (Taiwan pr. [wan4]); to keep sth for entertainment; variant of 玩[wan2]; Taiwan pr. [wan4]
睁	zheng	to open (one's eyes)
黑	Hēi	short name for Heilongjiang 黑龍江\|黑龙江[Hei1 long2 jiang1]
痴痴	chī chī	foolish; stupid; lost in thought; in a daze
有些	yǒu xiē	some; somewhat; rather; a bit
惘
然	rán	correct; right; so; thus; like this; -ly
自从	zì cóng	since (a time); ever since
每日	měi rì	daily; (soup etc) of the day
必	bì	certainly; must; will; necessarily
前天	qián tiān	the day before yesterday
堆	duī	to pile up; to heap up; a mass; pile; heap; stack; large amount
掏	tao	to fish out (from pocket)
多个	duō ge	many; multiple; multi- (faceted, ethnic etc)
碗	wǎn	variant of 碗[wan3]; bowl; cup; CL:隻\|只[zhi1],個\|个[ge4]
碟
议	yǐ	to comment on; to suggest
论	Lún	abbr. for 論語\|论语[Lun2 yu3], The Analects (of Confucius)
定说	dìng shuō	to assert categorically; generally accepted view
埋	mái	to bury
一齐	yī qí	at the same time; simultaneously
发	fā	to send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue; to develop; to make a bundle of money; classifier for gunshots (rounds); hair; Taiwan pr. [fa3]
以为	yǐ wéi	to think; to believe (often with the implication that the belief is mistaken – unless referring to one's own current belief)
功	gōng	meritorious deed or service; achievement; result; service; accomplishment; work (physics)
狗	gǒu	dog; CL:隻\|只[zhi1],條\|条[tiao2]
杀	shā	to kill; to slay; to murder; to attack; to weaken; to reduce; (dialect) to smart; (used after a verb) extremely
养	yǎng	to raise (animals); to bring up (children); to keep (pets); to support; to give birth
器具	qì jù	implement; utensil; equipment
盘	pán	tray; plate; dish; (finance) (bound form) market prices; (computing) (bound form) disk; to coil (a rope, pigtail etc); to check; to examine; to investigate; to transfer; to sell (p…
上面	shàng miàn	on top of; above-mentioned; also pr. [shang4 mian5]
有着	yǒu zhe	to have; to possess
栅
栏	lān	fence; hurdle
内	nèi	inside; inner; internal; within; interior
盛	Shèng	surname Sheng
食料	shí liào	foodstuff
伸	shen	to stretch
啄	zhuó	to peck
气死	qì sǐ	to infuriate; to be furious; to die from an excess of anger
飞	fēi	to fly
跑	páo	(of an animal) to paw (the ground)
亏	kui	to lose (money); to have a deficit; to treat unfairly; (used to introduce an ironic remark about sb who has fallen short of expectations)
高低	gāo dī	height; level; (music) pitch; relative superiority; propriety; discretion (usu. in the negative, e.g. 不知高低[bu4 zhi1 gao1 di1]); no matter what; just; simply (will not ..., must ...…
快	kuài	rapid; quick; speed; rate; soon; almost; to make haste; clever; sharp (of knives or wits); forthright; plainspoken; gratified; pleased; pleasant
远	yuǎn	far; distant; remote; (intensifier in a comparison) by far; much (lower etc)
山水	Shān shuǐ	Sansui, Japanese company
留	líu	old variant of 留[liu2]; to leave (a message etc); to retain; to stay; to remain; to keep; to preserve
恋	liǎn	to feel attached to; to love
四面	sì miàn	all sides
看不见	kàn bu jiàn	cannot see; cannot be seen; invisible
孤身	gū shēn	alone; lonely
使	shǐ	to make; to cause; to enable; to use; to employ; to send; to instruct sb to do sth; envoy; messenger
闷	mēn	stuffy; shut indoors; to smother; to cover tightly
英雄	yīng xíong	hero; CL:個\|个[ge4]
清	Qīng	Qing (Wade-Giles: Ch'ing) dynasty of China (1644–1911); surname Qing
楚	Chǔ	surname Chu; abbr. for Hubei 湖北省[Hu2 bei3 Sheng3] and Hunan 湖南省[Hu2 nan2 Sheng3] provinces together; Chinese kingdom during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (722–22…
忽地	hū de	suddenly
悲	bēi	sad; sadness; sorrow; grief
哀	ai	sad; sorrowful; grief; to mourn; to pity
睡着	shuì zháo	to fall asleep
躺	tǎng	to recline; to lie down
潺
路	Lù	surname Lu
与	yú	variant of 歟\|欤[yu2]
隔绝	gé jué	to cut off; to isolate; isolated (from the world)
地步	dì bù	stage; degree (to which a situation has evolved); a (usu. bad) situation; leeway
辈	bèi	lifetime; generation; group of people; class; classifier for generations; (literary) classifier for people
一气	yī qì	at one go; at a stretch; for a period of time; forming a gang
想念	xiǎng niàn	to miss; to remember with longing; to long to see again
大家	dà jiā	everyone; influential family; great expert
辛	Xīn	surname Xin
展转	zhǎn zhuǎn	variant of 輾轉\|辗转[zhan3 zhuan3]
麻木	má mù	numb; insensitive; apathetic
别人	bié ren	other people; others; other person
恣
睢
应	Yīng	surname Ying; Taiwan pr. [Ying4]
新	Xīn	abbr. for Xinjiang 新疆[Xin1 jiang1]; abbr. for Singapore 新加坡[Xin1 jia1 po1]; surname Xin
为	wéi	as (in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as; to serve as; to behave as; to become; to be; to do; by (in the passive voice); variant of 為\|为[wei2]
未经	wèi jīng	not having undergone; without (having gone though a certain process)
想到	xiǎng dào	to think of; to call to mind; to anticipate
害怕	hài pà	to be afraid; to be scared
暗	àn	variant of 暗[an4]; dark; to turn dark; secret; hidden; (literary) confused; ignorant; (literary) to close (a door); to eclipse; confused; ignorant (variant of 暗[an4]); dark (variant of 暗[an4])
乩	jī	to divine
镄
崇	Chóng	surname Chong
手制	shǒu zhì	to make by hand; handmade
切近	qiè jìn	close; near; similar to
茫	māng	vast, with no clear boundary; indistinct; confused
朦
胧
眼前	yǎn qián	before one's eyes; now; at present
展开	zhǎn kāi	to unfold; to spread out; to open up; to launch; to carry out
片	piān	disk; sheet
正如	zhèng rú	just as; precisely as
其实	qí shí	actually; in fact; really
成了	chéng le	to be done; to be ready; that's enough!; that will do!

Braving the bitter cold, I returned to my hometown, more than two thousand li away, which I had left over twenty years ago.

It was deep winter; as I drew near my hometown, the weather turned gloomy, and a cold wind blew into the cabin of the boat, howling. Through gaps in the awning, I gazed out: beneath a sallow-yellow sky, several desolate villages lay scattered near and far, lifeless. My heart could not help but sink into sorrow. Ah! Was this not the hometown I had remembered constantly for twenty years?

The hometown I remembered was not at all like this. My hometown had been much better. But when I tried to recall its beauty, to describe its fine qualities, I had no image, no words. It seemed it had always been just like this. So I explained to myself: the hometown had always been this way—although it had not progressed, perhaps it was not as bleak as I felt; it was only my own mood that had changed, for I had come back this time with no good cheer at all.

This time I had come solely to bid it farewell. The old house where our clan had lived together for many years had already been sold to another family by common agreement; the deadline to hand over the house was this very year, so I had to hurry, before the first day of the first lunar month, to bid an eternal farewell to the familiar old house, and to leave far behind the familiar hometown, moving to the strange land where I was making my living.

Early the next morning I arrived at the door of my home. The broken stalks of withered grass on the roof tiles trembled in the wind, explaining why this old house could not avoid changing owners. Several branches of the family had probably already moved away, so it was very quiet. When I reached the room outside my own, my mother had already come out to meet me, followed by my eight-year-old nephew Hong’er, who came flying out.

My mother was very happy, but she also hid much sorrowful feeling. She told me to sit, to rest, to drink tea, and not to speak of the moving for now. Hong’er, who had never seen me, stood facing me from afar, just staring.

But eventually we came to talk about the move. I said the lodgings I had rented outside were already settled, and I had bought a few pieces of furniture; besides that, we needed to sell all the wooden articles in the house and then buy more. Mother agreed, adding that the luggage was nearly all gathered, and the wooden articles too cumbersome to move had already been mostly sold off, but the money was not yet collected.

“Rest for a day or two, go visit the relatives and clan members once, and then we can leave,” Mother said.

“Yes.”

“And there’s Runtu—every time he comes to our house, he always asks about you, very much wanting to see you once. I’ve already informed him of about when you’d arrive home; he may come at any time.”

At this moment, a marvelous picture suddenly flashed in my mind: a golden full moon hung in the deep blue sky, and below was a sandy beach by the sea, all planted with boundless emerald-green watermelons. Among them stood a boy of eleven or twelve, a silver ring around his neck, a steel pitchfork in his hand, thrusting with all his might at a zha. But the zha twisted its body and slipped away from beneath his crotch.

This boy was Runtu. When I first knew him, I was only just over ten years old, and that was now nearly thirty years ago; my father was still alive then, the family was well off, and I was a young master. That year, our family was responsible for hosting a great ancestral sacrifice. This sacrifice, it was said, came round only once in over thirty years, so it was very solemn; in the first month the ancestral portraits were displayed, with many offerings, very fine sacrificial vessels, many worshippers, and the vessels had to be guarded against theft. Our family had only one busy-month worker (here, those who work for others are divided into three kinds: those who work all year for a fixed household are called long-term hands; those hired by the day are short-term hands; and those who farm their own land and only come to work for a fixed household during festivals and rent-collection times are called busy-month workers), who could not manage everything, so he told my father that his son Runtu could be called to look after the sacrificial vessels.

My father agreed; I was very happy too, for I had long heard the name Runtu, and knew that he was about my age, born in an intercalary month, and that since his five elements lacked earth, his father had named him Runtu (“intercalary earth”). He could set traps to catch small birds.

So I longed day after day for the New Year, for when the New Year came, Runtu would come too. With great difficulty the end of the year finally arrived, and one day my mother told me Runtu had come, so I went running to see him. He was in the kitchen, with a purple round face, a small felt cap on his head, and a gleaming silver collar around his neck—showing how dearly his father loved him, so afraid he would die that he had made a vow before the gods and Buddhas and bound him with a ring. He was very shy with people, but not afraid of me; when no one else was around he would talk with me, and so in less than half a day we became familiar.

I don’t remember what we talked about then, only that Runtu was very happy, saying that since coming to the town he had seen many things he had never seen before.

The next day, I asked him to catch birds. He said:

“That won’t do. It must first snow heavily. On our sandy ground, after it snows, I sweep out a patch of clear ground, prop up a big bamboo sieve with a short stick, and scatter some chaff. When I see the birds come to eat, I pull from afar the rope tied to the stick, and the birds are trapped under the sieve. There are all kinds: rice birds, horned pheasants, wood pigeons, blue-backs…”

So I came to long very much for snow.

Runtu also said to me:

“It’s too cold now, but come here in summer. By day we go to the seaside to gather shells—red ones, green ones, all kinds; there are also ‘ghost-frighteners,’ and ‘Guanyin’s hands.’ At night I go with my father to watch the watermelons; you come too.”

“To guard against thieves?”

“No. If a passerby gets thirsty and picks a melon to eat, we don’t count that as stealing. What we watch out for are badgers, hedgehogs, and zha. In the moonlight, you listen—there’s a rustling sound; the zha is biting the melons. Then you grip your pitchfork and walk over softly…”

At that time I did not know what this thing called a zha was—even now I still don’t know—I just somehow felt it was shaped like a small dog and very fierce.

“Doesn’t it bite people?”

“There’s the pitchfork. When you get close and see the zha, you thrust. This creature is very clever; it rushes toward you instead, then darts away beneath your crotch. Its fur is slippery as oil…”

I had never known there were so many novel things in the world: that the seaside had so many colorful shells; that watermelons had such dangerous adventures—I had previously known only that they were sold in fruit shops.

“On our sandy ground, when the tide is about to come, there are many jumping fish that just leap about, all with two legs like a frog’s…”

Ah! Runtu’s heart held endless wondrous things, all unknown to my usual friends. They knew nothing of these things; while Runtu was by the sea, they, like me, saw only the square patch of sky above the high courtyard walls.

Alas, the first month passed, and Runtu had to return home. I cried bitterly in my distress, and he too hid in the kitchen, weeping and refusing to leave, but in the end his father took him away. Afterward he had his father bring me a packet of shells and a few very pretty bird feathers, and I too sent him things once or twice, but from then on we never met again.

Now that my mother had mentioned him, this childhood memory of mine suddenly all revived like lightning, and I seemed to see my beautiful hometown. I answered:

“That’s wonderful! He—how is he? …”

“He? … His circumstances are not at all good either…” Mother said, looking out toward the door. “These people have come again. They say they’re here to buy wooden articles, but they help themselves and take things along too. I’d better go and see.”

Mother stood up and went out. Outside the door were the voices of several women. I beckoned Hong’er to come closer and chatted with him: I asked whether he could write, and whether he wanted to leave.

“Are we going by train?”

“We’re going by train.”

“And the boat?”

“First by boat…”

“Ha! Look at you now! Such a long beard!” A shrill, strange voice suddenly cried out loudly.

I was startled, and hurriedly raised my head, only to see a woman of about fifty with protruding cheekbones and thin lips standing before me, both hands on her hips, wearing no skirt, legs splayed apart—exactly like a thin-legged compass from a drafting set.

I was astonished.

“Don’t recognize me anymore? I even held you in my arms!”

I grew even more astonished. Fortunately my mother came in just then and said from the side:

“He’s been away from home for many years, he’s forgotten everything. You should remember,” she said, turning to me. “This is Second Sister-in-law Yang from across the way, diagonally—she runs the tofu shop.”

Oh, I remembered. When I was a child, there had indeed been a Second Sister-in-law Yang who sat all day long in the tofu shop across the way; people all called her “the Bean-curd Beauty.” But back then she powdered her face, her cheekbones were not so high, her lips not so thin, and though she sat all day, I had never seen this compass-like pose. People said then that because of her, the tofu shop did very good business. But this was probably owing to her age; I myself had not been the least bit affected, so I had completely forgotten her. Yet the compass was very displeased, showing a disdainful expression, as though sneering at a Frenchman for not knowing Napoleon, or an American for not knowing Washington, and said with a cold laugh:

“Forgotten? This really is the haughty eye of a great personage…”

“There’s no such thing… I…” I said in alarm, standing up.

“Then let me tell you, Master Xun. You’ve grown rich, and moving is cumbersome—what do you want with all this broken-down old wooden stuff? Let me take it. We humble folk can make use of it.”

“I haven’t grown rich at all. I have to sell these in order to…”

“Aiyaya, you’ve become an intendant and still say you’re not rich? You now have three concubines; whenever you go out it’s in an eight-bearer sedan chair, and still you say you’re not rich? Hah, nothing can be hidden from me.”

I knew there was nothing to say, so I shut my mouth and stood silently.

“Aiya aiya, truly the more money one has, the less willing one is to loosen a single hair; the less willing to loosen a single hair, the more money one has…” the compass said, indignantly turning around and chattering on, walking slowly toward the door, conveniently stuffing one of my mother’s gloves into the waistband of her trousers as she went out.

After this, more nearby clan members and relatives came to visit me. While I attended to them, I packed some luggage in spare moments, and so three or four days passed.

One very cold afternoon, having finished lunch, I was sitting drinking tea when I sensed someone coming in from outside, and turned my head to look. When I looked, I was greatly startled, hurriedly stood up, and went forward to meet him.

The one who had come was Runtu. Though I knew at a glance it was Runtu, he was no longer the Runtu of my memory. His stature had doubled; his former purple round face had turned ashen-yellow, with deep wrinkles added; his eyes too, like his father’s, were swollen and red all around—this I understood, for those who farm by the sea, blown by sea winds all day long, are mostly like this. On his head was a battered felt cap, on his body only a thin cotton jacket, and his whole frame shivered; in his hand he held a paper packet and a long tobacco pipe. That hand too was not the plump, red, round hand I remembered, but coarse, clumsy, and cracked, like pine bark.

I was very excited then, but did not know how to speak, and could only say:

“Ah! Brother Runtu—you’ve come? …”

I had many words after that, wanting to pour out like a string of pearls: horned pheasants, jumping fish, shells, zha… but I always felt something blocking them, so they only swirled in my head and would not come out of my mouth.

He stood still, his face showing both joy and sorrow; his lips moved, but no sound came. At last his manner became respectful, and he said distinctly:

“Master! …”

I seemed to shudder; I knew then that a lamentably thick barrier had already risen between us. I too could say nothing.

He turned his head and said, “Shuisheng, kowtow to the Master.” Then he pulled out the child who had been hiding behind him—this was exactly the Runtu of twenty years ago, only sallower and thinner, with no silver ring around his neck. “This is my fifth child, he’s never seen the world, so he’s bashful and hides…”

Mother and Hong’er came downstairs; they had probably heard the voices too.

“Old mistress. The letter arrived long ago. I was truly overjoyed, knowing the Master was coming back…” Runtu said.

“Ah, why have you become so formal? Didn’t you two used to call each other brother? Stick to the old way: Master Xun,” Mother said happily.

“Aiya, old mistress, you really are… What sort of propriety would that be? Back then we were children, we didn’t understand things…” Runtu said, calling Shuisheng again to come up and pay his respects, but the child was shy and clung tightly behind him.

“So this is Shuisheng? The fifth? They’re all strangers, no wonder he’s shy of strangers; let Hong’er go off with him.” Mother said.

Hearing this, Hong’er went over to invite Shuisheng, and Shuisheng went off with him easily and freely. Mother told Runtu to sit; he hesitated a while, then finally took a seat, leaned the long pipe against the table, handed over the paper packet, and said:

“In winter there’s nothing much. These few dried green beans I dried myself at home—please, Master…”

I asked him about his circumstances. He only shook his head.

“Very hard. Even my sixth child can help with the work now, but there’s still never enough to eat… And it’s not peaceful either… Everywhere wants money, with no fixed rules… and the harvests are bad too. We grow things, carry them off to sell, and always have to pay several rounds of levies, losing our capital; if we don’t sell them, they just rot…”

He only shook his head; though his face was carved with many wrinkles, none of them moved, as though he were a stone statue. He probably only felt the bitterness but could not put it into words. After a moment’s silence, he picked up his pipe and smoked silently.

Mother questioned him and learned that he had much to do at home and had to return the next day; and since he had not eaten lunch, she told him to go to the kitchen and fry some rice for himself.

He went out; Mother and I both sighed over his circumstances: many children, famine, harsh taxes, soldiers, bandits, officials, gentry—all had made him suffer until he was like a wooden puppet. Mother said to me that whatever we did not need to take away, we could give to him, and let him choose for himself.

That afternoon, he picked out several things: two long tables, four chairs, an incense burner and candlesticks, and a steelyard. He also asked for all the straw ash (here we cook rice by burning rice straw, and the ash can be used as fertilizer for the sandy ground), saying that when we set off he would come by boat to load it away.

That night, we chatted some more, all of it idle talk of no consequence; the next morning he led Shuisheng back home.

Nine more days passed, and it was the day of our departure. Runtu came in the morning; Shuisheng had not come with him, and he had brought only a five-year-old daughter to mind the boat. We were busy all day long, with no more time to chat. There were no few visitors either—some came to see us off, some to take things, some to see us off and take things both. By the time we boarded the boat at dusk, all the old and new, large and small, coarse and fine things in this old house had been swept clean away.

Our boat moved forward; the green hills on both banks, in the twilight, all turned a deep dark-green, and receded one after another toward the stern of the boat.

Hong’er and I leaned against the boat’s window, looking together at the blurred scenery outside, when he suddenly asked:

“Uncle! When will we come back?”

“Come back? Why are you thinking of coming back before we’ve even left?”

“But, Shuisheng invited me to his house to play…” He opened his big black eyes wide, lost in dreamy thought.

Mother and I felt somewhat melancholy too, and so we brought up Runtu again. Mother said that ever since our family had begun packing, that Bean-curd Beauty, Second Sister-in-law Yang, had come every single day without fail. The day before yesterday she had dug more than ten bowls and dishes out of the ash heap, and after some discussion, declared they must have been buried by Runtu, who could carry them home all together when he came to haul away the ash; Second Sister-in-law Yang, having discovered this, considered it a great achievement of her own, and grabbed the “dog-vexer” (this is a device we use for raising chickens here, a wooden tray with a railing on top, with feed inside; chickens can stretch their necks in to peck, but dogs cannot, and can only look on and be vexed to death) and ran off as if flying—remarkable that, with her bound feet, those tiny feet, she could run so fast.

The old house grew ever farther from me; the hills and waters of my hometown also gradually receded from me, yet I felt no particular reluctance to part. I only felt that on all four sides there were invisible high walls, isolating me into solitude and making me terribly stifled; the image of that little hero with the silver collar on the watermelon ground, which I had once seen so clearly, now suddenly blurred, and this made me very sad too.

Mother and Hong’er had both fallen asleep.

I lay there, listening to the gurgling of the water beneath the boat, knowing I was traveling my own road. I thought: I had become estranged from Runtu to such a degree, yet our descendants were still of one heart—was not Hong’er even now thinking of Shuisheng? I hoped they would not become like me, all estranged from one another… Yet I also did not wish that, in order to be of one heart, they should all live a life of bitter drudgery and drifting as I did, nor that they should all live a life of bitter numbness as Runtu did, nor that they should all live a life of bitter dissipation as others did. They ought to have a new life, one we had never lived.

Thinking of hope, I suddenly grew afraid. When Runtu asked for the incense burner and candlesticks, I had secretly laughed at him, thinking he was forever worshipping idols, never forgetting them at any time. Now this thing I called hope—was it not also an idol fashioned by my own hands? It was only that his wish was more immediate, while mine was more distant and vague.

In my drowsiness, there spread before my eyes a stretch of emerald sandy ground by the sea, above which hung, in the deep blue sky, a golden full moon. I thought: hope is essentially something one cannot call existing, nor call non-existent. It is just like the paths on the ground; for actually the ground has no paths to begin with—where many people pass, a path is made.

Famous story: 《故乡》- Hometown by Lu Xun

故乡gù xiāng ▸

Lesson vocabulary 1040 words · 10 curated by the source

故乡gù xiāng