Back to Dad's City (Part 1)

Illustration for the Chinese story “Back to Dad's City (Part 1)”

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放假fàng jià的de时候shí hou,我wǒ跟gēn爸爸bà ba回了huí le他tā小时候xiǎo shí hou住zhù的de小城xiǎo chéng。During the holiday, I went back with Dad to the small city where he lived as a child.

一下yī xià火车huǒ chē,爸爸bà ba就jiù变得biàn de特别tè bié高兴gāo xìng。The moment we got off the train, Dad lit up.

车站chē zhàn旁边páng biān有yǒu一家yī jiā小饭馆xiǎo fàn guǎn,爸爸bà ba带dài我wǒ走了zǒu le进去jìn qù。Next to the station there was a little restaurant, and Dad led me inside.

“这zhè家jiā饭馆fàn guǎn,我wǒ小时候xiǎo shí hou常常cháng cháng来lái。”他说tā shuō。"This restaurant — I came here all the time as a kid," he said.

我们wǒ men要yào了le两liǎng碗wǎn面miàn,爸爸bà ba吃chī了le一口yī kǒu说shuō:“这个zhè ge味道wèi dao,我wǒ一直yī zhí没有méi yǒu忘wàng。”We ordered two bowls of noodles. Dad took one bite and said, "This taste — I have never forgotten it."

吃完chī wán饭fàn,我们wǒ men去qù看kàn他tā以前yǐ qián的de学校xué xiào,他说tā shuō:“这zhè条tiáo路lù,我wǒ以前yǐ qián每天měi tiān走zǒu两liǎng次cì。”After eating, we went to see his old school. "This road — I used to walk it twice a day," he said.

学校xué xiào门口mén kǒu有yǒu一yī棵kē大树dà shù,爸爸bà ba笑着xiào zhe说shuō:“这zhè棵kē树shù,我wǒ小时候xiǎo shí hou爬pá过guò很hěn多次duō cì。”There was a big tree at the school gate. Dad said with a grin, "This tree — I climbed it many times as a kid."

这时候zhè shí hòu,一个yī ge老人lǎo rén看着kàn zhe爸爸bà ba,突然tū rán叫jiào出chū了le他的tā de名字míng zi。Just then, an old man looked at Dad and suddenly called out his name.

爸爸bà ba也yě认出rèn chū了le他tā,原来yuán lái是shì小学xiǎo xué的de同学tóng xué。Dad recognized him too — it turned out to be a classmate from elementary school.

老人lǎo rén高兴地gāo xìng de说shuō:“你的nǐ de样子yàng zi,我wǒ一看yī kàn就jiù想起来xiǎng qi lai了le!”The old man said happily, "Your face — one look and it all came back to me!"

回家huí jiā的de路上lù shang,爸爸bà ba说shuō:“这个zhè ge小城xiǎo chéng,我wǒ离开lí kāi了le很hěn多年duō nián,可是kě shì这里zhè lǐ的de事shì,我wǒ都dōu记得jì de。”On the way home, Dad said, "This little city — I left it many years ago. But the things here, I remember them all."

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