HSK 3 Reading Practice: 129 Free Chinese Stories

明朝míng cháo的de时候shí hou，城里chéng lǐ住zhù着zhe一个yī ge卖肉mài ròu的de人rén，叫jiào刘Liú贵guì。In the Ming dynasty, there lived in the city a meat seller named Liu Gui.他的tā de生意shēng yì越来越yuè lái yuè差chà，家里jiā lǐ快kuài没有méi yǒu钱qián了le。His business was getting worse and worse, and the family was almost out of money.他的tā de妻子qī zi二èr姐jiě很hěn年轻nián qīng，每天měi tiān在家zài jiā等děng他tā回来huí lai。His wife Erjie was very young, and every day she waited at home for him to come back.

一天yī tiān，刘Liú贵guì去qù亲戚qīn qi家jiā借钱jiè qián，想xiǎng重新chóng xīn开kāi他的tā de肉ròu店diàn。One day, Liu Gui went to a relative's house to borrow money, hoping to reopen his meat shop.亲戚qīn qi借给jiè gěi他tā十五shí wǔ串chuàn铜钱tóng qián，说shuō：“好好hǎo hǎo做生意zuò shēng yì，别bié喝酒hē jiǔ。”The relative lent him fifteen strings of copper coins and said, “Run your business well, and stay away from wine.”可是kě shì回家huí jiā的de路上lù shang，刘Liú贵guì还是hái shi和hé朋友péng you喝hē了le几jǐ杯bēi酒jiǔ。But on the way home, Liu Gui still drank a few cups of wine with a friend.

晚上wǎn shang回到huí dào家jiā，他tā有点yǒu diǎn醉zuì，想xiǎng跟gēn二èr姐jiě开kāi个gè玩笑wán xiào。When he got home that night, a little drunk, he decided to play a joke on Erjie.二èr姐jiě问wèn：“这么zhè me多duō钱qián，是shì从cóng哪里nǎ lǐ来lái的de？”Erjie asked, “Where did all this money come from?”刘Liú贵guì笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“这些zhè xiē钱qián，是shì我wǒ把bǎ你nǐ卖mài了le换huàn来lái的de。”Liu Gui said with a laugh, “This money? I got it by selling you.”“明天míng tiān那nà家人jiā rén就jiù来lái接jiē你nǐ。”他tā说完shuō wán就jiù睡着了shuì zháo le。“Tomorrow that family will come to take you away.” And with that, he fell asleep.

二èr姐jiě以为yǐ wéi是shì真的zhēn de，坐在zuò zài床边chuáng biān哭kū了le很久hěn jiǔ。Erjie believed it was true and sat by the bed crying for a long time.她tā想xiǎng：“他tā真的zhēn de把bǎ我wǒ卖mài了le，我要wǒ yào回huí父母fù mǔ家去jiā qù。”She thought, “He really sold me. I must go back to my parents' house.”半夜bàn yè，她tā轻轻地qīng qīng de打开dǎ kāi门mén，走进zǒu jìn黑hēi黑hēi的de夜里yè li。In the middle of the night, she quietly opened the door and walked out into the darkness.她tā走zǒu得de太tài急jí，忘了wàng le关门guān mén。She left in such a hurry that she forgot to close the door.

那天nà tiān晚上wǎn shang，一个yī ge叫jiào阿ā鼠shǔ的de小xiǎo个子gè zi男人nán rén正好zhèng hǎo走过zǒu guò。That same night, a small man called Ah Shu happened to pass by.他tā赌钱dǔ qián输shū光guāng了le，看见kàn jiàn门mén开kāi着zhe，就jiù悄悄qiāo qiāo走了zǒu le进去jìn qù。He had gambled away everything, and when he saw the open door, he slipped quietly inside.他tā在zài桌子zhuō zi上shàng看见kàn jiàn十五shí wǔ串chuàn铜钱tóng qián，高兴gāo xìng极了jí le。On the table he saw the fifteen strings of copper coins, and his heart leapt.就jiù在zài这个zhè ge时候shí hou，床上chuáng shàng的de刘Liú贵guì醒xǐng了le。At that very moment, Liu Gui woke up in his bed.

第二天dì èr tiān早上zǎo shang，邻居lín jū发现fā xiàn刘Liú贵guì死了sǐ le，钱qián也yě不见了bù jiàn le。The next morning, the neighbors found Liu Gui dead, and the money was gone.大家dà jiā都dōu说shuō：“一定yī dìng是shì他的tā de妻子qī zi拿ná了le钱qián，半夜bàn yè跑pǎo了le！”Everyone said, “It must be his wife! She took the money and ran off in the night!”这时zhè shí，二èr姐jiě正zhèng走在zǒu zài回huí父母fù mǔ家jiā的de路上lù shang。At that moment, Erjie was walking along the road back to her parents' home.

路上lù shang她tā遇到yù dào一个yī ge卖mài丝绸sī chóu的de年轻人nián qīng rén，叫jiào崔cuī明míng。On the road she met a young silk trader named Cui Ming.崔cuī明míng人rén很好hěn hǎo，说shuō：“我们wǒ men同路tóng lù，一起yī qǐ走zǒu吧ba。”Cui Ming was kind and said, “We're going the same way — let's walk together.”谁shéi也yě没想到méi xiǎng dào，崔cuī明míng身上shēn shang正好zhèng hǎo有yǒu十五shí wǔ串chuàn铜钱tóng qián。No one could have guessed that Cui Ming was carrying exactly fifteen strings of copper coins.

那是nà shi他tā卖mài丝绸sī chóu换huàn来lái的de钱qián，一yī串chuàn也yě不bù多duō，一yī串chuàn也yě不少bù shǎo。It was the money from selling his silk — not one string more, not one string less.中午zhōng wǔ，几个jǐ ge士兵shì bīng追zhuī了le上来shàng lái，把bǎ他们tā men两liǎng个人gè rén抓住了zhuā zhù le。At noon, soldiers caught up with them and arrested them both.大家dà jiā都dōu觉得jué de自己zì jǐ知道zhī dào答案dá àn，只有zhǐ yǒu真相zhēn xiàng没有méi yǒu人rén知道zhī dào。Everyone felt sure they knew the answer — only the truth remained unknown.