Little Habits (Part 1)

HSK 2 · 221 characters · After All

Every family member has a little quirk — and someone ready to explain it away.

我们wǒ men家jiā每个人měi ge rén都dōu有一点yǒu yī diǎn自己的zì jǐ de小xiǎo习惯xí guàn。Everyone in our family has their own little habits.

爷爷yé ye每天měi tiān下午xià wǔ都dōu要yào睡shuì很hěn长时间cháng shí jiān，妈妈mā ma说shuō：“别bié叫醒jiào xǐng他tā，毕竟bì jìng他tā已经yǐ jīng八十bā shí岁suì了le。”Grandpa takes a long nap every afternoon, and Mom says, "Don't wake him — after all, he's already eighty."

妹妹mèi mei吃饭chī fàn总是zǒng shì很hěn慢màn，爸爸bà ba说shuō：“让ràng她tā慢慢吃màn màn chī吧ba，毕竟bì jìng她tā才cái五wǔ岁suì。”My little sister always eats slowly, and Dad says, "Let her take her time — after all, she's only five."

爸爸bà ba做的zuò de菜cài有时候yǒu shí hou太tài咸xián，妈妈mā ma笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“毕竟bì jìng他tā是shì跟gēn奶奶nǎi nai学xué的de，奶奶nǎi nai就jiù喜欢xǐ huan咸xián的de。”Dad's cooking is sometimes too salty, and Mom says with a laugh, "After all, he learned from Grandma, and Grandma loves salty food."

妈妈mā ma买东西mǎi dōng xi总要zǒng yào看kàn很久hěn jiǔ才cái决定jué dìng，爸爸bà ba说shuō：“毕竟bì jìng家里jiā lǐ的de钱qián都是dōu shì她tā管guǎn的de。”Mom always looks forever before deciding to buy anything, and Dad says, "After all, she's the one who manages the family's money."

那nà我wǒ呢ne？我wǒ周末zhōu mò喜欢xǐ huan睡shuì到dào很hěn晚wǎn才cái起床qǐ chuáng。And me? On weekends I like to sleep in really late.

奶奶nǎi nai总是zǒng shì帮bāng我wǒ说话shuō huà：“让ràng孩子hái zi多duō睡shuì一会儿yī huìr吧ba，毕竟bì jìng他tā每天měi tiān学习xué xí那么nà me累lèi。”Grandma always sticks up for me: "Let the boy sleep a little longer — after all, he studies so hard every day."

昨天zuó tiān吃chī晚饭wǎn fàn的de时候shí hou，我wǒ说shuō：“我wǒ发现fā xiàn我们wǒ men家jiā的de人rén总是zǒng shì互相hù xiāng找zhǎo理由lǐ yóu。”At dinner yesterday, I said, "I've noticed that in our family, everyone is always making excuses for each other."

爷爷yé ye笑了xiào le：“这zhè不是bù shì找zhǎo理由lǐ yóu，这是zhè shì爱ài。”Grandpa smiled: "That's not making excuses — that's love."

妈妈mā ma点点头diǎn diǎn tóu说shuō：“毕竟bì jìng我们wǒ men是shì一家人yī jiā rén啊ā。”Mom nodded and said, "After all, we're family."