Upper-Intermediate Chinese Stories

Four roommates split snacks, bus fare, and duties for their first spring hike together.

Old Mr. Wang plays chess in the park every day. A fifteen-year-old finally beats him.

Dashan buys milk tea instead of milk on day one in Beijing. A shopkeeper sets him straight.

Giant footprints appear in Wang Ayi's garden. The neighbors grab a camera to find out.

Teacher Lin arrives at a crumbling mountain school with ten students and a box of books.

Xiao Wang's hands won't stop shaking on his first driving lesson. Then a stray dog appears.

Xiao Ming learns to fold dumplings from Grandma on a snowy New Year's Eve. 300 to go.

Xiao Ming buys apples after work and hurries home. Mom's egg noodles won't wait.

Five friends write New Year's resolutions and vow to check each other's progress weekly.

Gao Ming shares his umbrella with a stranger at a rainy bus stop. Same route, same time.

Xiao Gao picks up his phone camera on a whim. His teacher says: let the city talk to you.

Wang Fang leaves Beijing for a better job. Li Ming stays. Nightly calls can't fill the gap.

Lin Xue finds a letter in a library book and, with Zhao Mei, traces a decade-old campus gift.

Lin Haotian moves out alone for the first time. Grandma Zhao next door won't let him starve.

Lin Xue'er oversleeps before her big interview. One matching sock would be a start.