Mandarin Chinese

Tell Lan you've told your parents: say you called last night, report that they say they're coming to China in September, pass on your mother's question about English, and say it's their first time in Asia.

Ask Auntie Ma a favour: say your parents are coming to stay for two weeks in September, report that your mother wants a quieter room, hear don't worry, and ask the price of a night with the softest sorry.

Buy a ring without anyone knowing: say what you'd like, hear is it for your girlfriend, say you're afraid it's too big, report that she doesn't like anything too expensive, and ask the jeweller to tell no one.

Meet your parents at Hangzhou's airport with Lan: introduce her, hear her greet them as elders, report that they asked whether she speaks English, say twelve hours on the plane has left them dead tired, and pass on your father's thanks.

Interpret at Missus Wang's table: pass on your father's question about a dish, hear Dongpo pork and eat plenty, report that your mother wants to learn it, edit what your father asked about the fat, and admit you didn't translate it that way.

Bring your father to Master Chen's wok: report that he has never seen tea fried, hear let him try and careful, it's hot, pass on his question about how many years, and report his own forty years of work.

Walk West Lake in the heat with your mother and Lan: say it's getting hotter and hotter, pass on what the flowers are, relay that she has you ask where there's something iced, and say she can't walk any further.

Sit between Doctor Yang and your mother: say she's a nurse too, relay how many hours a day each of them works, hear that Doctor Yang used to worry about Lan, report that your mother worries too, and hear that all mothers are the same.

See your parents off at the airport with Lan: wish them a safe journey, report that your mother can't bear to leave, hear come again next year, relay your father's charge to take good care of Lan, and say even your dad is crying.

Stand on the Broken Bridge with Lan on Mid-Autumn night: wish her a happy Mid-Autumn, hear how round the moon is, remind her of the thousand-year tree and what you said there, ask whether she'll marry you, and hear I will.

Ask Teacher Song a favour the old way: say you want to ask for Lan's hand at her family's home, hear that this needs a go-between, ask him to be yours, and thank him for the trouble.

Ask Missus Wang what one brings when asking for a bride's hand: hear the four gifts, why there are four, that whatever you give must be an even number, and that you never give a clock.

Arrive at Lan's parents' door with Teacher Song: be told to come in, say sorry to intrude and why you have come, hand over a small token, and ask to be looked after as one of the family.

Hear the question of a bride price raised at Lan's parents' table, and her father's answer: not a single cent, as long as you promise one thing: wherever you live, come home every New Year.

Hear Lan's mother tell you not to be nervous, then ask Lan on the way home what her mother said: at first she wasn't at ease, now more and more so, and she was so moved that even she cried.

Sit with Master Chen's family over the almanac: be asked whether a wedding date has been picked, hear the ninth lunar month named and a day fit for marrying, ask what date that is, and say that any day suits you.

Tell Lan what your parents said on the phone: that you told them her father wants no bride price, that your father asked whether it was true, that your mother told you to thank her parents, and that they're coming in October.

Sit the oral of your advanced Chinese exam: hear it begin, be asked to talk about your work, say you're afraid you don't speak very well, be told to take your time, give your answer, and hear that you've passed.

Help Lan through Double Eleven in her shop: hear that the orders keep growing and there's no time even to eat, offer to pack, ask where a box goes, hear that the busier it gets the messier, and tell her to take it slowly.

Sit at the dinner that thanks the go-between: hear Master Chen seat Teacher Song in the place of honour, thank him for his trouble and raise a glass to him, pour for him when told to, and hear him call it the happiest thing he did this year.

Sit down with a wedding planner: say when the wedding is and where, choose Chinese style, report her question to Lan, hear the price of a table, and say you're afraid it's too expensive.

Hear three opinions on where to hold the wedding: the village, a hotel, and Seattle too; ask what someone's mother says, report it, say the talk is getting messier, and say that wherever it is, it's fine.

Hold the screen for a birthday video call: wish someone a happy seventy-third birthday, hear her ask after the master's health, report what she says and what she asks you to do, and toast the master for her.

Shop for New Year goods with Missus Wang: ask what to buy, order ten jin of tangerines from a stall in the politest way, explain that every relative gets some, and go on to buy red envelopes.

Put up the spring couplets at Master Chen's gate: hear that this year it's your job, say you've never done it, report it, hear that the character for fortune goes upside down, ask why, and hear the pun that explains it.

Sit at Lan's parents' table on New Year's Eve as the son-in-law to be: be called son-in-law, say you're not one yet, hear that next year you'll change what you call them, ask what to call them, and eat more dumplings.

Pay a New Year visit to Lan's uncle: wish him a happy New Year, be asked whether you're American, say that even he knows about you, be handed a red envelope, say you're embarrassed to take it, and hear the rule.

Call on Auntie Ma in the first week of the year: answer have you eaten, wish her a late happy New Year, bring tea, call her your first friend in China, hear that you're more and more like a Chinese, and say when the wedding is.

Hear Lan's idea on the last evening of the holiday: ask what it is, hear that the two of you could open a company and sell the village's tea to the whole world, say you're afraid it's hard, hear no matter how hard, and say yes, together.

Tell Master Chen and Missus Wang about the company: hear first have a cup of tea, say what you'll sell and where, hear that a company needs a business licence, ask where to get it, and say that in March you go.