My Phone Died in China

我wǒ吃chī了le面miàn条tiáo儿r…… 手shǒu机jī没méi有yǒu电diàn了le！ 

I ate my noodles... and my phone died!

我wǒ叫jiàoMike ， 来lái中Zhōng国guó十shí天tiān了le。 

I'm Mike. I've been in China for ten days.

在zài中Zhōng国guó， 大dà家jiā在zài手shǒu机jī上shàng给gěi钱qián， 小xiǎo饭fàn店diàn也yě是shì。 

In China, everyone pays by phone, even at small restaurants.

我wǒ也yě是shì。 我wǒ的de钱qián都dōu在zài手shǒu机jī里lǐ！ 

Me too. All my money is in my phone!

星xīng期qī六liù上shàng午wǔ， 我wǒ在zài手shǒu机jī上shàng看kàn电diàn影yǐng。 

On Saturday morning, I watched a movie on my phone.

我wǒ看kàn了le两liǎng个ge小xiǎo时shí！ 

For two whole hours!

中zhōng午wǔ， 我wǒ去qù了le家jiā外wài边bian的de一yí个ge小xiǎo饭fàn店diàn。 

At noon, I went to a small restaurant near my home.

我wǒ吃chī了le面miàn条tiáo儿r， 十shí二èr块kuài。 

I had noodles. Twelve kuai.

我wǒ想xiǎng给gěi钱qián。 我wǒ看kàn手shǒu机jī…… 没méi有yǒu电diàn了le！ 

I went to pay. I looked at my phone... dead!

饭fàn店diàn里lǐ的de两liǎng个ge人rén看kàn我wǒ。 

Two people in the restaurant looked at me.

一yí个ge人rén说shuō：“ 这zhè个ge外wài国guó人rén没méi有yǒu钱qián吗ma？” 

One of them said, "This foreigner has no money?"

他tā的de朋péng友you说shuō：“ 面miàn条tiáo儿r都dōu吃chī了le！” 

His friend said, "He already ate the noodles!"

他tā们men不bù知zhī道dào， 我wǒ会huì说shuō汉Hàn语yǔ。 

They didn't know I speak Chinese.

我wǒ说shuō：“ 有yǒu钱qián！ 没méi有yǒu电diàn！” 

I said, "I have money! No battery!"

他tā们men看kàn我wǒ， 我wǒ看kàn他tā们men。 

They looked at me. I looked at them.

一yí个ge人rén和hé朋péng友you说shuō：“ 他tā会huì说shuō汉Hàn语yǔ！” 

One of them said to his friend, "He speaks Chinese!"

我wǒ说shuō：“ 会huì一yì点diǎn儿r。” 

I said, "A little."

饭fàn店diàn的de人rén说shuō：“ 没méi关guān系xi， 明míng天tiān给gěi我wǒ吧ba！” 

The restaurant man said, "No problem. Pay me tomorrow!"

我wǒ说shuō：“ 明míng天tiān？ 您nín不bú认rèn识shi我wǒ！” 

I said, "Tomorrow? You don't know me!"

他tā说shuō：“ 我wǒ认rèn识shi你nǐ！ 你nǐ早zǎo上shang在zài外wài边bian买mǎi包bāo子zi。” 

He said, "I know you! You buy baozi outside in the mornings."

我wǒ说shuō：“ 谢xiè谢xie您nín！ 明míng天tiān我wǒ来lái给gěi钱qián！” 

I said, "Thank you! I'll come and pay tomorrow!"

我wǒ想xiǎng： 他tā认rèn识shi我wǒ， 我wǒ不bú认rèn识shi他tā！ 

I thought: he knows me, but I don't know him!

星xīng期qī天tiān早zǎo上shang， 下xià雨yǔ了le， 外wài边bian有yǒu点diǎn儿r冷lěng。 

On Sunday morning, it was raining and a bit cold outside.

我wǒ没méi有yǒu吃chī早zǎo饭fàn。 我wǒ想xiǎng： 给gěi了le钱qián， 再zài去qù买mǎi包bāo子zi。 

I didn't eat breakfast. I thought: pay first, then go buy baozi.

我wǒ去qù了le那nà个ge饭fàn店diàn。 

I went to that restaurant.

饭fàn店diàn的de人rén看kàn见jiàn我wǒ， 说shuō：“ 下xià雨yǔ了le， 你nǐ还hái来lái！” 

The man saw me and said, "It's raining, and you still came!"

我wǒ说shuō：“ 昨zuó天tiān的de面miàn条tiáo儿r， 十shí二èr块kuài！” 

I said, "Yesterday's noodles, twelve kuai!"

我wǒ在zài手shǒu机jī上shàng给gěi了le他tā十shí二èr块kuài。 

I paid him twelve kuai on my phone.

他tā说shuō：“ 外wài边bian冷lěng， 喝hē一yì点diǎn儿r热rè茶chá吧ba！” 

He said, "It's cold out. Have some hot tea!"

我wǒ喝hē了le茶chá， 不bù冷lěng了le。 

I drank the tea and warmed up.

他tā说shuō：“ 早zǎo上shang不bú卖mài面miàn条tiáo儿r， 中zhōng午wǔ再zài来lái吃chī吧ba！” 

He said, "We don't sell noodles in the morning. Come back at noon!"

回huí家jiā的de时shí候hou， 我wǒ看kàn见jiàn了le阿ā姨yí。 

On the way home, I saw Auntie.

阿ā姨yí在zài我wǒ家jiā外wài边bian卖mài包bāo子zi， 她tā也yě住zhù六liù号hào。 

Auntie sells baozi outside my place. She lives in Building 6 too.

上shàng个ge星xīng期qī天tiān， 我wǒ在zài她tā家jiā吃chī了le饺jiǎo子zi。 

Last Sunday, I had dumplings at her place.

阿ā姨yí问wèn：“ 你nǐ吃chī早zǎo饭fàn了le吗ma？” 

Auntie asked, "Have you had breakfast?"

我wǒ说shuō：“ 还hái没méi有yǒu。” 

I said, "Not yet."

阿ā姨yí说shuō：“ 今jīn天tiān没méi有yǒu包bāo子zi， 我wǒ在zài微Wēi信xìn里lǐ说shuō了le！” 

Auntie said, "No baozi today. I said so on WeChat!"

“ 你nǐ的de手shǒu机jī给gěi我wǒ， 我wǒ看kàn一yí下xià。” 

"Give me your phone. Let me see."

她tā说shuō：“ 我wǒ们men这zhè儿r的de人rén， 都dōu在zài这zhè个ge微Wēi信xìn里lǐ。” 

She said, "Everyone around here is in this WeChat group."

“ 有yǒu事shì， 大dà家jiā都dōu在zài这zhè儿r说shuō。 你nǐ也yě来lái！” 

"If anything comes up, everyone talks about it here. You join too!"

这zhè个ge微Wēi信xìn里lǐ有yǒu一yì百bǎi多duō个gè人rén！ 

There were over a hundred people in the group!

晚wǎn上shang， 我wǒ和hé妈mā妈ma打dǎ电diàn话huà。 

In the evening, I called my mom.

我wǒ这zhè儿r是shì晚wǎn上shang， 她tā那nà儿r是shì早zǎo上shang。 

It was evening here, and morning where she is.

妈mā妈ma问wèn：“ 你nǐ吃chī饭fàn了le吗ma？” 

Mom asked, "Have you eaten?"

我wǒ说shuō：“ 吃chī了le！ 昨zuó天tiān我wǒ吃chī了le面miàn条tiáo儿r， 没méi有yǒu给gěi钱qián！” 

I said, "Yes! Yesterday I had noodles and didn't pay!"

妈mā妈ma说shuō：“ 什shén么me？” 

Mom said, "What?"

我wǒ说shuō：“ 手shǒu机jī没méi有yǒu电diàn了le！ 今jīn天tiān我wǒ去qù给gěi钱qián了le。” 

I said, "My phone died! I went and paid today."

妈mā妈ma说shuō：“ 那nà个ge饭fàn店diàn的de人rén真zhēn好hǎo！” 

Mom said, "That restaurant man is so nice!"

妈mā妈ma问wèn：“ 你nǐ有yǒu中Zhōng国guó朋péng友you吗ma？” 

Mom asked, "Do you have any Chinese friends?"

我wǒ说shuō：“ 还hái没méi有yǒu， 我wǒ很hěn想xiǎng有yǒu。” 

I said, "Not yet. I really want some."

妈mā妈ma说shuō：“ 你nǐ会huì有yǒu很hěn多duō中Zhōng国guó朋péng友you！” 

Mom said, "You'll have lots of Chinese friends!"

晚wǎn上shang十shí点diǎn， 我wǒ看kàn了le一yí下xià这zhè个ge微Wēi信xìn。 

At ten at night, I checked the group.

一yí个ge人rén说shuō： 

Someone wrote:

“ 六liù号hào的de外wài国guó人rén， 今jīn天tiān早zǎo上shang没méi有yǒu吃chī早zǎo饭fàn。” 

"The foreigner in Building 6 didn't eat breakfast this morning."

这zhè个ge人rén的de名míng字zi叫jiào“ 六liù号hào”。 

This person's name was "No. 6."

我wǒ住zhù六liù号hào， 我wǒ是shì外wài国guó人rén。 

I live in Building 6. I'm a foreigner.

今jīn天tiān早zǎo上shang， 我wǒ没méi有yǒu吃chī早zǎo饭fàn。 

This morning, I didn't eat breakfast.

阿ā姨yí也yě住zhù六liù号hào…… 是shì她tā吗ma？ 

Auntie lives in Building 6 too... is it her?

这zhè个ge人rén是shì谁shéi？ 怎zěn么me知zhī道dào的de？ 

Who is this? How do they know?