Chinese Level C: Intermediate
Ordinary conversation at an ordinary pace: work, health, money, the small troubles of daily life, with the turns of phrase the textbooks leave out.
- The lease to sign Xiaoyu reads her lease through at the agent's before signing. Two points are not in it, and a third depends on the landlady.
- Negotiating the rent Chen Hao wants to rent Auntie Wang's flat. The price does not suit him; he has seen the one below and uses it.
- Switching insurers Xiaoyu's car insurance is coming up for renewal. At a competitor she compares the price and how quickly claims are paid.
- A dispute with the seller The water heater Chen Hao ordered arrived crushed. He asks for a refund and refuses to pay for the return.
- Bank charges An unexplained sum has been taken from Auntie Wang's card. The clerk shows her where it comes from and how to avoid it.
- Sending money Auntie Wang wants to transfer money to her student son. Chen Hao takes her through it, screen by screen, on her phone.
- Seeing a specialist Auntie Wang finally sees the specialist after three weeks' wait. She has six minutes to say everything.
- The test results Doctor Zhang goes through Xiaoyu's test results. Two values are high, and one of them means nothing.
- A change of diet Auntie Wang is surprised that Chen Hao no longer touches red-braised pork. He explains how he has kept it up for three months.
- Giving up smoking Chen Hao has thrown his packet away. Xiaoyu wants to know how he means to keep it up, and offers him a bet.
- Sleep and work Xiaoyu has slept badly for weeks. Her manager looks for the cause and finds that he is part of it.
- A child at school Auntie Wang is bringing up her grandson, whose parents work far away. His class teacher sees her after school.
- Homework in the evening Xiaoyu comes to help Lele with his homework. The maths problem that has stopped him takes one reading.
- Choosing a university Xiaoyu's sister has just had her gaokao results. She wants medicine; their father wants teacher training.
- A semester abroad Chen Hao would like to go away for a semester. Xiaoyu, just back, tells him what has to be prepared eight months ahead.
- The visa refusal Chen Hao's visa has been refused with no explanation. At the application centre, a clerk tells him what the sentence means.
- The unpaid internship Xiaoyu has been an intern for three months without being paid. Chen Hao tells her what to keep and how to raise it again with her boss.
- Asking for a rise Two years with no rise. Xiaoyu asks her manager for ten minutes and comes in with a sheet of paper.
- Changing career Chen Hao is thinking of leaving sales for training. An older colleague puts the hard questions to him.
- Working from home Chen Hao works from home two days a week. His neighbour cannot see how that can possibly work.
- The meeting that overruns The meeting has run two hours and one item is left. Each defends their own timetable; the manager decides.
- An unhappy customer An order has gone to another city. The customer does not want apologies, he wants a date.
- The quote and the invoice The quote for Xiaoyu's work has grown by five thousand yuan. She asks for the breakdown, then for the invoice.
- A late payment Two months after the invoice, Chen Hao has received nothing. The customer's accountant explains where the money is stuck.
- Buying a used car Chen Hao comes to look at a car he found online. He asks his questions in order, and the test drive comes before the price.
- A scrape in the car park A driver accuses Xiaoyu of scraping his door. She suggests going to look at the cameras.
- Points on your licence Chen Hao is pulled over for crossing a line. He has three points left, and one way of earning some back.
- Public transport Auntie Wang has just turned sixty-five. At the station office she asks for her pass and learns how it works.
- The shared bike The bike Xiaoyu has just unlocked will not open. Chen Hao explains what to report and where to park.
- Sorting your rubbish Xiaoyu is pulled up at the bins: she has sorted, but not enough, and the bag itself is a problem.
- The neighbour and the noise The neighbour upstairs is doing building work until ten at night. Chen Hao goes to the management company, which has nothing but words.
- The residents' committee The charges are going up and the lift keeps breaking down. It ought to be replaced, but the money belongs to the owners.
- Adopting a pet Xiaoyu comes to adopt a cat. The volunteer first checks what her lease says, then prepares her for the first month.
- The wedding and the families Chen Hao is getting married next month. The two families do not agree on the size of the bride price.
- Growing old at home Auntie Wang's mother lives alone at eighty-eight and will not hear of a care home. The neighbourhood office offers another way.