HSK 4 571 characters 20 sentences

5. Who Has the Key? (谁来开门)

When work keeps the narrator busy, friends happily open the room and save a seat for a joyful reunion.

Chapter 5 of 6 · The Saturday Room. HSK 2.0 level 4 reading target (2015 word lists). This is an editorial guide, not a measured vocabulary limit or an HSK 3.0 level. Some words may be above the target; use the word help as needed.

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谁来开门

第四dìsì次cì开放kāifàng以前yǐqián,我wǒ接到jiēdào公司gōngsī的de / dì通知tōngzhī,星期六xīngqīliù上午shàngwǔ要yào参加cānjiā一个yīgè临时línshí会议huìyì。
Before the fourth opening, my company told me to attend an unexpected meeting on Saturday morning.
我wǒ看着kànzhe桌zhuō上shàng的de / dì钥匙yàoshi,想起xiǎngqǐ愿意yuànyì帮忙bāngmáng的de / dì朋友péngyou们men,便biàn / pián拿起náqǐ电话diànhuà商量shāngliàng当天dàngtiān的de / dì安排ānpái。
Looking at the key on my desk, I thought of my friends who had offered to help and picked up the phone to discuss the day's arrangements.
我们wǒmen上次shàngcì说shuō好hǎo / hào要yào在zài这个zhège星期六xīngqīliù商量shāngliàng房间fángjiān以后yǐhòu的de / dì安排ānpái,大家dàjiā都dōu很hěn期待qīdài。
We had agreed to discuss the room's future arrangements this Saturday, and everyone was looking forward to it.
王wáng阿姨āyí在zài电话diànhuà里lǐ笑xiào着zhāo / zhaó / zhe / zhù / zhuó说shuō,她tā很hěn乐意lèyì来lái开门kāimén,还hái / huán会huì给gěi我wǒ留liú个gè座位zuòwèi。
Auntie Wang said with a smile over the phone that she would love to open up and would save a seat for me too.
这zhè / zhèi几个jǐge星期xīngqī,每次měicì准备zhǔnbèi活动huódòng,都dōu有yǒu朋友péngyou早zǎo早zǎo过来guòlái帮忙bāngmáng,结束jiéshù后hòu也yě一起yìqǐ收拾shōushi。
Over these weeks, friends had come early to help prepare for each gathering and stayed to tidy up together afterwards.
房间fángjiān里lǐ的de / dì书shū是shì大家dàjiā一起yìqǐ带来dàilái的de / dì,这个zhège快乐kuàilè的de / dì地方dìfang也yě由yóu大家dàjiā一起yìqǐ照顾zhàogu。
Everyone had contributed books, and everyone helped look after this happy place.
我们wǒmen商量shāngliàng以后yǐhòu决定juédìng,由yóu王wáng阿姨āyí负责fùzé开门kāimén,小xiǎo陈chén负责fùzé当天dàngtiān的de / dì借jiè书记shūji录lù。
After discussing it, we decided that Auntie Wang would open up and Chen would handle that day's borrowing records.
星期五xīngqīwǔ晚上wǎnshang,我wǒ把bǎ钥匙yàoshi交给jiāogěi王wáng阿姨āyí,又yòu把bǎ几jǐ / jī件jiàn需要xūyào注意zhùyì的de / dì事shì写xiě在zài本běn子zǐ上shàng。
On Friday evening, I gave Auntie Wang the key and wrote down a few things to watch for in the notebook.
她tā看完kànwán以后yǐhòu笑xiào了le / liǎo / liào,说shuō小xiǎo林lín和hé小xiǎo周zhōu也yě会huì早点zǎodiǎn来lái,大家dàjiā已经yǐjīng选xuǎn好hǎo / hào了le / liǎo / liào想xiǎng分享fēnxiǎng的de / dì书shū。
She smiled after reading it and said that Lin and Zhou would come early too, and everyone had already chosen books to share.
星期六xīngqīliù开会kāihuì前qián,我wǒ收到shōudào小xiǎo陈chén发fā来lái的de / dì消息xiāoxi,说shuō大家dàjiā已经yǐjīng到了dàole,房间fángjiān里lǐ十分shífēn热闹rènao。
Before Saturday's meeting, I received a message from Chen saying everyone had arrived and the room was lively.
中午zhōngwǔ我wǒ来到láidào楼下lóuxià,发现fāxiàn门mén开kāi着zhāo / zhaó / zhe / zhù / zhuó,老lǎo朋友péngyou和hé新xīn朋友péngyou围wéi着zhāo / zhaó / zhe / zhù / zhuó桌子zhuōzi,笑xiào着zhāo / zhaó / zhe / zhù / zhuó向xiàng我wǒ招zhāo手shǒu。
At noon, I came downstairs and found the door open, with old and new friends around the table smiling and waving to me.
小xiǎo陈chén没有méiyǒu等děng我wǒ回来huílai,已经yǐjīng开始kāishǐ请qǐng大家dàjiā说说shuōshuō以后yǐhòu想xiǎng在zài这里zhèlǐ做zuò什么shénme。
Chen had not waited for me to return; he was already asking everyone what they wanted to do here in future.
有人yǒurén想xiǎng一起yìqǐ读dú长cháng / zhǎng一点yīdiǎn的de / dì书shū,有人yǒurén想xiǎng带来dàilái不会bùhuì使用shǐyòng的de / dì手机shǒujī,请qǐng邻居línjū帮忙bāngmáng。
Some wanted to read longer books together; others wanted to bring phones they could not operate and ask neighbors for help.
王wáng阿姨āyí提醒tíxǐng大家dàjiā,愿望yuànwàng可以kěyǐ很多hěnduō,但dàn安排ānpái要yào和hé大家dàjiā能néng拿出náchū的de / dì时间shíjiān相符xiāngfú。
Auntie Wang reminded everyone that they could have many wishes, but the arrangements had to match the time people could give.
我wǒ在zài王wáng阿姨āyí留下liúxià的de / dì座位zuòwèi上shàng坐zuò好hǎo / hào,高兴gāoxìng地dì / de听tīng / tìng大家dàjiā介绍jièshào自己zìjǐ的de / dì想法xiǎngfǎ。
I settled into the seat Auntie Wang had saved and happily listened to everyone's ideas.
我们wǒmen最后zuìhòu决定juédìng,继续jìxù保留bǎoliú星期六xīngqīliù的de / dì读书dúshū时间shíjiān,其他qítā活动huódòng先xiān不bù急jí着zhāo / zhaó / zhe / zhù / zhuó增加zēngjiā。
We finally decided to keep Saturday reading time and not rush to add other activities.
接下来jiēxialai一个yīgè月yuè,每次měicì由yóu两liǎng个人gèrén负责fùzé,提前tíqián一yī周zhōu确认quèrèn,不能bùnéng来lái就jiù早点zǎodiǎn商量shāngliàng。
For the next month, two people would be responsible each time, confirming a week ahead and discussing changes early if unavailable.
计划jìhuà上shàng很快hěnkuài写xiě满了mǎnle名字míngzi,而ér不是búshì只有zhǐyǒu我wǒ一个yīgè人rén的de / dì名字míngzi出现chūxiàn在zài每一měiyī行xíng / háng。
The plan soon filled with names, rather than my name appearing on every line.
这zhè / zhèi一次yīcì,我wǒ把bǎ钥匙yàoshi交给jiāogěi下周xiàzhōu负责fùzé的de / dì朋友péngyou,大家dàjiā又yòu一起yìqǐ去qù吃了chīle一yī顿dùn开心kāixīn的de / dì午饭wǔfàn。
This time, I handed the key to the friend responsible next week, and we all went out for a cheerful lunch together.
回家huíjiā路上lùshang,我wǒ想起xiǎngqǐ大家dàjiā为wèi / wéi我wǒ留下liúxià的de / dì座位zuòwèi,觉得juéde有yǒu这些zhèxie朋友péngyou,星期六xīngqīliù总zǒng有yǒu值得zhíde期待qīdài的de / dì事shì。
On my way home, I thought of the seat everyone had saved for me and felt that with these friends, there would always be something to look forward to on Saturdays.

Words to notice

Plan (arrangement)
Responsible
Continue (continuation)
Decide (determine - decision)
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Complete series · HSK 4 reading target · 6 chapters

The Saturday Room

A box of books brings friends and neighbors together to create a welcoming reading room, with helping hands and a happy ending. A complete six-chapter intermediate story.

HSK 2.0 level 4 reading target (2015 word lists). This is an editorial guide, not a measured vocabulary limit or an HSK 3.0 level. Some words may be above the target; use the word help as needed.

Start chapter 1 Review saved words

Read in order. Every chapter is available without completing a quiz.

  1. 1. The Key · 510 characters
  2. 2. A Plan with Names · 535 characters
  3. 3. The Rain Test · 525 characters
  4. 4. A List of Friends · 577 characters
  5. 5. Who Has the Key? · 571 characters
  6. 6. Next Saturday · 592 characters

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