Upper-Intermediate - The Secret Cash Stash (D1863)

A: 老婆我回来了。
lǎopó wǒ huı́lai le.
I’m back, dear.

B: 老公你知道吗？咱们家要发大财了！
lǎogōng nı̌ zhı̄dào ma? zánmen jiā yào fā dàcái le!
My dear, did you know? Our family’s going to be really rich!

A: 啊，怎么了？公司发你奖金了？还是你彩票中奖
了？
ǎ, zěnmele? gōngsı̄ fā nı̌ jiǎngjı̄n le? háishi nı̌ cǎipiào
zhòngjiǎng le?
Huh? How’s that? Did the company give you a bonus? Did
you draw a winning lottery ticket?

B: 哈哈，都不是。哎，你说怪不怪？咱们家的一些
地方会自己长出钱来。
hāhā, dōu bù shı̀. āi, nı̌ shuō guài bu guài? zánmen jiā de
yı̄xiē dı̀fang huı̀ zı̀jı̌ zhǎng chū qián lái.
Ha ha, neither of those. Isn’t it weird? Money’s appeared by
itself in some places in our house.

A: 家里？在哪儿？
jiālı̌? zài nǎr?
In the house? Where?

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 B: 喏，衣橱抽屉的角落里找到两百，书房的笔筒里
找到五百，微波炉下面找到三百。
nuó, yı̄chú chōuti de jiǎoluò lı̌ zhǎodào liǎngbǎi, shūfáng de
bı̌tǒng lı̌ zhǎodào wǔbǎi, wēibōlú xiàmian zhǎodào sānbǎi.
Look. I found 200 in the corner of this drawer in the
wardrobe, 500 in the pen holder, and 300 underneath the
microwave.

A: 糟了！
zāo le!
Oh no!

B: 你说什么？你的脸色怎么那么难看？
nı̌ shuō shénme? nı̌ de liǎnsè zěnme nàme nánkàn?
What did you say? Why do you look so distressed?

A: 没、没什么，头有点儿痛。
méi, méi shénme, tóu yǒudiǎnr tòng.
It’s, it’s nothing. I have a little bit of a headache.

B: 你先别头痛，咱们一起再找找。说不定还能找出
个千八百的，那咱们下个月就出去旅游一次，去
上海怎么样？

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 nı̌ xiān bié tóutòng, zánmen yı̄qı̌ zài zhǎo zhao. shuōbudı̀ng
hái néng zhǎochū ge qiānbābǎi de, nà zánmen xià ge yuè
jiù chūqù lü
ǔyóu yı̄ cı̀, qù Shànghǎi zěnmeyàng?
This is no time for headaches. Let’s look some more to-
gether. We might even find 800 or 1000. Let’s go on a
vacation next month. What do you think about Shanghai?

A: 算了，别找了，等周末再说吧。哎哟，胃好像也
有点儿不舒服，我先去睡了。
suànle, bié zhǎo le, děng zhōumò zài shuō ba. āiyōu, wèi
hǎoxiàng yě yǒudiǎnr bù shūfu, wǒ xiān qù shuı̀ le.
Forget it. Stop looking. Let’s wait till the weekend to talk
about it. Argh, my stomach doesn’t feel very good, either.
I’m going to bed.

B: 你还装！还不说实话！
nı̌ hái zhuāng! hái bù shuō shı́huà!
You’re still putting on an act! You’re still not telling the truth!

A: 说什么呀！
shuō shénme ya!
What are you talking about?

B: 坦白从宽，抗拒从严！
tǎnbáicóngkuān, kàngjùcóngyán!
Tell me truth and I’ll let you off easy, but if you don’t confess
you’re gonna get it!

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 A: 少来这一套，这个家到底谁说了算？
shǎo lái zhè yı̄ tào, zhè ge jiā dàodı̌ shéi shuōlesuàn?
Don’t try to act all tough with me. Who’s really in charge of
this house?

B: 我！怎么了？！
wǒ! zěnmele?!
Me! You have a problem with that?

A: 没什么，随便问问。
méi shénme, suı́biàn wèn wen.
No, no. Just asking.

B: 咱们结婚前说好的，要对对方诚实。你可倒好，
藏私房钱！你说，你是不是在外面包二奶了？
zánmen jiéhūn qián shuōhǎo de, yào duı̀ duı̀fāng chéngshı́.
nı̌ kě dào hǎo, cáng sı̄fangqián! nı̌ shuō, nı̌ shı̀bushı̀ zài
wàimian bāo èrnǎi le?
Before we got married we always said that we have to be
honest with each other. Instead, you’re secretly stashing
money around the house! Tell me: are you having an affair?

A: 你看你，扯哪儿去了。我只不过希望经济上自由
一些，我也不是那种乱花钱的人啊。

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 nı̌ kàn nı̌, chě nǎr qù le. wǒ zhı̌ bùguò xı̄wàng jı̄ngjı̀ shàng
zı̀yóu yı̄xiē, wǒ yě bùshı̀ nà zhǒng luàn huāqián de rén a.
Look at you. Where are you taking the conversation? I was
just hoping for a bit of economic freedom. I’m really not
someone who just recklessly spends money.

B: 经济上自由你也不能把钱随便乱放啊。马上要搬
家了，你也不怕把钱弄丢了。其实你完全可以开
个银行账户，只要别太过分，我也不会干涉你。
jı̄ngjı̀ shàng zı̀yóu nı̌ yě bùnéng bǎ qián suı́biàn luàn fàng
a. mǎshàng yào bānjiā le, nı̌ yě bù pà bǎ qián nòngdiū le.
qı́shı́ nı̌ wánquán kěyı̌ kāi ge yı́nháng zhànghù, zhı̌yào bié
tài guòfèn, wǒ yě bùhuı̀ gānshè nı̌.
Even if you want economic freedom you still can’t just ran-
domly hide money. We’re moving soon and you aren’t even
worried about losing any of it? You could easily just open
up a bank account. As long as you’re not too excessive, I
won’t interfere.

A: 老婆你太好了，真会理解别人。怪不得我一直觉
得咱俩是心连心啊。
lǎopó nı̌ tài hǎo le, zhēn huı̀ lı̌jiě biérén. guàibude wǒ yı̄zhı́
juéde zánliǎ shı̀ xı̄nliánxı̄n a.
You’re really great, my dear. You really understand other
people. No wonder I’ve always thought that the two of us
think alike.

A: 还好，没发现我藏在电脑机箱里的五千块。

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 hái hǎo, méi fāxiàn wǒ cáng zài diànnǎo jı̄xiāng lı̌ de wǔ
qiān kuài.
It’s not so bad. She still didn’t discover the 5000 RMB I hid
in the computer case.

B: 这次就原谅你了。不过这些钱要充公，包括电脑
机箱里的五千块。
zhècı̀ jiù yuánliàng nı̌ le. bùguò zhèxiē qián yào chōnggōng,
bāokuò diànnǎo jı̄xiāng lı̌ de wǔ qiān kuài.
I’ll forgive you this time. But I’m going to confiscate all of
this money, including the 5000 RMB in the computer case.

A: 啊？！
ǎ?!
Ah!

Key Vocabulary

发大财 fā dàcái to get very rich

奖金 jiǎngjı̄n bonus

彩票 cǎipiào lottery ticket

中奖 zhòngjiǎng to win a prize

衣橱 yı̄chú wardrobe

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 抽屉 chōuti drawer

笔筒 bı̌tǒng pen holder

脸色 liǎnsè complexion

难看 nánkàn difficult to look at; ugly

千八百 qiānbābǎi around 1000

装 zhuāng to act, to pretend

说实话 shuō shı́huà to tell the truth

坦白从宽 tǎnbáicóngkuān ’to tell the truth and

receive a lighter sen-
tence’

抗拒从严 kàngjùcóngyán ’refuse to confess and

receive a harsh sen-
tence’

少来这一 shǎoláizhèyı̄tào ’cut it out,’ ’don’t put on

套 a front’

说了算 shuōlesuàn to be in charge

诚实 chéngshı́ honest

藏 cáng to conceal

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 私房钱 sı̄fangqián ’secret monetary stash
of a family member’

包二奶 bāo èrnǎi to have a mistress

扯 chě to talk casually

过分 guòfèn excessive

干涉 gānshè to interfere with

心连心 xı̄nliánxı̄n ’to be of one mind’

机箱 jı̄xiāng case

原谅 yuánliàng to forgive

充公 chōnggōng to confiscate

Supplementary Vocabulary

小金库 xiǎojı̄nkù private hoard (of

money)

宽容 kuānróng tolerant

养小三 yǎng xiǎosān to support a mistress

责备 zébèi to reprimand

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 军民心连 jūnmı́nxı̄nlián- ’soldiers and civilians
心 xı̄n of one mind’

国有企业 guóyǒu qı̌yè state-owned enter-

prise

贪污 tānwū corrupt

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