Reading is one of the most effective and fun ways to learn Mandarin Chinese, but the biggest frustration has been finding the right level of reading materials that are not only appropriate but also engaging to keep reading and improving.

All the short stories in this book are written for advanced Chinese learners. For language learners who have mastered either HSK 5 or HSK 6 (know between 2500 and 5000 words).

Every story is presented in three different formats to help you learn effectively.

• Format 1 – Chinese Characters Only – to fully immerse yourself in Chinese and train your character recognition skills
• Format 2 – Chinese Characters with Side-by-Side English Translation – ensures that you have understood the text correctly and improving your skills in deducing from context and understanding cultural nuances between the two languages

In addition, every story comes with a vocabulary list that focuses on new words so you are always expanding your vocabulary.

This new book is available as eBook or paperback on Amazon.com or Amazon.es ：

There are a total of 15 short Chinese stories for language learners in this book. You will find the name and a short summary of each of the stories below:

Story 1 – 妈说她想当外婆 My mom said she wanted to be a grandma
Summary: Why do young people hate going to family reunions during the Chinese New Year? Why are Chinese parents so eager and fixated on having their children married as soon as possible, and having children of their own? How are the young generation responding to this? Find out in this story.

Chinese New Year: also known as the Spring Festival is the biggest celebration of the year.

Story 2 – 出生的秘密 Birth Secret
Summary: Right before Yanzi’s mother passed away, she revealed Yanzi’s birth secret… what would Yanzi do? Bury the secret or?

Story 3 – 一个特别的新年习俗 A Unique New Year’s Tradition
Summary: Besides having its own language, the Fuzhounese also have a unique New Year tradition that is the biggest event of the year. If you are interested in Chinese culture and traditions, you don’t want to miss it.

Story 4 – 2023年是兔年 2023: The Year of the Rabbit
Summary: One would think that the year of your birth sign would be a lucky year, but the Chinese tradition says otherwise… Is 2023 your Chinese Zodiac sign year? If so… you don’t want to miss this story.

Story 5 – 天和地 The Sky and the Earth
Summary: The sky and the earth have always been a fascinating topic, even in language learning. What are some Chinese idioms that you know that involve the sky and the earth?

Story 6 – 山神 The Mountain God
Summary: The great mountain has been flourishing because of the Mountain God. However, no one knew what the Mountain God looked like, until the magpie started to make a claim…

Story 7 – 春天的礼物 The Gift of Spring
Summary: What do you get when you mix a beautiful spring day, a motorcycle ride, and a patch of fresh bamboo shoots? Join a couple on their adventure up a mountain and find out.

Story 8 – 世外桃源 Paradise on Earth
Summary: If there is a paradise on earth, what would it look like to you?

Story 9 – 雷公和电母 The Thunder God and the Lightning Goddess
Summary: In traditional Chinese mythology, there are guardian deities for everything in the world. This is a story about the not-so-handsome Thunder God and his beautiful wife.

Story 10 – 拔苗助长 Pulling the Seedling to Help It Grow
Summary: When you see your seedlings grow so slowly, why not give it a pull? Or should you? Read this Chinese idiom story to see what the farmer did.

Story 11 – 门当户对 Socially and Economically Matching
Summary: What if you could tell a household’s social and economic status based on the decoration placed in front of the house? This “what if” existed in ancient China.

Story 12 – 战神刑天 The God of War – Xingtian
Summary: When the war had raging on for 3 years in Xihe City, turning a bustling city into a ghost town, two soldiers, sneaked up and the mountains and prayed for the appearance of the God of War – Xingtian. Would their wish be granted?

Story 13 – 端午节杀人案（上）- 龙王的诅咒 The Curse of the Dragon King – Part 1 of The Dragon Boat Festival Murder Case
Summary: When Daqing, a notorious bully in Chenjia Village, catches a “mermaid”, the village chief immediately advises him to release it as it is the Dragon King’s daughter. It is a bad omen, especially since it is approaching Duanwu – the Dragon Boat Festival. Will Daqing listen or face the consequences of his actions?

Story 14 – 端午节杀人案（中）- 龙舟竞渡 Dragon Boat Racing – Part 2 of The Dragon Boat Festival Murder Case
Summary: As the peaceful village gets ready for the annual Dragon Boat Festival and its centerpiece event, the Dragon Boat Racing, a brutal murder occurs on the sacred dragon boat. With limited officers available, will the local police be able to find the killer?

Story 15 – 端午节杀人案（下）- 龙舟歌 The Dragon Boat Song – Part 3 of The Dragon Boat Festival Murder Case
Summary: As the exhilarating Dragon Boat Racing event comes to an end, the police officers eagerly await the suspect at the finishing line, hoping to finally close the brutal murder case that happened on the sacred dragon boat. But will they be successful?

This new book is available as eBook or paperback on Amazon.com or Amazon.es ：

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