Hsk 3

The day before Mother’s Day, Xiao Ming and Lili planned a surprise for their mom by buying pink carnations, making a heartfelt greeting card, and cooking her favorite dishes including braised pork, tomato egg soup, and green vegetables. Despite never having cooked before, they followed a recipe on their phone and persevered through the messy process without giving up. When their mom came home and saw the flowers, card, and homemade dinner, she was moved to tears and said it was the best Mother’s Day gift she had ever received, declaring the braised pork the most delicious she had ever eaten because it was filled with her children’s love.

The day before the Start of Summer festival, sister Lili and her younger brother Xiaoming picked broad beans and bamboo shoots from their garden, and their mother taught them how to cook a traditional Start of Summer rice with the fresh ingredients. Xiaoming also wove a colorful egg pouch from silk threads and proudly hung a boiled egg around his neck, while their father carried out the tradition of weighing everyone, revealing that both children had grown since last year. The family enjoyed a delicious meal together and happily welcomed the new summer season.

Xiao Ming and Lili planned a trip with Lili’s family to see flower fields in the countryside for May Day, but their paper map was accidentally knocked off the table by Xiao Ming and then dragged under the sofa and ruined by Lili’s cat. Lili suggested using a phone map instead, and they successfully found the route, enjoyed the beautiful flowers, and had a wonderful day together.

On the day of Grain Rain, Xiaoming and his mom visited a mountain tea garden where an old master taught them how to pick the most tender tea leaves. After spending over two hours picking a full basket of tea, they returned home and brewed the fresh tea with Dad, who remarked that things made by your own hands always taste the best. Xiaoming also prepared a gift box of tea leaves with hand-written calligraphy for his grandma, and fell asleep happily planning to bring her to the tea garden next year.

Eight-year-old Xiao Ming finds an injured bird in the school garden and, together with his older sister Lili, nurses it back to health over several weeks before releasing it back into the sky, learning that helping others is the greatest source of happiness.

On Qingming Festival, Xiao Ming and Lili join their parents to sweep the ancestral graves, and afterward enjoy flying kites together in an open field, finding both meaning and joy in the day.

After learning about the meaning of Qingming Festival from his sister Lili, Xiao Ming joins his family to visit his grandparents’ grave, and the experience transforms his understanding of the holiday from something ordinary into a deeply meaningful tradition he commits to honoring every year.

On the Spring Equinox, Xiao Ming learns to balance an egg upright with Lili’s help and patience, and through this traditional custom, gains a deeper appreciation for the balance and beauty of nature.

On the Longtaitou Festival, Xiaoming feels embarrassed after getting his hair cut too short and refuses to go to school, but his friend Lili cheers him up by styling his hair and reminding him that a haircut on this day brings good luck and a fresh start.

On the eve of the Longtaitou Festival, Xiao Ming and his father got haircuts for good luck, then returned home where his sister Lili taught him to make dragon-shaped noodles, and the whole family celebrated together with hopes for a healthy and happy new year.