On his way to school, Xiao Gang's bike acts up halfway down the lane. The repairman at the corner shop, instead of grabbing the wrench himself, presses it into the boy's hand.
Breaking Down on the Way
刚拐进巷子，小刚就觉得不对劲。
The moment he turned into the alley, Xiao Gang knew something was wrong.
脚一蹬，空转，自行车一下子停在路边。
He pushed down on the pedal, but it just spun freely, and the bike rolled to a stop at the side of the road.
Xiao Gang
完了完了，掉了，这下肯定要了。
Oh no, oh no, the chain's come off. Now I'm definitely going to be late.
他蹲下来看了看，黑乎乎的缠成一团，不知道从哪儿下手。
He crouched down to take a look. The greasy black chain was tangled into a knot, and he had no idea where to even start.
The Repairman Hands Over the Wrench
修车铺的王正在擦手，看见了就走过来。
Master Wang from the repair shop was wiping his hands, and when he saw what happened, he came over.
Master Wang
就掉条，多大点事儿。你自己来，我在旁边看着。
It's just a chain that slipped off, no big deal. You do it yourself, I'll watch from here.
他把一把塞进小刚手里，又指了指那个。
He pressed a wrench into Xiao Gang's hand and pointed at the gear.
Master Wang
先把往这个齿上套，慢点儿，别夹着手。
First loop the chain onto this tooth here. Take it slow, and watch you don't pinch your fingers.
Xiao Gang
哎,有点紧……卡上去了！原来是这样啊。
Hey, it's a bit tight... there, it clicked into place! So that's how it works.
Black Hands, a Smiling Face
小刚直起腰，两只手沾满了，他却忍不住笑。
Xiao Gang straightened up. Both hands were covered in grease, yet he couldn't help grinning.
Xiao Gang
谢谢您王！下回再掉，我自己就能弄了。
Thank you, Master Wang! Next time the chain comes off, I can fix it myself.
Master Wang
对喽。手脏了能洗，学会了就是你的。快去吧，还来得及。
That's right. Dirty hands can be washed, but once you've learned a skill, it's yours for good. Now hurry, you can still make it.
小刚跨上车，蹬了两下，一声不响地转了起来。
Xiao Gang hopped onto the bike and gave the pedals two pushes. The chain turned smoothly, without a sound.