Read WeChat Official Accounts article written by a former foreign media correspondent in China. Opinion piece on the differences between Chinese and Western media and how he is saddened by the expulsion of the three main foreign news outlets in China, and how they were the ones most capable of representing China fairly in news.

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VqQQpAUUah0xIa2KbJzfTQ

Read announcement and articles about China banning entry of foreigners

Read articles about the COVID-19 pandemic and rules on shipping/customs from China to US.

Finished reading 张爱玲 《牛》. Again read aloud the parts I already studied with focus on strengthening retention of vocabulary learned in past couple days. Read new parts to the end, with some new vocab: 犁耙 li2ba4 (plow harrow), 斜睨 xie2ni4 (to cast a sidelong glance at), 棉袄 mian2ao3 (cotton-padded jacket), 田埂 tian2geng3 (ridge between fields), 掠过 lve4guo4 (flit across, sweep past, 她嘴角上掠过一丝微笑, 探照灯掠过夜空), 鞭子bian1zi (whip), 瞳仁/瞳孔 (pupil (eye)), 咕噜噜/骨碌碌 gu1lu1lu1 (onom. rolling rapidly), 狰狞zheng1ning2 (savage), 喧嚷 xuan1rang3 (clamour, uproar), 黄昏 (dusk), 咻咻 (onom. sound of heavy breathing, 咻咻的喘息声), 披散 ((hair, mane) hang down loosely)

Continued detailed reading of 张爱玲 《牛》, re-reading aloud the parts I have read with emphasis on remembering the new vocabulary from last time, as well as read the next new part. New vocab include: 簌簌 su4su4 + verb (onom. rustling in leaves/grass, 小鸡在狗尾草里簌簌踏过, streaming tears, 泪珠簌簌地垂落下来, trembling limbs, 气得簌簌发抖), 眼见 (very soon), 簪子 zan1zi (hair clasp), 烟囱 yan1cong1 (chimney, stovepipe), 冒烟 (V+O, (of smoke), rise, belch smoke), 缚 fu4 (to tie up, bind), 锄头 chu2tou (hoe), 轭 e4 (yoke, harness shafts), 叮咛 ding1ning2 (exhort, warn, give advice repeatedly), 把家 (VO, to keep house, 把家握产), 兴头 (N enthusiasm, keen interest, ADV enthusiastically兴兴头头地+V)

Began reading Eileen Chang's (张爱玲) short story titled 'Ox' (牛). Detailed reading - focused on identifying grammar and sentence structures while looking up vocabulary: 栗色 (chestnut color), 旱烟管 (tobacco pipe), 高高低低 (uneven (ground, height)), 水涡 (water eddies), 牛栏 (cattle pen), 栅栏 zha4lan (fence, bars), 水槽 (water trough, water gutter), 水槽车 (water tank truck), 粗糙cu1cao1 (rough, coarse), 抚摸fu3mo1 (caress, stroke), 一缕 (strand, thread, wisp (of smoke or feeling), 辛酸 (miserable, bitter)

Played a text-heavy Chinese game called 梦幻西游. Practiced reading large amounts quickly with general understanding rather than stopping to look up unfamiliar words.