The phrase "Fine, thanks. Li Lei and you?" is a well-known line from older Chinese middle school English textbooks, often associated with characters like Li Lei (李雷) and Han Meimei (韩梅梅).
— Fine, thanks. Li Lei and you?
This dialogue reflects a literal but slightly awkward attempt to translate Chinese conversational patterns into English. In natural English, one would typically respond:
— I’m fine, thank you. And you?
The original version using "Li Lei and you?" likely stems from a direct translation of the Chinese structure where the third person might be mentioned in group settings. However, in standard English conversation, we refer to ourselves ("I") and then ask about the other person ("you").
Despite its grammatical quirks, this phrase has become a nostalgic cultural reference for millions of Chinese learners who grew up with these textbooks in the 1990s and early 2000s.