A Yu woke up earlier than even her rooster today. The sky outside was still a pale bluish gray, the kind that came just before dawn when the world seemed to be holding its breath.
Usually, she would still be curled beneath her thin quilt at this hour, half dreaming until general Yu woke her up. But today she moved quickly, her soft cloth shoes whispering against the packed earth floor as she found her way to the kitchen.
The night before, three of the village aunties had sat her down and explained how if she didn't fix her behavior her husband was going to leave her sooner or later.
Their voices still echoed in her ears.
"Look at widow Ma, she takes better care of your husband than you," Aunt Qi had said, leaning forward as though revealing something scandalous.
"The other day when I came to buy some eggplants, I found her washing your man's feet."
"Is that true?" the others exclaimed in shock.
"That vixen, she said she was only here for a month while she picked herself up but it's already been a year. She's clearly treating your home as hers."
"Stupid girl, aren't you worried your man will kick you out?"
They had all spoken at once, their voices overlapping.
A Yu had sat quietly on the low stool, her hands folded neatly in her lap, trying to follow their words. She really didn't understand what they were fussing about. Her husband loved her so much and never let her do any hard work. Wasn't that a good thing?
Besides, sister Ma was already a widow with a child. Why were they being so hard on her when she was all alone? She was the one who agreed to let her stay. It had nothing to do with her husband.
"Aunties, you really have nothing to worry about. My man loves me very much and sister Ma is my cousin. They would never betray me," she tried convincing them.
"This stupid girl," Aunt Yu reprimanded, clicking her tongue. "Don't you remember my neighbor said the same thing? Now her husband moved to the county with her sister and they refuse to acknowledge her."
"But—"
"There is no but. What relative cooks your husband meals, washes his clothes and even feet?"
"She even sees him off for work every morning. Are you dumb?"
They all agreed in unison.
"Young girl, we are doing this for your own good. You better send her away before the same thing happens to you. Next, you'll hear she's helping your husband get dressed."
They all started laughing. One added, "And next you'll hear she's pregnant with her dead husband's child and wants you to support them."
"Didn't her husband die a year ago?"
"Given how stupid she is she'll probably believe it was a gift from God."
They kept laughing, not realizing A Yu had gone deathly silent for a while. The comment about her cousin helping her husband get dressed was true.
When she first caught them, she also thought it was weird and had questioned them about it. That morning she had woken up earlier than usual to do some farm work and saw the door half open. Her cousin stood close to her husband, fingers smoothing the collar of his robe, while he leaned slightly toward her.
"A Yu," her husband had said gently when he noticed her, "I'm going to be a great scholar in the future. Having maids dress me is normal. Besides, I know how much you love sleeping in so I didn't want to bother you. And your cousin was married before, so she understands these things better."
What do you need to understand about putting on clothes? There seemed to be an issue there, but A Yu was a simple-minded person and couldn't think so much. So she took her man's word for it.
My husband is going to be a great scholar. He must know what he's doing.
So she dropped the topic and walked away, happy that her husband wouldn't let her suffer.
Now when the aunties brought it up again, the realization that it might not be a normal thing scared her a bit. There was no way her husband and cousin would betray her.
She was more worried that she wasn't doing a good job as a wife and they would be disappointed in her.
Aunt Yu noticed her expression and nudged her.
"Do you finally understand what we are telling you?" she asked.
"Then aunties, what do you think I should do?"
"You should hurry up and get pregnant. You've been married for three years and there is still no movement."
A Yu also didn't understand what the problem was. Three times a week she slept with her husband, just like he told her to, but she still hadn't gotten pregnant yet.
Could she have an illness?
"Do you guys know any secret recipes to help with pregnancy?" she asked, hoping they could save her.
"Then you asked the right person, but this isn't medicine," Aunt Yu said mysteriously.
"There is a monk at the temple in the county that is known as the god of fertility."
"Is that true?"
"Of course. When I went to visit my daughter and discovered she wasn't pregnant yet, we went to the temple to pray and met him. He prayed for us. One month later my daughter was pregnant."
"Really?"
"Why would I lie to you? Since then everybody I recommend to him always ends up getting pregnant. Even those who were declared infertile. He's really a god."
The other aunties nodded, adding their own embellished confirmations, each story more miraculous than the last. One said the monk only needed to touch a woman's wrist. Another whispered that he could see the unborn child's fate in incense smoke.
With that in mind, A Yu thanked the aunties and went home a changed woman, planning to be a good wife so that when her husband succeeded in the future no one could snatch him.
But when she got home her cousin had already prepared dinner and they had been waiting for her.
The courtyard smelled of stir-fried greens and soy sauce. The lantern hanging beneath the eaves cast a warm yellow glow. Her husband sat at the table reading a worn book while her cousin ladled soup into bowls.
"What took you so long? The food was getting cold," her cousin asked with a big smile.
A Yu paused at the doorway. She was about to scold her for cooking, but looking at her face she thought, how could such an amazing person harm her? They even grew up together. When they were little, sister Ma used to share sweet potatoes with her and help braid her hair.
Don't listen to those aunties. They're just poisoning your head. They want to ruin your relationship.
She told herself this firmly.
"From tomorrow I'll do the cooking. You should get some rest, cousin," she said while washing her hands, then sat down to eat.
"Why the sudden enthusiasm?" her husband asked, glancing at her with amusement.
"I just want to be a good wife," she said, earning a smile from her husband. He placed a piece of meat on her plate.
"Eat. I bought it especially for you."
My husband really cares about me, she thought as she ate, planning to work hard starting tomorrow.
Outside, the night wind rustled the bamboo leaves. Her cousin lowered her eyes quietly, her smile lingering a little too long as she watched the two of them. None of them noticed the faint shadow shifting behind the paper window, nor the distant temple bell carried by the wind from the county far away.
The same direction A Yu would soon travel, chasing a blessing she believed would secure her happiness.