My Mute Bride

Chu Xiu had spent years disguised as a man without a single slip—until her family arranged a marriage for her. Baffled, Chu Xiu exclaimed, “I may dress like a man, but I’m truly a woman. If I marry a wife… how am I supposed to sleep with her?” Her sister-in-law, however, misunderstood her concern. “Who says women can’t sleep together? It’s not like you don’t have hands and a mouth.” Chu Xiu: “…” To resolve the immediate dilemma, Chu Xiu paid five taels of silver and brought home a beautiful wife. Her new bride was stunning—enchantingly so—but mute, unable to speak or even use sign language. On their wedding night, Chu Xiu remained in her male disguise, while the bride merely smiled in silence. After a night together, both were very satisfied. Chu Xiu thought to herself: Though my bride cannot speak, the occasional muffled moans she lets slip are more seductive than words ever could be—far harder to resist. In the dim light behind the bed curtains, Chu Xiu held her new wife close, her hand gliding along her spine, kissing her ear again and again, whispering, “I like you so, so much.” Years later, Chu Xiu—still in disguise—rose to the pinnacle of political power, second only to the emperor. She pushed through sweeping reforms, advocating for women’s education and improved rights. When the world asked her why she cared so deeply for women’s equality, Chu Xiu answered honestly, “In the beginning, I only wanted to give my wife a chance to attend school and learn sign language.” “If you never speak, then every love word in our life—let me be the one to say it to you.”