An-Mei Hsu "Magpies"
But First Wife turned out to be a living ghost, no threat to Second Wife, who had her strong spirit intact. First Wife looked quite ancient and frail with her rounded body, bound feet, her old-style padded jacket and pants, and plain, lined face (Tan, 232).
But after the first year of marriage, First wife had given birth to a girl with one leg too short. And this misfortune led First Wife to begin a trek to Buddhist temples, to offer alms and tailored silk gowns in honor of Buddha's image, to burn incense and pray to Buddha to lengthen her daughter's leg.
As it happened, Buddha chose instead to bless First Wife with another daughter, this one with two perfect legs, but _alas!__ with a brown tea stain splashed over half her face. With this second misfortune, First Wife began to go on so many pilgrimages to Tsinan, just a half-days's train ride to the south, that Wu Tsing bought her a house near the Thousand Buddha Cliff and Bubbling Springs Bamboo Grove (Tan, 232).
And every year he increased the allowance she needed to manage her own household there (Tan, 233).
Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. Penguin Books, 2014, pp. 197-288.
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