The New Bride
On the third day she enters the kitchen,
Washing her hands to make a soup.
Not yet knowing her mother-in-law’s taste,
She first asks her husband’s younger sister to try it.
Notes
The third day refers to a traditional post-wedding custom. Gu means the mother-in-law, and xiao gu the husband’s younger sister. The bride asks her to taste the soup because she does not yet know the older woman’s preference.
Meaning
A new bride prepares soup and asks her younger sister-in-law to taste it before serving someone whose preferences she does not yet know.
Appreciation
A small kitchen decision shows the care and resourcefulness of a bride in an unfamiliar household.
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The first lines establish time and action; the last lines explain why she asks someone to taste the soup.
The two family terms refer to different people, which matters to the story.
The poem depicts a historical custom rather than a rule for families today.
About the poet
Wang Jian, courtesy name Zhongchu, was a Tang poet associated with the area of present-day Xuchang, Henan; accounts of his dates differ.
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He held local offices and wrote about everyday and court life.
His works include The New Bride and Looking at the Moon on the Fifteenth Night.