Secrets Hidden Beneath the Night-Blooming Flowers

Aunt Xiu pushed open the door and looked up as wisps of cloud drifted across the moon. In the dead of night, when moonlight was the only light and there were no streetlamps, she slung a hoe over her shoulder, picked up her things, and headed out. Her shadow stretched long before disappearing into the darkness… The night-blooming jasmine had been planted thickly. Its fragrance was pleasant by day and heady at night. On a summer evening in June, Aunt Xiu and her husband bustled about, tidying the house until it was bright and orderly. It looked clean and neat, a comforting sight.