The Zheng brothers from Yidu County were both scholars. The elder brother achieved renown early, deeply favored by their parents, and his wife consequently enjoyed a lofty status. The younger brother, however, floundered in the examinations, growing despondent and unrecognized; his wife suffered slights and low regard as a result of their diminished standing.

The second daughter-in-law often pressed her husband, saying, "We are both men, yet why can you not win some respect for your wife?" To spur him on, she refused to share their bed. From that point, the younger brother devoted himself to arduous study, finally achieving the rank of Xiucai. His status rose, and his parents’ attitudes thawed, though his treatment still paled in comparison to his elder brother’s.

That year, during the provincial examination, the second daughter-in-law, yearning for her husband's success, secretly took a bronze mirror on New Year’s Eve and went out to "listen for omens." Before long, two men approached on the street, jostling each other, one remarking, "Go cool off a bit yourself." The daughter-in-law returned home full of doubt, bewildered, turning the words over and over, yet failing completely to grasp their meaning.

When the autumn imperial examination results arrived, both brothers returned simultaneously. The weather was sweltering. Both wives were toiling in the kitchen, the heat unbearable. Suddenly, a messenger arrived at the door bearing joyous news: "Master Zheng, the eldest son, has passed!" The mother, beaming, went to the kitchen and told the elder daughter-in-law, "Your husband has succeeded! You don't need to work anymore; go out and cool down."

Hearing this, the second daughter-in-law was both angered and heartbroken, silently shedding tears as she continued her chores. A moment later, another official messenger appeared at the door with tidings: "Master Zheng, the second son, has passed!" The second daughter-in-law cried out in unrestrained joy, dropping her rolling pin, and laughed, "I'm going out to cool down too." She uttered these words purely out of passionate indignation, a spontaneous retort, but upon reflection afterward, realized it precisely matched the outcome foretold by the omen she had sought.

("Mirror Listening," also known as "Mirror Hearing," "Sound Divination," or "Ear Prophecy," involves holding a mirror on New Year’s Eve or the first night of the year while secretly eavesdropping on the chance words of passersby to divine fortune or misfortune. The specific method is this: on New Year’s Eve, one places a spoon into a pot filled with water, offers a prayer, stirs the spoon until it spins, and then carries a mirror out the door in the direction the spoon handle points to eavesdrop. The answer to the prayer can be found in the very first phrase overheard from a stranger.)