Ainajushi

Ainajushi, often rendered in English as Aina the Layman, is the attributed compiler or author of Idle Talk Under the Bean Arbor (Doupeng xianhua), a Chinese story collection generally dated to around 1660. Modern library and publisher records describe the name as the only authorial identity attached to the book, suggesting a literary persona rather than a well-documented biographical figure.

What survives clearly is the writing itself. Idle Talk Under the Bean Arbor is noted for its framed setting of neighbors telling stories under a shady arbor, and for the way those tales reflect disappointment with social values and human behavior. That mix of lively storytelling and sharper moral reflection has helped keep the work in circulation through modern editions and translations.

Because reliable personal details are scarce, very little can be said with confidence about the individual behind the name Ainajushi. No confirmed portrait was found, and standard reference pages focus on the text rather than the author's life, which only adds to the sense of mystery around this early Chinese storyteller.