Poisoning Mother-in-law (A Chinese story)
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This is a beautiful story of a girl and her mother-in-law.The girl named Li-Li lived in China a long time ago. She got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law.
Li-Li found in a very short time that she couldn’t live with her mother-in-law. Their characters were very different. Li-Li hated many of the habits of her mother-in-law. In addition, the mother-in-law constantly criticized Li-Li.
Days and weeks went by. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never ceased to argue and fight. According to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to obey every wish of the mother – in – law. It exacerbated the situation. All the anger and unhappiness in the house caused great distress to the poor husband.
Finally, Li-Li could not tolerate her mother-in-law’s anger and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it.
Li-Li went to see one of the good friends of her father, Mr Huang, who sold herbs. She told him about the situation and asked if he was going to give her some poison to solve the problem once and for all. Mr Huang thought for a while and finally said, ” Li-Li, I’m going to help you solve your problem, but you have to listen to me and obey my words. “
Li-Li said, “Yes, Mr Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do.”
Mr Huang went into his workroom and came back in a few minutes with a package of herbs.
He said to Li-Li, ” If you use rapid poison to kill your mother – in – law, you may be in doubt in the eyes of people. I will, therefore, give you a number of herbs that will gradually increase poison in her body. Prepare a delicious meal every day and put some of these herbs in her meal. You need to be very careful with your behaviour to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies. You must act very friendly with her. Don’t argue with her. Obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen.”
Li-Li was very happy. She thanked Mr Huang and happily went home to start her plan of murdering her mother-in-law.
Weeks passed. Months passed. Li-Li served her mother – in – law with the specially cooked food every day. She remembered what Mr Huang said about preventing doubts in the minds of people. She controlled her anger, obeyed her mother-in-law and therefore treated her own mother. After six months, the whole situation in her house changed.
Li-Li had done so much to control her anger that she nearly never got mad or upset. She had no argument with her mother – in – law in six months. Now her mother-in-law seemed very kind, friendly, loving and peaceful.
Further the attitude of the mother – in – law towards Li-Li changed completely. She started to love Li-Li her like her own daughter. She continued to tell friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law ever to be found. Li-Li and her mother-in-law now treated each other like a true mother and daughter.
Poisoning Mother-in-law
Li-Li’s husband was very happy to see what was happening.
One day Li-Li came to see Mr Huang and again asked for his help. She said, ” Mr Huang, help me stop my mother – in – law from killing poison. She has become such a nice woman and I love her like my own mother. I don’t want her to die because of the poison. “
Mr Huang smiled and said. “Li-Li, there’s nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs, I gave you, were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was hatred which existed in your mind and your mother-in-law’s mind. In the beginning, you shared hatred with her. Then she shared hatred with you. Now you shared the love with her. Then she shared the love with you.
He smiled and said, Mr Huang. ” Li-Li, there is nothing you can worry about. I’ve never given you poison. I gave you the herbs that were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was hatred in your mind and in the mind of your mother – in – law. You shared hatred with her in the beginning. Then she shared her hatred with you. Now you shared the love with her. And she shared your love. This is natural. If we give love to others, they will give love to us. If we give hatred to others, they will give hatred to us. We get back, what we give.”
Li-Li understood a great secret of human relations. She went her home happily.
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Herb (noun) = a plant whose leaves, flowers or seeds are used in medicines
Exacerbated ( verb)= made (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.
Obey (verb) = to follow someone’s orders/ instructions
Distress (noun) = a feeling of great worry or unhappiness
While (noun) = a period of time
once and for all (Idiom) = now and for the last time; finally or completely
