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A long time ago, a girl named Li-Li got married and
went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time,
Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.
Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many
of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.
Days passed days, and weeks passed weeks. Li-Li and
her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made
the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition,
Li-Li had to bow to
her mother-in-law and obey her every wish.
All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing
the poor husband great distress.
Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's
bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something
about it. Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who
sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her
some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.
Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, Li-Li,
I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey
what I tell you.
Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever
you tell me to do."
Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in
a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't
use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because
that would cause people to ecome
suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will
slowly build up poison in her body."
"Every other day prepare some pork or chicken
and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make
sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful
to act very friendly towards her. Don't argue with her, obey her every
wish, and treat her like a queen."
Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried
home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law. Weeks went by,
and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially
treated food to her mother-in-law.
She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding
suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and
treated her like her own mother.
After six months had passed, the whole household had
changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she
found that she almost never got mad or upset.
She hadn't had an argument in six months with her mother-in-law,
who now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.
The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed,
and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling
friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could
ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other
like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see
what was happening.
One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for
his help again. She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep
the poison from killing my
mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her
like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I
gave her."
Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li,
there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. All of
the herbs I gave you were simply to improve her health."
"The only poison was in your mind and your attitude
toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you
gave to her."
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