A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married &
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, and weeks passed. 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 he house was causing Li-Li's 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 become suspicious. Therefore, I have given
you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her
body.
Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of
these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody
suspect 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 with
her mother-in-law in six months because she 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. The herbs I gave you were
vitamins 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."
HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they
will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying: "The person who
loves others will also be loved in return." God might be trying to
work in another person's life through you.
