A long time ago in China, 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 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 a while, 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 too 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
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 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."
