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 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 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. 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.”

MORAL: Friends, have you ever realized that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you?THE GOLDEN RULE: The person who loves others will also be loved

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