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Now I love my mother in law with all my heart. And I know Suzette loves my mom. But I also know that not always the case. This is a cute little story with a moral that could really be applied to any relationship.

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 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 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.”

Moral: have you ever 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.’