(Minghui.org) My husband was imprisoned for 10 years in 1998 for violating the law. Adding insult to injury, I lost my job and had to find part-time work to earn a living and support our 3-year-old son. I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1997. I knew that I was a cultivator and should follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in everything I encounter. I was not pessimistic or intimidated by the difficulties. I moved in with my parents, educated our child, took care of our parents, and worked hard.
Persuading My Husband to Give Up “Making Big Money”
Since I was poor, I could only afford to visit my husband twice a year. I always brought him food that could be stored for a long time like milk powder, dried shrimp, bags of instant soup, ham sausage, biscuits and vacuum-packed roast chicken. I asked him to share the food with other inmates, especially those who had no family members to visit them.
He sometimes told me to divorce him and marry someone else. I repeatedly told him that I would wait for him and that our family would be together again.
He was released in 2006. I prepared food to nourish his health and bought him a smartphone. He went to pick up several cellmates when they were released, which cost a few thousand yuan. It was a big expense for us, and my husband was worried about the financial burden. But I didn’t stop him because I understood that these men took care of him and that he should show his appreciation. I also encouraged him to take his time to regain his health and look for a job that suited him.
While imprisoned, he made some friends who had special skills like opening locks. They contacted him and said they were planning something big. He told me, “I want you to live a rich life, to repay you.”
I told him that I had waited for him for years and chosen the path that was the hardest for me but the best for others. I explained that I was a person of faith, a Falun Dafa practitioner, someone who had no desire for the things of the secular world. I said, “When you were imprisoned, I could have given our child to your mother, sold the house and taken the money to find a happy life by myself. But I know that your parents would be assured that the child is with his mother. It gave you hope to know that the child and I were waiting for you. My parents also had less psychological pressure. Our family reunited after suffering. I think you will cherish everything you have after the storm.”
He said, “You are so kind that I feel ashamed. From now on, I will also live by Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and be good to others. Don’t worry, I won’t be in touch with those inmates anymore.”
Nephew’s Debt
My husband’s brother divorced when his son was very young. This nephew was raised by his grandparents and developed many bad habits. In 2016 he borrowed 70,000 yuan from my husband and 20,000 yuan from his great uncle and bought a car to use as a taxi for an online hailing platform. However, he didn’t tell us that he had lost all the money. His father helped him to repay 10,000 yuan to his great uncle, but he did not repay us.
The great uncle and his wife were not happy with the nephew and pressured him hard to repay the money. They also told their friends and neighbors about it, which embarrassed the nephew and his father.
I told my husband that it was not realistic for him to repay us at the time and that we should encourage him to find a normal job and live a regular life. Slowly, my nephew changed, and he was willing to do dirty and tiring work, but he was still unable to repay us.
The local authorities harassed me in 2020 because I practiced Falun Dafa. I temporarily left home and rented an apartment in another city. The authorities detained my husband for 39 days in retaliation. During that period of time, only my nephew helped me to settle down, and he went around to appeal for my husband until he was released.
Later, my nephew asked to borrow money from us to buy a food truck. We agreed and helped him open a small business. He also learned to be kind to other people, so his business grew and he began making money. He told us that he planned to expand his business first, and then he would repay us. We agreed and were happy that he could support himself. A year later, he gave us 10,000 yuan. We traded in our old car and bought a better used car.
Siblings Let Go of Their Inheritance
I moved into my parents’ house after my husband was jailed. My father passed away in 2003. After my younger sister’s husband died in an accident in 2005, she and her daughter also moved in with our mother. My husband was released in 2006 and joined me in helping to support the big family.
My mother is 82 years old has practiced Falun Dafa for 27 years. She never got sick. When she occasionally felt unwell, she practiced the Dafa exercises more and was fine. Her heart, blood pressure, and stomach are all healthy. Her complexion is fair and smooth. We get up early to do the exercises and read Zhuan Falun during the day. I read to her because she can barely see.
My mother needs careful and patient care. The furniture, decorations, and supplies in the her room had to be placed in the places she remembered. I wash her hair, bathe her, change her clothes, and cut her nails to keep her clean. The family toilet is outside, so we set up a private one in her room, and I clean it.
My mother is not picky about food, so we do not need to prepare anything special for her. My husband and I always prepare two or more fruits for her, peeled and cut into small pieces. She is open-minded and sensible, and she gets along with my husband like a mother and son. My husband chats with my mother when he has time, and he always buys her snacks when he goes to the supermarket.
My husband and I treat our niece like our own child, and we share whatever we have with my sister and her daughter. We pay her tuition and buy her clothes. We also installed air conditioners and solar panels in their house. Last year, we paid to remodel their house together with my mother’s house.
My older brother saw that we took good care of our mother, so he suggested that my mother give her house to us. My elder sister and younger sister had no objection, and they gave up their inheritance rights. My husband said that he was very happy to live in such a big family.
I am fortunate to practice Falun Dafa. Under the light of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I sow seeds of kindness. I am grateful to Master for teaching me to be a selfless practitioner who benefits others; I am grateful to Master for showing me the right way to live.
(Selected Submission Celebrating the 24th World Falun Dafa Day on the Minghui website)
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