(Minghui.org) I am 57 years old. Ever since I can remember—from the age of three or four—I was plagued by illness. Headaches, pneumonia, abdominal distension, gastrointestinal flu, and other ailments that have come and gone in succession.
I also suffered from a recurring disease that, if left untreated, could become fatal at any moment. While other children played outside, I spent my time at the clinic getting injections and taking medicine.
Once, I was screaming in agony from a splitting headache; my neighbor, Grandma Chen, was unable to bear my suffering and gave me a small pellet of opium paste she had extracted from poppies in her garden. After I swallowed it, my crying and wailing ceased.
During the peak of summer one time, I suddenly fell ill. My father raced to my side, lifted me up, and sprinted toward the clinic, his sweat dripping onto my face. Jolted back to consciousness by the rough motion, I whispered feebly, “Daddy... just throw me away.” Then, I lapsed back into unconsciousness. Hearing those words, my father— a rugged Shandong man—was overcome with tears.
It wasn’t until I got married and moved far away that I realized I had married a man who was insensitive and self-centered. Plagued by poor health and trapped in an unhappy marriage, the fact that I am still alive today—and that my marriage has somehow endured—is something all my friends and family truly consider a miracle.
My husband, Haifeng, is the eldest grandson and was raised by his grandmother. His elders were uneducated and constantly indulged him. As a result, he developed little respect for his elders, had a violent temper, and was very self-centered. At home, in public, and even at work, no one—including his superiors—didn’t dare criticize or challenge him. At the slightest provocation, he would lash out with verbal abuse and physical violence.
After more than a year of marriage, marked with friction and adjustment, and the birth of our child, I finally saw his true colors. I was consumed by bitter regret: I realized that, before the wedding, I never should have focused solely on superficial factors—such as his comfortable urban lifestyle, his privileged surroundings, and his steady job—while completely overlooking his actual character, and then stubbornly insisting on moving far away to marry into his family.
I could not bear to let my parents worry about me, nor could I bear to let my son lose the stability of a complete family. So instead, I swallowed my pride and grievances and endured my existence with a sense of helpless resignation. As I dragged myself through those days of deep depression, not only did my chronic ailments flare up one after another, but I also developed a host of new physical afflictions.
At that time, my headaches were so excruciating that I felt compelled to bang my head against the wall; my mind grew dull and listless, and my complexion turned a sickly, waxy yellow—so much so that anyone who looked at me would remark that I appeared ready to be covered with a burial shroud at any moment.
Drinking, gambling, womanizing, fighting—any wife would be unlucky enough to end up with a man who has even one of these vices, but Haifeng had them all. He was a compulsive gambler who would try his hand at anything. I just couldn’t take it anymore; I didn’t want to go on like this, so I left home. To my horror, he actually took our child to the casino. I rushed back in a panic, afraid he’d sell the child to get money for gambling.
He showed no respect for his elders. When our workplace allocated subsidized housing, we borrowed several tens of thousands of yuan from his great-uncle; however, we failed to repay the loan by the agreed-upon deadline. During a family gathering one day, the subject came up, and—right in front of many elders—he unleashed a torrent of verbal abuse at his uncle. Everyone present exchanged bewildered glances, feeling utterly mortified.
He was stingy and self-centered; regardless of whether our household finances were tight, he bought whatever he craved—no matter the cost—and indulged in extravagant eating and drinking. He wore whatever was in fashion, dressing himself up to look smart and stylish. But I lived frugally; I hadn’t bought many new clothes in over twenty years and almost always would wear hand-me-downs.
He was vicious and struck without mercy. Once, when we were arguing, he grabbed a small bowl from the stove and splashed the scalding hot oil toward me; fortunately, I dodged quickly enough to escape being burned. Another time, when we were arguing again, he actually threatened to throw me off the building.
He only took and never gave—cold, detached, and utterly devoid of warmth. I remembered the year I suffered a miscarriage in the hospital; I lay unconscious on the bed, bleeding profusely, yet he remained completely indifferent—never checking on me, but instead chatting away animatedly with others out in the hallway. Even after I regained consciousness, he didn’t even call a taxi for me; I had to walk all the way home by myself.
I was living a life worse than death, yet my child was too young for me to simply give up and die. So, I told myself to just endure—to hold on until my son grew up and could fend for himself. Once that happened, I would finally be free; I would divorce him. That was exactly what I was thinking back then.
Every cloud has a silver lining. Seeing how much I was suffering, my older sister, who practiced Falun Dafa, urged me repeatedly to take up the practice. In 1998, I finally picked up the precious book Zhuan Falun, and from that moment on, my miserable life truly turned a new page.
Every day, I happily study the Fa and practice the exercises, devoting all my energy to cultivating Dafa. As I delved deeper into studying the Fa and gained a better understanding of it, I came to understand the root causes of human illness and the karmic ties and predestined relationships that exist between people.
I no longer blamed heaven and earth or resented fate for being unfair to me, nor did I continue to blindly antagonize my husband. Instead, I began sorting through my emotions and using the principles of Dafa to guide my mindset. Gradually, I learned to handle conflicts within my family effectively.
I’m naturally talkative and lively. In the past, when we’d chat and gossip at home, I’d get all excited and animated. After I started practicing, I gradually stopped bringing up those topics. Instead, I began talking about how being a good person and doing good deeds can accumulate virtue, while hitting or cursing others depletes it. I explained that having more virtue brings good fortune and smooth sailing in life, whereas having less virtue leads to poor health and misfortune.
My husband noticed the changes in me: I’m in better health now and no longer look sickly and listless all day; I’ve also stopped stirring up trouble and nitpicking over every little thing.
I also showed Haifeng the software for bypassing internet censorship. He frequently uses it to break through the firewall and access authentic news from abroad, and in doing so, he has learned a great deal about the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) history—facts that remain unknown to most people in mainland China.
I noticed that he, too, had changed: he now knows that Dafa is good and is saving people; he has clearly recognized the true nature of the CCP and, both at his workplace and among his close friends, dares to speak up for Dafa and uphold justice.
At the onset of the persecution, his superiors at work ordered him to “transform” me. Without the slightest hesitation, he loudly rebuked them: “Transform into what? Into the likes of you? You act like respectable human beings in public, but behind closed doors, you’re nothing but thieves and crooks! In my view, those who cultivate Dafa are truly fine people; they aren’t greedy or corrupt, and they have a kind heart.” Terrified, the Party Secretary hurriedly waved his hands and pleaded: “Stop talking! Just stop talking!”
My sister stayed with me temporarily to escape persecution, but the local police coerced my family into revealing my whereabouts. They weren’t entirely sure if my sister was at our home, so they began shouting outside the building entrance.
My husband blocked the door with his body and pointed at the one shouting the loudest, saying, “Try coming in. We lack everything in this house, but we certainly don’t lack knives.” Since my husband was notorious at the police station for fighting without fear of death and striking with lethal force, those men had no choice but to leave.
It’s hard to believe that someone as ruthless as my husband actually has admirers! I remember a few years ago, when he first transferred to this workplace, a few of the younger guys treated him to a meal. Over dinner, they said, “Big Brother, we used to really look up to you; you weren’t afraid to tell even the boss off. You were so badass back then—way out of our league. Now that you’re working with us, we’ll all follow your lead from now on. We’re sticking with you.”
Upon hearing this, my husband quickly replied: “No, no! Look at Zhou Yongkang and Bo Xilai—weren’t they powerful? Yet they failed to grasp the fundamentals of being human; they persecuted good people who held spiritual beliefs. And where are they now? Rotting away in prison. I realized long ago that in this day and age, you can’t just drift through life aimlessly; you have to strive to be a good person. Once your virtue is lost, your health and happiness vanish right along with it. People who are utterly devoid of virtue never end up well.”
I remember right after the lockdown was lifted, the farmers’ markets were still closed, and small vendors could only sneak around selling their goods in back alleys. My husband spotted a fishmonger and was just about to buy some fish when the vendor suddenly pushed his cart and ran off. My husband called out, “Why are you running?” The fishmonger shouted back as he ran, “The urban management officers are coming! If I don’t run, they’ll confiscate everything.”
My husband confronted those who were chasing after the vendor and let loose a tirade: “You people live off the blood, sweat, and tears of ordinary citizens, yet you turn around and torment them, bullying them and forbidding them from making a living! After being locked down for so long, if they can’t sell anything, what are they supposed to eat and drink? You scoundrels—you bully the weak and cower before the strong.”
He was cursing so vigorously that he drew a large crowd of onlookers. Just then, the head of the group shouted out, “Where’s the fishmonger? Come out right now and weigh the fish for this gentleman! You are to sell only to him—no one else is allowed to buy!”
The urban management officers were bowing and scraping before my husband. When my husband came home and recounted the incident to me, he asked if he had done the right thing. I replied, “Yes, absolutely! You should always speak up for justice and stand up for the weak. However, you shouldn’t have used abusive language; resorting to insults is a lapse in moral conduct.” “Oh,” he said, blinking slowly as he fell deep into thought.
No one in my in-laws’ family dared to cross my husband—they were all afraid of him. When he got angry, he would fight with his dad and flip tables in front of his mom. His older and younger sisters-in-law didn’t dare to argue with him; they all kept their heads down. My mother-in-law, Zhilian, didn’t let him come home for New Year’s Eve, afraid that if anything didn’t go his way, he would tear the house apart.
Because of my husband’s behavior, I, too, was not welcomed within his family. On Lunar New Year’s Eve—after I had finished helping Zhilian make dumplings—everyone else was allowed to stay overnight to partake in the traditional New Year’s meal. However, I was the sole exception.
Zhilian went out of her way to make things difficult for me at every turn. I wasn’t exactly a pushover back then, either; unable to fight back against my husband and facing discrimination from her, I took out all my pent-up resentment on his family—sowing discord, stirring up trouble, and driving wedges between them.
After practicing Falun Dafa, I was able to see things from others’ perspectives and understand how the elderly feel. I began treating my in-laws with kindness, often helping them with chores, cleaning the kitchen, chatting with them, and sharing the benefits of Falun Dafa.
My in-laws’ attitude toward me changed. Zhilian was eager for me to visit her home, and we had endless topics to discuss. One night, she invited me to stay over. As we lay on the same bed, she noticed my feet were cold, so she turned on the electric blanket and would occasionally touch my feet to see if they had warmed up.
There were far fewer arguments at home, and my husband started treating his mother much better. After my father-in-law passed away, my husband took the initiative to invite his mother to stay with us for a while. Since she moved in this year, my husband has been like her shadow, chatting with her nonstop during meals and in his spare time.
One day, I went out to run some errands and returned after dark. Looking up from the street, I saw that the apartment was dark. Why weren’t the lights on? Was no one home? Puzzled, I went upstairs and opened the door, only to find Zhilian and my husband chatting away enthusiastically! I was truly happy for her—she finally had a son.
Once, while chatting with Zhilian and my sister-in-law, Mei, we started talking about my husband. Mei got very worked up and said, “Mom! Just look at my brother’s behavior. It’s only because Xiaohui practices Falun Dafa that she’s been able to stay with your son all this time. She’s endured so much hardship and suffered so much! Xiaohui, you’ve had it so tough. Keep practicing—I support you!”
I quickly replied, “Those unpleasant times are all in the past. Your brother is different now—he’s changed so much. He drinks less, has quit smoking completely, and no longer associates with people of poor character. He thinks about others before doing anything, reflects inwardly on where he might have gone wrong, and sometimes even measures his actions against Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance! Actually, I’m quite grateful to him. All those years of trials he put me through were meant to help me elevate my character. I’m very grateful for his companionship in cultivation.”
Now my husband isn’t taking advantage of the system either. A co-worker suggested he apply for critical illness coverage in order to get more medical expenses reimbursed, but he said, “I don’t want to apply. Let people who are less fortunate and don’t have money enjoy this benefit. I don’t want to deceive people—it’s wrong to deceive others; it’s unethical.”
My sister-in-law’s child is preparing for the civil service exam, and the tutoring costs are quite high, so even though their refrigerator isn’t working well, they haven’t been able to bring themselves to buy a new one.
My husband called, “Sis, you worked so hard taking care of Dad all by yourself when he was hospitalized during the pandemic. Let me buy you a big refrigerator just like the one we have at home.” His sister was absolutely stunned to hear this.
You see, in the past, I had to hide it from him whenever I gave Zhilian a hundred or two yuan as a New Year’s gift—otherwise, we’d end up in a huge fight. And this refrigerator costs nearly ten thousand yuan.
When my father-in-law was still alive, he used to tell people, “My daughter-in-law practices Falun Dafa. Teacher Li teaches well, and Falun Dafa is wonderful. Look how successful and filial my grandson is, even my son has changed. It’s all thanks to my daughter-in-law.”
Yes, my husband has truly changed a great deal. First and foremost, he supports Dafa. Secondly, he uses his own personal experiences to counsel the friends around him: “Don’t gamble—the more you gamble, the poorer you become. Don’t visit prostitutes—sooner or later, you’ll lose your family over it. And don’t play the stock market—the Chinese stock market is designed to fleece the common people.”
He also says: “Since I came into contact with Dafa, I’ve learned that it teaches people not to do bad things, because doing so inevitably brings karmic retribution. I’ve completely kicked all my old bad habits. Now, I simply strive to be a good person, so that I can accumulate some virtue for myself and for my children.”
When my son was young, he listened to Master’s Fa teachings; he is now pursuing graduate studies abroad and has also embarked on the path of Dafa cultivation. In the past, he felt ashamed to have a father like mine and asked me why I continued to live with him.
I replied: “Human lives are arranged by the Divine; who becomes one’s husband and who becomes one’s child is a matter of Heaven’s will. As a cultivator, I cannot go against Heaven’s will. My encounter with your father serves a purpose—there are things I need to cultivate through this experience; he is here to help me achieve spiritual perfection, and that includes you as well. Before I began cultivation, I did not divorce him because I was waiting for you to grow up.
After I began cultivating, I realized that divorce does not align with the requirements of the Fa; Master teaches disciples that whenever we encounter issues, we must look inward and cultivate ourselves. Most importantly, your father supports Dafa and treats the Dafa disciples who visit our home with kindness. He often says that Master has come to save the universe, and that ‘Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance’ is good. For this reason alone, his life is precious and worthy of being cherished!”
My in-laws come from a large family. Most of them have witnessed my husband’s character firsthand and believed our marriage wouldn’t last. On one occasion, when his uncle came to visit, my husband wanted to show off his position as the undisputed head of the household. He constantly ordered me around—telling me to fetch this and that, and do this and that. Each time he gave a command, I carried it out cheerfully and without complaint.
His uncle watched in astonishment as my husband had me running all over the place. As he was leaving, he remarked with emotion, “I finally get it now. The fact that the two of you have made it this far has absolutely everything to do with your wife. I’m truly impressed by her tolerance!” His uncle has been married four times, and his ex-spouses were very domineering.
My husband’s other uncle works as the director of a local police station and has participated in the persecution of Dafa disciples. During one of his visits, I took the opportunity to clarify the truth to him and urged him not to participate in the persecution, explaining that doing so would be detrimental to his own well-being. At the time, he seemed somewhat unsettled.
Later, during a phone conversation with my father-in-law, he recounted the positive changes that he had observed in my husband. He also mentioned that my son—having recently graduated from the university—was doing exceptionally well at a foreign-invested company, where his boss highly valued both his professional competence and his character. Additionally, he noted that my son was currently studying English to prepare for further studies abroad.
During a New Year’s phone call, he specifically asked to speak with me. He said he no longer participates in the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners, invited my husband and me to visit them, and confided in me: “I’ve done so much for my ex-wife’s family—helped them get job transfers, arranged a comfortable life for them. Even when we had conflicts, I never laid a hand on her, but she’s ungrateful and divorced me. You two fought so much, yet now you’re getting along so well—how is that possible?” I replied, “Uncle, if you’d encouraged your wife to practice Falun Dafa as I do, she wouldn’t have divorced you. Our Master teaches us to always consider others first.” Later, this uncle also withdrew from the CCP and related organizations.
In 1999, the CCP and former leader Jiang Zemin’s political gang of thugs brazenly launched a persecution campaign against Falun Dafa. As someone who has benefited from practicing Falun Dafa, I am in a position to speak of its merits. So whenever I have the chance, I tell the truth to my classmates, close friends, and anyone I meet.
I recall attending a class reunion some time ago. We hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so everyone was very warm and friendly. We discussed everything from health issues to family life and social problems, with everyone chiming in, and the atmosphere gradually grew lively.
My classmates knew I practiced Falun Dafa, and one of them, who was very familiar with my story, stood up and pointing at me, said loudly, “Everyone, let me say a few words. Of all the people sitting here in this circle right now, she’s the one I admire the most.
“Back when Xiaohui was in school, she was wild and unruly—hitting and scolding her peers, completely lacking in manners; she hardly looked like a proper schoolgirl! Yet now, she is refined and elegant, speaking with humility and courtesy.
Her son’s academic performance was excellent. Look at what a fine job she did raising him! I’m still baffled by how, given her own limited academic background and their family environment, she managed to raise such an exceptional child—someone who struck out on his own to make his way in the world through sheer diligence and has now gone abroad to pursue graduate studies. I’ve been running a private school for all these years, and I’ve yet to produce a student quite like him.”
She went on to say, “Look, our class president got divorced. Another class officer—very traditional and kind-hearted—also got divorced after her husband had an affair. But take Xiaohui: her husband used to be a notorious thug and local bully—drinking, gambling, womanizing, you name it—a complete lawless ruffian. Yet she never left him. Look at him now—he’s turned out so well! If she hadn’t practiced Falun Dafa, do you think her husband could have been so completely transformed? She practices Falun Dafa, and her family is harmonious—her relationships with her in-laws are so warm and friendly. I truly admire her from the bottom of my heart!
“Society is chaotic these days, and it’s hard to distinguish right from wrong. I didn’t know whether Falun Dafa was good or not at first, but looking at her, I know that Dafa is good. I certainly won’t listen to the baseless chatter of people who lack the ability to discern right from wrong. I trust only what I have seen with my own eyes—she is a living, breathing embodiment of the truth right here before me, plain as day! This Dafa must be good!”
With deep reverence, I bow to our benevolent Master! I am deeply grateful to you, Master! It is you who have given me a healthy body, guided my child on the path of Dafa, and led my once-unreasonable husband to turn from evil to good and support my cultivation. Through your grace, my family, which was on the verge of breaking apart, has been restored to harmony and happiness.
(Selected Submission in Celebration of 2026 World Falun Dafa Day on Minghui.org)