Two Widows And A Lover
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Two widows, a mother and her daughter-in-law, were living in the same house. The mother was in her forties and often secretly visited by a young man in the village. The daughter-in-law could not stand that. So she turned the man away a few times. The mother hated her and regarded her as a thorn in her flesh.
One day she went to the local magistrate and accused her daughter-in-law of having adulterous relations with a young man. In those days, a widow was not supposed to have relations with other men. Adultery was punishable by law.
The magistrate asked the mother if she knew who the young man was. She said she had no idea because the man came late at night and left early in the morning. When the daughter-in-law was questioned, she said she knew the name of the young man, but he was her mother-in-law’s lover, not hers. The mother angrily denied and the two hurled insults at each other.
When the young man was brought in, he denied everything. The magistrate felt odd that among the hundreds of inhabitants in the village, only this young man was implicated. He ordered the man to be flogged. Thereupon the man confessed to being the young woman’s lover. Despite her vehement denial, the young woman was given a severe whipping and thrown out.
Embittered by her treatment, the young woman appealed to a higher court and the case was referred to District Magistrate Sun Liuxia who was known for his resourcefulness. After reviewing the case, Sun had an idea. He ordered all three of them to appear in court for a re-trial and told his aides to bring some knives and stones to the courtroom.
“Your Excellency, we can only use manacles and fetters on prisoners. It’s illegal to use knives and stones to torture them.”
“I know that. Just do what I told you.”
On the day of the trial, the young man was kept in the courtyard while the magistrate questioned the women.
“I don’t know which one of you is the adulteress,” Magistrate Sun said. “Whoever she is, she must have been seduced by this rascal. Now I give you permission to punish him.”
He pointed to the stones and knives displayed in the courtroom. The women looked hesitant.
“Don’t be afraid,” the magistrate told them. “I’ll take the responsibility if anything happens to him.”
The two women stood up and started throwing stones at the young man. The daughter-in-law picked large stones and threw with all her strength while the mother took small stones and hurled at the man’s legs. The magistrate then suggested that they might use knives to cut the man up. Thereupon the daughter-in-law picked a knife, but the mother balked. At this point, the magistrate said, “All right. I know who the adulteress is.”
The mother made a confession and was put in shackles, and the young man was given thirty lashings.
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Wise Proverbs
- Lies have short legs.
- 谎言站不长。
- Wise man have their mouths in their hearts.
- 智者嘴在心里。
- Evil will be recompensed with evil.
- 恶有恶报。
Editor Says:
Magistrate Sun’s method was cruel but his logic was compelling.