English Original
This story is from Strange Tales from Make-Do Studio.
As a child, Xiliu was intelligent and enjoyed reading biographies of ancient sages. She resolved to emulate these exemplary figures and build a legacy that would be remembered for generations. At nineteen, she married Gao Sheng, a widower with a son named Changfu. A year later, Xiliu gave birth to a son, naming him Changhu.
Gao Sheng died young from illness, leaving Xiliu to raise the boys alone. Noticing Changfu was often truant from his studies, Xiliu punished him by sending him to work as a shepherd. Changfu, unable to bear the hardship, begged to return to school. Xiliu refused. Cold and miserable, he huddled like a beggar until a village elder interceded for him. Xiliu declared, "If Changfu is willing to accept a hundred strokes, I will take him back." Changfu agreed. Seeing his genuine repentance, Xiliu forgave him without punishment and allowed him to resume his studies.
Changhu, however, was slow-witted. Xiliu had him leave school to farm, but he was lazy and neglected his duties. She then set him up in trade, but he squandered all his capital on gambling. Finally, she sent him to Luoyang to sell goods. There, he was jailed for using counterfeit silver in a brothel and suffered greatly in prison. One day, Xiliu summoned Changfu and confessed, "I gave your brother the fake silver on purpose, to teach him a lesson through hardship. Now, go and secure his release." Upon returning home, Changhu knelt before his mother, filled with bitter remorse. He finally reformed his ways.
The villagers came to understand Xiliu's methods. She loved her sons by tempering them through adversity.
中文翻译
这个故事出自《聊斋志异》。
细柳幼时聪慧，喜爱阅读古代圣贤的传记。她立志效法这些先贤，留下一个能被后世铭记的名声。十九岁时，她嫁给了刚刚丧妻的高生，高生有一个儿子名叫长福。一年后，细柳生下一个男孩，取名长怙。
不久，高生英年早逝，留下细柳独自抚养两个儿子。看到长福读书时常逃学，细柳便罚他去和牧童一起放羊。长福无法忍受，请求母亲允许他回学堂。细柳拒绝了。长福又冷又惨，像乞丐一样蜷缩着。村里一位老奶奶为他说情并照顾他。细柳告诉她：“如果长福愿意接受一百下鞭打，我就让他回来。”长福决定接受责打。细柳察觉到长福真心悔改，便没有打他，让他继续读书。
长怙是个愚钝的孩子，细柳便让他辍学去田里干活。但长怙非常懒惰，经常荒废工作。细柳于是让他去做生意，他却把所有的钱都输在了赌博上。最后，细柳派他去洛阳卖货，他因在妓院使用假银子而被关进监狱，在狱中受尽苦楚。一天，细柳叫来长福说：“那假银子是我故意给你弟弟的，就是想让他吃点苦头。现在你去把他救出来吧。”回到家后，长怙跪在母亲面前，痛心疾首，充满悔恨。他终于改邪归正。
乡亲们这才明白了细柳的用心。她锤炼孩子于苦难之中，正是爱子之道。