Mother-in-law tells son to ‘do the business’ with daughter-in-law on return from work trip to complete the baby-making process. ‘Victim’ of superstitious act finds out by over-hearing phone conversation, banishes mother-in-law for a year. — SCMP
The story of a Hong Kong woman who was tricked by her superstitious mother-in-law into drinking the ashes of burned Taoist script to help her “make a baby” has caused outrage online.
The woman, who goes by the name @Waiyiuyiu, complained about her mother-in-law on a local online forum on July 5.
She said her husband’s mother, with whom she had never got along, cooked soup for her when her husband was on a business trip in Macau.
After finishing the soup, the woman discovered a “strange residue” in the bowl. Unfamiliar with soup making, she didn’t think much of it and offered to wash the dishes.
While in the kitchen she overheard her mother-in-law on the phone explaining to someone that the residue was fu shui, or charmed water, made from mixing with the ashes of a burned Taoist talisman, that she had secretly put in the soup to make her produce a baby.
Taoist talismen are strips of paper containing written symbols which are said to muster benevolent spiritual energies to purify, heal the sick and drive away demons. When made soluble, they are also known to create “magic water”.
The woman’s husband later told her that his mother had asked him to “do the business” with her on his return from Macau so that “the magic would work” and produce a baby.
The poster said she and her husband had explained many times why they did not want a baby, but the mother-in-law refused to listen.
She added that she was shocked by the old woman’s ignorance and cheekiness and would refuse to see her for at least a year.
Fu shui is said to have originated in China in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) when a leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion peasant revolt and follower of Taoism, Zhang Jue, gave out such water which is believed to have cured impoverished people and attracted a large army.
Some people still believe in the powers of the water to this day.
In recent years, an increasing number of reports have revealed that the ink used to write the script is poisonous.
The mother-in-law’s superstitious and sneaky act sparked outrage on the forum.
“The magic water will do the opposite of the desired effect,” said one online observer.
“You should never eat anything she makes again,” another person warned the poster.
“Why did she not feed her son with the magic water? Sometimes not conceiving is the man’s problem,” commented a third.
Superstitious remedies to aid conception, however, remain popular in China.
Some people go to the temples to pray to deities such as the Gold Flower Goddess and the Child-giving Goddess of Mercy.
In 2016, a woman from southeastern China attempted to have a baby by changing her household feng shui and sticking a red talisman onto the bed. However, she only ended up irritating her husband. – South China Morning Post
