Saturday, March 10, 2007

HUSBANDS WATCH OUT..LOL.. I'M DRINKING VINEGAR.


Every time I go on my weekly date with my Beloved Hubby ( as he says that in China one dates with wife after marriage ) and his roving eye sometimes lands on all the beautiful women embellishing the New York Subway, my heart always sinks to some abyss that I cannot even myself describe in words carrying any form or weight. He gets a little ratty and always asks me 'Are you drinking vinegar again?' all because I am a devoted wife that cannot bear to share him with another, Hui Hui or not lol! He always jokes about 70 odd virgins in Heaven and Han traditions of taking second wives and concubines and tells me that I should accept a second and a third and God knows how many more lol. Fat chance and over my dead body that will ever happen in my life time mate!!!
So one day I asked him, with the curious Greek mind that I possess what is the story behind this vinegar business as I know Chinese have many stories hiding behind the curtain of their eloquent language and tradition.
So after two years of 'drinking vinegar' two days ago I found out exactly what he was rambling on about. Sometimes through suffering comes Light and Knowledge...



Here is the Story...

The First Tang Emperor LI SHI MIN wanted to reward his Prime Minister Fang SHUAN LING with a handful of Concubines as a generous gesture of goodwill for his excellent work and service to the Empire. But as it goes, Fang's Darling Wife would rather die than see her Beloved Hubby in the arms of another (just as I feel !!!!!!). So the Emperor summoned Fang's wife and asked her if she wanted death or her husband. She preferred to accept the death penalty and let her husband get on with it without her being present, rather than live with a broken heart. The Emperor saw the devotion and fearless love of this woman towards her husband so granted her a cup of poison to drink. She drank the cup but it tasted a little sour and she never died!! Apparently the Emperor had ordered her to drink a glass of vinegar instead without her knowing it wasn't poison.
She survived and lived happily with her husband, Concubine free may I add. So I always say to my hubby now that can he live with his conscience and enjoy nos two three or four, and many more, knowing my heart would not contain it ? I don't think so..


2 comments:

Josette said...

Hi there, I've linked to both your blogs already. =)

Namratha said...

Awesome story yanji,interesting. I think I will tell my hubby about this vinegar thing and maybe I'll tell him I've been drinking Vinegar..hehe