My Stubborn Sister-in-law Finally Agreed to Quit the CCP

(Minghui.org) I began to practice Falun Dafa in 1996. Before that, I had a quick temper, disliked being on the losing end, and would get upset when bullied. Despite being a woman, I loved to get into fights. People called me “female tiger.”

Introduced to Falun Dafa

My health was poor and I passed out blood at a young age. The doctor suggested that I learn Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa). He told me that Falun Gong was good for health improvement, and also taught free of charge. Therefore the next day, early in the morning, I went to the city center to learn the exercises, and watched Master’s recorded lectures that night.

Within less than two days, I stopped passing out blood. Then, within a month, I recovered from health problems that had plagued me for many years, such as dizziness, thiamine deficiency, and constipation. My sallow complexion was gone, and as I practiced Falun Gong, I slimmed down. I was overjoyed.

Displaying the Preciousness of Falun Dafa

Guided by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I returned things that I previously took home from my workplace. I also apologized to coworkers whom I fought with in the past.

No one cleaned the public areas in the apartment building I lived in and I would sweep the areas once in a while. Whenever it rained, I helped neighbors who were unable to move freely take their laundry indoors.

The building I lived in had not undergone maintenance work for many years and consequently there was water leaking through the major walls. Everyone was worried that the building would collapse from water damage, but no one was willing to cough up money to get someone to carry out repairs. Residents pushed the responsibility to one another.

After discussing it with my mother, I paid 2,000 yuan to get a tradesperson to replace damaged water pipes, so that water would not seep through the walls. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Some said I was foolish while others praised me for being a good person. I did not take these comments to heart. I only tried to conduct myself according to the requirements of Dafa. I wanted to be a person with high moral values.

Detained, Imprisoned, and Persecuted

I went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute practitioners in July 1999. I was held in the detention center in the region I lived in.

My daughter was only a few months old at the time. I was forced to separate from her and she was cared for by my parents. I was subsequently incarcerated in a forced labor camp and sentenced to prison for refusing to give up my faith.

Death of Husband: Demeanor of a Practitioner

When my daughter was over a year old, my husband was hit in the head by machinery due to an employee’s mishandling of the equipment. He died from the injuries. I was in the detention center at that time. After repeated requests by my family, I was allowed to go home to arrange my husband’s funeral.

My husband’s family went to his workplace every day to fight for compensation. His work place paid for expenses incurred while my husband’s body was kept in the funeral parlor all this time waiting to be cremated. They were very anxious to settle things and contacted me. They asked if I had any requests. I said no and had my husband’s body cremated. I wanted to avoid causing his workplace further trouble.

His manager was moved, as he did not expect Falun Gong practitioners to be so reasonable. My husband’s family stopped causing trouble for his workplace, but refused to forgive the employee who caused his death. The man never returned home since the accident for fear that he would be beaten to death by my husband’s family. I persuaded my husband’s family not to seek revenge and compensation, and the matter was thus settled.

Besides paying me, my daughter and everyone in his family a sum of money, the work place also paid a lump sum pension. My in-laws asked to take the pension and my parents did not agree to it. As a wife with a dependent child, I have the right to take this money. I said to my mother, “Let them take it! I am still young. I can work. My in-laws are old and lost their son, they must be heartbroken! We are still one family after all!” My parents did not insist on their views after hearing my words. Thus, my in-laws took all the pension money.

Despite the propaganda demonizing Falun Gong, my husband’s family knew that Falun Gong is good. However they blamed me for causing my husband’s death and resented me. My daughter was already in primary school when I was released from prison. She was brought up by my parents from young and they paid for all her expenses. When I said I wanted to take my daughter to visit her grandparents, my mother did not like it. She said, “They never cared about you all these years or went to visit you in prison once. Why should you bother to go and see them?” I answered, “They are my daughter’s grandparents after all. Since I am free, I should take care of them.”

I often went to visit them, bought them new clothes, fruits they liked to eat and when they were ill, I went to take care of them. In the beginning, they treated me coldly. Everyone other than my sister-in-law gave me the cold shoulder at the dinner table. I fought back tears, hastily finished the meal and returned home. I could not stop crying when I reached home. My mother felt sorry and asked me not to go back. I said to myself, “That won’t do. I must forbear and be a good person at all times.

Master said,

“When it is difficult to endure, try to endure it. When it looks impossible and is said to be impossible, give it a try and see if it is possible.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)

I continued to visit my in-laws and gradually no longer felt unjustly treated. I treated my husband’s family with kindness and did household chores for them. During the Chinese New Year, I bought souvenirs for my sister-in-law and she warmed up to me. My parents-in-law began to smile at me and loved to confide in me. Later, my father-in-law returned to me the pension and compensation money he received from my husband’s workplace, telling me to spend it on my daughter’s education. When my daughter went to high school, my parents-in-law gave me 5,000 yuan and insisted I take it. I tried to turn it down, but they refused to accept it. I reluctantly took 2,000 yuan and returned the balance to them.

Renouncing CCP Membership

After the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party was published, it sparked the trend of quitting the CCP nationwide. Most of my husband’s family and friends had already renounced their Party membership except for my husband’s older sister. She refused to quit the CCP despite my attempts to get her to do so, as she worshiped money and due to her fear of the CCP’s tyranny. She said to me, “What’s most important is to stuff my pockets full of money.”

Due to her love of money, she left home alone to go to another city to work despite her husband’s objections in order to earn more money. Her husband already had an affair and kept it from her. Now, he had the opportunity to do what he wanted and soon he sought a divorce. My sister-in-law was hurt by her husband’s betrayal. She experienced the impermanence of things in the world and began to have respect for Gods and Buddhas. She also became more easygoing. To get closer to her, I went to see her every year, bringing along her favorite foods. When her daughter, who got married and moved to live in another place far away, came home, I would invite them for dinner. When I brought up the topic of quitting the CCP, my sister-in-law stopped arguing with me. Instead she kept silent, but she still did not agree to quit the CCP.

Last year, after the pandemic broke out, the whole country was locked down. I kept thinking of my sister-in-law, who had not renounced her Party membership. Wearing a mask, I went to the hospital she worked in. She was nervous and kept asking me to go home. She told me to pay attention to safety. I knew she was worried I would be persecuted again by the CCP. I returned home without saying anything to keep her mind at ease.

Half a year went by, and the second wave of the virus hit the country. Most people I spoke with were scared of catching the virus and quit the CCP after I explained the facts to them. Although I would run into my sister-in-law from time to time and even got people to quit the CCP in front of her, I did not know what to say to her when I saw her solemn expression.

One night, around 8 p.m, she phoned me. Her daughter was divorced and her son-in-law secretly used up all the credit on her daughter’s credit card. The bank took her daughter to court. If she did not repay the bank the debt soon, her daughter would face a lawsuit. Her son-in-law had long moved out and was nowhere to be found. Her daughter had no choice but to ask her mother for help. Business at my sister-in-law’s workplace was poor and she had not been paid her wages for several months. She called me hoping to borrow 6,000 yuan. I agreed to loan her 10,000 yuan without hesitation. She came to my place at once and I gave her the money.

She wept as she told me her daughter’s misfortunes. As I comforted her, I told her to quit the CCP and she would be blessed in return. She agreed. I said to her, “Do you know? I send righteous thoughts for you every morning, hoping you would be safe and have a beautiful future.” She was moved. I asked her to recite Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, and she agreed to at once.

Before parting ways, I said to her, “Don’t hesitate to ask me for help in future. We are like sisters.” She smiled.