The Story About Tian’s Family and Me

(Minghui.org) I have been practicing Falun Dafa for more than 20 years and have benefited a lot from the practice. Master Li said:

“With any social status, you can still be a good person.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)

I would like to share my experience of working for Tian’s family.

In 2016, with an introduction from her auntie (a fellow practitioner), I went to work at Tian’s house, making lunch and cleaning the kitchen. Tian had a five-month-old daughter. I just made lunch for Tian and myself.

Tian was a simple and straightforward woman. She was about the same age as my daughter, so I treat her like my own child. She liked to be clean, ate politely, and was very meticulous. She was not like me. For example, when she made dumplings or buns, she chopped the ground meat she'd purchased even finer. When she cooked, the range fan had to be turned on, and the bathroom door and kitchen window closed. I didn’t mind the extra trouble and did everything as she asked.

I arranged what we ate every day. The food I usually cook at home is simple, and I am actually not a good cook, but I had to do it well for this job. Therefore, I made every meal according to her taste, and every day’s meal was different. After a while, Tian said, “Auntie, the food you make is like my mom’s.”

Tian’s mother once injured her hand and was not able to cook. Tian also had a sister who was attending high school. So I cooked extra food for two more people every day, and her mother came to pick up the food. Sometimes when her mother didn’t go home for lunch, she asked me to deliver food to Tian’s sister at the school. Rain or snow, I delivered as usual. When Tian’s mother was attending class in the morning to learn to cut hair, I still cooked for her. I put stir-fried dishes, cold dishes, and rice in different containers for her mother to pick up.

A few months later, Tian’s daughter turned eight months old and it was time to start eating regular food. I bought whatever she needed for the baby. The child had a strong character and did not want anyone to feed her, so she fed herself. She was still little, so spread food everywhere when she was eating. I didn’t mind and cleaned it up as needed.

I bought the groceries and noted down the expenses daily. At the end of each month, Tian reimbursed me along with my salary. I did not waste any money when handling the purchases; I treated it just like spending my own money. In the first month, Tian calculated how much money I spent. Later, she stopped calculating and reimbursed me whatever I reported. I couldn’t bear to throw away the leftovers and would manage to eat them the next day.

One morning when I got to Tian’s apartment, which was on the second floor, I saw the door open. I thought that Tian must have heard my footsteps and opened it. However, nobody was home! I was a little scared and called out to her. It turned out that Tian’s daughter had been sick the previous night, and they'd gone to Beijing. Because they'd left in such a hurry, they forgot to lock the door. When I called Tian, she asked, “Have I been burgled?” I told her that everything looked fine. She said, “Please check to see if my gold jewelry is still there.” She told me where it was, and I found everything. She asked me to take her jewelry to my house until she returned.

Gradually, we became like family. Tian told me her worries, and I shared my family stories with them.

Tian’s mother opened a barbershop. When I went to get a haircut, she didn’t want me to pay, and said, “You cook for us and deliver it to us. I won’t take your money.” But I insisted on paying as it was not easy for her to open a store by herself. Once when I was getting a haircut, a customer said that the nanny she'd hired was stealing things from her. Tian’s mother told her, “If you hire again, you should hire someone who practices Falun Dafa. They won’t take anything even if you give it to them.”

The next year, my mother-in-law got sick and had to come live with me, so I quit my job. When Tian’s husband paid me my final salary, he gave me extra, which he sent to my husband’s mobile phone. I refunded him 100 yuan. When he asked why, I said, “I don’t want more money from you. It’s not easy for you to earn a living.” He sent an emoji of two hands pressed together to express his gratitude.

Master asks us to think of others and treat others kindly. We would rather suffer losses than let others suffer. I also think that we cannot take money too seriously. How can I ask for money if a friend needs me to cook a few meals?

His family later hired another nanny. During the Chinese New Year holiday, Tian’s husband sent me a big box of dried fruit in a gift box.