My name is Xiaolian, and I am an ordinary village woman who lives in this small village with her husband Zhang Qiang and her mother-in-law. We don't have a lot of money, but we have a good life. However, the stable days were shattered one day by a decision by my mother-in-law.
That day, my mother-in-law suddenly asked me to go to the market to sell fish. The fish were caught by her husband from the river a few days ago and were originally intended to be kept for his own family. But the mother-in-law said that now the family is short of money, and she can exchange a few dollars for selling fish.
On the day of the market, I came to the market with a fish basket. Looking at the fish that were jumping around, I had mixed feelings. These fish are the life of the village, how can I bear to sell them?
At this moment, a kind old man came over, looked at the fish in my basket, sighed, and said, "Son, these fish are the elves of the river, and selling them may cause unnecessary trouble." ”
My heart moved, and I couldn't help asking, "Grandpa, what do you mean by this?"
The old man shook his head and didn't answer my question directly, but said, "You'd better release them." ”
I hesitated. However, the thought that if these fish were sold, they would become a delicacy on someone else's table made me feel very unbearable. So, I decided to follow my grandfather's advice and release all the fish.
When I got home and told my mother-in-law about the decision, she was furious.
"You ruined! Those fish can be sold for a lot of money!!, and you released them all?!" the mother-in-law scolded angrily, and picked up a stick to beat me.
I trembled with fear, but I still mustered up the courage to explain: "Mother-in-law, I met an old man who said that these fish are the elves of the river and that selling them will cause trouble. I think we'd better not get into trouble. ”
"What's the trouble? I think you're a trouble! I'm not going to kill you today!" said the mother-in-law's stick.
At this moment, suddenly a golden light flashed, and a majestic voice sounded in the air: "Stop!"
When we looked closely, it turned out to be a river god dressed in brocade and holding a golden scepter in front of us. He looked at his mother-in-law with a serious expression and said, "You old woman, how can you treat your daughter-in-law like this? ”
After speaking, the river god turned to me and said with a slight smile: "Little lady, I will definitely remember your good deeds today." If you are in trouble any other day, just call me three times by the river, and I will come to your aid. ”
After saying that, the river god turned into a golden light and disappeared into the sky.
My mother-in-law and I looked at each other speechlessly, and it took a long time to come back to our senses. Since then, my mother-in-law has never asked me to sell fish again, and I have buried this matter deep in my heart and it has become a little secret between me and the river god.
The days passed peacefully for a while. However, the good times did not last long, and the village suffered a drought that had not been seen in a century, and the crops were not harvested, and the villagers' lives were in trouble. Our family is also in trouble, and there is not much food left.
Looking at my mother-in-law and her husband, who were yellow and thin, I was anxious. It was then that I remembered the promise of the river god. So, I came to the river, closed my eyes, and reverently called the name of the river god three times.
After a while, ripples rippled on the surface of the river, and the river god walked out of the water with a golden scepter in his hand. He looked at me, smiled and said, "Little lady, what are you calling me for?"
I said eagerly, "Lord River God, the village has suffered a drought, and our family can no longer open the pot. Please save us!"
After hearing this, the river god frowned and said, "This drought is not trivial, and I can't directly change the will of heaven. But I can teach you a way that might help you get through this. ”
I was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "What method?"
The river god pointed to the surface of the river and said, "You see, the water in this river is not much, but it is enough to bring your crops back to life." All you need to do is water your fields with the water of this river before dawn, and the crops will come to life. ”
I thanked me and hurriedly went home to tell my mother-in-law and husband the good news. They were overjoyed to hear this, and we watered our crops with water from the river overnight.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for those crops that had been withered and yellow to miraculously regain their vitality and grow green leaves. The villagers were stunned to see this and asked how we did it. We just told everyone about the help of the river gods, and told them to be kind to the creatures in the river as well.
Since then, the crops in the village have been harvested year after year, and the lives of the villagers have gradually improved. And I have always been grateful for the help of the river god, and I often go to the river to worship him.
Time flies, and a few years have passed in the blink of an eye. One day, the river god suddenly appeared in front of me and said to me, "Little lady, I have seen your worship and gratitude over the years. Now, I'm going to tell you a secret: Actually, I deliberately did that year's drought to test you humans. It's gratifying to see that you are so kind and grateful. Now, I want to give you a choice: you can continue to live an ordinary life in this world, or you can choose to go to the divine realm with me and live a carefree life. ”
I was stunned, this was a difficult choice. I thought for a moment and said to the river god, "Thank you, Lord River God, for your kindness. But I believe that the meaning of life is to experience all kinds of ups and downs, joys and sorrows. If you go to the divine realm, although you can be carefree, you will also lose these precious experiences. So, I decided to stay in this world and spend every unforgettable moment with my family and villagers. ”
When the river god heard this, he laughed: "What a woman with affection and righteousness! But you have to remember that whenever and wherever you call me, I will come to you immediately and help you. ”
After saying this, the river god turned into a golden light and disappeared into the sky. I stood there and bowed deeply in thanks. Since then, I have cherished the time I spend with my family and the villagers, and I often go to the river to worship the river god to express my gratitude.
The days passed in an ordinary and warm way, until one day something unexpected happened......
My husband and I were working in the fields that day when we heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from far and near. We looked up and saw a group of officers and soldiers galloping towards us.
"Run! The rebels are coming!" my husband picked me up and ran home, but it was too late. The officers and men soon caught up with us and surrounded us.
"Who are you, and why are you here?" exclaimed one of the leading officers and soldiers.
"Sir, we are villagers here, just working in the fields. The husband replied cautiously.
"Villagers, hmph, I think you look like a rebel soldier! Someone will take it down for me!" the leading officer and soldier gave the order, and several soldiers rushed up and tied us up.
"Sir, we are really villagers! Please be careful!" I shouted, but the officers and soldiers did not listen to our explanation.
It was then that I suddenly remembered the promise of the river god. So I closed my eyes and reverently called out the name of the river god three times.
After a while, ripples rose on the surface of the river, and the river god came out of the water with a golden scepter in his hand. He looked at the officers and soldiers and said coldly, "Why do you tie up my people for no reason?"
When the leading officers and soldiers saw the appearance of the river god, their faces turned pale with fright, and they hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "The little one who has eyes and doesn't know Taishan has offended Lord River God!
The river god snorted coldly and said, "For the sake of your ignorance, I will spare you this time." But next time I dare to do anything wrong, I will not be spared! Why don't I loosen the bonds of my people!"
The officers and soldiers hurriedly untied us, apologized again and again, and then fled. My husband and I looked at the river god with tears of gratitude.
"Thank you, Lord River God, for saving your life!" my husband and I said in unison.
The river god smiled and waved his hand: "You don't have to be polite. Remember, whenever and wherever you call me, I will come to you immediately. ”
After saying that, these river gods once again turned into a golden light and disappeared into the sky, leaving my husband and I standing in place for a long time, unable to calm down...... This experience made me more deeply appreciate the power of kindness and gratitude, and also made me cherish the time I spent with my family and villagers. At the same time, I also understood a truth: no matter when and where, as long as we have good thoughts and know how to be grateful, we will be able to overcome all difficulties and usher in a better future!
Since that day, my husband Zhang Qiang and I, as well as everyone in the village, have been incomparably grateful to the river god. Not only have we erected a temple to the river god by the river, but we also hold regular worship events to show our reverence and gratitude.
However, the days of peace are always short-lived. Soon after, the shocking news spread in the village: the water source in the neighboring village had dried up, their crops had begun to wither, and the villagers had fallen into despair.
"Xiaolian, what do you think we should do?" my husband Zhang Qiang asked me worriedly.
"We can't sit idly by. I said firmly, "We want to help them." ”
So, Zhang Qiang and I discussed how to share our village's water source with the villagers in the neighboring villages. But it has also caused concern and opposition from some villagers.
"We don't have much water, so how can we distribute it to outsiders?" said one villager dissatisfied.
"However, they are also our compatriots, and we cannot die without help. I responded emotionally.
This controversy caused quite a stir, and even the mother-in-law knew about it. She came to me with worry in her eyes: "Xiaolian, do you really plan to share our water source?"
"Yes, mother-in-law. I said firmly, "We can't just watch the people in our neighboring villages suffer." ”
The mother-in-law was silent for a moment, then sighed: "You are a kind child, I support you." ”
With the support of my mother-in-law, I have strengthened my determination. So, we organized a team of volunteers to help the villagers in the neighboring village build a canal to divert water from our village to their fields.
Soon after, the crops in the neighboring village came back to life, and the faces of the villagers showed smiles that they had not seen for a long time. They came to our village with gratitude and expressed their heartfelt gratitude to us.
"Thank you! Without you, we would have starved to death!" said the head of the neighboring village excitedly.
"We are all compatriots and should help each other. I smiled in response.
However, at this moment, suddenly dark clouds and thunder rumbled in the sky. A flash of lightning pierced the sky, followed by a downpour.
"What's going on?" Zhang Qiang asked in surprise.
"I don't know. I shook my head, "But this rain is not coming at the right time." ”
The rain became heavier and heavier, and soon it turned into a torrential rain. The river began to overflow and our village was in danger of being submerged.
"Quick, everyone, run up the hill!" I shouted, organizing the villagers to evacuate quickly.
However, just then, the river god suddenly appeared in front of us. He looked at us with a serious expression: "This rain is rained by me, and the purpose is to test whether you humans know how to cherish and share. ”
"We get it. I respectfully said, "Thank you for the trials and teachings you have given us." ”
The river god nodded: "You have passed the test. Now, I will stop this torrential rain and grant you abundant water. ”
After saying that, the river god turned into a golden light and disappeared into the sky. After a while, the torrential rain stopped and the river returned to calm.
When we returned to the village, we found that the crops were more abundant and the river was clearer. We knew that this was a gift from the river god, so we came to the river to worship and give thanks.
Since then, our village has become richer and more beautiful, and we have developed a strong friendship with our neighbors, and the two villages help each other and grow together. And the river god has also become our common god of faith and patronage, and whenever we are in trouble, we will sincerely pray to him for help.
Time flies, a few years have passed, our village has become more prosperous and more populated. However, just then, a strange traveler arrived in our village.
He claimed to be an explorer from afar, and when he heard that we had a magical river god here, he came to visit us. We received him warmly and told him the legendary story of the river god.
The explorers listened with relish and expressed their desire to see the miraculous river god with their own eyes. So we took him to the riverside temple.
However, when we reverently call the name of the river god, we do not see his response. The explorer left with some disappointment, but we didn't give up.
"Maybe the river god is busy. I comforted everyone, "We'll try again next time." ”
However, several successive calls did not receive a response from the river god. The villagers began to feel uneasy and wonder, could it be that the river god had left us?
It was then that I was reminded of a quote that the explorer had left behind when he left: "True faith is not based on outward miracles, but on inner piety and gratitude." ”
It dawned on me that we had been relying too much on the miracles of the river god and neglecting the power of our hearts. So I decided to lead the villagers to regain their faith in the river god, not through external calling, but through inner insight and gratitude.
We began to organize regular ceremonies to give thanks to the river gods, and at the ceremonies, we shared our gratitude to the river gods and our own insights and growth in life. These activities make us cherish our current life more, and also make us know how to be grateful and giving.
Soon we were pleasantly surprised to find that the crops were growing more luxuriantly and the river was clearer. And what's even more amazing is that when we reverently call the name of the river god again, he actually responds to us again.
"You have finally come to understand the true way of faith. The river god smiled and said, "It is not through external calls to seek my help, but through my own efforts and perceptions to gain inner strength." ”
Since then, we have cherished this fate with the river god more and know how to create a better life through our own efforts and perceptions, and the river god has been silently guarding us, giving us endless protection and blessings. Whenever night falls and the stars shine brightly, I always come to the river, quietly gaze at the river, and feel the presence of the river god. I know that he is not only the patron saint of our village, but also the strength and faith in our hearts.