Faithful wife with two husbands

A girl was born in a well-educated family. She grew up a kind beautiful girl then a student went to ask her to be his wife the student was good in learning and very kind that made her father very pleasant. The girl was also happy when she could marry with him.

The girl followed her husband to his house. Her husband lost his parent when he was child so all his assets he had were a small house, a small vegetable-yard and books. Although, their life was happy. Everyday the husband read books and the wife reeled; thought the life could continue forever.

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But the husband had leprosy after short time. The wife had tried her best to help him she also sold her jewelry which was given by her family and including the vegetable-yard but his illness seemed not to relieve. The more day he passed the more serious illness he got. All doctors could do nothing. His body was swollen then sores appeared that had disgusting smell. Nobody wanted to come near him but his wife who still took care of him with no complaint. The husband got more sorry feeling with her. He allowed her to marry with another but the wife didn’t.

“Your illness was unfortunate thing. A couple have to pass unfortunate thing together so I will stay there with you until you pass the illness.”, said the wife.

But his illness got more and more serious each passing-day. The husband always insisted her to come back her family to avoid the unfortunate but she kept her point staying with him. One day, the husband went away. He left a letter with content that he would go away, never come back and she, the wife can get free with another husband.

The wife sprinted to find him but she couldn’t. Nobody couldn’t count how many tears she had dropped down. Her mother advised her to get married with another but one more time she refused to keep her point she planned to lived alone until dead.

Three years passed, the wife had not heard any news about her husband. People thought that he had killed himself. The wife, at last, gave the house to people who related to her husband and came back her parent’s house. She set an altar to worship as if her husband had died. Her mother, in other side always said her that: “That is enough things you have done. You should not waste your youth.”

Besides, many boys came to ask her to be their wife. One of them was a student named Nguyen Tin had come many times and she also had feeling. Her mother’s advices at last had result she agreed to marry with Nguyen Tin. Three years passed, she had born two sons. Nguyen Tien passed contests and was appointed to be provincial mandarin in charge of criminal cases in Son Tay province.

That year, Son Tay and provinces around had very poor harvests that made rice’s price increased madly. Dead people and under-fed people lied full of roads. Nguyen Tin was ordered to feed them. He set a place where people could go and get food.

The previous husband of the girl now was a beggar. He had gone to other places for 6 years but his illness seemed not to have any decrease. One day, he heard soldiers were giving food to people so he came to have some food. His turn soldiers nearly took food to give he suddenly spoke.

“I am a poor student who don’t have any basket to put in, any pot to cook so I don’t want rice but a little money.”

Nguyen Tin stayed near heard his words. He called him to come and ask some questions. Course the person had tattered shape but could answer easily. So Nguyen Tin who very loved talents gave him money. When he came home he said his wife the story. His wife after hearing realized the person described was like her previous husband. The next morning, she went out and found the way to observe. Course that was her previous husband. She felt sorry for her previous husband but had to keep herself from crying because she was into a dilemma. She spent long time thinking. At last she advised her recent husband to bring the poor student to their guest house. The recent husband, Nguyen Tin, agreed immediately that not only he could help the poor student but he also had a great friend. The girl was very pleasant and she also asked maids to take care of him but she had never let the previous husband see her face.

One day, when the previous husband went to restroom he was thirsty so he drank water in a jar of water which stood outdoor and the next day he realized he had drunk water in the jar which had a white dead snake in. Fortunately, his illness naturally decreased and he was cured after short time. Then he studied again. With the recent husband’s help he participated in contests.

The wife was both happy and painful she couldn’t stand in secret more. When she heard the previous husband passed contests and became a mandarin. She wrote a letter which expressed all things she had had to keep in secret for a long time which had made her painful until that time. She apologized the recent husband and prayed the recent husband could let a son to be adopted of her previous husband. She left the letter then went away forever.

A sad story. Do you think so?

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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