Mrs. Zhu lived in a city of the cities of China. She had two sons from the finest young men. It happened that the two brothers traveled to another city and lived there for a period of time until they married two sisters from among the daughters of the family. One was named Rose Flower and the other Crimson Flower. Then the two brothers returned after that to live with their mother, and with each of them his wife.
It was one of the Chinese customs that a son’s wife would comb her mother-in-law’s hair and walk under her command. Rose Flower and Crimson Flower were among the best wives in kindness of heart, manners, and behavior. They treated their mother-in-law with good treatment, all tenderness, compassion, love, and sincerity.
The whole family was happy in their lives. The mother loved her two sons, and they loved her. Rose Flower and Crimson Flower loved their mother-in-law, and she loved them. The love was mutual among everyone, and the spirit of loyalty fluttered over the whole family. But after six months, the two wives felt longing for their mothers, and they asked permission from their mothers-in-law to travel for a few days to live with their families in the distant country.
But the mother refused, for she was old in age, couldn’t do much work, and wanted them to stay with her to serve her and prepare food and drink. The two wives were sad at the refusal of their request, but they obeyed their mother-in-law and stayed with her. After the year passed, they couldn’t keep hidden their longing and love for their mothers, and they repeated the request again.
The mother agreed but put a strange condition. She said to them, “When you go to your mothers, you must bring me two things more precious to me than all the world. You must bring me fire on a leaf and water on a leaf. If you can’t do that, don’t return to me again.”
The two wives didn’t think about the difficulty of that condition. All they thought of was seeing the family and relatives, happiness and travel. The condition was nothing but a trick from Mrs. Zhu to make them think about traveling and make them stay with her. But this didn’t happen, for the two wives immediately prepared their luggage and travel.
The two sisters walked a long path until the sun of midday disappeared. They sat resting in the shade of a tree. Afterward they continued walking until they reached their village at night. There the family and friends welcomed them with a warm welcome. They stayed with them for about fifty days, visiting and picnicking until the days passed quickly and the time of return came.
In the morning, the two sisters prepared their luggage and prepared equipment for travel. While they were walking on the road, Rose Flower remembered the condition her mother-in-law had stipulated before their departure. She kept thinking but without avail, so she burst into crying. Her sister Crimson Flower was surprised at what she was in. When she asked her, she reminded her of the condition her mother-in-law had placed to prevent them from traveling.
Here Crimson Flower began crying beside her sister. The two sat under a tree resting while crying. A fairy girl passed by them, riding on their horse. When she saw them in this condition, she got down and offered them help. They told her what had happened, so she hosted them in her house, and they all sat thinking about a solution.
Suddenly the fairy girl stood up from her place and said to them, “I’ve known the solution. Wait for me a little.” She entered another room and returned with a paper lantern in which was a light. She said to them, “What do you think? This is the fire on a leaf.” The two wives rejoiced greatly. They felt they would find the solution to the second request. They all sat again thinking.
Suddenly the fairy girl jumped from her place and said to them, “I’ve known the solution. Wait for me.” She went away and returned, and in her hand was a paper fan. She said to them, “This is the solution. When you move this fan, it brings the air.” The two wives rejoiced greatly at the help of their new friend, thanked her for the hosting, and left while happy with the solution of the puzzle.
There in the house of their husbands, the mother-in-law was standing on the balcony. She was very surprised when they returned, for she thought they wouldn’t be able to solve the puzzle. When they arrived, she came out to welcome them and asked them about the request she had requested. Rose Flower brought out the paper lantern, in which was the light, and said to her, “Welcome, my mother. This is what you requested.”
She said, “This is the fire on a leaf. Where then is the water on a leaf?” Crimson Flower brought out the paper fan and began moving it. Her mother-in-law felt the breeze emanating from it and smiled. She said to them, “Who can solve this puzzle but a smart person who uses his mind in the right way and thinks about any problem that might face him.” Afterward she hosted them and welcomed them.
The three sat together drinking the tea Rose Flower had prepared, sitting in the place Crimson Flower had arranged, and beside them the paper lantern lighting the balcony, and the fan which the mother moved to soften from the heat of the weather she felt. They began chatting and laughing together in happiness and love.