47. BLOOD-STAINED MONEY
Zhao Yong was a peddler. He made his living catching and selling crabs, so he killed many living creatures, but at least he was a very good son. He didn't spend the money he made on himself. He used it to take care of his old mother.Everybody said he was a very filial son.
The son was good, but the mother was not so good. She never taught her son to do good deeds. She spent the money her son gave her eating and drinking.
It all caught up with her, and finally she fell sick in bed. She moaned in pain. When Zhao Yong got home, he was horrified by what he saw. His mother was acting like she was crazy. She had taken the hemp rope Zhao Yong used for catching crabs and was stuffing it into her mouth and swallowing it! Zhao ran over to stop her, but she waved him away. Then she pulled the whole rope out again,and as soon as she got it out, she started swallowing it again. She was moaning and retching all the while. The neighbors heard the noise and came to see what was wrong.
Soon the ropes was covered with blood and filth from her lungs and intestines. The whole room smelled awful, and it was such a disgusting sight that a lot of the neighbors threw up all over the floor.
Finally old Mrs. Zhao leaned back on her pillow. "My son has killed many crabs to earn money. This is a crime against nature, but at least he has been filial and used the money to support me. "But I didn't know to make good use of this money! I wasted this bloody money on food and drink, so I have a terrible debt to pay! I have to clean out my insides, or I will suffer for my wickedness?
Zhao Yong was sorry that he had earned his livelihood at the cost of so much suffering for those innocent crabs. Mother and son cried and cried, but before many days had passed, Zhao Yong's mother had died miserably.
47. 沾血的钱
赵勇是一个小贩。他靠捉螃蟹来卖为生,因此杀生很多,但是他是一个孝子。他把赚来的钱都用来孝敬他的老母亲,自己不花一个,人人都说他很孝顺。
儿子是好人,母亲却不是。她从不教儿子做好事。她把儿子给她的钱都用来吃喝。
她最后病倒了,躺在床上痛苦地呻吟。赵阳回家后,被眼前的一幕吓呆了。他妈妈好像疯了一样。她把赵用来抓螃蟹的麻绳塞在嘴里要吞下去。赵扑过去阻止他 母亲,但是她把他推开。然后她把麻绳拉出来,刚拉出来,又再把它吞下去。她一边呻吟一边作呕。邻居们听到响声都来看看是怎么回事。
很快,绳子上就沾满了血和肠肺里的污物。房间里充满了臭气,这一幕实在叫人恶心,很多邻居忍不住呕吐起来。
最后老赵太太斜靠在枕头上说,“我儿子为了赚钱杀了很多螃蟹。这是违背天理的罪孽。但是他很孝顺,用这些钱来养活我。可我没有好好地使用这些钱!我用 这些血腥的钱吃喝,所以欠下了一笔可怕的债!我必须要清洗自己的内脏,否则就要因为自己的邪恶而受苦。”
赵勇醒悟到他的生计,是以许多无辜螃蟹的痛苦为代价的,深感愧疚。母子俩痛哭不已。许多天后,赵阳的母亲就悲惨地死去了。