(Minghui.org) An elderly couple who had been my neighbors 40 years ago, recently visited our city for a vacation. I was only 12 when I first got to know them. Both the husband and wife had been university professors, and my father was their supervisor. Our families were close, and my parents helped arrange their marriage. The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Dafa and its practitioners later forced me to move to another province for safety, and we had not seen each other for more than 20 years.
I went to pick them up at their hotel. As soon as we met, the wife exclaimed, “You haven’t changed at all in these past 20 years! You look almost the same as when you first started working!” I laughed and said, “I’ve also retired!”
My mother was waiting downstairs to greet our guests. After seeing her, the elderly couple was surprised to learn that her rosy complexion and jet-black hair were completely natural. The wife exclaimed, “She’s 80 years old now, but her hair remains so beautiful!” My mother told them, “I look unchanged because I practice Falun Gong.” She then welcomed them into our home with tears of happiness.
We served fresh tea, various snacks, and slices of red dates and peanut toast paired with homemade kiwi jam. I also served our guests some homemade flaky custard egg tarts. The wife was impressed, “Out of all these tea snacks, your fragrant and refined egg tarts taste the best.” I told them I often made these for our neighbors as well.
While my mother and I entertained our guests, my husband prepared a delicious home-cooked dinner for everyone. After dinner, we escorted them to a nearby park to admire the cherry blossoms. Although the walking path was steep, my husband and I continued walking with ease. The elderly couple was aware of my previous severe bone injury, when doctors predicted I would eventually be wheelchair-bound, yet from my movements it was obvious I had fully recovered. The wife said, “Amazing! You’re as light and agile as a young girl! Are you still obsessed with Falun Gong?” When I gave her a slightly shocked smile, she embarrassingly corrected herself, “I mean, do you still practice it?” I laughed, and replied, “Yes. I do the exercises when I have time. I had a full schedule today, so I got up at four in the morning to do them.” I proceeded to explain how the first exercise could achieve the effect of opening all the body’s energy channels, while the third exercise could achieve the effect of mixing and merging the universe’s energy with the energy inside the body.
Twenty-five years ago, I had been tortured to the point of physical disability by the CCP, before being released on bail. I was then fired from my job, had no source of income, and continued to face the threat of imprisonment. My friends and family feared for my safety. These two elderly professors had visited me then, expressing their sadness and urging me to give up Falun Gong practice. “Just go along with the authorities since we are powerless. Why suffer like this?” My husband had firmly replied, “As teachers, we must set an example and be upright ourselves.” The couple was silenced by my husband’s words. Fear of the CCP’s persecution forced many good people into silence and inaction, yet the kind couple was still willing to visit us in face of this pressure.
In the subsequent 20 years, this elderly couple had seen their health decline as they aged, and subsequently retired. Our youthful appearances and active lifestyle caught them by surprise.
We made the beds for our guests that evening and advised them to spend the morning sleeping in to recover from their long journey. In any case, our family intended to spend the morning doing the exercises first. The next morning, the elderly couple made their way to the living room even earlier than us, saying they were curious and wanted to see how we did the exercises. In the end, we all settled down to watch video recordings of Master Li giving a lecture and teaching the exercises.
Our new gas stove was delivered that day. Although the company offered to install the stove for free, we could not find a good time for the service personnel to do the installation. We would be out most of the day with our guests and did not want the installation to delay lunch. My husband therefore disassembled the old stove and installed the new one himself. When I noticed he had not changed out of his pristine white long-sleeved shirt, I quickly reminded him, “Don’t get your clothes dirty.” He replied, “Of course.” We both laughed and then went about our own business. The female professor confided in me, “If we had been in your shoes, my husband and I would have ended up bickering.” I replied, “I was about to continue, but then realized I was just worried about the hassle of washing our clothes. Since I was only looking out for myself, I kept quiet.” The female professor was lost in thought after hearing my words.
The male professor’s glasses broke while we were out sightseeing. We discussed visiting an optician’s store to get them repaired, but my husband eventually fixed them in minutes with some small tools. When the cable on the female professor’s speaker broke, my husband quickly fixed it too. The couple was full of admiration, “He’s so capable! He works so hard, does he ever complain?” I thought for a moment, then replied, “Never! He’s always cheerful and helpful toward everyone.”
After lunch, my husband chatted with them and explained some general principles about how to maintain a healthy mindset, how to change one’s perspective and avoid getting angry, how to take gains and losses lightly, how worries arise due to personal desires and greed, and how a good mindset can help overcome insomnia. The couple listened intently, their eyes filled with admiration. The female professor came into the kitchen while I was washing the dishes and said, “Your husband’s explanation was excellent! These are the exact problems we struggle with. Where did he learn all these things?” I replied, “This is the wisdom cultivated through Falun Dafa. The reasons why issues happen and the methods for resolving them are all explained in the book Zhuan Falun. After reading the book and understanding these principles, practitioners are advised to look inward and improve themselves.”
My mother urged us all to hurry so we could visit the park. We were in the elevator when my mother realized she had forgotten to bring her phone. When my husband commented, “You didn’t have time to pack?” my mother jokingly replied, “With my load lightened, I can travel light.” I commiserated with her, “You were helping me receive my delivery and didn’t have time to pack you own things.” The female professor confessed, “If this had occurred to us, my husband and I would have ended up blaming each other. Yet you all just laughed it off and didn’t blame each other. That’s something for us to learn from.” Her husband agreed, “Yes, no anger or no temper tantrums. We’re seeing the principles we learned earlier in practice.”
The park in springtime was a picturesque landscape of clear water and verdant hills. The female professor, an avid singer of Peking opera, performed a piece accompanied by my flute. The elderly couple then sang a Peking opera duet for us. It was clear they had put a lot of effort into practicing the piece, and we applauded. The male professor enthusiastically told us, “We will sing another piece from a revolutionary opera!” I immediately replied, No.” The couple was taken aback. I explained, “I have nothing against traditional opera, but in this case the lyrics incorporate the CCP’s narrative of fighting against heaven and earth, singing the Party’s praises, and encouraging conflict between socioeconomic classes. These songs promote communist ideology and affirm your identity as part of its group. Such combative lyrics can also be detrimental to one’s physical and mental health. In contrast, ancient opera lyrics incorporate benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and filial piety, which can generate positive energy.” The elderly couple agreed and said that made sense.
I told them that Shen Yun Performing Arts, which had eight troupes touring the world, was the best in showcasing Chinese cultural performances from the times predating the CCP. I advised them to watch a Shen Yun performance if they ever got the chance. At home that evening, I showed the couple a Shen Yun advertisement. Impressed by the exquisite and beautiful visuals, the couple repeatedly asked who the performers were. I replied, “They are Falun Gong practitioners or children of Falun Gong practitioners.
During dinner that night, my mother told them that the Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident reported on China Central Television’s Focus Interview in 2001 was fake. After she pointed out the many suspicious details from the video footage, the male professor exclaimed, “Why is the government slandering such a good practice?” My mother replied, “Government agents even installed two surveillance cameras in front of our house. The CCP portrays itself as righteous but has been committing evil deeds and persecuting kind people behind everyone’s back.”
The next few days of the elderly couple’s visit passed quickly. We made dumplings together the night before they left. While eating, the male professor solemnly remarked, “I’m overjoyed to see everyone living so well, far beyond my expectations! We wish to learn from you all.” We discussed the best ways to keep in touch so the couple could start learning Falun Gong.
(Selected submission in celebration of 2026 World Falun Dafa Day on Minghui.org)
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