Yuan · Family Member

Mother-in-law of Zhao 趙孝婦之姑

Attested AD 1271 - AD 1368

Passages: 4
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Mother-in-law of Zhao was a Family Member.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 1271 to AD 1368 元受命百餘年
Strongly inferred · History of Yuan 200, passage 88

Family

Kin of Zhao (趙孝婦)
mother-in-law 姑
Directly stated · History of Yuan 200, passage 88

References in the histories

History of Yuan, Chapter 200Volume 200 Biographies 87: Exemplary Women 1 · 4 passages

早寡，事姑孝。 She was widowed young and served her mother-in-law with filial devotion.

家貧，傭織於人，得美食必持歸奉姑，自啖粗糲不厭。 The family was poor. She hired out her weaving; whenever she obtained fine food she brought it home for her mother-in-law while she herself ate coarse fare without complaint.

嘗念姑老，一旦有不諱，無由得棺，乃以次子鬻富家，得錢百緡，買杉木治之。 She once thought that her mother-in-law was old and that if death came suddenly there would be no coffin. She sold her second son to a wealthy family for a hundred strings of cash and bought cedar to make one.

南鄰失火，時南風烈甚，火勢及孝婦家，孝婦亟扶姑出避，而棺重不可移，乃撫膺大哭曰：「吾為姑賣兒得棺，無能為我救之者，苦莫大焉！」 A neighbor to the south caught fire. The south wind was fierce and the flames reached the filial widow's home. She hurried to help her mother-in-law escape, but the coffin was too heavy to move. She beat her breast and cried, "I sold my son to buy this coffin for my mother-in-law—no one can save it now. No grief could be greater!"