‘Magic water’: superstitious mother-in-law tricks unsuspecting Hong Kong woman into drinking ashes of burned Taoist talisman to ‘make a baby’
- Mother-in-law tells son to ‘do the business’ with daughter-in-law on return from work trip to complete the baby-making process
- ‘Victim’ of superstitious act finds out by over-hearing phone conversation, banishes mother-in-law for a year
The story of a Hong Kong woman who was tricked by her superstitious mother-in-law into drinking the ashes of burned Taoist script to help her “make a baby” has caused outrage online.
The woman, who goes by the name @Waiyiuyiu, complained about her mother-in-law on a local online forum on July 5.
She said her husband’s mother, with whom she had never got along, cooked soup for her when her husband was on a business trip in Macau.
After finishing the soup, the woman discovered a “strange residue” in the bowl. Unfamiliar with soup making so she didn’t think much of it and offered to wash the dishes.
While in the kitchen she overheard her mother-in-law on the phone explaining to someone that the residue was fu shui, or charmed water, made from mixing with the ashes of a burned Taoist talisman, that she had secretly put in the soup to make her produce a baby.
Taoist talismen are strips of paper containing written symbols which are said to muster benevolent spiritual energies to purify, heal the sick and drive away demons. When made soluble, they are also known to create “magic water”.
