In the Ming Dynasty, a woman named Mu Ding lived in Luji Village, Huize County.
She was diligent but lived in poverty due to heavy taxes.
Mu Ding was clever and meticulous in her work.
She could sweep the floor very cleanly.
Mu Ding liked to pick wild grass and weave things for children to play with.
One day, she wove a small embroidered ball with wild grass and found soft grass cores inside.
She thought of using the grass cores for pillow stuffing and found they could also be used as wicks for lamps.
The grass cores were easy to ignite, lightweight, oil-saving, and produced bright light.
Mu Ding named this grass “lamp grass” and the cores “lamp wicks”.
After discussing with her husband, they specifically transplanted this wild grass.
The grass grew fat and the lamp wicks were long, white, and sturdy.
The remaining grass husks could also be used to weave various handicrafts.
The lamp grass mats woven by Mu Ding were soft and durable.
The handicrafts sold well in the market.
Planting one mu of lamp grass was more profitable than planting ten mu of grain.
People in the same village wanted to learn but Mu Ding and her husband wouldn’t teach.
When Mu Ding’s whole family fell ill, the villagers sent food and medicine.
Moved by this, Mu Ding and her husband taught the craft to all the women in the village.
Later, the lamp wicks and mats from Luji Village sold well everywhere.
通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!