18. One young excellent person was trying to find a high position in a big company. It was the manager who would make the final decision.
The manager discovered that the young man did an excellent job in his college, which aroused the manager's interest.
The manager asked, "Who paid for your college?"
The young man answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, so it was just my mother."
"What did your mother do?" The manager seemed surprised.
"She is a clothes cleaner," the young man answered, with no feeling.
"Have you ever helped your mother wash some clothes before?"
"Never. My mother always wanted me to study and read more books. She could wash clothes faster than me," the young man seemed puzzled (迷惑) when answering.
"Well, now I need you to do something. When you go back home today, clean your mother's hands and see me tomorrow."
The youth was happy when hearing this because he felt that his chance of getting the job was great. When he went home, he happily asked his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange but happy. With mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.
The young man cleaned his mother's hands, with tears falling. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled (皱的), and there were so many wounds. This pair of hands enabled him to go through college. This pair of hands was the price that his mother had to pay for his life and his future.
The next morning, the manager asked the young man, "Now tell me what you learned yesterday."
After hearing what he said, the manager knew the young man had learned his lesson. "This is the man whom I am looking for. You are hired (雇佣)."