Mother and daughter, Chen Lin Shui-jin and Chen Qia, are hardworking, resilient, and share a generous spirit.

陳林水錦和女兒陳洽，是一對勤奮工作、刻苦耐勞且樂善好施的母女。

Chen Lin Shui-jin’s century-long life has been marked by tireless hard work. Born into a farming family in the mountains of Zhushan Township, Nantou County, central Taiwan, she grew up in an era when Taiwan was a relatively impoverished society. In those days, having enough to eat was a blessing, and an education was a luxury beyond reach.

陳林水錦一世紀的人生，就是不停地做事。她出生在南投竹山的農家，那個時代能填飽肚子就很幸運了，遑論上學識字。

After marrying, her husband started a wood processing factory, and Shui-jin began working there as well. Even after their children grew up and she no longer needed to help support the family, she couldn’t sit idle. She began collecting discarded cardboard and scrap metal to sell, earning a small income for herself. Her daughter Chen Qia, who ran a general store in Zhushan, readily gave her the shop’s used boxes.

結婚後，先生開設木頭加工廠，陳林水錦自此身兼菜農和工廠女工。直到卸下養家重擔後，她還是閒不住，有空就四處撿拾廢棄紙箱或破銅爛鐵轉賣，賺自己的零用錢；女兒陳洽在竹山經營百貨店，紙箱理所當然由她收走。

In the early 2000s, Qia suggested, “Those cardboard boxes don’t bring much money. Why not donate them to Tzu Chi?” Moved by the suggestion, Shui-jin agreed without hesitation, turning her recycling efforts into a meaningful contribution. She even made up the difference herself when the proceeds fell short of a thousand Taiwanese dollars (US$33).

二十餘年前，陳洽問她：「那些紙箱頂多賣台幣幾百元而已，拿來捐給慈濟好嗎？」她不僅欣然同意，如果變賣所得不足千元，還自行湊足捐出。

Chen Qia inherited not only her mother’s diligence and resilience but also her generosity. Shui-jin consistently donates money to help whenever she hears of someone in need. When impoverished people pass away, she covers the cost of their coffins. 

陳洽不只承襲母親的勤勉堅毅，還包括了樂善好施。母親陳林水錦只要聽聞有人需要幫助，就將自己辛苦存下來的私房錢慷慨捐出；窮苦人往生，她將省下的老農年金布施棺柩。

Qia said, “Children are often encouraged to perform good deeds to accumulate spiritual merits for their parents, but I believe my mother has already earned countless blessings through her own actions.”

陳洽說：「人們常鼓勵孩子行善，為父母累積福報，但我相信，我的母親早已憑藉自身的善行累積了無數的福德。」

This article is excerpted from the English Tzu Chi Monthly. For the full text, please refer to：
https://tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw/?p=67355