TALES OF THE 24 EXEMPLARS: MIN ZIQIAN

SHOWING COMPASSION FOR HIS WICKED STEPMOTHER: MIN SUN (1122 B.C.)
Min Sun or Min Ziqian was a disciple of Confucius. He was also an exemplar of filial piety.
Min Sun's mother died early, and his father remarried. His stepmother was a wicked person who , mistreated Min Sun. He was often cold and hungry, and suffered from loneliness as part of the harsh treatment from his stepmother. She gave all her love and attention to her own two sons.
When the weather turned cold, his stepmother made her two sons coats padded with warm cotton linings. To Min Sun, she gave a coat stuffed only with dry rushes. From the outside the coats she made for her stepson and her natural sons looked alike, but the one stuffed with reeds was not warm at all. As he was wearing only such a thin coat, Min Sun was always cold an shivering.
One cold winter day, Min Sun's father wanted to go to town, and told is son to fetch the horse and cart from the stable. The evening air was frigid, the wind blew hard. The young boy was so cold that his entire body trembled and was almost stiff.  His numb fingers dropped the cart reins, and his father scolded him for his clumsiness.
In his anger the man grabbed Ziqians coat-sleeve and ripped it from the jacket, revealing the dried grass lining. He was shocked at the sight of the flimsy jacket that could not protect his son from the cold. He then realised the cruel treatment that his son was subjected to and wanted to divorce his wife.  He angrily ordered her to leave the house and never return. Then, Min Sun knelt beside his stepmother and begged his father to give her another chance. He pleaded with his father by saying: "If you let my stepmother stay,  it is I alone who will feel the cold; if you divorce her, we three altogether will get cold."  Mr Min was moved by hi son's plea and agreed to it.  At this, his stepmother cried in deep shame. She was so deeply touched that her attitude totally changed. She turned over a new leaf, and ever after treated her stepson as lovingly as she did her own sons. 

Reference: http://nirvana-sg.com/24-filial-exemplars/min-ziqian