Emily never imagined that she would overhear certain sounds coming from her mother-in-law’s room. She initially thought her father-in-law had returned home. To her shock, it turned out her mother-in-law was having an affair! Margaret seemed confident that Emily wouldn’t dare reveal this secret and continued to act shamelessly towards her! However, a few days later, Margaret was suddenly diagnosed with HIV! And Margaret’s affair partner had also died… In the peak of summer, the cicadas were chirping loudly outside. Emily tossed and turned, but was jolted awake by a stinging pain in her fingertip. Fully awake now, she felt thoroughly annoyed. Today had been truly unlucky. While grocery shopping in the afternoon, some brat had put a needle on the seat of a rental bike, pricking her when she sat down. Then when she got home, her mother-in-law Margaret criticized her for not even being able to make a proper salad. In her flustered state, she had accidentally cut her finger while cooking. The cicadas outside grew even louder. Emily gave up on sleep and decided to use the bathroom. As soon as she stepped out, she heard intense female moaning coming from Margaret’s bedroom. She could even faintly make out the sound of flesh slapping against flesh. Emily was startled. Looking closely, she saw an old pair of men’s leather shoes in the entryway. The shoes were a bit worn, with traces of dirt still on them. It must be her father-in-law George who had returned. George often traveled for work. Despite being alone at home, Margaret never neglected her appearance. She even had a more extensive makeup collection than Emily. It was understandable that George couldn’t resist upon returning. Emily didn’t dare linger. She quickly ducked into the bathroom. When she came out, Margaret’s voice hadn’t quieted down. In fact, it had grown even more uninhibited. Emily was too embarrassed to stay outside and rushed back to her room without even getting a drink of water. Looking at the pitch-black room and hearing the moans that even the closed door couldn’t block out, Emily suddenly felt very empty inside. She also couldn’t help but wonder. David and George both worked at the same research institute. Usually they traveled and returned together. Why had only George come back this time? The empty double bed held only her body heat. Outside, the cicadas gradually quieted down, and Emily drifted back to sleep. The next morning, Emily woke up extra early. George sometimes had to leave quickly for work when he returned home. Worried he might have to rush off again, Emily got up early to make breakfast. Although she and Margaret didn’t get along well, George had always been kind. Emily’s relationship with Margaret was maintained largely thanks to George and David’s mediation. Emily felt very grateful towards George. After I set out the steamed buns and porridge on the table and turned to get Margaret’s soy milk, I heard Margaret shouting again outside. “Other people’s daughters-in-law are frugal homemakers. But you just have to put on a grand feast for breakfast, as if you’re serving the emperor! I bet you’re just some country bumpkin who’s never seen the world, trying to freeload off our family!” The anger immediately rose in Emily’s chest. Emily had been abandoned at an orphanage as a newborn and adopted by a kind rural couple at age ten. After graduating college, she moved to the city for work and later married David. After marriage, David and George often traveled for work. Margaret used the excuse of poor health to force Emily to quit her job and become a full-time housewife. Emily had acquiesced to her wishes, but Margaret’s nitpicking never stopped. Whenever David was away for work, Margaret would find fault with everything Emily did at home, always accusing her of being a freeloader. Emily walked out of the kitchen, slamming down the soy milk forcefully. She was about to argue back when she caught sight of her wedding ring. The fire in her heart slowly died down. Although Margaret had always looked down on her, Emily had seen David’s care and love for her over the years. Moreover, before he left last time, he had told her to wait just one more month. Once he finished his current work, he would take her to move out and live as a couple. Emily took a deep breath and patiently explained: “I didn’t mean to make so much. I just heard Father-in-law come home last night, so this extra portion of breakfast…” Before Emily could finish speaking, Margaret suddenly stood up, grabbed the soy milk that had been placed on the table, and threw it in Emily’s face. “You little hussy, are you trying to act up?! You haven’t even given our family an heir yet and you’re already trying to manipulate me? Let me tell you, you’d better behave yourself, or I’ll make David kick you out of this house sooner or later!” Over the years, Margaret had inexplicably given Emily a hard time, but she had rarely been this directly physical. Emily was stunned for a moment. Meanwhile, Margaret sat down as if she had won a victory and began picking at her breakfast. Emily gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger. Fine, in just one more month David would take her to move out. There was no benefit to falling out with Margaret at this point. Emily suppressed her anger and went back to her room to change clothes. Behind her, Margaret let out a cold snort, as if certain Emily wouldn’t dare do anything to her.
By the time Emily changed and came out, Margaret had already left. The breakfast table looked as if it had been hit by a bomb. Emily repeatedly consoled herself that they would be moving out in just a month. After cleaning up the table, she went to tidy up David’s clothes. The weather had turned cold recently. David had only taken seasonal clothes when he left last time. Emily was worried he might catch a cold. After a busy morning, Emily had just made lunch when Margaret called. “Have you made lunch? Hurry up and bring the food to the mahjong parlor.” Before Emily could say anything, Margaret had already hung up. For years, Margaret had treated Emily like the family’s maid. But for David’s sake, Emily still packed up food for Margaret. She had barely eaten two bites herself before rushing off to the mahjong parlor. “I told you to bring some food and you’re so slow! What else can you do right?” Margaret snapped as she took the lunchbox from Emily, giving her a dirty look. Mrs. Johnson sitting next to her couldn’t bear to watch and spoke up for Emily. “Margaret, your daughter-in-law is already very good. She even brings you food every day. My daughter-in-law is lucky if I see her once a year on holidays.” Margaret wolfed down her food while glaring sideways at Emily with a cold smile. “She’s just some country girl from the sticks. She’s living off my son’s money. Bringing me food is the least she can do to show some filial piety!” By this point, Emily was no longer listening to what Margaret was saying about her. Because she had spotted a familiar pair of muddy old men’s leather shoes. The shoes that had appeared in her home’s entryway last night were now on the feet of Mr. Johnson, who was playing mahjong with Margaret! The person in Margaret’s bedroom last night wasn’t George at all, but Mr. Johnson who always played mahjong with Margaret! Margaret was brazenly having an affair at home! “What are you staring at? Didn’t you hear what I said?” Margaret slammed down her lunchbox. Her tone was fierce, but her eyes didn’t dare meet Emily’s. Margaret shoved the lunchbox at Emily. “Forget it! I’m sick of looking at your face! Hurry up and get out of here!” Emily took the lunchbox and stumbled home in a daze. She never imagined that Margaret, who was so traditional and conservative, would actually have an affair! This was David’s mother after all. It wasn’t Emily’s place to deal with this. But David’s greatest wish was for family harmony. If she really told him about this, who knows what kind of storm it would stir up in the family. Lost in thought, the sky had already darkened outside. Suddenly her phone rang – it was a video call from David. Emily answered the call and saw David’s handsome but clearly exhausted face on the screen. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. “Honey, I got the clothes you sent me this morning. I hadn’t even noticed the weather changing. You’re always so thoughtful.” Emily forced a smile, but David sensed something was off. “Honey, did something happen at home? Or did Mom say something to you again? You look so troubled.” As soon as David said this, Emily felt even more guilty. But she still gritted her teeth and denied it: “No, everything’s fine. Just focus on your work.” Before Emily could figure out how to broach the subject, she heard the sound of the front door – Margaret was back. Afraid Margaret would say something unpleasant as soon as she came in and distract David, Emily quickly hung up the call. Margaret seemed to be in a good mood, humming a tune as she came in. Emily thought it over and decided to speak up with a warning. “Mother, Father will be retiring and coming home in a few months. David will be transferring back then too. Our family should live peacefully together.” Emily had meant to remind Margaret not to mess around with Mr. Johnson anymore. But upon hearing this, Margaret glared at Emily with her hands on her hips and started cursing. “Live peacefully? You dare talk to me about living peacefully? Our family took in a hen that can’t even lay eggs like you. How could we possibly live peacefully?” “I just saw you acting all sneaky. Don’t tell me you can’t stand the loneliness and you’re flirting with some man online?” Margaret herself was impure, yet she had the nerve to sling mud at Emily? “David has been living at work for years. If I really got pregnant now, it would most likely be from fooling around with another man!” When Margaret heard the words “fooling around,” her expression changed. She glared fiercely at Emily before turning and storming back to her own room, slamming the door shut.
Whether it was because my words had struck a nerve, or because she knew I had discovered her affair with Mr. Johnson and felt guilty, I ended up having a peaceful month. Margaret would leave the house after breakfast every day. She no longer called me to deliver lunch, and when she came home she would lock herself in her room. We barely even crossed paths. On my birthday, David called in the morning to apologize that he couldn’t make it back due to work. In the afternoon, I received flowers he had sent. The card on the flowers was a poem we loved in college. Reading it brought back all the sweet memories from those days. “You vixen, David’s not home. Don’t tell me these flowers are from some lover of yours!” Margaret started causing trouble again. But I wasn’t worried at all. “Mom, David had these delivered to me.” Margaret scoffed coldly: “Hmph, I knew you weren’t one to be frugal. Making my son waste money buying you flowers!” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. I was about to take the flowers back to my room when she called out again: “You ungrateful girl, you don’t even care that your mother-in-law is sick because of you! Hurry up and take me to the hospital!” I immediately became concerned. She had seemed fine earlier – how could she suddenly be ill and need to go to the hospital? “Mom, are you alright? Where are you feeling unwell? I’ll go get the car keys right away!” “What car? Gas is so expensive. The hospital’s not far anyway. Just push me in the wheelchair!” Margaret insisted, so I had no choice but to take her in the wheelchair. On the way, Margaret said she had diarrhea and intermittent fever. The symptoms sounded like the flu to me, but I didn’t dare take it lightly. After all, older people have weaker immune systems. If it developed into something more serious, David would be worried. At the hospital, after hearing the symptoms, the doctor had an odd expression. He told me to take Margaret for a blood test first. A few hours later, when I saw the test results, I was shocked. It was HIV.
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