Chapter 6 — When the Spider Plant Turned Black

It was only a fraction of a second, but I had seen it. My mother had seen it, too. The mother-in-law's wailing stopped abruptly, and immediately afterward, she began slapping her own thighs in frantic despair.

I have suffered so much, at my advanced age I still have to wait hand and foot on my daughter-in-law, only to be insulted right on my own doorstep by her mother.

Ren Chen stepped forward to support her.

Mother, please do not agitate yourself.

I looked at his hands. The very first person he reached out to steady was his own mother, rather than asking if I was injured. My mother said coldly, Let the act alone; I have already taken the belongings. The mother-in-law jerked her head up. Ren Chen also stared intently at my mother's bag. The air felt suffocatingly tight.

Ren Chen blocked the doorway.

Mother, leave those things right here.

My mother's expression remained completely unchanged.

What things?

He suppressed his rising anger.

Things belonging to my household.

My mother burst into laughter.

Things belonging to your household, yet they were used directly upon my daughter's body?

Ren Chen's lips moved, unable to form a reply. The mother-in-law suddenly lunged forward, attempting to snatch the handbag from my mother's grasp. I stepped squarely in front of them. Her claw-like hands seized my arm, her fingernails digging viciously into my flesh.

You disruptive, heaven-defying wretch!

The pain caused me to gasp sharply. With a single, forceful shove, my mother pushed her violently backward.

Just try touching my daughter one more time!

The mother-in-law reeled backward, landing heavily beside the sofa, and broke out into an even louder, more piercing shriek.

Physical assault! The in-laws are committing physical assault!

Ren Chen's expression turned utterly atrocious.

Rain, the two of you are going too far.

I rolled up my sleeve, thrusting the angry red welt on my arm directly before his eyes.

Precisely which one of us is going too far?

He glanced at it briefly, then averted his gaze.

My mother is advanced in years; her emotional state is currently fragile.

A sudden wave of bitter amusement washed over me.

So whatever she does comes with a built-in excuse?

Ren Chen spoke in a lowered voice. We simply wanted a child.

The living room descended into a heavy silence. My mother's voice was as cold as frost.

Want a child? Through these utterly vile and underhanded methods?

The mother-in-law silenced her weeping. Ren Chen rubbed his temples in frustration.

The doctor mentioned her constitution was cold. My mother happened to know an elderly practitioner of traditional medicine who prescribed a restorative decoction.

I demanded, Which doctor? Which traditional practitioner? Where is the prescription?

He fell silent. I pressed further. Why was I never told? Why was I never shown this?

The mother-in-law shrieked, As if you would have agreed to drink it if we had told you! You care for nothing but your job, you ignore your household duties, and you refuse to bear children. Exactly what purpose does my son have in keeping you as a wife?

That long-harbored sentiment finally spilled from her lips. My mother was trembling with pure fury.

Our family married off a human being, not a hired breeding vessel.

Ren Chen retorted, Mother, do not use such unpleasant phrasing.

I looked straight at him.

Then why don't you offer up some phrasing that sounds pleasant to the ear.

His gaze was laden with exhaustion.

Rain, we have been married for half a year, and every time the topic arose, you claimed there was no rush. But my mother is aging; what is wrong with her wanting to cradle a grandchild in her arms?

So the two of you conspired to drug me behind my back?

It was no medicine, merely a nourishing supplement.

I pointed toward the spider plant sitting upon the balcony.

What kind of nourishing supplement is capable of withstanding being poured over flowers only to wither them into that state?

A flicker of panic crossed the mother-in-law's features. Ren Chen followed my gesture with his eyes. The potted plant drooped in mournful silence. A single vine clung tightly to the soil, its tip stubbornly wrapping itself around the metal base of the plant stand.

My mother hoisted her bag.

Rain, gather your belongings and come with me.

Ren Chen immediately moved to bar my path.

If you step foot out of this door today, there will be no turning back from the scandal.

I raised my eyes to meet his.

The scandal has already begun.

The mother-in-law ground her teeth.

If you dare walk out this door, do not ever bother showing your face here again.

I turned back toward the bedroom to retrieve my identification papers and a few changes of clothing. As I emerged, the mother-in-law was standing by the balcony, gripping a pair of shears in her hand. She stared at the potted plant, her expression twisted with a malice that sent a chill down my spine. The mother-in-law moved to slash the spider plant to pieces. My mother reacted with lightning speed, lunging forward within strides to wrench the shears from her grasp. The mother-in-law clung tenaciously, refusing to let go, blue veins bulging across the back of her hands.

Why bother preserving this worthless piece of trash!

I swept my arms around the pot to shield the plant.