8 Death and Life (1/2)
When Xu Jing walked down the steps and entered the living room, he saw his mother sitting at the sofa reading a stock of business document.
Probably hearing his steps on the stairs, Mrs. Xu asked without turning her head around, ”So, have you talk to that stubborn wife of yours?”
'From the fire into the boiling skillet,' thought Xu Jing but on the surface, he replied with a smile, ”Of course, mother.”
”As I have told you many times, you are way too lenient on her,” Mrs. Xu commented.
”Of course, mother.”
”And that is why she conducts herself in such a manner that she thinks she is the master of his household while that person should be you,” Mrs. Xu added.
”Of course, mother.”
”If you continue to be so happy-go-lucky, and do not treat this as seriously as you should, you will just end up having her walk over you.”
”Of course, mother.”
”A man of the family should not be treated like that, wouldn't you agree?”
”Of course, mother.”
”Xu Jing, are you even listening to me?”
”Of course, mother.”
”You are going to answer to everything I say with an 'of course, mother', aren't you?”
”Of course, mother,” Realizing that he had been caught, Xu Jing quickly tried to salvage it by saying, ”I mean, I really did talk to Joann about this, mother. She promises she will be more cautious and considerate of mother's condition in the future.”
Xu Jing expected more argument out of his mother but Mrs. Xu did not say anything. After about half a minute of silence, Mrs. Xu placed the document down on the table and turned to look at Xu Jing.
She then sighed and patted the empty space on the sofa beside her, signaling for him to sit down.
Xu Jing obeyed her order and as he got closer, he realized how tired his mother looked. The events in the past month must have taken a greater toll out of her than he expected.