At my daughter's birthday party, someone brought up that she'd just placed first in her grade, and everyone started praising how smart she was.
My mother-in-law let out a cold snort.
"What's the point of a girl studying so hard? She's just going to get married off in the end."
"And this daughter-in-law of mine has no sense. Throwing this big a party for a girl's birthday, do you know how much that costs?"
"Pouring all her energy into that money-loser. She'd do better to learn from Wanda, her brother's wife, and figure out how to have a son."
Anger flared in me, and just as I opened my mouth, my husband quickly grabbed my arm.
"Honey, don't be upset. My mom's got a sharp tongue but a soft heart."
"Don't let the way she talks fool you. She actually got Nina a birthday present ages ago."
Then he shot his mother a look.
Only then did she pull a red envelope out of her bag and hand it to my daughter.
But when Nina opened it, inside was a stack of fake funeral money.
I looked at my husband. His eyes darted away.
"You don't get it. This is a long-term investment."
"Fake money is still money. Nina will find a use for it someday."
I laughed in sheer disbelief, nodded, and pressed the envelope back into my husband's hand.
"No need for a long-term investment. This money, let's keep it for your mom to spend."
...
Vincent James's face went dark on the spot.
"Kay Fox, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Say what you want, my mom's still your elder. Handing her funeral money, are you trying to curse her dead?"
The private dining room, lively a second ago, fell dead silent.
I looked at him, and all I felt was how ridiculous this was.
"So in Nina's hands it's a long-term investment, something she'll use sooner or later."
"But in your mom's hands it's cursing her dead?"
"What, does funeral money pick and choose who it's for?"
My mother-in-law slammed the table.
"Don't you get smart-mouthed with me! You think I'm the same as some little girl?"
"Vincent, look at the wife you married. Cursing me in front of all these relatives. Does she have any respect for her elders at all?"
My daughter was only six, but she knew what funeral money was.
She stood beside me, her small hand clutching a fistful of my clothes, and asked in a tiny voice, "Mommy, did I do something wrong? Why did Grandma give me this?"
Looking at her, all I felt was a heavy ache in my chest.
From the day she was born until now, every time I threw my daughter a birthday, Vincent was never there.
Either his mother had a headache, or he had no time because he was taking his little nephew to the amusement park.
This time my daughter placed first in her grade, and her only wish was for her dad to spend her birthday with her, just once.
He'd agreed to it all, even said he'd bring his mother and his brother's family along to make it festive.
She'd been happy about it for days. Right up to this morning she was still wondering what present she'd get.
Vincent came over and lowered his voice.
"It's the kid's birthday today. Don't blow this up."
"My mom was just joking. Why do you have to take it so seriously?"
Wanda Whitney, my sister-in-law, hurried to chime in too:
"I'm not trying to lecture you, but what Mom gives is her business. Humiliating her in public like this is just unfilial."
"It's one red envelope. Nina isn't short on food or clothes. Is it really worth all this?"
I glanced at Howie, sitting at the table tearing into Nina's birthday presents, and let out a cold laugh.
"Then let's give this envelope to Howie. Want it?"
Wanda's face froze.
"What are you talking about?"
I took the envelope back from Vincent and set it down in front of Howie.
"Something this fine, Nina can't handle it. Let your son have it."
Wanda yanked Howie away.
"How awful, get it away from him!"
I smiled.
"So you know it's bad luck too."
"When it was my daughter's turn, why didn't you say so?"
Wanda had nothing to say to that. She turned and appealed to my mother-in-law.
"Mom, look at her. She clearly came here today to go after our whole family!"
My mother-in-law grabbed the teacup off the table and hurled it hard against the floor.
"Fine, Kay. I told Vincent long ago that a woman like you doesn't know how to keep a home. He said I was overthinking it."
"Well, now look. Spending my son's money to put on a show, and you've got the nerve to make our whole family lose face!"
I looked at the porcelain shards scattered across the floor, and it suddenly struck me as absurd enough to laugh at.
"Seven years of marriage, and I have never seen a single cent of Vincent's salary!"
"So you tell me. How exactly am I spending your son's money?"
