Beware of Aunt Wang

Before leaving, Zhou Bai's mother had prepared meals for the family, just as she always did. Zhou Bai took all the dishes out of the fridge, except for the braised pork, which remained untouched. He hadn't seen his mother all day and wondered if she had gone out with Aunt Wang again.

Thinking of Aunt Wang sent a chill down Zhou Bai's spine. She was explicitly mentioned in the rules as someone not to be trusted.

After dinner, Zhou Bai took the dishes to the kitchen to wash. Just then, there was a knock on the door. His wife went to answer it, and Zhou Bai heard the conversation from the kitchen.

"Aunt Wang, thank you so much. Come in and sit for a while. I'll help mom inside."

Zhou Bai paused and walked out of the kitchen. At the door stood a slightly chubby woman with curly short hair, facing his wife. His mother was being supported by his wife. The large red birthmark on his mother's face covered her right eye, and part of her newly grown pig nose was also tinged red. It seemed her mutation was worsening.

Zhou Bai eyed Aunt Wang warily, but she didn't pay him any attention. Instead, she was looking at the black dog curled up in the corner. The dog, having eaten well and slept soundly for the past few days, looked much healthier, its fur shiny and sleek.

"It's been a long time since I had dog meat," Aunt Wang said suddenly, making Zhou Bai's hair stand on end.

The black dog seemed to understand her words and cowered further into the corner. Aunt Wang smiled at its reaction.

"Just kidding. Why take it seriously?" she said.

"Haha, Aunt Wang, you still love to joke," Zhou Bai's wife replied, clearly familiar with Aunt Wang's humor.

Zhou Bai, however, didn't find it funny. "This dog looks really good. Can you give it to me?" Aunt Wang asked, smiling.

Zhou Bai couldn't tell if she was joking or serious, but he had no intention of entertaining her. He pulled his wife and mother inside and slammed the door shut behind them.

Aunt Wang stood there, stunned by Zhou Bai's rudeness. But the viewers in Great Xia's live stream were cheering.

—"Well done!"

—"Don't be polite to such people."

—"Who jokes about eating someone's dog and then asks to take it?"

His mother was exceptionally weak this time. Zhou Bai had to force-feed her the gray pill, and even then, she could barely swallow it. After taking the pill, her eyes cleared up a bit, but she remained weak. Zhou Bai and his wife helped her to her room to rest.

After settling his mother, Zhou Bai remembered the unfinished dishes in the kitchen but decided against going back in. The dishes remained unwashed overnight.

At 8:30 the next morning, Zhou Bai was woken by his alarm. He opened the study door to find his wife dressed for work, ready to leave. She smiled at him.

"Honey, I'm off to work. Bye-bye."

"Bye," Zhou Bai replied, waving.

She seemed in good spirits, walking out with a spring in her step. Zhou Bai closed the door behind her, thinking about the phone call from the previous day. This afternoon at 6 PM, he had to be ready to leave with "Effective Pharmaceuticals." He planned out his day, then turned around to find his mother standing there with a knife.

"Children who don't wash their dishes are naughty," she said, her face marked by the red birthmark and a new pig nose.

The kitchen sink held a half-prepared chicken, the knife close by. Zhou Bai forced a smile and gently moved the knife away from his face.

"You're right."

His mother seemed satisfied with his response and walked back to the kitchen. Zhou Bai let out a breath, feeling the sweat on his back.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

The sound of a cleaver hitting the chopping board echoed from the kitchen. The viewers felt their hearts race along with Zhou Bai.

The old apartment had thin walls, and the sound of children playing upstairs was clearly audible. His mother's chopping grew louder and faster. Suddenly, there was a loud clang as the cleaver hit the floor.

"Why are you so noisy? Do you think you're the only ones with children? Are you mocking me?" she screamed at the ceiling.

The noise upstairs stopped immediately. The viewers were equally silent, shocked by her outburst.

—"Does contamination make people irritable?"

—"She seems prone to violence."

—"Zhou Bai is in constant danger."

Zhou Bai felt the danger himself, sitting quietly on the sofa, trying not to provoke his mother. The sound of chicken soup boiling in the kitchen and his mother mopping the floor with a mop filled the silence.

"Lift your feet," she ordered.

Zhou Bai obediently lifted his feet, only lowering them once she had mopped the area.

—"Irritable mom, mopping the floor live!"

—"My mom does the same, but she's not contaminated."

—"Zhou Bai is scared stiff."

—"Haha."

—"Why does she seem scarier during the day?"

Zhou Bai felt the same. His mother's mutation seemed worse in the morning, and her temper was more volatile. He wondered why. But one thing was clear: if he had angered her, the cleaver might have been used on him instead of the chicken.

After an hour of tense silence, there was a knock on the door at 9:30 AM. Zhou Bai opened it to find Aunt Wang, her curly hair framing a scowling face.

"Where's your mom? I have plans with her," she said.