The Cockroach-in-Law Chronicles Episode 5: 低素质

When my very human Father-in-Law fell ill and was bed-ridden, I again raised the option of getting a dedicated helper for the Cockroach-in-Law. Again, she declined. She insisted that my beloved helper, M could manage.

I put my foot down and insisted on more help. Since we were in the middle of the Covid19 pandemic, it was not easy to get a new helper. So, we opted to get in part-time domestic help. A lovely young girl came in once a week to clean, on top of the help that my M gave her on another day a week. The Cockroach-in Law refused to have the part-timer come more often, preferring to overwork M. Meanwhile, we tried to expedite the arrival of a new live-in helper.

I found out really late that the Cockroach-in-Law collected leftover rice from her dinner into a box. When she had collected a full box, she gave the frozen rice to the part-time helper (feeling generous and charitable). The lovely young lady smiled, said "Thank you," graciously, and then threw the rice away into the nearest dustbin outside our house.

I am so embarrassed, wondering what that well brought up young lady thought of our family.

When I found out, M also told me that the Cockroach-in-Law had often exhorted her to eat the frozen rice. Of course, M always declined. M eats everything I eat. I don't eat frozen rice.

I suppose that if the employer is cockroachian, then the domestic help would end up eating what cockroaches eat.

When the new helper arrived, I was glad that MOM had an online module for new employers stating the duties of an employer, foremost of which should be to provide enough nutritious food. I was also happy that the module made clear that lending a helper to another household is illegal, because the Cockroach-in-Law once asked me to lend my helper to her sister!