The Pot Roast

Dinner was a quiet affair after that. Everyone chatted quietly, including Mr. Wu and Sun Mei, who mostly talked with each other.

"Am I even supposed to be eating?" Mr. Wu whispered to her. "I just mentioned my dead daughter."

"Life goes on," Sun Mei told him as she chewed a piece of chicken. "If you have a girlfriend, I think you can eat."

"Okay, I just needed someone to reassure me. Paul, can you pass the pot roast?"

"Here you go, Mr. Wu."

Mr. Wu served a large portion of his favorite dish and smelled it with satisfaction.

"This is what I'm talking about," he said with closed eyes.

"Less talking, more eating, Mr. Wu!" Vivian told him.

"Let me savor this, Vivian. It's my first pot roast in three years."

Everyone looked around the table uncomfortably. They most likely felt guilty that they had not invited him in retrospect.

Mr. Wu, who seemed oblivious to their stares, had a bite slowly. As he swallowed, his expression slowly changed from joy to surprise and then to utter disgust.

His eyes widened and he started to cough the food out on his plate.

"Mr. Wu, are you okay?" Sun Mei reached for a napkin and gave it to him as he coughed.

"What's wrong?" Vivian asked.

When he calmed down, Mr. Wu said, "Did anyone else try the pot roast?"

"Not yet," said Sun Mei.

"Not sure I want to anymore," commented Paul.

"Why? What's wrong with my pot roast?" Vivian demanded to know.

"It's…" Mr. Wu paused slightly. "It's like Michael made it!"

"With Lily's help?" whispered Sun Mei.

"Definitely with Lily's help."

"Who's Michael?" asked Linda.

"Never mind," said Vivian. "Let me try it."

When she had a bite, Vivian had almost the exact same reaction as Mr. Wu. "Okay, confess!" she said while addressing everyone around the table. "Who messed with my food?" She looked pointedly at her grandchildren.

"Not me!" seven voices cried in unison.

"Who did then?" Vivian asked. "Only Linda and I had access to the pot roast."

"Yes, and I only added the salt," said Linda.

"You did what?" Vivian stared at her in shock.

"I… added some salt."

"I had already added salt," Vivian said slowly.

"Oh…"

Everyone was silent for a few seconds as they digested this.

"Mystery solved then!" said Paul eventually. "There's still plenty of food to go around. It's not a big deal."

Out of the blue, Mr. Wu pushed back his chair and stood up. "It is a big deal, Paul!" he said while throwing his napkin on the table. Then, he turned to Linda and said, "You just had to add salt, Linda!"

The older woman stared at him blankly.

"I can't believe I killed my daughter for this!" Mr. Wu said before storming out of the house.

Sun Mei looked around her uncomfortably. "That's not what it sounds like. I… I need to go!"

She shot Vivian an apologetic look before following Mr. Wu outside, praying silently that he had not slashed Linda's tires in the meantime.