Short story: Rainy threshold

With two more gropings, Mai finally pulled the thin blanket up to her body. The night grew colder as the night progressed, the room seemed to grow larger. She curled up, listening to the night loosen like a cheap cloth shirt after many washes. A few sporadic clattering sounds, as if mice were sneaking around in the attic. The sluggish rustling of the old fan made Mai feel sad, she groped around and pushed them to the neutral button. The night rustled through the branches rubbing against the side of the house, a strange sound. A stray wind, a few more winds. And rain. Oh rain!
Mai lay still and listened. It had been a long time since she had heard the rain pounding on the tin roof so loudly. Unconsciously, Mai reached out to feel all over her body, searching for old wounds. A long streak on the top of her head with nearly ten stitches, her hair parted, leaving a white path like a dry season stream. Her elbows had a raised scar as big as a thumb. On the corner of her forehead, many wounds had healed, leaving only a few small ripples as reminders. Those days were imprinted in Mai's heart with a haunting fear.
The pounding sound grew louder, the tin roof was like a bustling symphony, and the conductor, for some reason, was only absorbed in controlling a musical instrument. The wind blew through the night, the cold air was as sharp as her husband's indifferent gaze as he looked at each wound that crisscrossed Mai's skin. Alcohol made him lose his humanity. Or was it the helplessness of the bed that made him cold-blooded? Mai had loved him so much, loved both the humiliation and the desperate eyes, her trembling hand touched her wife's chest and then resolutely turned away.
Mai curled up in the blanket, seeking her own warmth. The blanket smelled faintly of soap. She craved something other than this scent, but she had to give up. When she was lonely, missing someone was a sweet, aching pain.
I wonder how things are at home now. I wonder how my husband is. Why am I suddenly thinking about my husband? Mai shivered as if she wanted to shake off all the old images. The stray cat, the accident, the long slides in her husband's personality.
The city was also full of stray cats, but only occasionally heard their voices. Mai was afraid of the cold eyes that lit up the night, the heartbreaking cries, and the haunting yet fantastical stories of revenge.
Mai is petite, with a body like a piece of candy, silky black hair past her waist, bright eyes and a beautiful smile, plus a charming smile and talkative personality, I don't know why she is so unfortunate. This is a tear mole, you better get it removed. One time at the infirmary, the older sister looked at Mai intently, then said. Another older sister added, get rid of the mole, conveniently disappear from her husband's sight, and see what he can do. Half human, half ghost, really can't love her even if you want to.
The small room was stuffy and stuffy. It was not a good idea to incite others to leave their husbands, especially when their husbands were half disabled. But you have to save yourself, Mai! She bit her lip, tears streaming down her pale face. After all, it was a husband and wife relationship, leaving each other like this would be considered immoral. Mai did not want her parents to worry and be sad about her, they did not have many days left to live, so she tried to cover the mattress to please both sides.

***

Several times she complained that the cat was stealing food from the kitchen, and the trap was always in the corner of the house. One morning, Mai woke up in a daze and saw the cat lying neatly in an iron cage. She was startled. From its jet-black fur and small, shrunken face, Mai did not know if it was resentment or fear. Its cold, arrogant gaze made Mai feel terrified. It was clear that death was waiting for it, and she had indirectly caused it. Mai tried every way to free it, but she did not have enough arguments to justify it, especially since, as her husband said, it was not easy to catch a black cat, a legendary medicine.
Mai quickly forgot the cat in the middle of the terraced fields, the grass scratched up to her knees, the snails she had just picked up from the stream and a stranded snakehead fish, happily thinking about a bowl of cool snail soup with rau ran, a plate of snakehead fish stewed with turmeric and some boiled mixed vegetables. The sun suddenly disappeared, a black cloud loomed over the sun. Looking up at the gray circles, Mai suddenly felt uneasy, and hurried her steps.
The house seemed to be in a party, full of her husband's drinking buddies, the old neighbor's harsh voice like an old banana, the eunuch-like shrillness of the neighbor, or the rude, loud laughter of her husband's cousin, creating a mixed sound. Mai quietly went to the well to let go of the bucket, not knowing why, a vast sadness invaded her. Passing by the open-lidded pot, steam billowing from the fire, Mai leaned over to look and almost fell. The boiling flesh and bones were all over the place, and a white shaved head stood out, two clenched jaws, sharp teeth, eyes full of hatred staring at Mai.
Just a cat, just a cat, and the life and death of all living things are preordained by nature, Mai reassured herself. But Mai no longer had the presence of mind to cook lunch as planned, a simple and peaceful meal. And long after, that meal occasionally crossed her mind.
The party was in full swing, but the alcohol ran out and the drugs ran out. Mai's husband always called out to his wife as soon as he sat down to drink. He was respectful, treating his friends like special guests even though they were just chatting about the sky. Her husband called out to her, but in response there was only the sound of chatter and laughter, while Mai was still in the back garden weeding the young vegetables. Sometimes Mai was still distracted, like now, for example, in her head there was only the image of the cat and its haunting, cold eyes. Mai sat there, the sad vegetables leaning over her cool hand, the wind blowing somewhere, a bird falling, a lonely bark, a butterfly fluttering over a withered flower branch and then taking off. Suddenly, "bang" with a loud scream, bewildered for a long time, the sound of someone screaming made Mai seem to wake up. Quickly dropping the vegetables, she ran face down across the potato row, across the moss-covered yard. A figure lay face down, the motorbike still roaring, the electric pole in front of the house was covered in blood. Mai screamed in horror, realizing that the person lying there was none other than her husband. Her drinking buddies surrounded her, some turning her husband over, others looking for the key to turn off the car. Mai fell to her knees, paralyzed.
The accident left my husband with half his body split in half. Half his skull, one eye, one arm and one leg are useless. This means he will be a cripple for life.
After months of not being able to live, my husband luckily recovered. But strangely, when half of his essentials were gone, it was as if his mouth had grown a new one. Once he was able to eat, he started babbling frantically as if he was afraid he would not be able to speak anymore. At first, Mai was happy to see her husband recover quickly, but gradually she became confused.
The anxiety reached its peak when her husband started drinking again. At first, it was just a few drinks to relieve stress while sitting at home alone, with a few friends joining in, then a few more. The main laborer was gone, the family was in dire straits, and after listening to some people's advice, Mai went to the factory to buy eggs to boil and sell, which was also an income. At first, she just wandered around the neighborhoods, but as she got used to it, Mai sat in front of the house, set up a few small chairs, a small table with some wine glasses, and then opened a drinking place for the construction workers who came home every afternoon. With a talent for business and being skillful, Mai's small shop was always crowded. One day, a slightly drunk man slapped his butt, Mai was startled and stunned, the other man laughed loudly, complimented "delicious", Mai was shaking with anger.
As if blessed by her ancestors, the small shop kept getting more and more crowded. Her pretty smile and sweet voice made customers come back often, and her teasing that sometimes made Mai blush made the customers even more interested. No matter what, Mai was a married woman. Mai's husband, as he had slapped her in the face and shouted loudly, this guy was neither deaf nor blind!
At dinner, he threw the braised fish dish to the dog, his face sullen. Mai was stunned, gaping at the dog biting his family, frozen. What are you doing, are you crazy? You invited everyone to eat butt meat, but you still make this guy eat scraps of fish! Mai was stunned, her throat choked as if she had eaten a jackfruit thorn. Her husband's other foot dug into the rice tray, Mai quickly pulled it out, scooped up a spoonful of soup, and hurriedly fed it. As soon as she turned her back, a whoosh sound, the slipper flew past her ear, Mai reflexively dodged, turned back and stared at her husband. He raised his index finger, his flat chest trying to brace itself, his remaining eye was white, I warn you!
Mai packed her things and left quietly. Where to go? She had asked herself many times. The street was full of decent people, peace of mind, any kind of life was possible, many people said. She wandered through many intersections, asked to work at many restaurants, and was terrified of the dirty, vulgar hands, the unjust jealousy cases. How could she cleanse her heart? Anywhere, anything was fine, just live! The motorbike taxi driver's firm words and the handshake made Mai seem to wake up. The wind blew on the bridge, the shadows of passing cars looking back. Holding her bag to her chest and looking at the indifferent water, her whole body trembled, her jaws stiffened, her body almost fell silent under this cold flowing water.
The dormitory was full of workers, they went out from dawn to dusk, and when they came back they would shower and sleep, no one had time to say hello to each other, she felt alone. Tomorrow I will take you to find a job, oh no, when you have to trouble your family! The voice of a strange man echoed. The square face, the fierce beard but the kind eyes were still imprinted in her mind. Pulling the blanket back, Mai curled up and tried to sleep. Outside, the rain kept pouring down thick sheets of water on the corrugated iron roof.