How to Kill a Hateful Mother-in-Law

Once upon a time, there was a daughter-in-law who had such a nasty mother-in-law that she just couldn't take it anymore. The MIL nitpicked every little thing and nagged so much that just thinking about her voice or face made the DIL feel suffocated and tight-chested. Fearing she'd die before the old lady did, the DIL secretly visited a famous shaman. After hearing her story, the shaman said there was a secret ritual. The DIL’s eyes lit up, and she begged to know what it was. The shaman asked what the mother-in-law’s favorite food was. The DIL said, 'Injeolmi' (bean-powder rice cakes). The shaman predicted that if she made fresh Injeolmi every single day for 100 days—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and gave it to her, the mother-in-law would eventually catch a mysterious illness and die. The DIL went home excited. She washed the glutinous rice carefully, cooked it well, and made the cakes. At first, the MIL said, 'Is this wench about to die? Why is she doing things she never used to do?' but the DIL just served her without a word. As the DIL brought fresh, soft Injeolmi every day, the MIL’s heart slowly began to change, and she stopped nagging as much. After two months, touched by the DIL's consistent devotion, the MIL stopped talking trash about her to the neighbors and started praising her until her mouth went dry. As the 100 days approached, the DIL became terrified of her own plan to kill the MIL, who now treated her with smiles and praise instead of scolding. She was scared this now-wonderful MIL would actually die. The DIL grabbed all her money, ran to the shaman, and cried big fat tears, saying, 'I was wrong. I'll give you all my money if you just tell me how to keep her from dying.' The shaman smiled and said, 'The hateful mother-in-law is already dead, isn't she?'