A lump of fury was caught in Zhou Yaping's throat, leaving her unable to speak. She wanted to be tough and curse her mother-in-law out, but she knew the old woman didn't need to put on a front—she was genuinely tough. If Zhou Yaping really let her have it, her mother-in-law would abandon her without a second thought. What would she do then, all alone in the hospital?
'Have Li Mubo take time off work to care for me? Then what would our family eat? Or I could go back and beg my own parents, but the price we agreed on wouldn't be negotiable anymore. Paying them for their trouble would cost about the same as Li Mubo missing work.'
In that brief instant, Zhou Yaping's mind raced as she weighed her options. Now was not the time to lose her temper. She still had to coax her mother-in-law into helping her.
'But things have already come to this. If I back down now, how can I ever hold my head high in front of her again? She'll have me completely under her thumb.'
