Chapter 3 — My Mother-in-Law Forced Me to Give Birth at Home

Finally, Su Li was released from the room. Her wrists were marked with angry red welts, and the screen of her phone was completely shattered. Yet, ignoring her own state, she rushed straight to my side.

"Wen Tang, hold on just a little longer, please."

The emergency paramedic caught a sharp whiff of the herbal concoction lingering in the air, frowned deeply, and asked, "What on earth is this stuff?"

Only then did Zhao Chunping snap back to reality, bursting into a loud, theatrical wail.

"I only gave her a bit of traditional vitality-boosting medicine! I never wanted to harm her!"

Qin Yanzhu suddenly whipped his head around.

"Mother, how can you still stand there and say that?"

Intimidated by the cold fury in his gaze, Zhao Chunping instinctively took a step back.

"Yanzhu, everything I did was for your own good! With her experiencing such severe stomach pains, what would have happened if something went wrong on the way to the hospital? Is there anything wrong with inviting experienced people to help out?"

Qin Yanzhu pointed a shaking finger at Liu Fengzhi.

"Who are these people?"

Zhao Chunping’s eyes darted about nervously.

"They are just experienced sisters from the neighborhood, they only came over out of the kindness of their hearts..."

"Do they have medical licenses?"

Qin Yanzhu’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.

"Do they have midwifery certificates, medical degrees, nursing licenses? Do they have any credentials at all?"

Liu Fengzhi refused to back down, her expression indignant.

"Young man, do not use such harsh words. Giving birth is a natural process for women, not everything requires running to a hospital."

The paramedic stared at her with icy contempt.

"The fetus is in a transverse lie and she is in active labor, and you had the audacity to attempt a home delivery?"

Liu Fengzhi stubbornly bit back, "Adjusting the fetal position manually is not impossible."

The doctor cut her off sharply, "Do you even know what umbilical cord prolapse is? Do you know how long a fetus can suffer distress before irreversible damage occurs? Do you know how to handle postpartum hemorrhage?"

Liu Fengzhi finally fell silent. Zhao Chunping, realizing she was losing ground, immediately resorted to her usual tactics. She collapsed onto the floor, slapping her thighs and howling at the top of her lungs.

"My life is so bitter! I work myself to the bone taking care of my daughter-in-law, and in the end, I am treated like a murderer!"

"My own son is willing to turn his back on his own mother just for his wife!"

In my past life, these exact words had weighed upon me like a mountain, suffocating me until I could barely breathe. This time, however, Qin Yanzhu did not rush to lift her up. He simply looked down at her, his eyes devoid of warmth, filled only with profound disappointment.

"Mother, when Wen Tang begged for help, you locked the door from the outside."

"When she wanted to go to the hospital, you called strangers over to physically pin her down."

"When she refused to consume unverified substances, you all tried to force it down her throat."

"And now, you sit there and tell me that you are the victim?"

Zhao Chunping’s howling abruptly choked off in her throat. At that moment, police officers stepped into the room to investigate the situation. Su Li immediately pulled out her phone to play the audio and video recordings she had managed to capture. From the precise moment Zhao Chunping locked the front door, to the arrival of the self-proclaimed midwifery circle, their physical subjugation of my body, the seizure of my phone, and the preparations to force-feed me the noxious brew—every single sound and movement was documented with absolute clarity. The remaining color drained completely from Zhao Chunping’s face. She lunged forward toward Qin Yanzhu.

"Son, I truly meant no harm! I was only afraid of wasting money, afraid that the hospital would swindle you both!"

Qin Yanzhu stepped back, leaving her grasping at empty air.

"Save those explanations for the police."

The medical personnel gently lifted me onto the stretcher. As we passed by Zhao Chunping, she frantically lunged forward, trying to grab the edge of my blanket.

"Tang Tang, please, explain to them! I was only anxious, I never wanted to hurt you."

I turned my head and looked straight into her eyes.

"Zhao Chunping."

A flicker of desperate hope danced in her pupils. I pronounced every single word with deliberate slowness:

"You came within a hair's breadth of killing both me and my child."

Her expression twisted into something ugly and distorted.

"Well, you are still alive, aren't you?"

A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the room. Qin Yanzhu’s fists clenched so tightly that his hands trembled. The police officers immediately stepped forward to block Zhao Chunping from approaching further. As the doors of the ambulance slid shut, I could still hear her piercing shrieks echoing down the sterile hallway.

"I am old and frail, what possible reason would I have to do this!"

I closed my eyes. What reason she had, I would soon find out.

5

Upon arrival at the hospital, I was wheeled straight into the obstetric emergency department. The moment Doctor Luo laid eyes on me, her expression shifted dramatically.

"Did I not explicitly instruct you to be admitted at the very first sign of any anomaly?"

Before I could even open my mouth, Su Li gave a concise recount of everything that had transpired along the way. Doctor Luo’s face turned frighteningly cold. Once the fetal heart rate monitor was properly attached, a stark, jagged fluctuation appeared on the screen. Doctor Luo stared intently at the tracing, her voice grave.

"We must admit you for immediate observation and keep surgical preparations on standby. Given your current condition, we can no longer afford to let any unqualified individuals interfere."

I nodded firmly.

"I consent to a cesarean section if it becomes necessary."

Doctor Luo looked at me with a softened gaze.

"You are fully conscious and of sound mind. All medical decisions will be based entirely upon your own wishes."

That single sentence felt like a master key, unlocking the heavy, suffocating boulder that had compressed my chest for so long. My body. My child. Finally, their fate would no longer be dictated by Zhao Chunping’s malicious mouth. Qin Yanzhu stood quietly beside the bed, his expression still grim and drawn. He spoke in a low voice:

"I have already given my statement to the authorities. Those women have been taken in for questioning as well."

I looked over at Su Li. Her wrists were swollen and purple, and a faint scratch marred her cheek from the earlier scuffle.

"I am sorry for dragging you into this mess."

Su Li shot me a fierce glare.

"If you dare say another word like that, I will burst into tears right here and now."

The bridge of my nose stung fiercely.

"Thank you, Su Li."

Two hours later, Zhao Chunping finally arrived at the hospital.