For the entire afternoon, wherever Meng's old mother went, she was always steadfastly followed by someone who, though smiling and incessantly chattering, remained tender and obedient in her manner and tone yet wouldn't budge an inch. In a nutshell, she insisted that Meng's old mother agree to let her go to Provincial City.
Meng's old mother felt as though she was dragging a small tail that she couldn't shake off or lose. As dinner time approached, her daughter-in-law showed no signs of giving up, and it was unclear whether Meng's old mother was annoyed by her pestering or believed her lies, but she finally lost her patience and said sternly, "If you want to go, then go. Your legs are on your own body, who's stopping you? But don't say I didn't warn you, if something goes wrong on the way, crying and screaming won't help you, you'll have to weigh the consequences yourself!"
