“You know, there’s a more straightforward way to handle this: find a reliable husband. That way, you won’t have to work yourself to the bone alone,” Mino suggested.

“Stop with that advice. Do all pregnant women get this preachy? If I needed money, I might as well just go home and rely on my parents instead of trying to build a career,” Mo Nuan replied.

Mo Nuan understood that Mino hadn’t asked her parents for help in years. As she put it, if she asked for money, she’d lose her independence. As long as she could earn her own income, she still had some say in her life. And it...