"Are you kidding me, Lao Shen?" Zhang Heping scratched his ear, thinking he was hallucinating.
Seeing the other person's serious expression, he asked, "You're not serious, are you? Being scared into premature labor, how can that be a good thing?"
Shen Yanming chuckled, "Who said it was premature? If God arranged for Qiao An to give birth at this time, then there must be a reason. Maybe we've actually turned misfortune into blessing this time!"
Zhang Heping shook his head, indicating his disbelief.
Shen Yanming didn't explain much, after all, he was just talking nonsense.
As for why I say this, it's just a speculation based on past lucky koi fish omens, and whether it's accurate is another matter.
The two chatted casually until they heard a noisy chatter in the hallway.
Shen Yanming frowned. "What's wrong?"
Zhang Heping didn't even look up. "What could possibly happen in the obstetrics department? It's just childbirth!"
Shen Yanming got up, opened the door and looked outside. He saw several pregnant women preparing to enter the delivery room.
"Didn't you say that Qiao An was the only woman giving birth?" Shen Yanming closed the door and sat back on the sofa.
Zhang Heping rolled his eyes, never expecting that he would one day look down on Lao Shen.
He feigned ignorance and said, "Are you stupid? I said that Qiao An was the only woman giving birth last night. Does that mean the entire obstetrics and gynecology department of Haishi Hospital is just serving Qiao An alone?"
Shen Yanming laughed after being retorted with that comment.
He felt like he was experiencing pregnancy-induced brain fog for three years. Before this, he really thought that Qiao An was the only pregnant woman in the entire department.
Of course, it's also because the two of them arrived late last night and didn't see any pregnant women in the corridor.
There's no way around it; new mothers get tired easily, and they usually wash up and go to bed by late at night. As for family members, they either stay with the patient in the ward or sit in the corridor. The entire 9th floor is indeed quite quiet.
Otherwise, Comrade Shen wouldn't have made such a big blunder.
Of course, that's not important; what's important is what Zhang Heping said next.
"I feel like you two are really lucky. Whether it's for prenatal checkups or this delivery, you always manage to avoid the crowds."
Under Shen Yanming's puzzled gaze, Zhang Heping continued to explain: "Actually, in the past two years, the hospital's obstetrics and gynecology department has been overcrowded every day."
Since entering the apocalypse, the Alliance has relaxed its birth policy.
At first, not many people were willing to have another child, since over the years, everyone had gotten used to having only one child.
However, later on, because there were quotas for purchasing various supplies, and the quotas for infants and adults were the same, some people, in order to be less restricted when buying things, started to target newborns.
They figured a little kid wouldn't eat much, and his portion could help supplement the household income, so the young parents were less resistant to having a second or third child.
Zhang Heping whispered, "I don't know if any women have four children. As far as I know, the most they've had is three."
Shen Yanming expressed his understanding, saying, "Not only will there be plenty of surplus when purchasing supplies, but we might even be able to get an extra two acres of land, right?"
"Absolutely!" Zhang Heping nodded. "Anyway, no matter what happens in the future, at least while the children are young, the extra land will allow the adults to improve their lives."
"Then, what about the survival rate of newborns?" Shen Yanming frowned, feeling that without relevant policies to help, these children might die prematurely after birth.
After hearing this, Zhang Heping gave Comrade Lao Shen an approving look, "The rates were quite low a couple of years ago, but after relevant policies were introduced, no one dared to have children recklessly."
"Huh? How come I didn't know?" Shen Yanming asked.
Zhang Heping touched his nose, feeling a little guilty. He said, "Logically speaking, the doctor should have told you this during your first prenatal checkup. But I was there at the time, and since it was your first pregnancy, she assumed I had made everything clear, so she didn't say anything more."
Later, we bumped into each other in the cafeteria, and she mentioned it briefly. That's when I told her I hadn't told her. She asked me to pass on the message, and I agreed, but then I got busy and forgot.
Shen Yanming was at a loss for words. Although he was slightly angry, he knew that what the other party wanted to say was probably nothing serious, otherwise they wouldn't have put it off until they forgot about it.
"Then tell me now," Shen Yanming said calmly.
Seeing that he didn't get angry, Zhang Heping quietly patted his chest before saying, "That's right. The alliance has introduced a policy that says that as long as a newborn starts to enjoy the share of material purchases after being registered, the parents must ensure that the child grows up healthily until the age of twelve."
If the child dies prematurely, the parents' allowance for purchasing supplies will be halved. Of course, this excludes cases of terminal illness or accidental death.
For the death of a newborn, a forensic doctor will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of death, so the parents cannot fake it.
Furthermore, when parents purchase supplies, if they are using the infant's portion, they must be present in person and scan the package using their smart bracelet.
This fills the gap of neglecting to raise children after they are born and failing to repay their kindness after they die. It forces parents to raise their children well if they choose to give birth.
During the first prenatal checkup, the doctor will explain these things to the pregnant woman and her family so that they can weigh whether or not they want to continue the pregnancy.
At the time, I thought, "You two can't possibly abandon the baby in your belly," so I didn't take it seriously. Then...
Shen Yanming nodded, not pursuing the matter further. However, he did ask, "Then why isn't this news online?"
Zhang Heping frowned. "Yes, you probably haven't noticed. Although the country no longer cares how many children you have, most people only have one child. So the policy is probably just a formality, and no one is promoting it anymore."
"Hmm, that makes sense. Although there are benefits to having children, raising them is also a hassle."
Although Zhang Heping agreed with this view, the people outside the corridor were not fake either. He said, "Although the mainstream is still having one child, everyone's lives have undergone earth-shattering changes after the apocalypse. For example, many people are staying at home after losing their jobs, and there are long periods of power outages at night, etc."
This leads to young couples having more free time and less entertainment, so they end up having more children.
Factories have suspended or reduced production due to issues with raw materials and electricity, resulting in a shortage of supplies, so even small umbrellas have to be used sparingly.
This inevitably leads to unintended pregnancies, and many people choose to have children because of related benefits.
"Look, those are the ones outside the door."
"Can they really afford to support them?" Although Shen Yanming understood, he was not optimistic.
Zhang Heping shook his head and chuckled, "That's why I really wanted to interrupt you when I heard you talking to your boss earlier. There are almost no couples like you and Qiao An who are fully prepared before having a child. Most people just have the baby and then decide what to do next, eating whatever's available."
Don't be fooled by the crowds outside; many of them can't even buy baby formula.
Shen Yanming sighed, at a loss for words.
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