I doubt that very many Chinese born in the 1970s have ever thought of asking such a question as, ”Should I have one more child or not?”It seems China’s One-child Policy has loosened up a bit in recent years, even though it is fairly obvious that having more than one child is still a dream for most.

Last year, one of my colleges got pregnant accidentally and got an abortion after a tumultuous inner struggle. It was a hard decision for the couple because they wanted one more child, but they were afraid of the government’s reaction. Her husband works for the government, and, if they chose to keep the child, both of them would have to quit their job or be dismissed sooner or later. In addition, it would be difficult to provide an education for the kid because of the financial condition and future low living standards.

Nonetheless, many couples want to have a second child. Last week, I was surprised to learn that one of my best friends had a third child and that the latest one was already 12 months old. She was sleeping soundly in her grandma’s arms as I was talking to the father and I could see the happiness on his face. In fact, he got divorced years ago from his previous wife because she couldn’t give him a son. His second marriage brought him a son the year after marrying and I thought at the time that he was satisfied with the new life. Never could I have guessed that he had a third child if I hadn’t dropped by the house. He threw a big party for his son but said nothing when the girl was born and I wondered how he could possible escape the law and have two kids within just three years. He laughed and said the law only scared some people such as me.

And, I just got a message today from my Wechat group with congratulations for one of my colleagues who had a second child, a son, on May 21. She quit her job to bear her son and many people expressed their admiration for her courage and some envied her a lot. Her family are wealthy enough to support her as a full-time housewife though many other families could not.

All in all, many Chinese are crazy for a son and even risk a lot to have one. Last month, a 38-year-old woman lost her life giving birth to her second child.

The original blog: http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/blog-1180730-18807.html