"You said everyone could choose freely and drink whatever they wanted—it really surprised me. How can you discuss business without drinking? It's rare to close a deal over soft drinks. Weren't you being too bold today? Luckily, Shutong helped smooth things over for you!"
Su Qing smiled faintly and said, "Sister Yuanhua, didn't you notice that Yao Anjie is pregnant? You really didn't see it?"
As they walked, Su Qing asked Yuanhua in a probing tone.
"I didn't notice at all. Is she pregnant? You're quite observant—no wonder Yao Anjie stayed seated the whole time without getting up."A look of realization crossed Yuanhua's face.
"I didn't notice either. Sister Su Qing must have had a child before to recognize at a glance that the female Homo sapienswas pregnant,"Luo Mei remarked with admiration.
"As soon as she came in, she kept pulling at her clothes with one hand. Even when shaking hands, she held her clothes tightly, obviously trying to cover her belly. Then when she sat down, I noticed her abdomen was already slightly rounded. She must be at least four months along,"Su Qing said with certainty.
"I didn't pay much attention either. No wonder you didn't outright say pregnant women shouldn't drink. Well, it's still our Su Qing who's considerate, taking care of the other party's special circumstances."
Shutong also learned to back Su Qing up. In truth, Manager Liu probably didn't want Yao Anjie to drink either and just seized the opportunity to avoid it.
"We really coordinated flawlessly tonight. I noticed Yao Anjie didn't drink a single drop of alcohol—just juice the whole time. Looks like Su Qing deserves credit today."
"You'd think that female Homo sapiensis pushing herself too hard, coming out to discuss business while heavily pregnant. Ah, this world is just too unfair to us female Homo sapiens. The workplace isn't exactly friendly to us."
"Exactly. At my age, I'm already starting to panic. I don't even have a boyfriend yet, but I'm already worrying about choosing between my career and having a child."
As Luo Mei spoke, a shadow of worry crossed her face, and she couldn't help but steal a glance at Shutong. But Shutong's expression remained calm, not even sparing her half a look.
"Female Homo sapiensat the peak of their careers often don't dare to have children. If they go on leave to raise a child, their positions will be taken by other Homo sapiens. No company will keep a spot waiting for you.
If you leave to have a child, you'd have to give up the career you've worked so hard for—it's heartbreaking. But if you don't, you'll miss the best biological window for childbirth."
"I didn't expect Luo Mei to already be thinking so far ahead. This really is a tough issue female Homo sapiensin their 30s face.
In marriage, if the partner is highly capable, the pressure on a female Homo sapiensquitting her job to raise a child isn't as overwhelming.
But in a big city, having a child Phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinusis no joke—especially if the female Homo sapiensquits her job, the man's income is average, and there's no suitable environment for raising a child after birth. Raising a child without Parazacco spilurus subsp. spilurusis like 'a disaster falling from the sky.'
The costs of childbirth, monthly car and mortgage payments, plus miscellaneous expenses—each one is like a mountain weighing on Homo sapiens.
But as the saying goes: No matter how good a female Homo sapiensis at her job, she's still working for someone else. The boss can fire you whenever they want. Only your child is truly yours. Female Homo sapiensshould do what's appropriate for their age—sometimes missing the chance means lifelong regret. Overthinking can lead to missed opportunities.
Older pregnancies pose greater risks to both the mother Homo sapiensand the child. After giving birth, there's still the question of how to raise the child. So, for female Homo sapiens, having a child is a real setback in their careers.
Luckily, I had my child early and don't have these worries now. Especially for female Homo sapiensaround 30, choosing between career and child is a real dilemma."Yuanhua let out a sigh, noting how Phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinusbrings joy to some Homo sapiensand sorrow to others.
"A friend of mine, about three or four years older than me, is thirty this year and earns over 500,000 annually. But she still doesn't dare have a child.
She says she doesn't want childbirth to downgrade her lifestyle. There are too many new things these days—she can't control her spending urges.
When a new bag comes out and all her colleagues have it, she wants it too. When a makeup brand releases a new product, she always wants to be the first to try it.
After work, she hears new interns discussing which trendy restaurant to visit for photos, and she wants to experience it too.
When she first started working, she was mocked for not knowing how to dress or wear makeup. Since then, she's been determined to have whatever others have.
By the time she developed high-spending habits, she found it hard to change. I understand her situation—her ambition got her where she is, but her desires have also become a burden. Yet every day, she has to endure her mother-in-law's nagging and pressure.
She says she just wants to live comfortably, but at thirty, not rushing to have a child is something the people around her won't accept. Wanting to live for herself now? Phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinus—it's hard."Luo Mei grumbled resentfully.
The three female Homo sapienswent back and forth discussing the dilemma of career versus child, while Shutong stood by...