Word count: ~13600 | Est. read time: 68 mins

Main text:

“Give me back my money!”

Zhang Yaozu¹ kicked the shop’s door open, his pregnant belly bulging.

With an apologetic grin, the shopkeeper appeared from the back room. “Hey, bro, calm down. If it’s not a baby boy, I promise to refund you.”

“Your medicine mutated my genes,” Zhang Yaozu’s voice trembled with frustration as he clung tightly to the shopkeeper. “It’s not my wife who’s pregnant–it’s me! You’re coming with me to the police station, you quack!”

Chapter One

Zhang Yaozu was thirty-five years old. His only regret was that he didn’t have a son.

Wait, that wasn’t quite right. His true regret was that his wife had failed to bear him a son.

To be precise, it wasn’t even his own regret—it was his father’s. Zhang Yaozu’s father, Zhang Xiao, had one mantra he never ceased repeating, “There must be a son in the family. Our family line can’t end.”

When his wife was expecting their first child, everyone told them that based on her belly shape it would certainly be a boy. But when the time came, a girl was born. Well, at least they had an older sister who could one day help care for her younger brother.

Then came their second pregnancy. Zhang Yaozu’s mother, Mei Di, found an old folk remedy and insisted that her daughter-in-law drink the revolting concoction every day. Who could’ve known it would be a girl once again? This time, they chose a caesarean section. As the wound had yet to heal properly, his wife moaned in pain day and night. At first, Zhang Yaozu empathised. But soon he grew tired of hearing her whinges. He complained, “If I could give birth, I’d definitely be tougher than you.”

After much thought, the couple decided to try once more. They spent quite a lot of time preparing for another pregnancy, yet there was no sign of success. They went to the hospital for another check-up, and it turned out that the husband’s sperm count had fallen, while the wife had an ovarian cyst.

Following a course of treatment, Yaozu’s wife finally became pregnant the previous year. But before they could even figure out the baby’s gender, she miscarried. The doctor suggested it was most likely due to issues with sperm. Though Yaozu’s wife didn’t say anything about it, he read clearly the thoughts running through her mind.

People always joke: “A man in his forties is a flower in bloom, but a woman is soybean residue.” But he wasn’t even forty yet. How had he already begun to wither? Was he truly destined to never have a son? He couldn’t bring himself to accept it.

As their younger daughter was about to begin elementary school, his wife had asked him to take the girl to complete the registration process. When they arrived, Zhang Yaozu was taken aback. The queue for boys was more than twice as long as the one for girls.

Why could everyone else succeed in having a son, but he couldn’t? The more Zhang Yaozu brooded over it, the angrier he became. While waiting in line, he noticed a heavyset man with a round face and large ears who led a group of triplet boys. How Zhang Yaozu envied his luck! He stepped forward and offered him a cigarette.

The memory lingered with Zhang Yaozu long after. Those cigarettes he gave away cost a fortune. They were specifically purchased by the Zhang family to be given as gifts, but in the end, they were never handed out. One of the experts they turned to for help insisted that the gender imbalance among new-borns was too severe and refused to determine the baby’s sex for them. The Zhang family, unwilling to spend more money on the matter, reluctantly abandoned the idea.

But in exchange for those cigarettes at his daughter’s school, he got the business card of “Master Bao”, who was reputed to possess a particularly effective remedy. After adding him as a contact, the man swiftly sent the address of his shop. He gave his unequivocal assurance to Zhang Yaozu, “Still blaming your wife for not bearing a son? The truth is, the sperm quality is what really matters! My magic formula kills sperm carrying the X chromosome while strengthening those carrying the Y. One hundred percent for a baby boy, or your money back.”

To be honest, Master Bao seemed anything but a master. With greasy, unkempt hair, a stubbled face, and a smile that revealed a mouthful of yellowed teeth, he was, in hindsight, nothing more than a charlatan. He charged 998 yuan for a pile of useless talismans and a bizarre remedy, claiming the medicine was rare and precious because it included 1% imported meteorite powder. Somehow or other, Zhang Yaozu bit the bullet and made the order. He returned home, carefully affixed the talismans to the walls of his bedroom, and even knelt beside his bed, praying with earnest devotion.

That night, Zhang Yaozu’s wife fixed him with a long, disbelieving stare, as if she were watching a maniac. With a sigh, she boiled the packet of medication he had brought home into a thick, blackish concoction.

However, he almost gagged on his first sip of it. As soon as he felt better, he yelled out, “What the fuck is this? Are you trying to poison me?”

The wife frowned. She twisted his ear and roared back, “After all the effort I put into making this for you, this is the attitude you give me?”

Zhang Yaozu immediately deflated, his voice pleading, “My bad, my bad … ” He reminded himself that a real man must endure a little hardship. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and downed the entire bowl in one go. It couldn’t possibly be that bad, could it?

He set the bowl down, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and started to giggle, “Darling, I have a feeling tonight is the night.”

His wife, not at all amused, slapped his face away as he leaned in too close, “Stay away from me. Don’t you know that remedy contains boy’s urine?”

*

“So, you’re saying you took his medicine and then got pregnant?” The officer asked seriously.

Zhang Yaozu handed over the hospital’s diagnostic report. “Yes, I have proof. He harmed my body.”

Master Bao burst into laughter. “Sir, can you believe what he’s talking about? My medicine is totally harmless to human bodies. It’s just a health supplement. I can refund him if his wife can’t bear him a son. But now he’s saying he’s pregnant? Could you at least think up a believable excuse for your story?”

The officer studied the diagnosis with his eyebrows raised suspiciously. It did state a suspected genetic mutation, noting that Zhang Yaozu had developed something similar to a uterus, with a foetus inside.

Zhang Yaozu pointed an accusing finger at Master Bao, the veins in his forehead bulging with rage. “Sir, I’ve checked! The ‘gender-swap pill’ he sells causes people to give birth to something neither male nor female. He has the ability to alter genes. My condition must be his doing! You have to arrest him right away!”

Mater Bao showed no signs of giving in. He held his head high, “Normally, shouldn’t you find the one responsible for getting you pregnant? Are you going to tell us the child you’re carrying is mine—”

“You shut up!” Zhang Yaozu bellowed. His face was flushed with embarrassment. Master Bao’s denials were such an insult to him.

“How funny it is. This has nothing to do with me anyway.” Master Bao rose from his seat and headed toward the door.

“You’re not going anywhere!” Zhang Yaozu pounced on Master Bao, grabbing him by the neck. In an instant, the two were locked in a fierce struggle.

“Hey, calm down!” The officer intervened.

An hour later, Zhang Yaozu’s wife arrived. Without a word, she yanked him by the ear. “Fighting in a police station? Are you mad? Have you thought about the kids’ future? They have civil service exams to take!”²

The officer cleared his throat. The wife, suddenly realising it was not the proper way to handle the case, released her husband’s ear. “Zhou Nian-nan, you’re Zhang Yaozu’s wife, aren’t you?” She nodded.

“Your husband is accusing this man of selling problematic medicine, which made him pregnant. Is that true?” Zhou Nian-nan nodded, then shook her head. “What’s going on?” The officer questioned.

Zhou Nian-nan explained, “Yes, he is pregnant, but it probably has nothing to do with the medicine.”

Master Bao slapped his thigh. “Told you!”

The officer was curious, “How do you know?”

Zhou Nian-nan replied, “Haven’t you seen the latest news today? It’s said quite a lot of men are being found pregnant. They suspect it’s due to a mutation caused by viral infection. The doctor reached out to us for some tests to see if it’s … what’s the term again?”

She paused, trying to recall the name. At that moment, a message popped up on Zhang Yaozu’s phone. He unlocked it to read: “Men suspected of developing the ability to become pregnant, scientists uncover the cause … ”

Zhou Nian-nan continued, “Ah, yes. It’s called the seahorse virus.”

Chapter Two

Diagnosis: Seahorse Virus Infection.

While reading those words, Zhang Yaozu felt his legs giving way beneath him. He almost collapsed onto the floor, only to be caught just in time by Zhou Nian-nan. He leaned against her like a limp koala bear hanging onto a sturdy tree trunk.

According to the information, the seahorse virus had the potential to mutate the human reproductive system, causing male humans to develop a brood pouch similar to that of male seahorses. That was how the virus got its name.

“I am not going to have a baby.” Zhang Yaozu’s lips trembled as he repeatedly muttered the same words.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t been around childbirth before. When his wife had their first child, their relationship was intimate. In his desire to be a good husband, he ignored his parents’ objections and stayed by her side. But in the end, his heart was shattered by fear.

He was just an ordinary man—he didn’t even have a birth canal. Asking him to have a baby was no different from asking for his life.

The female doctor seemed utterly unsurprised. She adjusted her glasses and spoke to Zhang Yaozu and his wife in an emotionless voice, “Have you thought this through? If you do decide to have the baby, our hospital offers healthcare services from prenatal checks to delivery—free of charge. The only condition is that you authorise us to use your pregnancy-related data for research purposes. If you prefer not to continue with the pregnancy, that’s totally fine. You can have the pouch removed, which ensures you’ll never conceive again.”

Without a second thought, Zhang Yaozu blurted out, “I want that thing removed!”

The doctor clicked on the screen and pulled up a form. “Alright, then. Go for an ultrasound first. If everything comes back clear, we’ll schedule the surgery.”

Zhou Nian-nan guided the dazed Zhang Yaozu to the ultrasound room. As he slowly came to his senses, he looked up, and the brightly lit sign before his eyes made even a tough man like him want to cry. It read: “Gynecology”.

Zhou Nian-nan tugged the edge of her sleeve and wiped away his tears with a look of distaste. “Just deal with it.”

As Zhang Yaozu went inside for the ultrasound scan, she found a chair and sat down to call her mother-in-law, updating her on the day’s events.

“Free? Is he out of his mind? Free childbirth, and he still won’t do it?” Her mother-in-law had always been good at picking out the key points, and possessed a really sharp eye for everything involving money.

“Uh, he’s still in the ultrasound room. He hasn’t scheduled the surgery yet. Do you want to talk to Dad about it?” Zhou Nian-nan was referring to her father-in-law, who was not much involved in family matters. His favourite pastime was playing Chinese chess with the neighbours, and he only offered advice when he remembered.

“Of course not. What does he know? Listen, when Yaozu comes out, just tell him to go ahead with it. What if it’s a son? More children, more blessings!”

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Nian-nan felt a bit uneasy. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to convince him. After all, whenever a fingertip-sized cockroach appeared in the house, he would scream and beg her to handle it. And if both of them caught the flu, she was the one who had to get out of bed with a 40°C fever to cook for their kids, while he could barely muster the energy to be of any help. If she asked him to have the baby, he’d certainly piss his pants.

Soon, Zhang Yaozu came out, seemingly elated.

“I am going to have the baby,” he said with conviction.

Zhou Nian-nan’s eyes widened upon hearing that. “What did the doctor do to you?”

*

In fact, nothing much had happened. The doctor had simply complimented his pouch, saying that it looked great and that the fetus was perfectly healthy.

Inside the room, when Zhang Yaozu saw the blurry image of his baby on the ultrasound screen, a rush of overwhelming love had swept over him. Then, a thought occurred to him. He cautiously asked the doctor whether it was a boy or a girl.

“I mean, it’s against the rules to tell a pregnant woman, but not a pregnant man,” he persuaded the doctor.

Now, filled with excitement, Zhang Yaozu hugged Zhou Nian-nan tightly. He radiated joy from head to toe, like a child receiving a favourite gift.

“Honey, we’re having a son! I’m carrying a boy!”

Zhou Nian-nan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Zhang Yaozu, too, laughed heartily.

He was still fertile, though in ways he’d never ever expected.

He set aside his worries about the difficulty of having a baby for the moment. He believed that modern medical technology had enabled painless childbirth. At worst, he would have a C-section. It should be easy enough.

On their way out of the hospital, the couple happened to see a group of doctors rushing in. They were urgently pushing a bed on which lay a severely injured person, the white sheets already stained through with blood. Zhang Yaozu was so frightened that he hid behind his wife.

From a conversation nearby, they learned that a tall, muscular twelve-year-old boy had attacked a girl with a knife. She was left in a critical condition and her survival was uncertain.

Zhou Nian-nan’s expression turned heavy. “There seem to be a lot of cases like this involving young boys lately.”

Zhang Yaozu shook his head. “You must be mistaken. I haven’t heard anything about that. Don’t worry, our son will never do anything bad.”

Chapter Three

“As the one chosen to carry on the family line, now men can have children too—what a blessing from heaven!”

“Having children is a sacred responsibility, and now everyone has the chance to be great.”

Zhang Yaozu lay in bed, happily scrolling through short videos. Since he was carrying a son, he was hailed as the family’s hero. Naturally, he convinced his father to buy him a new phone. There was no way he could afford one on his own. Zhang Yaozu’s parents bore most of the expenses for his two daughters, and his wife Zhou Nian-nan was a full-time housewife. It was good enough that Zhang Yaozu’s income could cover the family’s subsistence and the mortgage.

The news that men could now get pregnant had spread like wildfire, and had been trending on social media for a whole week. People had to accept this new reality.

According to the news, the seahorse virus couldn’t be detected during its incubation period; it could only be diagnosed once pregnancy symptoms appeared.  But by then, it would be too late. Fortunately, the virus didn’t directly threaten human lives. It only altered the reproductive system.

“I suspect this virus is a biochemical weapon from an enemy country, and their aim is to strip our men of their masculinity,” Zhang Xiao remarked. It still upset him that Zhang Yaozu decided to have the baby without consulting him. Even though he would have ultimately supported the decision had he been asked, he just couldn’t help but bemoan the virus that was causing his son to suffer.

 “Stop with the conspiracy theories, Dad,” replied Zhang Yaozu, “Men in other countries are having children too now.” Noticing his father’s continued worry, he rolled up his sleeves to show his well-toned biceps and reassured him, “It’s alright, see? I’m doing fine! There’s a boy in my belly. A son, born from a man like me, must be the most masculine.”

Zhang Xiao snorted, “If it were up to me, you’d have waited. Experts worldwide are working to find a cure for this disease. Why rush into it?”

Zhang Yaozu became serious. “Dad, time waits for no one. I can’t afford to miss the ideal childbearing age.”

*

The seahorse virus, of course, had triggered widespread panic, leaving men feeling insecure. For couples who tied the knot, both parties now faced a 50% chance of getting pregnant. Pregnancy had become a sword of Damocles hanging over every man’s head.

Some men, unsure whether they had been infected or not, wore gas masks all day as a precaution. Others, including those who were once accustomed to a promiscuous lifestyle, completely avoided being in contact with women. Some found themselves pregnant and insisted that the hospital was to blame, causing chaos and making headlines when taken away by the authorities. But many more chose to remove their pouches upon discovery, hoping to prevent any future complications.

As for Zhang Yaozu, he was among the bravest. He remembered a wise quote. What was it? “There is only one true heroism in the world: to see the world as it is and to love it.” Quite right. That was exactly what he would do.

He turned over in bed—the most significant movement of his day—and then began scrolling through the next short video, grinning idiotically.

“Move over. The sheets need changing,” Zhou Nian-nan said as she walked in.

Zhang Yaozu refused to budge. He muttered, “I need to stay in bed to protect myself and the baby.”

Without missing a beat, Zhou Nian-nan started pulling the sheets out from underneath him. As the sheets were tugged, he shifted a few inches toward the edge of the bed, then twisted back to the centre, his thighs brushing against the faded talisman on the wall. A greasy, body-shaped imprint had formed on the sheets, around the spot where he frequently lay.

She gathered the sheets and went back to pick up the empty bag of chips he had left on the bedside table. Zhang Yaozu felt a sudden wave of discomfort. Noticing his uneasy expression, Zhou Nian-nan immediately brought the bag to his mouth. As the smell of the bag’s remnants assailed his nostrils, he vomited all at once.

“I told you it’s pointless to eat it,” Zhou Nian-nan looked at him helplessly.

Zhang Yaozu hadn’t felt like eating lately, so his family had bought him his favourite snacks. But even though they succeeded in arousing his appetite, he would end up vomiting without fail.

“Can you tell me again? How many months does this morning sickness last?” His face was full of misery.

Zhou Nian-nan responded patiently, “It usually starts to ease up between 16 and 20 weeks. You’re about 15 weeks now, so it won’t be much longer. I’ll make you some dried tangerine peel and ginger tea. It should help you feel better.”

While she was busy in the kitchen, the sudden appearance of a head beside her neck made her start. It was Zhang Yaozu wrapping his arms around her from behind and nuzzling her with his head.

The corners of Zhou Nian-nan’s mouth turned up in a big smile. “What are you doing?” He rarely acted this way.

“I didn’t realise pregnancy would be this uncomfortable. You’ve had two kids, darling … you’re amazing.” His voice was thick with affection. “And you’re so thoughtful when taking care of me … I love you so much.”

His sweet words made Zhou Nian-nan feel warm, as if her heart was filled with honey. But just as quickly, that sweetness turned a little too artificial. Wherever he went, Zhang Yaozu followed. He held on tightly to her waist, even when she was about to bend down to mop the floor. She finally lost patience and elbowed his chest.

“Stop getting in the way, you idiot. Drink your tea, and if you can manage it, go peel some potatoes for dinner,” she ordered.

Zhang Yaozu was taken aback by her scolding. He argued, “I was just expressing my love for you … ”

“Will love pay the mortgage? Don’t I still have to do all the housework?” She shot him a glare before continuing to mop the floor.

Feeling bored, Zhang Yaozu sluggishly made his way back to the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of tangerine peel tea. He felt much better after drinking it. He then rummaged through the plastic bag for the potatoes and began peeling them. Once the task was done, he collapsed onto the sofa and resumed fiddling with his mobile phone.

Having just finished mopping the floor, Zhou Nian-nan was about to prepare dinner when she noticed the potato peels carelessly tossed into the sink, not the trash can. Her frustration flared. “Zhang Yaozu, come here!”

Zhang Yaozu walked over begrudgingly and received a scolding. He picked up the potato peels one by one, threw them into the trash, and then lazily returned to the sofa.

After what felt like an eternity, the family finally sat down to eat dinner. Zhou Nian-nan’s cooking was always delicious: blanched shrimp, fried zucchini with pig liver, shredded potatoes with pork, loofah with eggs, stir-fried crown daisy, and tomato-and-tofu soup—all the dishes were perfectly cooked.

“Yaozu is carrying a baby. You should cook something light and nutritious.” Mei Di opened her mouth.

Zhou Nian-nan, peeling shrimps for her two daughters, casually replied, “These are light and nutritious. I cooked the same things for myself when I was pregnant. Don’t you remember?”

Mei Di chewed a piece of meat and commented, “This is a little too salty. Yaozu, don’t eat it.” She then picked up a piece of pig liver and offered it to her son. “This is nutritious. Eat more of it. Mom will make you some corn, yam, and pork rib soup tomorrow.”

Zhou Nian-nan held up a peeled shrimp, and in an overly playful tone, said to the girls, “Come on, babies, shrimp is really good for you. Mommy will feed each of you one, okay? Pan’er, ah; Wang’er, ah.”

Mei Di’s face stiffened, a hint of displeasure showing. Zhang Yaozu knew that his mother was far more sensitive than his wife, and she’d been quietly upset for a while. He tugged at her sleeve with a mischievous grin, “Mom, how about peeling one for me too? After all, I’m the one carrying the important family responsibility now.”

Mei Di peeled the shrimp slowly, as if weighing something in her mind. After a moment, she finally spoke. “Nan, Yaozu is going to start his maternity leave in a few months. It’s not ideal for you to stay at home all the time. Why don’t you find a job? The two girls are in elementary school now, and I can do the school runs—it’s less bother.”

Zhou Nian-nan looked conflicted. “But I haven’t worked in ten years. I’m afraid I’m out of touch with the world now. Will I even be able to find a job?”

Chapter Four

Zhou Nian-nan had always been an average student growing up, and her parents paid little attention to her. She had attended a second-tier university, and after graduation, she had found a job as an AI trainer.

At the time, it had been a booming industry. She had earned a decent income, most of which she had given to her younger brother to pay off the mortgage. Later, she married Zhang Yaozu. She didn’t transfer the hundred thousand yuan bride price to her parents, which became a topic of gossip in the village for ten years. Only her brother stood by her. Then, just after giving birth to her first daughter, a major breakthrough in AI research had led to her losing her job. From that point on, she became a full-time housewife.

Now, when she was considering re-entering the workforce, she honestly didn’t know what else she could do. So, she turned to her brother, Zhou Niangen—or Gen for short—for help. Gen had done well for himself—graduating from a top-tier university and landing a job at a major company. True to his word, he helped her find a new job in no time at all.

“Children’s companion? How is that any different from being a housewife?” she asked curiously.

“It’s very popular now,” Gen responded, his face flushing slightly. “A friend of mine … well, a friend of a friend is hiring. It’s basically like a live-in nanny, but a lot more relaxed than being a full-time housekeeper.”

*

The next day, Zhou Nian-nan took a two-hour journey to her prospective employer’s home for the interview. It was her first time seeing such a massive flat—an entire floor dedicated to just one household, and there was more than one room for the nannies.

“It involves looking after the kids, from waking them up in the morning to putting them to bed at night. I also need to drop them off and pick them up from school and extracurricular activities. In the evening, I help them with their homework,” Zhou Nian-nan explained eagerly to Zhang Yaozu about her new job as she packed her things.

Zhang Yaozu burst into laughter. “What kind of job is that? It sounds no different from what you do at home.”

“Thirty thousand yuan a month, and no cooking required,” Zhou Nian-nan’s eyes lit up. As long as she didn’t make any mistakes, this job could last for years, and it was unlikely to be replaced by AI.

Zhang Yaozu paused. The salary was much higher than his. Without thinking, he asked, “But if you’re only home one day a week, who’s going to tutor our daughters for their homework?” He didn’t realise there was a trace of jealousy in his voice.

Zhou Nian-nan shot him a pointed look, as though he had just said something ridiculous. “Of course it’s you. When I was helping Pan’er with her homework, you always complained about my temper, right? Well, now I’ll be busy making other kids happy, so it’s your turn to attend to your own.”

Zhang Yaozu rubbed his bulging belly. As he thought of how he’d gained twenty pounds in the past few months, he sighed gloomily. “I’ve already given so much for our son and now, I still have to work. Sitting at the bank counter all day is exhausting too, and I’m often dealing with difficult customers … ”

Zhou Nian-nan tapped his head with a finger. “What good is your salary? If raising a son didn’t cost anything, your mom wouldn’t have urged me to find a job.”

Zhang Yaozu grimaced. “Bah, your job looks too perfect. There’s no such thing as an easy job like that. Don’t get fooled … Ow, ow, ow, darling, stop pulling my ear.”

*

The next morning, Zhang Yaozu saw his wife off with red-rimmed eyes. From now on, they were starting a new chapter in their lives. He was reluctant to let her go, and he held her and cried for a while—until he accidentally smeared his nose on her clothes and she pushed him away.

After sending Zhou Nian-nan off, Zhang Yaozu took the metro to work. His belly was more noticeable in a suit, but he tried to reassure himself that it just looked like a beer belly. Ever since the news had spread that men could get pregnant, people would stare at his round belly and whisper wherever he went, making him feel self-conscious. He had originally planned to drive to work, but Mei Di said the car was needed to pick up the two girls, so he had to abandon that idea.

He boarded the metro early enough to grab a seat. Just as he was about to close his eyes and rest for a few minutes, a man squeezed in beside him. The man casually spread his legs and their thighs were soon pressed together.

On the other side of the man, a young woman was playing a video on her phone. “What kind of men are most likely to get pregnant?” the video began, “First, men who like to lift their shirts in summer and show off their bellies—this indicates physical weakness, which suppresses sperm production. Second, men who sit with their legs spread wide—this suggests a subconscious desire to have children, which triggers the brain to release hormones that activate the pouch … ”

As the video played on, the man gradually shifted his legs until they closed together. Zhang Yaozu, reflecting, realised that he had actually displayed some of these symptoms before pregnancy. He felt a pang of regret.

Wide awake now, he pulled out his phone and started reading the news. In some remote area, a man had purchased a foreign bride, only for him to get pregnant, and the bride had eventually run off. The story had gone viral, with netizens arguing heatedly. Some accused the man of trafficking, while others blamed the woman for being irresponsible. Zhang Yaozu was so absorbed in the drama that he almost missed his stop.

Zhang Yaozu headed straight to the toilet when he arrived at the bank. He had already gotten through the worst of his morning sickness and he hoped things would improve. But recently, he found himself needing to pee more and more urgently. As a teller, however, he had to report whenever he needed to use the restroom. Unable to find a colleague to cover for him, he had had no choice but to hold it in, which meant cutting back on his water intake during work. Pregnancy had turned out to be much more difficult than he had anticipated.

Sitting behind the counter all day meant he frequently encountered some rather unusual customers.

“Morning, sir. What can I help you with today?”

“Deposit.”

There was then a pause, and the two locked eyes in speechless dismay through the glass.

Zhang Yaozu asked, “Do you have cash with you? I can help you count it.”

“I didn’t bring it.”

“What?! How can I help you deposit money if you don’t have any with you?” Zhang Yaozu replied, flabbergasted.

“I forgot. Just deposit it for me first and I’ll bring the money over afterwards.”

He tried explaining patiently to the customer that he couldn’t do that, but the man started shouting, “I have a complaint to make!” Zhang Yaozu was both frustrated and anxious, and he couldn’t help but feel that his bladder was about to explode.

The customer made such a scene that the manager had to step in and calm him down. As soon as Zhang Yaozu was called out, he rushed to the toilet, then returned to apologise to the customer. The elderly man eyed his protruding belly suspiciously, “No wonder you’re behaving in a womanish way. Oh well, it’s a sissy pregnant man.”

Zhang Yaozu’s body trembled with anger but he held his tongue, fearful that upsetting the customer might result in a fine.

After the customer left, the manager gave Zhang Yaozu a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “I know things aren’t easy for you. If it’s too much, you may as well apply for maternity leave. Anyway, you’re always taking time off for check-ups. It’s almost the same as not being here.”

Zhang Yaozu forced a smile. “It’s still early, really. I’m fine.” In fact, he was completely drained of energy. But after so many years working as a teller, he was shooting for a promotion to branch manager and didn’t want to miss that opportunity just because of his pregnancy.

Chapter Five

Zhang Yaozu went back home with overwhelming pent-up anger. After dinner, he put on a stern face, and told Pan’er and Wang’er to turn off the cartoons and start their homework.

“Where’s Mom? I want Mom here,” Pan’er whined.

“I’m not doing homework. I wanna watch cartoons first!” Wang’er protested.

Pregnant and unable to lift heavy weights, Zhang Yaozu fought the urge to just grab the girls and march them to the desk. He instead patiently reasoned with them and eventually settled the two girls in front of their homework.

Helping them with assignments—how hard could it be? Wasn’t it just a matter of watching them write? Zhang Yaozu put on his headphones, sat behind the kids, and began scrolling through short videos.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind: now that men could get pregnant, would that mean they could also have periods? A few days ago, he saw a lot of men online campaigning for tax exemptions on sanitary pads.

But today, an expert dispelled the rumour: since men don’t ovulate, they can’t have periods. It was speculated that after childbirth, their pouches would likely go dormant again. In the comments section, somebody mentioned the pads, but was instantly followed by another, “That’s a woman’s thing, too shameful for public discussion.” Zhang Yaozu liked the comment.

He let out a relieved sigh. It seemed that being pregnant wouldn’t turn him into a woman. Once the baby was born, he’d still be the same man, and the Zhang family would have a successor. Perfect.

As he continued scrolling, he came across posts titled “Stop Pregnancy Belly Shame” and “Say No to the Stigmatisation of Pregnant Husbands”. In one of them, a group of men were dancing topless to the tune of catchy background music, proudly showing off the colourful graffiti painted across their swollen bellies. Zhang Yaozu sat in his chair, unknowingly swaying his own waist to the rhythm. These men were even talking about starting a “pouch challenge” to see whose belly was bigger and more masculine. Interesting.

He checked the time. It’d already been an hour, but the two girls still hadn’t finished their homework. Why was that? He leaned in for a closer look. Pan’er was doodling on a piece of scrap paper, while Wang’er had bitten most of her nails down to the quick.

Zhang Yaozu flew into a rage, “What the hell are you waiting for? Hurry up and finish your homework!”

Pan’er pointed to a problem in her workbook and said, “Dad, I don’t know how to do this one.”

Zhang Yaozu glanced over and saw that the whole page was still untouched. “Why didn’t you ask me for help, or skip it and move on to the other questions?”

“I called you, but you didn’t answer.” Pan’er pouted.

Awkwardly, Zhang Yaozu looked at the problem. “Isn’t this the famous ‘chickens and rabbits in a cage’ problem?”

He took the pencil and started calculating, but soon paused to get out his phone and search for an AI teaching video. He continued, “Look, if all the chickens and rabbits lift up two legs, the number of remaining legs on the ground divided by two is the number of rabbits.”

Pan’er looked at him in confusion.

“Isn’t that quite clear? What don’t you understand?” Zhang Yaozu looked at Pan’er, just as confused as her. Waiting for her to answer, he stopped Wang’er from sticking her finger back into her mouth.

Pan’er hesitated, then softly asked, “Why do the rabbits lift two legs and still have legs left?”

“Aren’t rabbits supposed to have four legs?” Zhang Yaozu didn’t quite catch her question.

Pan’er pointed to a stuffed rabbit toy on the bedside table. “But my Xiao Dai has two hands and two legs.”

Zhang Yaozu showed her a picture of an actual rabbit. “This problem is about a real rabbit, which has four legs.”

“But the problem doesn’t say … ”

“Enough! Just do it the way I told you!” Zhang Yaozu’s patience finally ran out. Even though the AI on the phone provided a scientific explanation, it couldn’t replace his role in teaching her about the world.

Pan’er started crying, “I want Mom!”

Zhang Yaozu, unwilling to indulge her, didn’t offer any comfort. As he turned to Wang’er’s homework, he saw that her pinyin³ task was a complete mess. In annoyance, he threw down the pencil. Wang’er burst into tears too.

Mei Di heard the commotion and hurried over to see what was going on. Pan’er cried out, “Dad doesn’t let me talk, and he’s going nuts!”

“Ah!” Zhang Yaozu felt a sharp pain in his stomach, as if the anger had attacked him from the inside. He clutched the table and sat down, noticing his belly bulging on the left side, then retracting, only for the right side to swell up. “Mom, it hurts!” he screamed in panic.

“That’s just the baby moving, it’s fine.” Mei Di was holding two granddaughters in her arms to calm them down. Then she turned to Zhang Yaozu, continuing, “Baby movements are normal. Our little darling is energetic. It’s a good thing. Just bear with it.”

Tears flooded Zhang Yaozu’s eyes. “Mom, I feel so miserable,” he cried, “please let me rest.”

“Alright, alright, go lie down on the bed. I’ll watch the girls do their homework.” Mei Di compromised. “Stop crying, okay? Being upset is bad for the baby.”

“Why are you all caring only about the baby? Is the baby more important than me?” Zhang Yaozu wailed, his sobs even more heart-wrenching than those of the two girls earlier.

*

After a long, tough week, the day Zhang Yaozu had been looking forward to came at long last. His wife returned home for the weekend. He was so excited that he pre-ordered dishes, specifically asking for her soy sauce braised pork ribs. As he expected, Zhou Nian-nan bought the ingredients and started cooking once she arrived home. She told him that she passed her probation and would be working long-term. Zhang Yaozu’s happiness suddenly faded.

After all, they had been together with each other for more than a decade, from their college years to the day they said their wedding vows, till now. He had grown accustomed to the life he once dreamed of. Every morning before work, she’d help him tie his tie, and in the evening, he’d come home for the hot meals she’d prepare. After a tough day at work, there would always be a warmly-lit home awaiting his return. However, the past week without her had overwhelmed him with the many tiring, mundane chores around the house.

Zhou Nian-nan didn’t notice his mood and continued chatting about her experiences at her employer’s house. “The child needs her clothes prepared for her before she gets up. Wealthy people really know how to live. Before breakfast, they even have her take health supplements. I looked it up, one bottle costs over a thousand yuan … ”

Zhang Yaozu leaned against the kitchen door, uninterested in listening to her. His eyes were glued to his phone, where he had just come across an explosive trending topic. He emitted a sudden screech, causing Zhou Nian-nan to nearly knock the pot over in surprise.

With trembling hands, he pushed his phone towards her.

The headline read: “A man died during childbirth.”

Chapter Six

“I’m not going to have a baby!”

By the time Zhou Nian-nan helped Zhang Yaozu sit down on the sofa, his face was already streaked with tears and he had a runny nose.

“What happened, my dear boy?” Mei Di rushed in from another room upon hearing the commotion.

Zhou Nian-nan wiped her husband’s face with a tissue, but he kept only sobbing, unable to say a word. She had no choice but to explain to her mother-in-law that he was shaken by the news of a man dying during childbirth.

Mei Di immediately pulled him into her arms as if he were a little baby. “There, there. That’s an extremely rare situation. It won’t happen to us, okay?”

Zhang Yaozu took a few shaky breaths, and finally managed to whisper, “I’m not going to have a baby anymore.”

Mei Di gently loosened her grip on him and took the tissue to help him wipe his tears. “How can you say that? The whole family is excited for this little boy. Your father’s already picked out a few names for him. Don’t you want a son too?”

Zhang Yaozu’s nose twitched and tears started to trickle down his cheeks again. “But I saw it online,” he mumbled between sniffling and wiping his nose, “childbirth is so painful, and it can even kill you.” He lowered his shirt, revealing his round belly, which was covered in dark, reddish-purple stretch marks. “How did I end up like this?”

Upon a closer look, his belly button was almost protruding. According to doctors, that area connected to the pouch and acted as the passage for the foetus during delivery. But it was not as strong as the birth canal and could easily tear, so the risks were incredibly high for men attempting natural childbirth.

“This tiny belly button has to stretch ten times its size—it’ll be like tearing my skin open. I already have frequent and urgent urination, and I heard that after giving birth, I might have incontinence. Mom, I don’t want this. I’m just an ordinary man. Men aren’t meant to have babies. I’m not going to do it anymore … ” Zhang Yaozu leaned into Mei Di’s arms, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

Mei Di was full of sympathy for her dear son, yet she didn’t know what to say. She gently patted his back and didn’t realize when her husband, Zhang Xiao, returned home. The scene before him and the last few words that he had managed to overhear from Zhang Yaozu made him stamp with rage. He barked, “Nonsense! What’s there to be afraid of? You’re a grown man! Just ignore the things you read online. No more crying!”

Displeased, Mei Di retorted, “You’ve never given birth. What do you know about it?”

Zhang Xiao lowered his voice to reason with her. “You’re right, I haven’t had a baby. But it doesn’t mean I can’t understand. The government is encouraging everyone to have children. All you care about is your small family, but do you even see how the birth rate is dropping worldwide? Everyone has a responsibility to have children!”

Because it looked like they were about to quarrel, Zhou Nian-nan quickly stepped in. “It’s normal for Yaozu to be worried. It’s okay. We can have a C-section, and I promise everything will be fine. As for stretch marks, I’m sure you’ll recover better than I did. After all, men’s bodies are evergreen.”

Zhou Nian-nan had also read a lot online about the debate over whether men were suited for childbirth. Some said men’s bodies weren’t designed for childbirth, while others argued that men’s muscular strength would actually make childbirth easier. Zhou Nian-nan wasn’t an expert, so she was only repeating a comment she had seen.

Zhang Xiao agreed, “Absolutely. A man in his forties is a flower in bloom. Look at me—at sixty, I don’t look much different than I did at forty. You’ll be fine. No more crying, it’s not good for the baby.”

*

Zhang Yaozu had been so struck by fear in the day, but by the time evening came and things calmed down, he finally had time to think. He nudged Zhou Nian-nan, who had just closed her eyes. “Earlier, when you said that men’s bodies are evergreen, were you comforting me, or actually mocking me?”

Zhou Nian-nan, eyes still closed, lazily replied, “Don’t overthink it. Just focus on taking care of the baby at home.”

Zhang Yaozu moved closer to her, pouting. He inhaled the sweet scent of his wife and purred, “Darling, do you know how much I love you? I must have been too reluctant to see you suffer being pregnant, so I’m carrying the baby for you instead.”

Zhou Nian-nan had her back towards him. She said casually, “Bullshit! You’re the one who wants a son. I’m not that keen on having a third child.”

“You don’t want this son? Then I’ll go get an abortion,” Zhang Yaozu grumbled with an air of annoyance. The moment those words left his mouth, he unexpectedly felt that he was acting like a woman.

Zhou Nian-nan turned over and softly reassured him, “It’s already seven months along. An abortion would cause more harm than giving birth. Just hang in there a little longer, liberation is almost here.” Zhang Yaozu, about to bravely assert that he would be a warrior for the both of them, was cut off when she added, “And an abortion won’t change anything. You might end up pregnant again the next time.”

The smile that had started to form on Zhang Yaozu’s face vanished. Zhou Nian-nan could tell he was upset, so she reached out and wrapped her arms around him in comfort.

He gently cupped her face in his hands.

“We’ve been married so long, what’s all this?” she teased.

“I haven’t seen you in a while. I miss you,” he murmured.

*

Trying and failing to revive his masculinity, Zhang Yaozu clutched his pillow and sobbed out, “I’m not a man anymore…”

Zhou Nian-nan, too exhausted to continue, switched off the bedside lamp and immediately fell asleep. Before drifting off, she vaguely remembered offering some comforting words, “You’ll bounce back after giving birth … men really are young forever … ”

Zhang Yaozu searched online and discovered that during a man’s pregnancy, progestin suppresses androgen, leaving him in a state of being neither fully male nor fully female. His sobs grew louder.

The next morning, as they were leaving home, Zhang Yaozu held his wife in a tight embrace at the bus station. Zhou Nian-nan patted his back and after some gentle coaxing, he finally let go.

His pregnant belly had become quite pronounced, so he had to wear an old, oversized hoodie his wife had once worn during her own pregnancy. Zhou Nian-nan, on the other hand, was heading to work in a sleek athletic outfit, her hair now cut short. Even in a world where it was no longer rare for men to carry pregnancies, the sight of them standing together caught not a few pair of eyes. The hushed murmurs of passers-by pricked the back of Zhang Yaozu’s mind like sharp needles, and he quickly pulled up his hoodie.

Zhou Nian-nan climbed onto the bus and waved at Zhang Yaozu through the window. A quiet, almost eerie sensation settled in her chest. Her past life—like the scenery and faces passing by outside the window—was slowly fading into the distance.

Chapter Seven

Zhou Nian-nan’s employer, Jiang Li, was the owner of a large publicly listed company. It was only after a few days of work that Zhou Nian-nan realised the household was maintained solely by a woman. The cleaning lady, Sister Zheng, told her that Jiang Li was divorced, and now lived with her mother and one daughter.

“How nice,” Zhou Nian-nan muttered to herself. If she were as wealthy as Jiang Li and didn’t have to squeeze with her in-laws, she would be ten times happier than she was now.

She had not been an astute person, ever since she was young. She never gave thought to anything. She had gotten married and had children almost by accident, and only then was she made aware how exhausting family matters could be. The fact that Zhang Yaozu wasn’t exactly the most responsible husband had forced her to become strong. But no matter how hard she tried, her in-laws always saw her as an outsider. Her strength was only a bluff, like a thatched roof floating in mid-air without any foundation.

However, when she realised she could earn money by doing household chores, her mindset changed.

*

Life in Jiang’s house was busy yet fulfilling. Zhou Nian-nan woke up at 7 a.m. every morning to prepare things for Jiang’s daughter, little Yue, then woke her up. Yue was only six years old but had her own sense of style and always insisted on picking her own clothes.

Breakfast was prepared by someone else and Zhou Nian-nan’s main responsibility was ensuring that Yue got enough nutrition, as the child often lost focus while eating. After breakfast, she drove her to school—the best private bilingual school in the city. When school ended, she met with the teachers to discuss Yue’s behaviour that day, determining what needed to be reported to Jiang Li.

The evenings were even busier. After dinner, Zhou Nian-nan accompanied Yue to various extracurricular classes, helped her with her homework, and then played educational games. Yue was very bright, but because of that, she needed constant feedback from adults. Zhou Nian-nan reminded herself that her efforts were well-compensated, so she gathered herself, and made it a point to remain cheerful and patient with Yue.

Sometimes, Yue refused to go to bed early or take the shower, and Zhou Nian-nan had to rack her brains to coax her to do so. Once, when Zhou Nian-nan had urged her to brush her teeth, she even spat out toothpaste foam onto the floor in a bad tantrum. Later, Zhou Nian-nan came up with a solution: she would always tell Yue a story before bed. Yue loved stories and the prospect of listening to one made her more eager to go to sleep.

Once Yue was finally asleep, Zhou Nian-nan wrote her daily report and sent it to Jiang Li’s email. Only then was her work for the day truly finished.

Jiang Li only spent Sundays with Yue. The rest of the week, she was consumed by work. So Saturdays were reserved for Zhou Nian-nan to take Yue to diverse activities, all of which had to be organised by her based on the girl’s mood and needs that day.

On one of those Saturday, they went to the zoo together. At the entrance, Yue spotted some baby rabbits for sale and wanted to buy one. Zhou Nian-nan’s assent made Yue ecstatic.

Seeing her joy, Zhou Nian-nan thought of her childhood visits to her granny’s house in the countryside. Granny had kept many rabbits and little Zhou Nian-nan had asked for one. She left the rabbit to roam freely in the yard, but it died a few days later, possibly from eating something it shouldn’t.

At the time, her mother had said, “Luckily, it was a male rabbit. Your granny knew you wouldn’t be able to care for it properly.” Zhou Nian-nan was puzzled, and her mother explained, “Because male rabbits can’t have babies.” Even now Zhou Nian-nan didn’t quite understand—weren’t boys considered more precious than girls? Why didn’t that apply to rabbits?

After some time, Zhou Nian-nan got along more smoothly with Yue. Yue started seeing her as a good friend, sharing with her stories about what happened at school, all of which were then included in Zhou Nian-nan’s daily reports. She only recorded them because she thought that Jiang Li should be aware of her daughter’s daily life. When taking care of her own kids, Pan’er and Wang’er, she had also enjoyed listening to their conversations. Unfortunately, with so many household errands to manage, she had never had time to jot down all their little moments.

Jiang Li was impressed by Zhou Nian-nan’s work and suggested promoting her, along with a raise. “Actually, my company is developing a caregiving robot and we really need someone like you to help with its training.”

Zhou Nian-nan hesitated. “But if the development succeeds, won’t I lose my job?”

Jiang Li shook her head with a smile. “Trust me, that won’t happen. You take such good care of Yue, and I can see you have strong adaptability and excellent organisational skills.” She continued, “Caregiving work is highly unpredictable and requires handling all sorts of unexpected situations. Machines can only imitate and assist humans, but they can’t fully replace us. Especially when it comes to childcare and parenting, it’s crucial to have real adults who can interact, communicate, and guide the child.

“Even men can get pregnant now. Everyone has the potential to become a ‘mother’. I believe caregiving robots are the future. Accordingly, there will be a huge demand for both human and machine-based maternal training. I’ve already sent the materials to your email. Promise me you’ll think it over carefully, alright?”

Chapter Eight

Zhou Nian-nan found herself increasingly dreading going back home.

At Jiang Li’s place, she was a respected employee. She earned a decent salary. Though the work came with its fair share of responsibilities, it was easier than what awaited her at home. In Zhang’s family, she was met with an endless stream of problems.

Zhang Yaozu had taken on an online challenge for showing parenting pouches. He wished to make money through this live broadcast, yet the stream was constantly flooded with hundreds of viewers mocking him for his appearance. Zhou Nian-nan knew how sensitive he was and just as expected, he either ran to her for comfort or clung to his mother, sobbing.

“Why do other people’s bellies look so perfect, while mine is so ugly?” He whined like a child.

Zhou Nian-nan sat through his complaint and patiently replied, “Because theirs are fake, probably AI-generated. Most people get stretch marks during pregnancy. Don’t mind them, okay?”

*

Later, Zhang Yaozu, accompanied by Zhang Xiao, went for a prenatal check-up. The doctor mentioned a major new discovery by researchers: the seahorse virus might actually have come from outer space. Recalling that Master Bao’s medicine contained meteorite powder, Zhang Yaozu got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt an urge to sue that charlatan again, but when he began to search for him, he only found that he had already been blocked by him and the physical store had also closed. Now, he turned his frustration on Zhou Nian-nan for boiling the medicine for him, scolding petulantly, “Why didn’t you stop me back then?”

Zhou Nian-nan’s patience was wearing thin. She responded half-heartedly, “Alright, alright, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.” Each word was spoken in a slow, lazy drawl.

The next time she got back home, Zhang Yaozu was throwing another tantrum. He complained about how heavy his belly felt and decided to start his maternity leave early. He also scheduled his Caesarean operation. Now, he spent his days at home, doing nothing but overthinking. He wondered aloud, “They say real men don’t get pregnant. Does that mean I’m not a man anymore?”

Zhou Nian-nan silently repeated to herself, “Pregnant men are emotionally unstable and need extra patience,” three times before reassuring him, “Of course you’re a man. Our son will be a man of men.”

Realising the unintended pun in her words, she almost laughed. But that laugh set Zhang Yaozu off.

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Don’t overthink it.”

“You’ve been out messing around, haven’t you? You don’t care about me anymore!”

“What nonsense are you talking about? I’m the one who’s working hard to support this family! All your maternity supplies and the baby essentials—who do you think is earning money for it?” If it were in the past, Zhou Nian-nan would never have spoken with such confidence.

Zhang Yaozu fell speechless. His sudden silence alarmed Zhou Nian-nan. She sensed that something was amiss with him—that he wasn’t simply angry—and looked at the person lying in bed. He was curled up, clutching his stomach, and his face was pale. Fortunately, Zhou Nian-nan stayed calm. She quickly dialled for emergency help.

*

Zhang Yaozu had to have his C-section ahead of schedule. Why did no one tell him it would be done under partial anaesthesia? He expected the baby to be born after a quick nap, but instead, while he lay there on the operating table, he could clearly sense his abdomen being sliced open layer by layer.

A warm, soft mass was taken out, and his abdominal cavity felt cold. His mind kept replaying news stories of childbirth complications and he was so scared that his body was stiff with fear.

When the nurse held the baby up to his face, asking him to announce the gender, Zhang Yaozu weakly murmured, “It’s a boy.”

It was a boy! Finally, everything was complete. The Zhang family line would carry on. But he had suffered all too much. He never wanted to go through anything like it again.

Zhang Xiao and Mei Di were grinning from ear to ear, busy admiring their new-born grandson. Zhang Yaozu lay in bed, feeling the pain grow in his stomach as the effects of anaesthesia wore off. He tried to say something but lacked the strength.

Thankfully, Zhou Nian-nan cared for him. She started pouring him a glass of water, but then suddenly stopped the movement, saying, “You need to lie flat for six hours before you can drink. You still need to wait a little longer.”

Zhang Yaozu wanted to protest, but the pain made him furrow his brows. He took several deep breaths.

“Sweetie, your son needs someone to look after him,” Mei Di advised her daughter-in-law. “Do you think you could take a few more days off? Maybe come back three or five days a week? It’s fine even if you only take half your salary for now.”

Zhou Nian-nan flatly refused, “That’s not going to happen. If I take that much time off, my boss will fire me. Then who’s going to earn money for the baby when I lose my job?”

Zhang Xiao nodded, “I agree. Our pension isn’t enough to support the three kids. Nan’s job will help buy a house and ensure a wife for our grandson in the future. See, thirty thousand yuan a month, that’s three hundred and sixty thousand yuan a year, and in eighteen years … Well, that’ll be enough for a big house!”

While waiting outside the delivery room, Zhang Xiao came across a short video mentioning that a vaccine for the seahorse virus was about to enter clinical trials. He believed his son was simply “temporarily carrying the pregnancy” for his wife. He was certain that when his grandson grew up, the world would return to how it used to be. That was how it should be—men carrying pregnancies was absurd. For men, getting married and making their wives have the babies was the rightful path.

*

Zhang Yaozu found his postpartum confinement incredibly uncomfortable. No one warned him that his breasts would go through changes and that he’d have to breastfeed the baby too. However hard he tried, he couldn’t get the position right. He had very sore nipples as the baby failed to latch on properly every time. Breast engorgement and clogged milk ducts took their turns tormenting him.

He cried and begged his parents to buy formula for the baby, but they insisted that breastmilk was the ideal food for the infant. Neither of them cared about the fact that his C-section wound still hadn’t healed.

“Am I even your own son?!” Zhang Yaozu broke down. After having the baby, he felt like he wasn’t even human anymore, but just an empty vessel.

Mei Di hugged him sympathetically, but said, “Of course you’re our dearest son, but your son is very dear to us too. Why are you arguing over this? Every woman goes through it, and you’re a strong man, you’ll get through it too.”

He thought to himself, “Oh, when it’s convenient, they claim I’m ‘a strong man’. Then why does everyone online mock pregnant men like me? There, we’re accused of being effeminate and lowering the bar for men, but when it comes to actually having babies, we’re lauded as heroes.” Zhang Yaozu didn’t believe a single word of praise anymore.

The next time he saw Zhou Nian-nan, he brought up his refusal to breastfeed once again. “You say you’re earning money for the baby, so why don’t you just buy it formula?”

Zhou Nian-nan had worked six days straight and was exhausted when she got home. She had no desire to talk and hearing him complain only irritated her. Struggling to control her emotions, she replied, “From the prenatal check-ups to the C-section, to all the baby supplies—didn’t I pay for everything? I’d like to buy the formula, but your parents won’t let me.”

“I don’t care. I want the formula now. You buy it.”

“Fine, you choose the item and I’ll place the order.”

In annoyance, Zhang Yaozu decided to pick the formula by himself. But he quickly realised it wasn’t as simple as he thought it would be. Should he choose a domestic or imported brand? Which milk source was better? What ingredients should be prioritised? Beyond the basic formula, there were countless additional nutrients to consider. And what about additives to avoid? Why did every brand have so many bad reviews? He tried to use AI to make a summary, but it also presented him with a long, perplexing list. And to top it all off, why were there ads mixed in with the AI suggestions?

After hours of frustration and still without a clear choice, he finally acquiesced and turned to Zhou Nian-nan for help. He cozied up to her and said, “Please help me choose one, okay? I’m sorry about just now. You’re the best!”

Zhou Nian-nan would have none of it and replied seriously, “You know, this is ‘invisible housework’.” She had learned the concept from materials that Jiang Li had given her. It was something she had always felt, but never possessed the right words to describe.She went on to say, “You don’t realise how much easier you have it compared to when I was pregnant. All you have to do now is feed the baby. That’s it. Even the diapers are changed by your mom. But when I was pregnant, I had to buy everything for the baby and change her diapers by myself every two hours.”

Zhang Yaozu felt unfairly criticised. “Look at you, what do I know? I’m just an ordinary man. Of course I’m not as meticulous as you women.” In his mind, Zhou Nian-nan was still the obedient wife who never complained. Where had she gotten to know about all these theories?

Zhou Nian-nan, recalling what Mei Di had suggested the other day, along with his family’s incessant hints about her quitting work, couldn’t hold back. “You’ve already gone through the hardest part, what’s so difficult about this? Just start from scratch and learn. Don’t think about dumping everything on me. I’m not quitting my job to be a housewife again.”

Her attitude was deeply offensive to Zhang Yaozu. He got angry and retorted, “What do you mean by that?! You were a housewife for ten years, and you relied on my income. Now you’re looking down on me?”

They gave each other the silent treatment for a week. The next time Zhou Nian-nan came home, the couple still couldn’t manage a friendly conversation and ended up arguing once more.

Zhang Yaozu finally bought the baby formula himself, only to be reprimanded by Mei Di for wasting money. It wasn’t until he, amidst a stream of tears, threatened to run away from home that his parents finally gave in and agreed to let him stop breastfeeding. The baby started having digestive issues shortly after, and his parents blamed him for choosing poor-quality formula and not using breast milk. But Zhang Yaozu was no longer bothered by their complaints.

He was eager to finish his maternity leave and return to work. He hoped to submit his application for a promotion to branch manager before the end of the quarter. Given his and another female colleague’s superior qualifications among the current tellers, Zhang Yaozu believed he was in a strong position.

However, his hopes were dashed when the promotion went to his female colleague. He went to his superior for an explanation and was told that since he had just become a father, it would be better for him to focus on his family. In contrast, his colleague’s husband already had a child and she wasn’t planning to have any more.

Aggrieved, Zhang Yaozu shouted at his supervisor, “Is gender equality just a joke to you?”

Meanwhile, Zhou Nian-nan enjoyed her flourishing career. Every time she came home, she brought lavish gifts for their two daughters. Zhang Yaozu felt like she was becoming more distant, more unfamiliar, like she was no longer the wife he had once known.

Finally, on one of those days when both of them were drained from work and their endless spats over trivial issues, their argument escalated to the point that the word “divorce” was thrown around. Zhang Yaozu couldn’t remember who brought it up first but by the end, they were pointing fingers at each other.

“Zhou Nian-nan, do you think you deserve my hard work in taking care of our baby?”

“I’ve had two; you’ve only had one. What nonsense are you talking about?”

Zhang Yaozu fell apart. He screamed, “But I had a son!”

Zhou Nian-nan, too tired to continue arguing, packed her things and left.

To Zhang Yaozu’s astonishment, Mei Di scolded him after hearing about the situation. “Are you out of your mind?!” she asked incredulously.

Now, Zhang Yaozu was well and truly frustrated. His mother had always been on his side. How could Zhou Nian-nan, just because she earned more than him, have gotten even his own mother to turn against him?

Mei Di said, “Don’t you know how hard it is to find a good wife now? The entire village back home is full of single men, and even if they’re willing to have babies for women, they’re too late to catch up. You want a divorce? Do you really think you’re that valuable?”

Zhang Yaozu was stunned into silence. If men weren’t valuable, then what had been the point of him desperately trying to have a son?

Chapter Nine

Zhou Nian-nan lugged her suitcase all the way back to her parents’ house in the village.

She had once thought herself quite fortunate. She’d been married to Zhang Yaozu for ten years, and he’d treated her reasonably well. He didn’t drink, gamble, visit prostitutes, or show any signs of violence. Compared to her classmates’ husbands, he was a fairly good man. She knew that he was spineless and couldn’t resist the pressure from his family to have a third child, so she accepted it as part of her fate. What she didn’t anticipate, however, was fate turning against him and offering her an unexpected chance to start anew.

But now, after ten years of marriage, their relationship had wound up in such an irreconcilable state. They had never fought so intensely before, and the bitterness in her heart was unbearable.

Coincidentally, her younger brother, Zhou Nian-gen, was at home too. Gen was being scolded by their parents, which was highly unusual. He had always been a model student, and their parents favoured him so much that they rarely punished him. She asked about the reason for his scolding and got to know that Gen’s girlfriend was the only child of a wealthy family in the city, and he intended to marry into her family. Their parents were strongly opposed to the idea.

“Being a son-in-law marrying into the woman’s family will only make you everyone’s laughingstock! If that family bullies you, we won’t be able to back you up!” Their father raised a broom and struck Gen hard on the back.

Gen shot back stubbornly, “But Sister married into her husband’s family. She’s a weak woman and more likely to be mistreated. Why didn’t you oppose it then?”

The father raised the broom again. Zhou Nian-nan quickly stepped in to stop him. As he calmed down a little, she attempted to defend her brother. “Actually, nowadays both men and women can have children. Everyone is equal—”

 “Equal my foot!” Zhou Nian-nan’s interference had infuriated her father again. “If he has a son, the child will take the woman’s surname. That means the Zhou family will have no heirs!”

Gen sneered and defiantly maintained, “Dad, Mom, you know how many more young men of marriageable age there are than women in nearby villages. I have a girlfriend and she likes me. That’s me being lucky enough already! But if you want to keep meddling, then fine, you can ruin it all and I’ll stay single for the rest of my life!”

The family was in an uproar. After finally calming her father, Zhou Nian-nan suggested that she meet Gen’s girlfriend first to investigate her background. The father agreed, still upset and doubtful about Zhou Nian-nan’s plan.

*

Zhou Nian-nan returned to the city with her brother and arranged a meeting with his girlfriend at a café. As they waited for her, she asked him, “Aren’t you worried about getting pregnant?”

Gen shook his head decisively. “No, men are physically strong. If this burden were to fall on me, I’d bear it willingly for the woman I love.”

Zhou Nian-nan rolled her eyes and gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. “Stop pretending. I know you too well.”

Gen didn’t manage to dodge in time and let out a soft hiss. Grudgingly, he admitted, “She wants me to marry into her family and have children.”

“But aren’t the chances of pregnancy between men and women random?” Zhou Nian-nan recalled how the news once explained it.

“That’s right. So I can take a chance. Maybe it’ll be her who gets pregnant. Won’t that mean I can cross the social class barrier without any pain?” Gen said. “I mean, she’s probably thinking about things the same way. If I get pregnant, then she wins.”

Through the café’s glass window, they watched as a luxury car pulled up near the entrance. Zhou Nian-nan recognised the logo—it was the same as Jiang Li’s, a car worth a mint. A poised, posh woman stepped elegantly out of the car. Her short hair was neatly styled, and she was dressed in a silk blouse and sharp suit pants.

Gen’s girlfriend looked somewhat similar to Jiang Li. It turned out she was Jiang Li’s cousin, and Zhou Nian-nan’s employment at Jiang Li’s house was partly due to her recommendation.

“Hello, Sis. My name is Jiang He. I’ve been busy with my startup recently and I may have to leave soon, so I’ll get straight to the point.

“I’m offering a groom price of five hundred thousand yuan. For each child Gen has, I’ll give another five hundred thousand yuan as maternity compensation. But I won’t allow him to keep having children. One daughter will be enough for us. Of course, I won’t have him do a gender test either; abortion is harmful to the body. As long as the child is born healthy, we can afford to raise it no matter its gender.

“Sis, I know you’re sensible. You can discuss it with your family. But my patience isn’t unlimited. I’ll only wait for a month, so do get back to me soon.”

Jiang He’s smile wasn’t the kind that Zhou Nian-nan was accustomed to seeing from women. It held no trace of trying to please anyone and instead gave off an absolute confidence. She didn’t mind others’ opinions about her at all. The terms she was proposing were several times more generous than what Zhang Yaozu offered her family years ago. If Gen were a woman, her parents would definitely agree.

But then again, how was she so certain that Gen was the one who would be pregnant? Zhou Nian-nan didn’t have time to think much more about it before Gen asked worriedly, “Honey, what do you mean by that? If I can’t persuade my parents, are you going to abandon me? Do you really love me?”

Jiang He stared into his eyes. She was stable but firm as she replied, “Gen, of course I love you. But love isn’t everything in life. I’ll always have important things to do. Do you understand?”

Since Jiang He first spoke, Zhou Nian-nan had felt something was off about the atmosphere. Now she understood. These two weren’t actually in love with each other—they were only staging a façade of love. In truth, both of them were merely fulfilling their own needs. Zhou Nian-nan had seen the world of the wealthy for some time, so she wasn’t surprised. She even found herself quietly admiring Jiang He’s clarity and directness.

Jiang He picked up a work-related phone call, muttering a few “hmms”. Her brows furrowed deeper with each passing moment.

Gen signalled his sister with a glance and sent her a message with his phone asking her to help negotiate. After marriage, he didn’t want to live with Jiang He’s parents. He wanted them to have their own home. Zhou Nian-nan replied that having the in-laws help care for the child could also be beneficial. But Gen was concerned about the many rules wealthy families might have.

Just as Jiang He hung up the phone, she asked, “Sis, I heard your husband bore a baby. Is that right? I’m working on a male-oriented maternity product, but the feedback on the first batch of samples wasn’t great. Could you take a look and give me some suggestions?”

Chapter Ten

The father and baby products on the market were essentially replications of the ones for mothers. As these products ignored the differences between men’s and women’s bodies, the user experience was absolutely terrible. Jiang He specifically asked her cousin to lend her Zhou Nian-nan for a day, to conduct an on-site factory inspection. As expected, Zhou Nian-nan did not disappoint. She pointed out numerous areas that required improvement.

As for the marriage between Jiang He and Gen, Zhou Nian-nan put in a lot of effort to convince her parents. In the end, they agreed, not only because the money Jiang He offered was something Gen could never earn in years of hard work, but also, and mostly, because of Gen’s premarital pregnancy.

In their world, a man getting pregnant was still considered disgraceful. Comments like “only fake men get pregnant” or “what’s the difference between him and a woman?” still existed. As long as Gen married and moved into the Jiang family home, the villagers wouldn’t see him and there wouldn’t be a reason for gossip. In the city, men who were willing to carry their pregnancies to term were welcomed by women, which gave Zhou Nian-nan’s parents some comfort.

Not long after, Jiang He sent Zhou Nian-nan an improved version of a breastfeeding device as a token of gratitude. Taking the opportunity to deliver the sample, Zhou Nian-nan returned to the Zhang family home for the last time.

*

Despite the gift, Zhang Yaozu was still dissatisfied. “This is what you give me? I’m supposed to stay at home and feed the baby?”

He had been reassigned to a low-status position with a reduced salary, and his frustration had had no outlet. Now, whenever his colleagues ran into him, they only talked about kids. He couldn’t tell if they were genuinely concerned or indeed mocking him for being neither manly nor womanly. He could never return to his former life. After all the trouble trying to rid himself of his role as a child-bearer, he had become a perpetual childcare assistant. His child was his ever-present accessory, and rather than his child depending on him, he was the one subordinate to his child.

He heard that men in other countries organised marches protesting the “fatherhood penalty”. They would walk for ages and chant slogans like “Being pregnant does not mean a person is reduced to nothing but a bearer and raiser of children.” How strange a thing it was. Pregnancy had been around forever, but he hadn’t realised the gravity of the issue until his own.

Zhou Nian-nan cradled her son, and looked at him again and again. She did feel affection for the little thing, but it wasn’t the same tenderness she had for her daughters, Pan’er and Wang’er. Was this what it felt like to be a “father”? She never imagined that Zhang Yaozu had lived such an unencumbered—and almost heartless—life before.

She shoved their son back into Zhang Yaozu’s arms and said coldly, “It’s you who insisted on having the baby. Of course you have to care for him.” Taking care of the baby wouldn’t bring in any money and was likely to draw even more ire from her in-laws, who now only appreciated her for her career. Zhou Nian-nan wouldn’t make things harder for herself anymore.

Jiang Li hired another childcare assistant to share shifts with Zhou Nian-nan. From Thursdays to Saturdays, Zhou Nian-nan would still spend time with Yue, just like before. But from Mondays to Wednesdays, she would assist in researching and developing the caregiving robots at Jiang Li’s company. Her income doubled and her solid reputation in the field earned her invitations to give lectures for expectant fathers, with each appearance raking in several thousand. And in her newfound success, she thought, “What has Zhang Yaozu ever done to help me?” From then on, she decided that her earnings would no longer be part of their joint marital assets.

Zhou Nian-nan handed Zhang Yaozu the divorce agreement. “I’ll take custody of Pan’er and Wang’er; you can keep our son. We’ll divide the assets equally, and there’s no need for any arguments.”

Zhang Yaozu couldn’t remember how many things he broke that day. The yelling from his parents and the children’s cries caused a real headache to split his skull. It shouldn’t have ended up like this. Where had they gone wrong? Back when Zhou Nian-nan had been in confinement after giving birth to their first child, he had pretended to work late every day, just to avoid caring for the baby. Had the seeds of their misery been sown back then?

Things only worsened soon after. Mei Di fell seriously ill from overwork, and Zhang Xiao spent all his time at the hospital looking after her. Zhang Yaozu was left alone with his son, along with endless household chores: washing clothes, cooking meals, feeding the baby, changing diapers, wiping down furniture, and repairing everything his son destroyed.

Time slipped away without him even noticing. He was far too busy to even admire the constellations anymore. The Big Dipper’s handle, once pointing north, gradually shifted south, like a spoon scooping out powdered milk, scattering star-like flecks across the night sky.

Then, one night, unknown to Zhang Yaozu, a particularly bright star appeared beside the Big Dipper. Nations announced they would begin technical investigations into it. After a few rounds of trending on social media, however, the incident was forgotten by most.

*

Zhou Nian-nan had spent over thirty years reflecting on herself and her failed marriage, but recently, she had begun demanding that others do the same. The men who hadn’t yet become fathers still lacked an understanding of their responsibilities in reproduction.

“Reproduction is a sacred duty. You’ve chosen to shoulder the weight of human continuation, to walk the path of pregnancy and childbirth. That’s incredible, but far from enough.

“Caregiving robots can only assist. You must be fully committed. You need to immerse yourselves in the labour of raising children, which is a discipline in itself. Right now, you’re a far cry from the women doing it.”

From below the stage, a male student raised his hand, “Teacher Zhou, don’t you think the standards for being a good mother are too harsh? How can those standards apply to men?”

Others quickly chimed in. “Yeah, we’re just helping women carry the pregnancy!” “So pregnancy is that tough, huh?” – “It’s clearly better suited for women.”

Zhou Nian-nan questioned, “Do you think having a baby is just about getting pregnant and that’s the end of it? They’re your flesh and blood, and you’re responsible for them for life. From what they eat as kids to what they do as adults, this job requires a lot more attention than being a secretary or agent. Don’t oversimplify it.”

Out of the blue, the audience erupted into chaos, but it wasn’t because of what she had said. The large screen behind her had suddenly shifted. On the blurry display, a strange creature bathed in soft light appeared. It seemed part human, part something else. It had a curvaceous body as alluring as a woman’s, yet its muscles rippled fluidly, and looked as strong as a man’s. It was completely androgynous.

Zhou Nian-nan called over her assistant, who showed her an identical scene on the phone and whispered, “Teacher Zhou, it seems to be a mandatory global livestream.”

At that moment, a mechanical voice echoed across every corner of the Earth.

“Hello, humans.

“We are intelligent beings from the planet, Heinergson. We discovered the existence of Earth’s civilisation during our cruise through the galaxy.

“After inspection, we found that your civilisation is still in its early ages. While it has the potential to evolve into an interstellar civilisation, the risk of stagnation exists.

“The issue lies in your reproductive model. We have witnessed the rise and fall of many civilisations, and we observed that when one gender is capable of reproduction while the other is not, the result is an inability to truly understand one another. The non-reproductive gender inevitably oppresses the reproductive one. Division and internal conflicts become inevitable, and in the end, the civilisation destroys itself.

“We saw that the inability of males to reproduce was a huge waste of resources. It was a grave error that humanity once exalted, and continues to exalt, the proliferation of males. Because of such thinking, over time, the number of reproductive females will drastically decline, while the mounting number of violent males who frequently wage wars will ultimately lead the species towards its own extinction.

“Two Earth-years ago, we introduced genetic modification tools to humanity, and they accomplished their mission. They will persist in your reproductive cells, altering your human descendants permanently. In the future, every individual will have two reproductive systems, and they are free to choose if they wish to undertake reproductive responsibilities. Our studies show that such a species is better equipped to manage their resources and is more suited for interstellar exploration.

“It’s time for us to leave the Solar System and look into other stars. We provided this explanation, because we wanted you to understand the truth. Earth, we wish you well, and we hope to meet humans among the stars one day.”

Everyone was shocked. Aliens did exist, and they were close enough to Earth to meddle with our civilisation. Not a few men cursed in anger. A great number of scientists, who once focused on finding a cure for the seahorse virus, redirected their efforts to developing artificial wombs.

The course of events this revelation set into motion was irreversible. Birth rates increased and prenatal, paternity, and maternity care services improved rapidly. Somehow, normalcy returned to Earth.

*

Jiang Li was right. Caregiving had become the most popular, non-replaceable industry now. After her divorce, Zhou Nian-nan quickly built up enough savings to buy a new house, and she moved in with her daughters. She got along well with her sister-in-law Jiang He too. After marrying Gen, Jiang He occasionally invited Zhou Nian-nan out for meals.

One day, Jiang He asked Zhou Nian-nan if she ever planned to remarry. Zhou Nian-nan shook her head, “Two kids are enough to keep me busy.”

“That’s exactly why you need a man to take care of you. Have him father another child, and he’ll settle down.”

“But it might not be him who gets pregnant.”

“I know a sure-fire recipe for getting men pregnant. It’s worked before. Would you like to hear it?”

Zhou Nian-nan remembered, after such a long time, the intriguing livestream the aliens had sent out to Earth years ago.

“I don’t think it should be like this,” she murmured to herself.

1. Most of the names in this novella have ironic meanings. Yaozu [耀祖] means glorifying the ancestors, which is often used to describe the male children in a family. Mei Di [梅娣] is homonymous to “No Brother.” Nian-nan [念楠] is homonymous to “Want A Boy,” so are Pan’er [盼儿] and Wang’er [望儿]. ↩︎
2. China’s National Civil Service Exam requests a criminal record check of the candidate’s previous two generations. ↩︎
3. Pinyin is the standard system of Roman spelling in Chinese. ↩︎

Translation Editor: Shin, Mark