Chapter 10: The Public Family
Chapter 10: The Public Family
"Thank you, big sister," Ji Xinghuo said as he took the gift.
He looked at the travel-worn Ye Dongyun, who appeared competent but had a subtle hint of fatigue in her eyes.
Concerned, he said, "Big sister, you should take better care of yourself and not overwork your body."
"Yes," Zhong Ming nodded in agreement. "Don't push yourself too hard."
Ye Dongyun sat down and took a sip of water before sighing, "I have no choice. The pressure on civil servants is increasing, and the competition is almost as intense as the contests between Ability Users. If I don't keep up, there are plenty of others who will gladly take my place. Any slackening, and I'll quickly be left behind."
"It's still not worth ruining your health," Liang Qiu Feiyan said worriedly.
"Don't worry," Ye Dongyun said, rubbing her hair. "I'm planning to start setting aside an hour every day to get back into the habit of exercising."
"That's good," Ji Xinghuo nodded.
Just as he was about to say that exercising would always be beneficial, Ye Dongyun added, "Once I get my body in shape, I'll work even harder than my colleagues and show them what I'm capable of!"
Everyone fell silent at her words.
"Alright, let's not talk about me anymore," Ye Dongyun said, clapping her hands. With a big sister's air, she continued, "Today is Xinghuo's birthday, and it's rare for all five of us adults to be together like this. Let's all be happy!"
As she spoke, she signaled for the waiter to serve the dishes, taking charge of the family gathering as she always did.
Delicious dishes were brought to the table, along with beverages and alcohol.
"Everyone, fill your glasses," Ye Dongyun said, raising her cup. She asked everyone seated around the table to stand and then smiled as she said, "For the first cup, let's wish Xinghuo a happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday!"
"Cheers!"
The atmosphere in the private room was both warm and lively.
The five siblings chatted and laughed as they enjoyed the delicious food, sharing interesting stories and jokes, temporarily forgetting all their worries.
Ji Xinghuo's heart was filled with joy as he looked at them, thinking, 'These are my family.'
A real family!
Although they were half-siblings with different fathers and mothers, they were no different from blood-related family, and legally, they were recognized as relatives.
Because they were a public family.
In the mid-1960s of the last century, the four countries signed the "Ivanograd Treaty," signaling the end of the "Fourth World War" and bringing about a gradual stabilization of the global geopolitical landscape.
At that time, the powerful nation of the Asia-Pacific People's United Community had already been established for nearly two decades. Within its borders, peace reigned, technology advanced rapidly, and the people lived happy lives. However, a problem began to emerge.
Both the wealthy and ordinary citizens were increasingly unwilling to have children.
It seemed to be a self-curse of humanity.
Ever since the industrialization of centuries past, no matter the country or race, the better the development and the higher the civilization, the more inevitable it was for birth rates to slide downward.
And once this decline started, it was irreversible.
No matter what policies or measures the government implemented, the downward trend in birth rates could only be slowed, never reversed.
In 2033, the opening of the Star Gate temporarily solved this birth rate dilemma. The world was in turmoil, and humanity endured an extinction crisis that lasted over a century, along with two world wars.
During times of war, the government's methods were naturally less gentle than in times of peace. To win a war, one first needed to have people.
Having a large population might not guarantee victory, but having a small one would surely lead to defeat!
Thus, governments around the world mobilized resources and enacted mandatory decrees, supplemented by reproductive technologies, to spur a population boom.
When humanity was in the midst of hardship, they paradoxically became more willing to procreate.
And so, more than a century passed.
After the wars ended, governments once again faced the problem of declining birth rates.
However, compared to the difficulties of the early 21st century, the 22nd century already had solutions in place. The biggest obstacle was no longer the birthing process itself but the ethical and moral controversies surrounding it.
The answers provided by countries around the world varied.
In the early 2070s, the Asia-Pacific Community proposed a massive and comprehensive "Continuation Plan," which it listed as one of its most important national policies. Astronomical amounts of financial resources were poured into this endeavor.
The Continuation Plan was divided into two parts.
The first part was "Birth."
According to the country's policy demands and population changes, a set number of infants would be cultivated monthly and annually using artificial womb technology.
These infants were all legal citizens, and their political rights were identical to those of infants born in conventional families. They were known as "Public Children." It was legislated that public children were forbidden from searching for their biological parents, and even if they happened to meet, they would not be legally recognized as relatives.
The second part was "Raising."
Public children were raised by the government from birth and divided into four stages according to their ages: infancy (0-2 years old), early childhood (2-6 years old), middle childhood (6-12 years old), and adolescence (12-18 years old).
Four to six public children of the same age group would form a public family.
Each stage of the public family would have at least three "professional parents" to care for them, who would also assume the responsibilities of upbringing and education. These caregivers were known as "foster fathers and mothers."
The foster parents were professional guardians and had to undergo multiple rounds of assessments before they could take on this role.
Of course, their salaries were extremely high.
To this day, it remains one of the best-paid and most benefited professions, with political rights surpassing those of ordinary citizens, and their social status is among the highest in the country.
The younger the children in a public family, the more foster parents there would be.
The infant stage had the most, usually one or two more than the number of infants. As the children grew and gained self-care abilities, the public family would transition to a new set of foster parents every stage, and the number of parents would gradually decrease to two.
Foster parents who were deemed unqualified had their qualifications immediately revoked, and those who committed serious wrongdoing were brought to court and sentenced to heavy penalties.
There was also a series of laws and regulations pertaining to public families, taking into account various aspects of their lives.
The "Continuation Plan" was initially implemented on a trial basis.
By the 1990s, the first batch of public children entered the workforce, contributing greatly to society and the nation, just like children from traditional families. They were intelligent and psychologically healthy citizens.
The Continuation Plan was a resounding success, and the decades of investment had paid off.
The Asia-Pacific Community government immediately expanded the scale of the plan, and by the 23rd century, the population problem was finally solved!
Today, the population of the Asia-Pacific Community has reached 5.6 billion.
Among them, public children account for 20% of the total population. Furthermore, the government adjusts the Continuation Plan according to fiscal and resource availability, and the population continues to grow annually.
Ji Xinghuo and his four siblings were all public children.
However, he was slightly different.
Ji Xinghuo was not born through artificial womb technology; he was born through natural childbirth. However, his parents lost their guardianship, and he was handed over to the government for fostering.
There were quite a few others like Ji Xinghuo.
In the 1990s, the success of the Continuation Plan brought relief to the Asia-Pacific Community government, but it also had an unintended consequence: even more people became unwilling to have children.
There was also another factor at play.
The Asia-Pacific Community, from its inception, had legislated against abortion. Couples were required to have at least one party pass an exam on becoming qualified parents to obtain "guardianship." These two conflicting laws were also a significant cause of the declining birth rate.
As a result, many parents who had unexpected pregnancies and failed to pass the exam were deprived of their guardianship.
There were also some couples who voluntarily gave up their guardianship, leaving their children to be raised by the government.
This was colloquially known as "willing to give birth but not to raise."
Children who were separated from their biological families due to such reasons were incorporated into the Continuation Plan and were also considered public children. They were commonly referred to as "fostered children."
Ji Xinghuo was one such fostered child, and he only learned about this when he turned eighteen.
According to the law, fostered children, upon reaching the age of 22 and graduating from university, would be given the opportunity to contact their biological parents if they were psychologically ready.
After interaction and with mutual consent, they could re-establish a legal familial relationship and return to their biological family.
So, this birthday held significant importance for Ji Xinghuo.
He was about to face a significant life decision.
His siblings at home were aware of this, and today, they had put aside all their commitments to gather together and celebrate Ji Xinghuo's birthday, staying by his side.
Ji Xinghuo received message after message of blessings from close classmates and friends.
The birthday banquet was halfway through.
Former foster parents also called in via video, with seven or eight of them from his teenage, childhood, and toddler years—all of whom had previously cared for and educated this public family. They were delighted to see the five siblings together and sent their birthday wishes to Ji Xinghuo.
Only the foster parents from his teenage years knew that Ji Xinghuo was a fostered child. After leaving this family, they had each moved on to another public family and taken on new responsibilities.
Being a professional parent was a busy job, leaving little room for rest.
They also had their own families and children.
During his university years, Ji Xinghuo had only met with his former foster parents once or twice, and while they kept in occasional contact, as he matured, the emotional bond with them naturally lessened.
Usually, if there was something on his mind, he would discuss it with his siblings.
At 10 p.m. in the evening,
The restaurant sent over a bowl of longevity noodles and a large cake. The siblings sang a birthday song for Ji Xinghuo, after which they lit the candles on the cake.
"Big Brother Ji, make a wish quickly!" Liang Qiu Feiyan shouted.
Ji Xinghuo stood in the middle of them and smiled. "I make a wish every year, but I've never seen it come true. Let's skip it this year?"
"That won't do!" Liang Qiu Feiyan aimed the floating lens at Ji Xinghuo. "This is a tradition that's been around for hundreds of years. On birthdays, you must eat longevity noodles and cake, and make a wish. Today is such an important day, so you should take it seriously. Who knows, maybe your wish will come true this time?"
Ye Dongyun also smiled and said, "Xinghuo, just do as Feiyan says. Don't drag your feet."
"Alright," Ji Xinghuo reluctantly agreed.
Wang Zizheng turned off the lights in the private room, and the entire room darkened.
"Go ahead and make your wish," Zhong Ming said.
Ji Xinghuo stood before the cake, and even in the darkness, he could see clearly. His gaze swept across his siblings' faces and then moved to the window, beyond which the towering Unending Tower rose into the sky.
The view outside the window presented a world divided into two parts: below was a bustling metropolis with towering skyscrapers, and above, a brilliant galaxy hung in the night sky, with countless stars adorning the celestial canopy, a sight that dazzled and bewitched.
Ji Xinghuo closed his eyes and silently wished, "May my family be safe and healthy, happy and blessed, and may they achieve their career aspirations. May I reach the pinnacle of evolutionary advancement, witness the grandeur of the galaxy, and behold the wondrous landscapes of the starry realm, making this life worthwhile!"
After making his wish, he gently blew out the candles.
(End of Chapter)
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