@ribbitribbitsaga birth rates declining has a lot more to do with how expensive and difficult it is to have children than people choosing to be alone 🙄 let people who don't want to have children not having fucking children!! there's already way too many people in the world having kids for shitty reasons. We can't have kids for the sake of having kids. Kids need loving and supportive parents as well. Not going to have that if their parents never wanted them in the first place. If governments would better support mothers and have more financial supports in place for people who actually want to have kids and start families, I promise you birth rates will go up. Don't need to be expecting people to have kids just because. FUCK that shit and that mentality.
I completely agree that the grandpa might be meaning well, but it is entirely selfish and manipulative to expect Huan Wen to have children and a family. The mentality that a family is required in order to be happy is entirely outdated and short-sighted, and incredibly offensive to those that grew up in unhappy families with abusive family members (not to mention the ace/aro community!!). I'm completely on Huan Wen's side when he says he has friends. Obvi grandpa hasn't heard of found family. My friends are like an extension of my family and I am forever grateful to them. I, personally, am in a spot where I feel happy enough with my career, friends and current family. I don't mind being the super aunt. I don't feel empty nor lonely without children or a companion. Maybe it'll happen in the future? who knows. But I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm going to be happy now, with or without a partner, and that is entirely in my power. I don't need a romantic partner to validate me.
*gets off soapbox* Whew! This brought out a lot of feelings in me, hopefully we see Huan Wen happy, hopefully with Yuan since he is pining for him so 😭