I can upgrade the shelter-Chapter 832 - 730: Population Considerations

After reminding the designer about the confidentiality rules, Chen Xin and Tang Tang finally let him go. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Watching the designer scurry away in embarrassment, Chen Xin couldn’t help but laugh to Tang Tang: "Don’t you think he looks just like us back then when the head of teaching caught us? That time we were secretly cooking hot pot in the club activity room, and I remember we looked just like this when the head came in, didn’t we?"

"Weren’t we just like that back then? Caught by the head of teaching cooking hot pot in the club activity room, violating the rules for using electrical appliances. If the head hadn’t been kind enough to let us go, we probably would have been scolded that time. I was scared to death then." Tang Tang couldn’t help but reflect upon hearing Chen Xin mention the past, but she soon collected her emotions and asked Chen Xin: "Junior Chen, the application for housing in the new district, are you planning to open it only to married couples?"

"Hmm, the population pressure here in the new city mainly comes from the newborns in the past two years. Adults are alright, a little crowded but still bearable; however, raising children, the current living environment is evidently not conducive to their growth." Chen Xin nodded affirmatively, then explained to Tang Tang: "The purpose of expanding the new district is to solve the problem of high population density here in the new city, and to provide the next generation here a favorable growth environment.

Therefore, when designing the new district, I wanted them to primarily consider usage by couples, and added facilities such as kindergartens and schools.

After all, the country now needs to contemplate population growth. Without a good environment for childbirth, nobody wants to have children, or if the child-rearing environment is too poor affecting newborn survival rates, it’s not good for the country."

Naturally, Tang Tang agreed with Chen Xin’s views.

Since the disaster struck, the whole Blue Star’s environment has radically changed, and people’s living conditions have also experienced enormous transformations.

In such circumstances, many couples apparently do not wish to have children, because the environment is too harsh; even if they are born, the parents may not have enough energy to care for them, not to mention that providing sufficient and comprehensive nutrition for infants’ growth is problematic in the current environment.

So creating a relatively good growth environment is a big help for the future population problems of the country.

Before the disaster, Flame Country was already showing a trend of population aging, and if the current generation of young people have fewer children because of environmental issues, in the following decades, as the elderly gradually pass away, it will inevitably lead to a sharp decline in the population of Flame Country.

Although at the beginning of the disaster, a significant portion of frail elderly people passed away due to health reasons, altering the population structure to some extent, the issue of population aging remains visibly evident without a boost in the proportion of newborns.

Moreover, in such an environment, the consequences of population aging are far more serious than before the disaster.

Before the disaster, it was merely issues like reduced social vitality and insufficient labor force, but now, the population decline could lead to a shortage of labor, affecting all facets of Flame Country, potentially even triggering a severe social crisis.

In fact, the country’s plan to resume construction of Dome City also takes these aspects into consideration.

"That’s true, I know several couples who got married within these two years but don’t plan to have children." Tang Tang nodded affirmatively; the couples she’s aware of don’t want children mostly due to lack of space and time to care for them.

Thinking about this, she couldn’t help but remind Chen Xin: "Solving the housing issue only tackles part of the problem; many people are too busy with work to have time for children, how to solve this? Relying solely on kindergartens isn’t enough, right?"

"There’s no solution for that. We can only address material condition challenges. As for both spouses being busy with no time for children, my parents’ generation managed to raise us, so our generation should cope just fine." Chen Xin has no good solution to this problem; they can’t just give parents a break because they’re too busy for children, can they?

As Chen Xin mentioned, his parents’ generation also worked daily, both spouses employed, without the advantage of this generation’s young parents receiving their own parents’ help with childcare, yet Chen Xin’s generation was raised.

Therefore, Chen Xin believes this issue can at least be overcome and isn’t like hard material conditions such as housing or education that can’t be tackled personally.

Tang Tang didn’t intend to argue with Chen Xin on this matter, so she didn’t say much more, as she knows her position differs from Chen Xin’s, whose thoughts and opinions will serve as reference for policy making at the top levels, and Chen Xin, due to his status, can access many pieces of information that Tang Tang can’t. She doesn’t assume her viewpoint is necessarily wiser than Chen Xin’s.

"Should we hint to some people who aren’t planning to marry yet to seize this opportunity to do so? And plant some ideas to couples not wanting children?" Rather than debating how couples should save time for children, Tang Tang just offered her suggestion based on Chen Xin’s words.

Confronted with Tang Tang’s suggestion, Chen Xin considered for a moment, touching his chin, and then said: "We might give a nudge to already married couples, but having others rush to marry at this moment is somewhat inappropriate. After all, getting married isn’t that simple."

"Sure, I was just suggesting." Tang Tang nodded slightly, then as if suddenly remembering something, she asked Chen Xin: "Speaking of which, what about you, Junior Chen? When are you getting married? Between Qin Lan and Mo Qingyan, who will you choose?"

"Please don’t put me in a tough spot, Senior. If I choose one between Qingyan and Lan, the other would go crazy. Right now, the three of us can still hold on, but if I really make a choice, that would be the worst outcome." Obviously, Tang Tang’s inquiry hit Chen Xin’s sore spot, causing him to frown.

Tang Tang clearly didn’t support Chen Xin’s attitude, frowning as she looked at him, "I understand you don’t want to hurt them both, but in the end, you owe them a result, don’t you think? The longer you delay, the more harm you’ll cause them. Sometimes making a choice is tough, but choosing is better than not choosing."

"No, don’t force me, Senior. If I make a decision, at least one out of us three will go insane." Chen Xin shook his head, bitterly refusing Tang Tang’s proposition.