Student Question: Hello, Master. I am a 34-year-old woman, currently a deputy section-level official at the township level. Over half a year ago, I was seconded to a district party committee office task force as its head. Because of my strong performance during this time, the director of the district committee office would like to keep me on permanently — and from where I stand, that opportunity does seem within reach.
At the same time, my family has been repeatedly urging me to have a second child this year. I am worried that if I become pregnant, I will very likely lose my chance to stay with the committee office. But if I don’t follow my family’s wishes, I fear it will damage family harmony. Master, what should I do? Can I have both? Please guide me!
Master Chi’s Response: In this situation, my advice is: go ahead and start trying for that second child now.
Here are the main reasons:
First, on timing — if you conceive now, you won’t be visibly showing until about five months in. If a personnel adjustment opportunity arises within those five months (which is quite likely — most county-level governments rotate officials roughly once a quarter), your transfer to the district committee office won’t be affected.
Second, from a practical standpoint — pregnancy and childbirth are a normal physiological reality for female officials. As long as you are capable and have your leadership’s trust, pregnancy should not become a reason to block your transfer. Maternity leave runs about three months — the disruption to your work is modest.
Third, on the question of certainty — having a child is something you and your family can decide and control yourselves. It carries stable, reliable certainty. A transfer to the district committee office, on the other hand, is a decision that rests with the organization and your leadership — it is beyond your control and inherently uncertain. Do not let the uncertainty of a potential transfer cause you to indefinitely postpone something as certain as having a child. The longer you delay, the weaker your position becomes, and the greater the family frustration you will accumulate — in the end, that trade-off simply isn’t worth it.