Marina had a different idea than Gu'er.
"You have a point. Your situation is good, too. I'm thinking of having another baby in a year or so. I'll have to pay the fine, and I guess after this one, the family planning office will probably drag me in to get my tubes tied."
'Gu'er had her own ideas. Even though the government advocated for only one child, not many people truly stuck to that. The wealthy, who could afford the fines, just went ahead and had more. There were also plenty who had children in secret. While Gu'er supported the family planning policy, she thought having a daughter would be wonderful. A son and a daughter would make things feel complete. However, if she did have a second child, she'd probably have to get sterilized, because they wouldn't want her having any more.'
"Why do they control how many children you can have?"
Marina didn't understand. The country where she was born had no such regulations; having children was a matter of personal freedom.
