Hello, Jie Fen – CH19

Chapter 19: Didn’t They Say Modern Men’s Sperm Activity Is Low?

Chi Wang was utterly stunned.

Seeing this, Luo Lianyun had to ask Dr. Zhao on his behalf, “Doctor, is it possible for him to terminate this pregnancy?”

Dr. Zhao replied, “I reviewed the ultrasound images yesterday. His situation is different from a typical female pregnancy. He has an organ similar to a uterus. The human body is truly amazing. It’s not that he’s an intersex individual with female reproductive organs; rather, it’s a unique, integrated structure. In females, the uterus and ovaries play crucial physiological roles, and I can’t be certain this organ is useless for him.

“Moreover, there are significant differences between male and female bodies. Whether he can give birth naturally is a major concern. As for termination, both medical and surgical abortions are already past the optimal time frame. An eight-week fetus is already formed, making termination more difficult. Since we can’t be sure if he can deliver naturally or undergo a standard abortion procedure.”

Luo was puzzled. “So, does that mean the fetus can’t be aborted?”

Dr. Zhao said, “Whether he can terminate the pregnancy requires an evaluation. As I mentioned, the human body is marvelous. Every organ plays a significant role. Even the appendix, which we often deem useless, actually has important functions. When it becomes inflamed, we have to surgically remove it, but losing the appendix can have considerable effects on the body, such as chronic diarrhea. His organ resembling a uterus is intricately designed and different from female reproductive organs. I believe it likely serves some physiological functions, so from a health perspective, I wouldn’t recommend removing it.”

Chi Wang finally snapped out of his daze and asked, “If, after the evaluation, it’s determined that I can’t terminate the pregnancy, does that mean I have to give birth?”

Dr. Zhao responded, “Giving birth might actually be more feasible. If the evaluation concludes that conventional painless abortion methods won’t work, the only option would be to perform an abdominal surgery to remove this organ, thereby extracting the fetus along with it. Since an abdominal surgery is required anyway, why not perform a cesarean section to deliver the baby?”

Chi Wang: “…”

His head was spinning.

Dr. Zhao smiled kindly, “You can go back and discuss it with your boyfriend. After all, it’s a new life.”

Chi Wang asked, “If the evaluation shows that I can terminate the pregnancy, will it cost a lot?”

Dr. Zhao replied, “The surgery is quite complex. Since no one has performed such a procedure before, the surgical fees and post-operative care won’t be cheap. The exact amount will depend on various factors at the time.”

Although Chi Wang’s face was pale, he remained relatively composed. After listening to Dr. Zhao, he nodded and said calmly, “Thank you, Doctor. I’ll think it over.”

Dr. Zhao said, “Sure, go back and discuss it with your boyfriend. By the way, according to the ultrasound images, the fetus is developing well, with no differences compared to development in a female uterus.”

Chi Wang mumbled a response and, after leaving the consultation room with Luo and Shu, whispered to them, “Did you notice that Dr. Zhao seems eager for me to keep the baby?”

Luo said, “Yeah, I noticed. A man giving birth would definitely make for a journal paper; she probably has her own motives.”

Chi Wang sighed, “What should I do? I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. My part-time jobs will definitely be affected.”

“…” Luo was shocked, his voice rising a bit. “You’re still worried about part-time jobs at a time like this?”

Chi Wang said, “The part-time jobs I found this semester are really good. I’d feel terrible giving up any of them.”

Luo: “…”

Seeing his speechlessness, Chi Wang laughed, “Don’t worry. For the sake of my health, I’ll definitely give up some of them.”

Luo suggested, “You should stop dog walking and being a caddie. You can temporarily continue with tutoring and your online work.”

Chi Wang was pained, “But the caddie job pays so well; I hate to quit.”

Luo said, “Seriously, you need to stop. Given your condition, it’s quite severe. What pregnant woman works four part-time jobs a day?”

Shu interjected, “If you have an abortion, don’t you have to do a month of confinement?”

Luo: “…”

This was uncharted territory for them.

Shu said, “I think so. I read in novels that when women give birth, their body’s meridians open up. If they don’t do confinement, they might catch cold winds, leading to issues like migraines. They need to do another confinement to regulate their body when the meridians open again. So, if a man gives birth, it should be the same. If you have an abortion, Chi Wang, you should do a ‘small confinement’ too.”

Luo couldn’t help but retort, “What kind of novels are you reading?”

Shu chuckled, “I read all sorts—family dramas, palace intrigues, female-dominated worlds, overpowered protagonists—you name it, I read it!”

Chi Wang remained silent. Even though he was naturally optimistic, he couldn’t be cheerful at this moment. This was truly a troublesome matter.

He hated this feeling of being out of control.

Poverty was something he could overcome through hard work; diligence could solve that.

If his studies were lacking, he could improve by studying more, memorizing, and asking questions.

If he was bullied, he could rely on his abilities and wit to suppress and counteract.

Whenever there were difficulties, he could resolve them with his own hands and mind.

But now… this was an enormous problem.

Abortion wouldn’t be cheap. But giving birth also costs money. If he chose to give birth, he’d have to take responsibility—he couldn’t just have the child and not raise it, right?

He had suffered such neglect himself and wouldn’t let his child go through the same. Chi Wang always felt that if he had a baby in the future, he would definitely be an excellent father. So if he had the child, he’d want to give the baby the best. He could skimp on himself, but not on the baby.

He could already foresee how exhausted he’d be if he actually had the child.

He couldn’t have the baby—absolutely not.

He would be responsible for his child, but he also needed to be responsible for himself. He was only 18; he hadn’t even changed his own life yet, and he still had debts of over 500,000 yuan. He was still in a pit himself; how could he raise a baby?

Chi Wang didn’t have much emotional attachment to the baby in his belly. It’s said that when women are pregnant, they secrete hormones that make them love the baby inside them more. Chi Wang didn’t have that feeling, perhaps because his organ was different.

At this moment, Chi Wang’s only thought about the baby was: Despite his frequent intense exercise over the past two months, the baby hadn’t miscarried!? Impressive, strong vitality—just like him! Worthy of being his kid!

But beyond that, he had no further feelings.

What troubled him now was that if the evaluation showed he couldn’t have a natural abortion, would he really have to undergo abdominal surgery to remove that organ?

If he removed it, would it cause irreversible effects on his energy and body?

Chi Wang had a high school friend who had gallstones. The doctor said the gallbladder had to be removed; otherwise, if the stones fell into the bile duct, it could cause pancreatitis, which could lead to shock and death. His friend was terrified. The doctor also said that removing the gallbladder had no side effects, so his friend underwent the surgery.

But post-operative conditions weren’t good, and there were many side effects. Lack of energy was the most obvious, along with chronic diarrhea, and he was prone to anxiety and panic, significantly affecting his life.

So Chi Wang was very worried that he might also have such side effects.

If he lacked energy, how could he work four part-time jobs a day?

A strong body is the basic requirement for making money and changing one’s fate. This is also why Chi Wang always exercised.

Removing the “uterus” wasn’t an option.

Although this thing could make him pregnant, it only happened this time. If he didn’t use it in the future, wouldn’t it be fine? It’s not a big problem.

It’s best if he could have an abortion! If he could terminate the pregnancy, all would be well. Even if the medical fees were expensive, he had savings and wasn’t afraid.

Chi Wang figured it out and calmed down. He said to Luo, “Let’s talk about it when we get back.”

The gastroenteritis was now a minor issue. The nurse said he needed another day of IV fluids, so Chi Wang obediently continued with the treatment.

Luo went back to get his laptop and Chi Wang’s medical insurance card. The insurance cards were uniformly issued by the school. Chi Wang had only used his at the university’s health clinic. Although he often got injured, he was actually very healthy—he only got fevers or colds two or three times a year and was resistant to cold and heat. The insurance card hadn’t been very useful.

After getting the laptop, Luo searched foreign websites for cases of men giving birth. He actually found news articles; the lead doctor had even published a paper in a journal.

But Luo’s English was weak; even at his peak in senior year, he couldn’t understand much.

Shu’s English was much better. As he read, he used his phone to translate, and finally concluded, “Not much to reference. That foreigner didn’t have a uterus; he had the baby somewhere between the diaphragm. At least Chi Wang has a ‘uterus’ to hold the baby—an evolved version, so we can’t really compare.”

Luo was stunned. “Then what should we do?”

Shu said, “I don’t know.”

Chi Wang regained his optimism, “It’s okay. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Let’s see what the evaluation says about whether we can proceed with an abortion.”

Having made his decision, Chi Wang took another two days off. There was no choice; he had to. He also tried to persuade Luo and Shu to go back, saying he could handle it alone.

Both Luo and Shu refused and insisted on staying with him.

Although Chi Wang wasn’t weak, he appreciated their kindness.

The multidisciplinary consultation organized by Dr. Zhao soon took place. After intense discussion, they reached a conclusion: Chi Wang’s “birth canal” was extremely narrow and long, making abortion very difficult. The solution was to create an artificial birth canal to remove the fetal tissue—but even that wasn’t simple. It was highly complex, and they had to consider post-operative recovery, so not many were willing to perform it.

The cost was calculated to be around 150,000 yuan.

Chi Wang: “…”

He couldn’t afford it at all.

After discussing, Luo and Shu planned to ask their families for money to lend to Chi Wang.

Chi Wang’s previously straightened back slumped again. “I can’t let you borrow money from your families. I’ll go ask the baby’s father for money. It’s all his fault; his sperm quality was too high, managing to swim such a long way. ‘Divine Sperm,’ indeed! Didn’t they say modern men’s sperm motility is low? But he had to be an exception, thinking he’s some overpowered protagonist?”

Luo: “…”

Shu: “…”

No need to insult yourself in the process.

Wait, hold on—so the baby’s father is actually a man??

—

[1]: Confinement : A traditional Chinese practice where a woman rests and follows specific guidelines for about a month after giving birth or a miscarriage to recover her health.

[2]: “Divine Sperm”: A pun combining “divine”and “sperm”, pronounced the same as “gold”  in Chinese, joking about the exceptional quality and motility of the sperm.

[3]: Overpowered Protagonist: “Long Aotian” is a Chinese internet slang term for an invincible male protagonist who effortlessly succeeds in everything, often used sarcastically.