I recently heard a perspective that really hit me:

“Whether your parents have a pension determines what kind of life you live.”
Does that sound a bit exaggerated?
No, this is the raw reality.
Especially for us born in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the feeling is the deepest.
Let’s be clear today:
It’s not that you’re not working hard, but many people haven’t calculated this bill clearly.
01 First, feel this: two real families
Family A: Both parents have pensions, totaling 10,000 yuan per month
· Medical insurance covers doctor visits, hospitalization can be reimbursed
· Daily expenses are covered by themselves, no need to ask children for money
· Can contribute a little when children get married
· Children are working outside, no worries at home
Family B: Parents have no pension, rely solely on farming or odd jobs
· When sick, the first call is to the children for money
· If children don’t give it? It hurts the relationship
· If they do? It’s tight financially
· Parents, to “not burden the children,” are still working in their sixties and seventies
· When children are married, two people support four elders...
Think about it carefully, these aren’t just two families, these are two different destinies.
02 Here’s another heartbreaking truth: the marriage and dating market has long seen through all this
Now, when matchmaking, smart parents aren’t asking “Do you have a house or a car,” but “Are your parents retired? How much is their monthly pension?”
This sounds materialistic, but the logic is crystal clear:
Parents with a pension = have medical insurance + don’t ask children for money + can cover emergencies
Parents without a pension = rely entirely on children for retirement + a serious illness could drain a family
What kind of life can you have after marriage?
Sometimes, it really depends on the parents’ later years,
Whether assets or liabilities.