Li Mei: [excitedly holding a bright red wedding invitation] Xiao Chen! Guess what? My cousin Ling is getting married next week! And—you won’t believe this—I’ve been asked to bring my nephew over to jump on their wedding bed!
Xiao Chen: [raises eyebrow] Wait, jump on the bed? Is Ling short on bounce testers?
Li Mei: [laughing] Oh, don’t be silly! It’s a tradition. You know—young children jump on the marital bed to bring fertility to the couple. It’s been done for generations!
Xiao Chen: [grinning] Mei, Mei, you do realize that toddlers bouncing on a mattress have no measurable effect on reproductive biology, right?
Li Mei: [waves hand dismissively] Oh, come on! It’s not about biology, it’s about blessings! When a child jumps on the bed, it brings joy and luck. Plus, it reminds the couple to have babies soon. My grandmother swears it worked for her sister.
Xiao Chen: [chuckling] So… your great-aunt had kids because someone’s toddler did a few hops on her mattress? Mei, I’m pretty sure what really led to the babies came after the wedding, if you know what I mean.
Li Mei: [playfully smacks Chen’s arm] You have no romance in your soul! It’s about setting the mood, the atmosphere. It’s symbolic!
Xiao Chen: Okay, okay, I’ll give you that it’s cute. But don’t you think we should be focusing on, I don’t know, science? Good health? Proper nutrition? Fertility clinics if needed? Not bed-jumping rituals?
Li Mei: [grinning] Oh, look at you, Mr. Science. Not everything has to be proven in a lab! You’re always so serious. Remember when you ruined Moon Festival for me by explaining the “rabbit on the moon” was just crater patterns?
Xiao Chen: Hey, I didn’t ruin it! I just said it’s fascinating how our brains turn random shapes into stories. That’s part of the magic of being human! But I didn’t claim the moon rabbit would help with your love life.
Li Mei: [laughs] Fine, but you can’t deny that traditions bring people together. My whole family will gather, the kids will giggle, the elders will smile, and Ling will feel loved. Isn’t that worth something?
Xiao Chen: That’s true. There is value in bringing people together. But do you ever worry that sometimes we confuse symbols for solutions? Like, if Ling is anxious about starting a family, maybe she should also talk to a doctor, not just rely on toddlers doing parkour on her bed.
Li Mei: [nods thoughtfully] Hm… I suppose that’s fair. But why can’t we have both? A little tradition for the heart, and a little science for the body?
Xiao Chen: [smiling] Now you’re talking like a modern philosopher! Sure, have the kids jump, toss in some red envelopes, dance around the dragon puppet—but maybe also slip Ling a folic acid brochure.
Li Mei: [laughing hard] Oh, Chen, you’re hopeless! But you know what? You’re coming with me. You can play the role of the skeptical uncle. I’ll even let you explain sperm motility at the banquet.
Xiao Chen: [mock horror] Please no! I don’t want to be the guy who kills the vibe at table six. But hey—I’ll come, as long as I don’t have to jump on the bed myself.
Li Mei: Deal! Though, between us, maybe you should. You could use some luck in the romance department!
Xiao Chen: [groaning] Mei, you’re incorrigible.
[Both laugh as they walk off, the warmth of friendship outweighing their differences.]
Science Vs Superstition 
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