Part 2/12:
The reaction ranged from shock to despair. One mother, overwhelmed, tearfully questioned, "Why don't you just take all my income while you're at it?" The backlash was swift and widespread, sparking fierce scrutiny from Chinese media outlets and social media critics. In response, government officials offered what many perceived as a flimsy explanation: the maternity benefits had been calculated based on the average wage at each mother’s workplace, which they now claim was higher than the actual average wage, prompting the recovery of the supposed overpayment.