The moment I got on the bus today, I was blindsided by a post recommended on the homepage, “Take Heart: Revelations of the Leftover Warriors.” The piece is mainly about the problem of “leftover women” and “leftover men” — a term that’s actually become a catch-all label for a whole range of people. As the economy develops and ideas about childbearing keep shifting, more and more “leftover men” and “leftover women” are appearing, and various anxieties about it are gradually surfacing. I’m reminded that, around this year’s International Women’s Day, news that the number of “leftover women” in Beijing had topped 500,000 — making it number one in the country — was widely circulated (click here to read). Within this “special population,” most are worried about their own “reproductive future” (a term I made up myself), but I believe some of them have genuinely had their minds liberated. Though they remain single, they don’t see it as a source of distress — quite the opposite, they’re remarkably relaxed and at ease. But when all is said and done, within the consciousness imposed by today’s society (or perhaps it’s a stereotype), the word “leftover” has nearly become a taboo, and these pitiable leftover men and women have become monsters that people frantically try to avoid.