Our company held its Lunar New Year Party on February 9, 2024.  While no alcohol was served, coworkers were nevertheless "intoxicated" by that friendly esprit de corps.
 
Within the bounds of corporate propriety, friends at work cracked jokes and talked about family & kids.   One beautiful young lady, who recently got married, lightheartedly confessed herself to have gained a little weight (which she attributed to her loving husband's excellent cuisine).  
 
In reaction to this innocent confession, the mothers sitting nearby immediately changed their subject to that of pregnancy.  Many well-meaning child-rearing advice were offered free-of-charge.  These advice continued to be poured forth, even though the shy girl repeatedly remonstrated -- with many a blush and many more gentle entreaties -- that she could not see any reason for such advice, because she is not pregnant!
 
The legal counsel of the company, austerely sitting across the table, was feeling a bit anxious; he was looking for an appropriate moment to intervene.  Duty-bound, he felt this line of conversation, if uninterrupted, could develop into what California employment law considers a "hostile work environment" and might give rise to a lawsuit against the company. 
 
But before he could say anything, his attention was drawn to a mother's sage remark to the young lady:
 
"You should hurry up, my dear!  This year is the perfect year to give birth to a child!  Babies born in 'the Year of the Dragon' usually turn out to be good kids.  They would bring more luck to themselves and, HEAR THIS, fewer headaches to their mamas."  
 
Upon hearing this, some of the more experienced mothers (especially those who have troublesome teenagers at home) loudly bewailed, 
 
“I wish I had known this earlier in my life!  I really should have had my son one year sooner than I did!  And he would have behaved so much better than he does now!  Instead, I procrastinated:  I waited one more year, and he was born in the Year of the Snake!  What could you expect from a 'snake' in your family!  Looking back, all his troubles originated from his mama who procrastinated in having babies....”  
 
With this, the "hostile work environment" quickly changed into a "melancholic work environment" (which, albeit sad, has one silver lining; it does not furnish any ground for lawsuits).  Rejoicing secretly, the legal counsel said not a word, and let the melancholy linger as long as it did.