Chapter 2862 Popular Science
After the crowd quieted down again, Zhou Man said seriously, "Giving birth isn't just a woman's job. Everyone knows that, right?"
Everyone nodded in unison. What nonsense! If they didn't know this... ahem, if giving birth is only a woman's job, then what are men for?
Zhou Man paused before continuing, "Then who decides whether the baby is a boy or a girl? Since giving birth is not a woman's business alone, then naturally it is not a woman's business alone." Most people were confused about this question. Even the doctor and the shopkeeper of Baicaotang who came to join in the fun lowered their heads in thought, somewhat puzzled.
In fact, as doctors, although they have not specifically studied this, they do have their own experience and feelings.
It was fine when no one brought it up, but once someone brought it up, the two of them couldn't help but look at each other, both unable to help but say, "It seems that this matter has more to do with men."
"Let's listen to what Lord Zhou has to say. The Imperial Medical Bureau might understand it better than us."
Yes, the people inside are all highly skilled in medicine.
Manbao also knew that most of the people here were illiterate, let alone medical knowledge, so her explanation was simple and rough. She went directly to the Wu family's kitchen and took out four sticks, two of which were half-burned and had already carbonized and turned black.
She didn't mind the dirtiness and placed the two sticks on Bai Shan's desk. Then she held up the two sticks in her hands for everyone to see. "This one, the one that's the same from beginning to end, is a woman, and this one, the one that's half burned, is a man. Men and women are different. Everyone knows this, right?"
Someone in the crowd laughed and said, "I know, I know, everyone who's married knows this, hahahaha..."
Bai Shan glanced over, slammed the gavel, and shouted, "What are you joking about? If you want to listen, stay, if you don't want to listen, turn around and leave. Do you think it's easy to attend Master Zhou's class? Apart from the students of the Imperial Medical Bureau, even the dignitaries in the capital may not be able to listen if they want to."
The crowd gradually quieted down. Although they looked disgusted and embarrassed, many of them wanted to know in their hearts.
If they knew the reasons for having boys or girls, wouldn't they be able to have boys whenever they want in the future?
So Bai Shan didn't need to say the rest, and the people in the crowd suppressed a few hooligans who wanted to tease and cause trouble.
The yamen runners who were about to squeeze into the crowd to settle accounts with them stopped.
Seeing that they had quieted down, Zhou Man raised the stick in his hand and said, "A husband and wife unite and give birth to a fetus. We often say that a child is the flesh and blood of the parents, the continuation of their bloodline. Therefore, a newborn will not only have the mother's bloodline, but also the father's."
This principle is easy to understand. Even a child who is not very sensible can understand it after turning the words over in his head twice, not to mention a group of adult men and women whose lifelong wish is to pass on their bloodline.
Seeing that they all understood, Manbao continued, "The sex of the child is determined after conception. Those pills circulating out there that promise a boy birth or reverse yin and yang are all fake. They're probably just lumps of mud rubbed off a person's body and coated in flour to trick you."
A picture appeared in everyone's mind, and they felt disgusted.
Manbao knocked on the table with a stick to get everyone's attention back and continued, "So how are boys formed, and how are girls formed?"
She raised the stick in her hand and broke off two pieces from the one representing her parents. The two pieces were the same color. She put them together and said, "The stick representing women is all one color. So naturally, when this part of my father's bloodline merged with my mother's bloodline, the stick formed would also be the same color as my mother's. Therefore, it is a woman!"
She reached out and broke off the half-burned stick, pulling out a blackened section. "But when this part of the father's bloodline merges with the mother's, the resulting stick becomes the exact same color as the father. This represents maleness. Do you understand?"
The onlookers were all stunned, so what this meant was...
"Whether it's a boy or a girl, generally speaking, is determined by the father's bloodline," Man Baoyang said, holding a stick that had been broken into two pieces. "If the lower half of the father's bloodline merges with the mother's, the result is a girl. If the upper half (the burned part) merges, the result is a boy."
"Generally speaking, without external intervention, the probability of conceiving a boy or girl is the same. If a couple gives birth to girls multiple times, it means..."
Manbao paused and said, "Either you are unlucky, or it is due to your man's family, X... that part of the bloodline is stronger."
Things like chromosomes and genes require too much explanation. They can be taught to disciples and students, but when explaining them to these people, it is still necessary for them to understand.
Since ancient times, both men and women have believed that giving birth to children is a woman's business, and naturally, giving birth to a boy or a girl is also a woman's business.
For thousands of years, this idea has never been broken, but this time someone told them that what they thought has always been wrong.
Many people can't accept it all at once.
Even the usually serious and reserved County Magistrate Fang couldn't help but ask, "How did you know all this, sir?"
Manbao said confidently: "I am the imperial physician."
County Magistrate Fang asked, "Can the doctors in the Imperial Hospital tell the difference between males and females?"
Man Bao raised his eyebrows and said, "About 45 out of 10, and among those 45, there's a 20 to 30 chance of misdiagnosis. After all, doctors are human, and they make mistakes sometimes, even imperial physicians."
Man Bao warned everyone, "We can't say the doctors in the Imperial Hospital are the best in the world, but they are definitely the best. Even we can't say we can tell the difference between men and women with 100% certainty, let alone the doctors outside."
"So if you have an abortion in the future because you want to have a son, you'd better think about the disaster you've experienced today."
Everyone shuddered when they thought of the baby boy who died at birth because of rumors that he was a girl.
Manbao saw it and was satisfied.
An old woman in the crowd couldn't help but ask, "Sir, is there no way to conceive a boy?"
Manbao said categorically: "No!"
She said, "Men themselves can't control their own bodies, how can I, a doctor, control them?"
She paused and said, "Besides, what's wrong with having a girl? When she gets married, there's a betrothal gift, which is used to buy a dowry. At least there's something left over, and she'll also be honored during festivals. If you really can't bear to let your daughter get married, you can set up a daughter's household and recruit a live-in son-in-law for her. It's like getting a son for free. How wonderful is that?"
Everyone thought Zhou Man's words were ridiculous. If they really didn't have a son, who would be willing to let their daughter marry a son-in-law?
How good can a live-in son-in-law be?
See you at 6pm
(End of this chapter)
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