Chapter 2981: Like a fish in water
When they got to the garden, everyone felt more at ease and gathered around the princess to talk.
Mingda was often surrounded by people when she was in the capital, but this was the first time that people gathered around her and talked to her so closely. She couldn't help but look at Manbao.
Manbao was very happy, as this was the only way to have a chat. Coincidentally, she had a lot to say to everyone. With everyone gathered together, she felt like she was chatting under the big banyan tree at the entrance of Qili Village.
What can a group of women talk about when they get together?
Of course, besides men, there are children, and things like marriage.
Mrs. Song asked the princess, "Princess, do you have children? How many children do you have?"
In fact, she wanted to ask, wouldn’t it be sad for her and her husband to travel to such a far place and leave the child at home?
Mingda: "...I haven't given birth yet."
Mrs. Song subconsciously glanced at Zhou Man.
Zhou Man met her gaze, blinked, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Mrs. Song smiled awkwardly and said quickly, "It's nothing, I just thought it was a coincidence that Master Zhou, like the princess, doesn't have any children yet."
Zhou Man's spirits lifted. She was thinking about how to bring up this topic. Mrs. Song handed her a pillow, and she immediately took it. "The princess and I are interested in each other."
"Ah?" This was a development that Mrs. Song and the others had never expected, and they were stunned for a moment.
Zhou Man said, "We are still young. If a woman gets pregnant too early, it will not only be harmful to her own health, but also to the health of the child. So we deliberately don't rush to have children."
Mingda glanced at Zhou Man and nodded to everyone.
Mrs. Song looked conflicted. "Shouldn't it be better to have children sooner rather than later?"
"Children born to young parents are weaker than those born to adults and are more likely to die young," Zhou Man said. "You can tell by looking at the couples around you who are having children."
She and the Imperial Medical Bureau had done relevant statistics. Although they only used data from the capital, combined with medical knowledge, it would definitely be applicable in Qingzhou.
"Comparing children born to the same couple at fourteen or fifteen with those born at eighteen or nineteen, of course, accurate data from just one couple is not reliable, as there are always exceptions. So we looked at data from many couples," Zhou Man said. "The statistical data shows that the mortality rate and the probability of illness for children born at fourteen or fifteen are much higher than those born after eighteen or nineteen."
The ladies were stunned when they heard this and couldn't help but ask, "Having a child at 18, how many fewer children would you have?"
Zhou Man: "...Does your family need children?"
"lack!"
"So how many children do you have now?"
"Sir Zhou, I have three sons." The other party looked proud.
Zhou Man looked her up and down and asked with a smile, "How old are you this year?"
"I'm twenty-three."
Zhou Man: "How old were you when you got married?"
"Fourteen."
Zhou Man then asked, "How many children have you given birth to?"
The other party smiled and said, "How could you forget, sir? I just told you that I have three sons."
Zhou Man shook his head. "It's impossible that you only gave birth to three sons. What I'm asking is how many pregnancies you've had and how many children you've had."
The other party was stunned for a moment, and after a while, he replied, "She was pregnant with seven, one of them was miscarried before birth, and the other three died."
Zhou Man sighed and said, "The infant mortality rate has dropped below half. This isn't just a problem of premature childbearing. If you don't mind, you can come to the hospital tomorrow to see me."
She then raised her head and said to everyone, "If you get married and have children too early, the children will be weaker and more likely to die young."
Some people questioned, "Isn't it because she didn't eat and drink well enough? If she had taken good care of the pregnancy..."
Zhou Man shook his head. "Proper fetal protection can naturally increase fertility and survival rates, but the root cause of this problem lies in early marriage and early childbearing."
She said, "It's written in the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine that both men and women should wait until they reach adulthood before conceiving."
Mrs. Song immediately said, "A girl's fifteenth birthday is her marriage..."
Zhou Man shook his head. "The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine disagrees. It believes that both men and women reach adulthood after the age of twenty. A man's kidney qi is full at twenty-four, while a woman's kidney qi is balanced at twenty-one. This is also the best time to conceive a child."
"Of course, we can't follow the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine completely right now. After all, there are too many worldly matters. But even if we need to advance, we shouldn't advance too much," Zhou Man said. "Men's kidney energy only begins to flourish at the age of sixteen, giving them the ability to reproduce. Women's kidney energy doesn't begin to flourish until around fourteen, which is like the bud just falling and bearing fruit. If you want the fruit to produce seeds, you have to wait a little longer."
Everyone was stunned. They didn't quite understand what kidney energy was, but they knew about farming.
"As soon as the fruits have borne fruit, you want to pick them, cut them open, and dig out the seeds. But can the seeds you dig out be good seeds?"
Everyone shook their heads, and someone skilled in farming even said, "Those seeds probably won't be able to reproduce, right?"
Zhou Man immediately clapped his hands and said happily, "That's right. Otherwise, why would future generations have all sorts of problems? Our ancestors were able to give birth to eight or ten children, but by the time they got to this point, they could only have two or three, or even none at all."
Some people's hearts tightened and their backs went cold. They were afraid to hear it, but they couldn't help but listen, "Why?"
"It's because their parents were picked before they were ripe, so they themselves were not particularly healthy when they were born." Zhou Man said, "Human reproduction is just like planting melons and beans. Wait until they have produced green fruits and then keep them for a while. Even if you can't wait until they are fully ripe, you should wait until they are almost ripe before picking them."
"It's the same with people. Men should marry after sixteen and before twenty-four. Taking the middle age, it should be around twenty. Women, too, should marry after fourteen and before twenty-one. Taking the middle age, it should be between seventeen and eighteen. It's better to marry later than early, so let's say eighteen. Children born at this age will be healthier, and it's also best for both men and women."
Everyone was stunned. After a while, someone reacted and asked, "Is this true?"
"Of course it's true," Zhou Man said, "I got married after I turned eighteen."
Mingda immediately said, "This palace is also like this."
Zhou Man then started to brag, "Princess Changyu came even later. It was because His Majesty and His Majesty loved the princesses and wanted them to be healthy and safe that they stayed so late."
She continued the topic, "Do you know what determines a person's lifespan?"
Everyone shook their heads and said hesitantly, "Is it destined by heaven?"
Zhou Man: "...It's determined by the qi and blood."
"The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine says that at the age of ten, the five internal organs begin to settle, blood and qi are flowing freely, and qi is concentrated downwards, making it easy to walk. This means that the root of human growth lies in the essence of the kidneys, which flows upwards from the bottom. That's why ten-year-olds are able to run. Aging is also due to the decline of qi and blood. If we can ensure that our essence and qi are replenished, we can live a long life without showing signs of aging." Man Bao said to the woman, "Sister, you are only two years older than me."
(End of this chapter)
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