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Answer: Men take Jing (Essence) as the root, and women take Blood as the source. Men belong to Yang; within Yang there must be Yin, and the number associated with Yin is eight. Therefore, at age eight, the Yang Essence begins to descend (develop); at age sixteen, the Yang Essence overflows (becomes capable of reproduction). Women belong to Yin; within Yin there must be Yang, and the number associated with Yang is seven. Therefore, at age seven, the Yin Blood begins to ascend (develop); at age fourteen, the Yin Blood overflows (menstruation begins, becoming capable of reproduction). Yang Essence and Yin Blood are both the essence derived from the five flavors of food and drink, serving as the fundamental source for men and women. During the phase of "ascending," intelligence and thought become clear, teeth are replaced, hair that has fallen out turns black again, and weak sinews and bones become strong. Upon reaching the phase of "overflowing," every part of the body, including limbs, hands, feet, ears, eyes, and even minute areas like needle points or mustard seeds, receives nourishment. The reason why children resemble their parents is that the parents' Jing and Blood have circulated throughout the parents' bodies without exception. Thus, if a father has a disabled limb, the child will have a corresponding limb that does not resemble the parent; if a father has a defective eye, the child will have an eye that does not resemble the parent. However, female chickens and female beasts can conceive without Tian Gui (the substance related to sexual maturity and reproductive function in TCM). Why is this? Because in birds and beasts, the circulation of Jing and Blood passes through the Wei Jian acupoint (located at the tailbone). If a man engages in intercourse and releases his Jing before his Jing is fully connected and mature, his five organs and tissues will have incomplete aspects, leading to difficult-to-describe illnesses later in life. If a man's penis is already flaccid but he still desires sexual gratification and forces the release of Jing, the Jing will not exit but will instead rot internally, causing obstruction in the urinary pathway resulting in Lin syndrome (painful urination). If Jing is exhausted and then further depleted, damage occurs. Once a woman's Tian Gui has arrived, if she remains without intercourse with a man for more than ten years, her menstruation will become irregular; if she has intercourse with a man before ten years have passed since the arrival of her Tian Gui, it will also lead to irregular menstruation. Irregular menstruation means old blood fails to discharge, and new blood flows erroneously; some may seep into the bones, while others may transform into swellings or masses. Even if she has intercourse, she may find it difficult to conceive. Frequent intercourse with men depletes fluids and causes weakness in the person; bearing many children and nursing frequently leads to Blood depletion and can be fatal. By observing the principles of Jing and Blood, one understands half of the matter.

Answer: Heaven respects rigid Yang, and Earth honors soft Yin; thus, the forms of Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) are established. If Heaven were not rigidly Yang and Earth were not softly Yin, the forms of Qian and Kun would not be stable. The Dao of Qian produces males; males rotate counter-clockwise starting from the Zi position (North/Winter Solstice), accumulating thirty years until reaching the Si position (Southeast/Lixia). Therefore, men marry at thirty. At this time, Heavenly Yang is fully vigorous. The Dao of Kun produces females; females rotate clockwise starting from the Zi position, accumulating twenty years until reaching the Si position. Therefore, women marry at twenty. At this juncture, Earthly Yin is compliant. Hence, offspring conceived at the appropriate time are robust, signifying that the forms of Qian and Kun are fixed. Those who marry before the appropriate time cause Rigidity/Yang and Softness/Yin to be deficient.