Seeing that he didn't look angry, Xin Zhi explained in a low voice: "You are a man, you definitely can't have children."
"However, you are not young. It would be easy to say that you are not married. But you have been married to your husband for five years and still have no children. Why are you not anxious yet? So some people made malicious speculations and thought that he was not your husband. There is something wrong with your body, but there is something wrong with your body.”
"Otherwise, why don't you take a concubine? Carrying on the family line is a matter of great importance."
Li Qiao: "..."
He stretched out his index finger and emphasized: "First, Brother Zhu and I have been married for only five years, and it is currently less than four and a half years."
By next summer, he and Brother Zhu will be married for five years.
He extended his middle finger again: "Second, I don't take concubines because Brother Zhu and I have a good relationship and I don't want children."
Moreover, he is not too young, he is only twenty-two years old this year...
"I believe what you say, but others don't. If your words get out, others will definitely think that you are a tough talker. As a man, how can you not want children?"
Xin Zhi's eyebrows were knitted tightly.
"Besides, others don't believe that you two have a good relationship. They think that your deep affection for your husband is just an act to blame your childlessness on your husband."
Li Qiao: "?"
He looks like a subway grandpa looking at his phone again.
"These people think that it's actually you who can't have children. Otherwise, you are already this age and you don't even have a daughter or brother, let alone a son. But you are not in a hurry. There must be something wrong with this."
"The problem must be with you."
Xin Zhi recounted to Li Qiao the contents of the rumors he had heard recently.
In fact, as early as when Li Qiao was the top scholar in high school, he had heard rumors that Li Qiao's beloved husband's various behaviors were fake.
However, there were very few such comments at that time, and they were not directed at children. I just thought it was incredible that Li Qiao was a grown man, good-looking, could make money by winning six yuan in a row, and yet he was obsessed with a girl who looked like a man. On my little brother.
Such a peerless good man, you don’t even dare to write about it in your storybook!
But the recent rumors about Li Qiao have suddenly become outrageous, but they are quite logical. They have found a particularly reasonable reason for Li Qiao's incredible behavior:
Li Qiao could only pretend to be deeply devoted to his husband and resolutely refuse to take concubines, so as to hide the fact that he had something wrong with his body. If he takes a concubine and she cannot get pregnant, everyone in the world will know that there is something wrong with him.
Based on this logic, the rumor spread all of a sudden.
Not only the people who were close to him heard about it, but his family members also heard about it.
If he didn't have a close relationship with Li Qiao, maybe he would believe it.
Li Qiao: "..."
It was so outrageous that he didn't even feel angry anymore.
He looked at Xin Zhi quietly, and after a few seconds, he asked: "So, no matter what I say now, it can be attributed to me being stubborn?"
"Yes." Xin Zhi nodded with a sad expression.
Taking a deep breath, Li Qiao raised his hand and rubbed his face: "Okay, anyway, other people have mouths, so you can say whatever you like. As long as you don't come to me and say it, then I will pretend that you don't know."
Anyway, the attitude of his colleagues in the Hanlin Academy towards him is still the same as before.
If he and Tao Zhu didn't have children because they both had health problems, then this rumor would be good now.
Put the pressure on him, and Tao Zhu will be able to relax.
Xin Zhi looked at his speechless and helpless look, and suddenly felt sympathy on his face. However, in the face of such rumors, he really couldn't think of any brilliant ideas.
"How about you go to the medical clinic and let the doctor take a look at it? Maybe this will stop the rumors."
"No need, others can say whatever they like, I'm too lazy to pay attention."
Li Qiao shook his head.
If he really went to see a doctor, he was led away by rumors.
Think beautifully.
He doesn't provide jokes to those with malicious intentions.
Moreover, even if the doctor proves that he is in good health, those who have ill intentions towards him will think that he bribed the doctor in advance.
Drop as much as you like.
However, before returning to the house, he couldn't help but ask: "Who are these rumors spreading?"
"There are quite a few. There are already many people who dislike you. In addition, this matter can easily arouse the interest of passers-by, so it has spread widely."
"Many people in the elite circle know that it will only be a matter of time before it flows to ordinary people."
"...Freedom of speech. Being a celebrity can't just enjoy the benefits of being famous, but you also have to bear the troubles."
Li Qiao sighed and walked towards his house.
Xin Zhi: "..."
His respect for Li Qiao grew stronger.
How to be so calm despite such rumors is something that most men really can't do.
Li Qiao really didn't care about this rumor. When he returned to the house, he collected information as usual without being affected at all.
Soon it was time to get off work, and a drizzle began to drift in the air. The light rain followed the cold wind and kept going under the umbrella. When Li Qiao came to the oxcart from the Hanlin Academy holding an umbrella, half of his clothes were already wet. .
"After you get home, let's warm it up over the fire. Dashan, walk faster."
Tao Zhu touched Li Qiao's wet knees and urged Li Dashan.
Li Dashan was wearing a raincoat and holding an umbrella, but along the way, he was also scratched by raindrops. He hummed, and the hand without the umbrella grabbed the whip and shook it.
The scalper, named Xiaoguai, immediately raised his hooves and walked forward.
The carriage door was closed, so rain couldn't get in, but the carriage wasn't airtight enough, so the cold wind could get in through the gaps.
Tao Zhu was wearing thick clothes. He touched Li Qiao's cold hand, then unbuttoned his sheepskin coat and motioned for Li Qiao to put his hand into his arms.
Li Qiao laughed softly, pressed most of her body on him, and stretched her hands into his arms.
Li Qiao's hands touched the warm clothes, and the comfortable Li Qiao couldn't help but close her eyes: "Brother Zhu is so nice."
"It's really hard to go out in this kind of weather. Now that I'm an official, I'm not as comfortable as before."
Tao Zhu wanted to sigh.
"No, the most comfortable person is actually the landlord."
Li Qiao also wanted to sigh. As he said this, his hands habitually moved down from his heart, trying to follow the seam of his clothes and stick closer to Tao Zhu.
However, when he came to Tao Zhu's belly, today's rumors suddenly popped into his mind.
He couldn't help but pat Tao Zhu's belly gently.
Tao Zhu has no abdominal muscles, but there is no fat on her waist either. It is white and delicate, and feels quite comfortable to the touch.
Imagine Tao Zhu's belly. After a moment, he shook his head gently.
It’s better not to get pregnant.
He was a little scared...
The originally white and tender belly was bulging, and she had to be unable to do any major movements for ten consecutive months. What was even more frightening was that there would be tragedies such as dystocia and massive bleeding.
Medical treatment was not available at this time. If something unexpected happened in the meantime, he would really not be able to bear it.
Tao Zhu didn't know what Li Qiao was thinking. When he saw Li Qiao acting like this, he couldn't help but raise his hand and pat Li Qiao's arm gently, and then whispered in his ear: "The mountain is still outside."
Hearing this, Li Qiao raised his big hand and put it back on Tao Zhu's heart.
"Speaking of which, after lunch today, I really want to drink a bowl of our hot drink."
"Huh?" When Tao Zhu heard this, his mind immediately started to spin: "How about I deliver it to you at noon tomorrow?"
"Put a small stove on the bullock cart. When it is delivered to the Hanlin Academy, it will still be hot enough to burn your mouth."
"Need not."
Li Qiao did not agree.
Although the duck shop closed at noon, Tao Zhu still had to go to the wet market to buy duck and vegetarian dishes.
Moreover, in this wet and cold weather, even if Tao Zhu didn't go shopping, he would rather Tao Zhu stay at home.
"I just ate too much at lunch today, and it's cold, so I want to drink our hot drink."
"It's okay. You can leave the purchasing to Zhuang Quan and Zhou Yun. They think our wages are too high and they have always wanted to do more work. Sister-in-law Wen is also very supportive."
Tao Zhu's wife Wen refers to Zhuang Wen's wife.
Zhuang Wen's wife is very virtuous. She can do all the housework at home. Now Zhuang Quan and Zhou Yun only work for half a day with a salary of 400 wen a day. The whole Zhuang family is very embarrassed.
Therefore, the couple would definitely be willing to leave the purchasing work to Zhuang Quan and Zhou Yun.
Of course, he had to send someone to follow him, as the couple were timid.
In his heart, a hundred thousand duck shops are not as important as Li Qiao.
Moreover, Li Qiao had been an official in the Hanlin Academy for so long, and he had not seen Li Qiao at noon.
Thinking like this, he said again: "I want to see you."
As soon as these four words came out, how could Li Qiao refuse? He also wanted to see his Brother Zhu.
So, the next day, the weather was still groggy. Although it stopped raining, the cold wind was still blowing, and it was still wet and cold.
Tao Zhu and Li Dashan squeezed time and rushed to the gate of the inner city while Li Qiao was having lunch.
Li Qiao simply took his lunch out and ran to the bullock cart to eat with Tao Zhu.
"Why did you come out with the rice? It's cold."
Although the meal was packed in a food box, the food box was not kept warm. The Hanlin Academy was not close to the oxcart, so it had to be a quarter-hour walk.
"This way we can stay a little longer, and I'll bake the buns on the stove."
Li Qiao said with a smile.
"Then drink something warm first."
Tao Zhu brought two small copper pots this time, one with grain and soybean milk and the other with corn juice. Li Qiao drank whichever he liked.
