Chương 22: Chapter 14 Big Foot and Small Foot_1
Lady Zhou, after checking the chicken's behind, returned to the house. Lian Xiuxiu, Lian Huahua, Lian Duoduo, and Lady Gu all followed her in, and they closed the door behind them. After a while, they all went to the west room, laughing and chatting. Lady Zhou then emerged from the Upper Room and called to several girls who were playing in the courtyard.
"Go dig up some wild vegetables to bring back, so we can feed the chickens and the pigs," Lady Zhou said.
The daughters-in-law of the Lian Family took turns doing household chores, which included cooking for the entire family, as well as feeding the pigs and chickens and all such miscellaneous tasks. When it was the turn of a certain household, it was the children of that household who went to the fields to dig up wild vegetables. Today was Lady Gu's turn, so it should have been Lian Huahua and Lian Duoduo's turn to dig up the vegetables.
Lady Zhou had just been trying to gain leverage over Lady Gu, but now she didn't mention making Lian Huahua and Lian Duoduo work; instead, she came to assign them tasks. What was the reason for that?
"Sister," Xiao Qi tugged at Lian Manman's hand.
Lian Manman looked down and, seeing that Xiao Qi seemed to have something to say, bent down slightly.
"I saw Auntie gave Old Auntie a pair of silver bracelets," Xiao Qi whispered into Lian Manman's ear. "Old Auntie then spoke with Granny, and Granny said that Sister Huahua and Sister Duoduo didn't have to work."
So that was it.
If this had been a normal day and Lady Zhou had given an order, Lian Zhizhi would not have said anything and would have immediately taken up the basket. But today, they had all overheard the conversation between Lady Zhang and Lian Manman. Naturally, the children had their own thoughts.
Lady Zhou saw that no one responded and her expression turned sour. But she had spoken at length about the importance of rules that very morning, and to act otherwise now would be to contradict herself.
Lady Zhou glanced at Lady Zhang, who was working at the doorway of the side room, and unusually, she explained herself.
"Fourth Son's wife, Huahua will soon be of marriageable age and needs to embroider her dowry. Both she and Duoduo have bound feet; how can they go out into the fields? When it's their turn for chores, let's have the children in the house help out with the digging of wild vegetables," she said.
"Sure, Mother," Lady Zhang readily agreed, still of the mindset that working hard wouldn't kill anyone; she was not one to quibble.
Lady Zhou's expression brightened considerably. She was well aware that when it came to hard work and diligence without laziness, Lady Zhang was second to none. Consequently, the children from the Fourth Household were also hardworking and easy to instruct.
"Zhizhi, Wu Lang, Manman, each of you dig up a basket to bring back. Yaya, you go too." Lady Zhou caught sight of Lady He leading Lian Yaya out and quickly called to them.
"Mother," Lady He halted in her tracks, "Yaya is also going to have her feet bound in the next couple of days; she can't go out into the fields."
"How old is Yaya now? Can she even still have her feet bound?" Lady Zhou frowned upon hearing Lady He say this, "You always say you'll bind them, but then fear the pain, and each time you never follow through. You just don't want to work!"
"Mother, this time I've talked it over with Yaya, and we're definitely going to bind them. Sister Huahua is going to marry into the Sun Family, and her uncle is about to become an official. Yaya could marry into a wealthy family in the future; of course she has to bind her feet," Lady He said.
"Start binding them soon then, this time I'll do it myself," Lady Zhou suggested after a moment's consideration, clearly accepting Lady He's argument.
Lately, Lian Manman had noticed among the women of the Lian Family that Lady Zhou, Lady Gu, Lian Huahua, and Lian Duoduo all had bound feet, while Lady Zhang, Lady He, Lady Zhao, Lian Zhizhi, Lian Yeye, Lian Yaya, and herself did not. From Lady He's words, it seemed that women from wealthy families all had their feet bound.
Between bound feet associated with wealthy families and natural feet typical of ordinary farmstead households, Lian Manman unhesitatingly chose the latter.
She had not bound her feet before, but now with the Eldest of the Lian Family about to become an official, Lady Zhou surely felt that the status of the Lian Family had risen. She wouldn't also be expected to bind her feet, would she? Even Lady Zhang probably believed that it was a good thing for her daughter to bind her feet to marry well. Lian Manman didn't want that, though. Who would save her? Her heart filled with fear, and she wished she could hide her feet away.
Lian Manman's agitation became obvious, drawing Lady Zhou's gaze to her feet.
"Manman's feet…" Lady Zhou's eyes lingered for a moment on Lian Manman's feet. Among the Lian Family's granddaughters, Lian Manman was considered to have the most beautiful features, which was why Lady Gu had chosen her to be a child bride. Lian Manman, now ten years old, was indeed late to foot-binding, but luckily, her feet were small. If she started now, she could still achieve a pair of tiny feet, which would undoubtedly lead to a marriage into a well-off family.
Lady Zhou intended to suggest binding Lian Manman's feet as well. Upon reflection, however, she reconsidered. It would be some time before the Eldest became an official, and many household tasks depended on the Fourth Household. If Lian Manman also started binding her feet, there would be one less person available for chores. Originally, they had married their eldest son to a woman with bound feet and later intentionally chose women with natural feet for their sons-in-law, partly to spread the burden of chores.
"Manman is too old now, she can't bind her feet into small ones even if she started now, so let it be," Lady Zhou declared.
Lian Manman felt as if she had been granted a huge reprieve and was on the verge of tears with joy. Of course, she had no idea of Lady Zhou's calculations and looked at her with increased gratitude in her eyes.
"I'll listen to Granny," Lian Manman said crisply.
Lady Zhou felt somewhat uneasy as she looked into Lian Manman's clear eyes and turned her head away.
Lady Zhang silently lowered her head by the side.
After Lady Zhou had assigned the task of gathering several baskets of wild vegetables, the children were about to leave, but first, they were called into the house by Lady Zhang.
"Wear your straw hats, the sun is scorching these days," Lady Zhang took out straw hats for the children, then looked at Lian Manman, "Manman's head injury hasn't healed yet, you don't have to go."
"Mother, I'll go with brother and sister to replace Second Sister's part," Xiao Qi volunteered.
"Wu Lang and I can dig a little more each; it'll be enough. Xiao Qi, stay at home and play with Manman," Lian Zhizhi suggested.
Lian Wulang nodded in agreement.
All the children were sensible and diligent, and their relationships with each other were friendly and harmonious, which made Lady Zhang feel very comforted.
"That works too," Lady Zhang nodded.
"Mother, I want to go," Lian Manman disagreed, as she did not want to stay cooped up in the house. She wanted to go outside and see things, and she also didn't want the other children to work on her behalf.
Fearing that Lady Zhang would not agree, Lian Manman added, "Mother, my head doesn't hurt anymore. It's stuffy inside; maybe I'll recover faster if I go out for a walk."
After some thought, Lady Zhang considered that gathering wild vegetables wasn't such heavy work, and with Lian Zhizhi and Wu Lang looking after Lian Manman, she agreed.
"Manman, sit on the heated brick bed, Mother will bind your feet for you," Lady Zhang called Lian Manman over.
What? Lian Manman was so frightened that her face turned white, and she quickly hid behind Lian Zhizhi.
"Mother, I won't bind my feet," Lian Manman said. She thought that Lady Zhang did not want her to be at a disadvantage from the start and would bind her feet herself.
Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi all burst into laughter.
"Second Sister, you're still so afraid of foot binding, haha..." Xiao Qi laughed so hard that her big eyes squinted into crescents.
Foot binding can cause disability, and you are still laughing! Lian Manman complained in her heart.
Lian Zhizhi laughed and pulled Lian Manman over.
"Don't be afraid, Manman, it's not that kind of foot binding, it doesn't hurt."
There are different kinds of foot binding, and ones that don't hurt? Lian Manman did not believe it. This was definitely like telling a child that medicine is not bitter, just to trick the child into taking it.
"I don't want my feet bound at all," Lian Manman looked at Lady Zhang coming towards her with a roll of gauze, and she felt like crying.
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