The "three-inch golden lotus" was one of the greatest punishments imposed on women in the old Chinese period, and many women suffered for a lifetime because of this bad habit. According to Gao Hongxing's "History of Foot Binding", the bad habit of foot binding first originated in the Northern Song Dynasty and was vigorously promoted during the Southern Song Dynasty. Due to the promotion of Song Dynasty theory, women in the royal family and upper class society were the first to start foot binding, and folk women also began to wrap their feet in order to pretend to be high-society women.
In the Ming Dynasty, the wind of foot binding entered its heyday, and there was such a saying as "three inches of golden lotus", which specified a special standard for foot binding, requiring that the foot should not only be as small as three inches, but also show a bow bend shape.
By the Qing Dynasty, the wind of foot binding had spread to women from all walks of life, whether rich or poor, rich or poor, they all had to tie their feet, otherwise it would be a big difficulty to find an in-laws. In the second and sixth episodes of the "History of Ru Lin", there is such a sentence: "When I opened the curtain and entered the room, I saw Mrs. Wang sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapping her feet." Yan Fu wrote in his book "Yuan Qiang": "Oh Fu! This is really not the wisdom of foot binding as beauty! ”
When I arrived in the Republic of China, although the atmosphere was gradually opening, there were still many women who chose the bad habit of foot binding, and the woman I want to talk about today is like this, she was even called the last batch of small-footed women in the Republic of China.
Her name was Liu Niang, and like many women of that era, Liu Niang began to be forced to wrap her feet by her family at a very young age. In her memory, the situation of being forced to bind her feet by her parents has always been hidden in her mind, and every time she thinks about it, she has palpitations. His parents broke the bones of his feet and wrapped them in a shroud, a pain that will never be forgotten.
When Liu Niang was thirteen years old, with a pair of golden lotuses of less than three inches, he married a local family of powerful people surnamed Huang, and for a while, it became a good story and legend in ten miles and eight townships.
After getting married, Liu Niang, who was in the girlhood, caught up with the best time in the Huang family, the Huang family in this period, the industry spread throughout the county, contiguous fields, countless shops such as pawnshops, medicinal material shops, etc., such material conditions are enough to meet any needs of Liu Niang for life. She is like Mrs. Kuo, the young grandmother we often see in film and television dramas, with food to open her mouth, clothes to reach out, and every day there is nothing else to do but dress herself.
Because of her young age, very young and beautiful looks, plus a pair of three-inch golden lotuses that were enough to make countless women at that time envious, she got the love of her husband, and specially arranged several beards to serve her diet and living. If anything goes wrong, his husband will do something to make him happy. Such a day made her childhood playmates very envious.
Perhaps because life is too comfortable, Liu Niang sometimes feels stuffy and wants to go outside for a walk and take a look. But her little feet could not support her movements, and she could only sit in a palanquin, go around in her own shop, and sit for a while before returning to her big mansion. Therefore, Liu Niang's life did not have the opportunity to go far, even in the war-torn years, because the Huang surname is a large family, it can also be peaceful and protected, it seems that all the troubles in the world have nothing to do with her.
In Liu Niang's life, she gave birth to 7 children for her husband, which was more common in the society at that time, because she could have children and raise children, so she was respected by the family, after all, the people of that era paid attention to children and grandchildren, and many children and many blessings. Of the seven children, three died prematurely, reflecting the social reality of the time, and even the children of large families faced various dangers after birth.
Liu Niang didn't have to do anything at home, but there was one thing that she had to do herself, that is, washing her feet. Although Liu Niang washes her feet a handful of times in her life, and in a year, she only washes her feet during the Spring Festival, but even so, this matter still has to be done by herself. Because she believes that her feet are her second face, which can only be seen by her husband, otherwise, it is an act of infidelity, which will be rejected by her husband and will lose her good life.
A woman's infidelity was a very serious thing in that era, and it would even affect her marriage, family, life for the rest of her life, and even more, endanger her own life.
In today's era, Liu Niang has already been in the same hall as the fifth generation, and the descendants under her knees have reached as many as one hundred and ten. Her biggest trouble at present is that she can't buy the right shoes, and she can't get off the ground, she can only walk on the bed or sit on a chair, and she needs the help of her juniors every time she goes to the toilet.
Someone asked Liu Niang, do you regret being treated so cruelly by your parents? She shook her head and said that if she didn't have those three inches of golden lotus, it might be another life, maybe worse than the current days.
References: "History of Foot Binding", "History of Rulinwai", etc