Chapter 728 Foot binding?

The thorough investigation of the officialdom should be left until after the New Year, so that the officials in the north can at least have a good New Year.

As the New Year approaches, Gu Nanxi has a lot to do, including comforting the people, meeting with officials, preparing for the year-end commendation meeting, etc.

Especially distributing New Year supplies to the families of martyrs, Gu Nanxi had to do it personally.

On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the day of the Kitchen God Festival, red round lanterns were hung at the gates of every courtyard in Fuming Town, and sporadic firecrackers could be heard from time to time.

Wang Anshi and Wei Xiaozhi were walking home holding a newly mounted image of the Kitchen God by Wu Daozi when they ran into their neighbors pasting red bean porridge on the door lintel.

The fragrance of glutinous rice mixed with the scent of pine smoke and ink creates a special flavor of the New Year in the cold wind of December.

Wang Anshi counted and found that twelve families in the neighborhood had lanterns made of silk gauze, eight families had lanterns made of red paper, and the remaining families probably had not yet had time to hang lanterns.

The shops along the street are doing very good business, and almost every one is crowded.

Bright red satin was piled up in front of the silk shop, the aroma of lamb wine wafted from the wine shop, and children were running around in the crowd, holding moth-shaped ornaments made of bamboo silk.

"Jiefu, Xiaozhi, you are here too!" Gu Nanxi recognized the two and greeted them with a smile.

Wang Anshi turned around and saw Gu Nanxi, wearing casual clothes, appearing at the entrance of the alley. Behind her was a young girl and several men carrying cross-body bags.

A group of clerks followed behind with bags of various sizes.

Gu Nanxi took the initiative to invite Wang Anshi and the others: "We are going to visit the families of the martyrs, do you want to come with us?"

Wang Anshi: "Go!"

Wang Anshi lagged behind Gu Nanxi by half a step, and heard the young lady next to Gu Nanxi introduce: "My name is Wen Yu. I heard that you and Xuan Ming are good friends. Have you heard him mention me?"

Wang Anshi thought to himself, Su Xuanming never mentioned it, but who in Yunzhou doesn’t know that Miss Wen Yu and Xuanming have a close relationship?

"Of course I have mentioned it. Xuanming praised Miss Wenyu highly, saying that you are talented and have a noble character. You are an amazing girl."

Wen Yu smiled brightly, and her tone became softer: "You are renting Aunt Geng's house, right? Aunt Geng is the warmest-hearted person, and Uncle Geng is Erlang's master. They are all family members."

Wen Yu pointed at the plaque of the square and said: "The Changping Square where you live is full of people who survived the Yunzhou War. Basically, every family has a martyr. The name of this square was changed later, and it means long-lasting and peaceful."

That is why Changpingfang was chosen as the focus of condolences.

Wen Yu has brought with him the backbone of novelists this time, and he is determined to convey the spirit of Duke Yun.

The first house in Changpingfang is Zhang’s Courtyard.

Gu Nanxi knocked on the door personally.

The clean wooden door creaked open, and a young man with a worried face asked softly, "Who are you looking for? Sanniang is not at home. She is on duty today."

Gu Nanxi still remembered Zhang Sanniang. During the battle of Yunzhou, Zhang Sanniang killed several Tartars in one breath. She was strong and conspicuous in the crowd.

"Who are you?" Gu Nanxi remembered that almost all the male members of Zhang Sanniang's family had died, and only one of her sisters survived.

The young man didn't know Gu Nanxi, but he recognized a clerk at the end of the line.

The young man became more and more nervous, not knowing how to position his hands and feet. His voice was as soft as a mosquito: "I am Zhang Sanniang's husband."

Hearing this, Gu Nanxi's smile became a little gentler. Zhang Sanniang looked ordinary, but because of her military service, she had a fierce aura.

Yuanniang once complained to herself that Zhang Sanniang had dated four or five men in a row, but failed with any of them.

The other party either didn't like Zhang Sanniang's appearance or disliked her fierce and ferocious look.

The husband who finally fell in love with Zhang Sanniang acted superior. Not only did he want to pay less for the bride price, he also wanted Zhang Sanniang to give him a larger dowry. He even wanted to sign a contract, asking Zhang Sanniang to agree not to have children for two years, in which case he would let her take a concubine.

It seems as if marrying Zhang Sanniang is a great favor to her.

Gu Nanxi beckoned, and the clerks hurriedly brought the gifts over.

A bag of rice, a bag of fine flour, a small can of salt, a can of soybean paste, a can of lard, four bottles of canned fruit, two pieces of burlap, and a small piece of pork.

These things are very practical and are basically daily necessities.

The young man's eyes sparkled and he rubbed his hands excitedly, but he hesitated whether he should accept it.

Gu Nanxi: "I didn't know about Sanniang's marriage. I will give you the gifts another day. This is something the government sent to your family. Don't hesitate, just accept it."

The young man let out a long sigh, opened the door wider, and awkwardly invited everyone into the yard.

There was no snow on the ground in the Zhang family's yard, and there was a carport in the west corner to store Zhang Sanniang's bicycle.

The kitchen was steaming and there was a faint aroma of rice porridge wafting in the air.

Gu Nanxi's smile deepened. She felt relieved that the soldiers who had fought for Yunzhou could live well.

The clerk holding the household register whispered in Gu Nanxi's ear: "His name is Maizi, and he came from Guangde Prefecture to escape famine. Last month, he married into the Zhang family, and brought a younger sister with him."

Gu Nanxi nodded slightly and asked Maizi in a gentle voice: "Have you encountered any difficulties in life? Have you been bullied? Are you used to living in Yunzhou?"

Maizi shook her head like a rattle: "No, life is pretty good."

As if he had thought of something, Maizi hesitated to speak.

Gu Nanxi's heart sank. His expression did not mean that there was no problem. "It's okay. I know Zhang Sanniang very well. She is like my sister. If you encounter any difficulties, just ask. If I can do it, I will do it for you immediately. If I can't do it, I will remember it and do it later."

The clerk in charge of Changpingfang was sweating profusely, with a look of despair in his eyes.

No way, there is actually injustice in my own jurisdiction? The sky is falling!

The young man hesitated, blushing from face to neck, and mustered up his courage to whisper, "Well, why doesn't the community hospital care about foot binding?"

Um?

What?

Foot binding?

Everyone was stunned, and for a moment they couldn't believe what they heard.

Wen Yu repeated: "Foot binding?"

Seeing that the adults were not angry, Maizi became bolder and said as a matter of course, "Yes. My sister is already eight years old. It will be too late if she doesn't bind her feet! I even went to find Aunt Geng, but they wouldn't help anyone bind their feet."

Maizi felt really wronged: "Men and women should not touch each other, and they should be separated at the age of seven. I can't bind my sister's feet, can I? I went to the community hospital to ask the doctor, and the doctor said that foot binding is very harmful to the human body and is an act of abuse. Not only was he unwilling to help me, he also threatened me."

Everyone's expressions were very strange.

People who have often experienced war know that only those with big feet can run faster.

There are actually people who want to bind their feet on their own initiative!

Wen Yu's eyes were deep, and she asked calmly, "Why do you want to bind your sister's feet?"