Chapter 901 A Dream of Youth 433
She was studious and eager to learn. With a bit of natural talent for learning, she successfully passed the autumn exam and was the only one in her school to get the chance to participate in the spring exam. However, she was still very nervous when facing unfamiliar and imposing people.
Xie Ning inquired in detail about the prototype of this matter, and the others showed expressions of shock.
The tabloid told the story of a mother who bound her young daughter's feet so that the child would stay at home quietly to learn weaving and not run around.
He Lanxue said angrily, "That mother is too cruel. Doesn't she know how to cherish her own daughter? Even if she is a daughter, she is still a piece of her own flesh and blood."
She has children of her own, which makes her exceptionally empathetic.
"It's not her fault."
Xie Ning's gaze swept over the dozens of women in the courtyard. They all came from different places, and even those from wealthy families had not had an easy time getting to where they were today.
"How can it not be her fault? Is binding her daughter's feet the right thing to do? She even broke her daughter's foot..."
The speaker was a middle-aged woman who was also a teacher at the school. She earned some money by teaching to supplement her family's income while studying hard to take the imperial examination again.
She didn't understand what was beautiful about bound feet. Some romantic scholars even wrote poems about bound feet, saying they were like jade feet, delicate and exquisite, which was disgusting to look at.
Mu Yun's face turned pale with fright.
Many of them had never heard of foot binding. Besides Shui Liu, another woman tightened her grip on the book in her hand.
"Scholars considered small feet to be beautiful, so many women would bind their own feet to achieve this, while some had their elders bind their feet from a young age to cater to the tastes of some 'good families'."
Her neighbor's playmate had her feet bound.
Actually, foot binding is not prevalent now. Some people dislike it, while others like it. It was mostly practiced by prostitutes in brothels. The practice gradually spread, and some ignorant families also began to bind their feet.
Xie Ning had also vaguely heard about it, and later even had people from the Women's Pharmaceutical Institute publicize the harm of foot binding to the body.
“The idea that small feet are beautiful is only one aspect.”
Xie Ning met Shui Liu's gaze, and Shui Liu's little stories made her understand that the formation and prevalence of foot binding was complex.
Xie Ning now sees things more clearly. She had previously explored this topic in isolation and even taught other girls about it. However, aside from the distorted aesthetics of society, foot binding to cater to male tastes was only one aspect.
Another reason is for textile labor. With the improvement of textile technology, the remuneration of rural women for textile labor is also higher. It is no exaggeration to say that they support half of the family.
They sit in front of the spinning machines day after day, working as a separate economic entity, even if some people don't acknowledge it.
"...Even though His Majesty has tried his best to reduce taxes, there are still many families in the world who are struggling to breathe under the weight of taxes."
As members of the family, women also had to supplement the household income through their own labor. They could not manage the men in the family, only their daughters were under their control.
The mother needed to produce more goods to earn money and pay taxes, but she couldn't do it all by herself, so she had to control her daughter's labor.
The daughter can do simple spinning and weaving work, while the mother can take the time to do more complex work such as embroidery and spinning patterned fabrics, which can earn her more money.
Children are always mischievous and active, and the pain of foot binding can keep them quiet and prevent them from running around.
The mother had no other way to supplement the family income, so she could only let her daughter get involved in labor earlier and more quietly, to create value...
He Lanxue blinked, her voice low, "I've never thought about these things." She had never seen them either.
She was raised like a pampered young lady since childhood, and at most she did some embroidery. She couldn't imagine such a scene, and, "Why are only mothers and daughters weaving?"
This seems to be a fixed way of thinking.
Shui Liu continued He Lanxue's words, "Because the men are all working outside, although there are lazy ones, everyone is working hard to farm in order to survive. Farming is also very tiring."
In addition, there was corvée labor.
The middle-aged woman twitched the corners of her mouth. "Not only that, Lord Xie just said that a mother can only control her daughter."
She slightly raised her chin. "Even if we don't want to admit it, in most families, women don't have the right to speak."
She was born inferior, whether compared to her husband or her son.
It's ridiculous, so she got a divorce. Once she passes the imperial examination, her husband will have to kneel before her!
“But I think my family is fine. My dad listens to my mom,” a woman retorted. If it weren’t for that, she wouldn’t be able to go to school.
“I’m talking about the majority. Your situation is an exception, and it’s all on the premise that your father is willing to listen. If your father isn’t willing to listen, nothing your mother says will make a difference.”
Ultimately, it's nothing more than a patriarchal handout.
"I think we should..."
Before long, they started arguing, and even the composed Helan Xue couldn't help but join in. She felt that she could relate to it, even though her family wasn't poor and the man she married wasn't poor either.
Ultimately, they are all the same, but she doesn't think her husband's respect for her is charity. They discuss everything they do and help each other succeed. Helan Xue doesn't think she is dependent on her husband.
Just like her aunt He Zhipei, dependent? Her aunt directly divorced her husband and brought her dowry and son home, and the other party didn't dare to utter a single word.
Mu Ling stood beside Xie Ning and asked softly, "Then what should we do?"
She understood some of it, but was confused about others.
Xie Ning's eyes reflected the radiant girls in front of him. "Powerful."
Another year has passed, and the imperial examinations are held in spring, with flowers blooming all over the city, vying for attention.
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