"Ruanruan, what's this again?" Zhao asked, picking up the socks.
"Oh, this is a foot covering, it's very warm, you should all wear it!" Yun Zhourong quickly explained.
"These foot garments are quite peculiar; they are so convenient!"
Yun Hongcheng tried it and found that the socks could fit snugly against his skin without needing to be tied, and they were very soft.
"Then...then let's try them too." Seeing this, Old Madam Yun and Madam Zhao also took the socks and prepared to put them on.
However, instead of untying their foot bindings, they simply put on their socks.
Upon seeing this, Yun Zhourong couldn't help but recall what Ji Minxiu had said, and suddenly wanted to see what bound feet looked like.
He then said, "Grandmother, Second Aunt, your foot binding cloths are all worn out. We happen to have some new cloth here. Would you like us to change them?"
She was referring to the bandages that Ji Minxiu had prepared for her.
"Oh, new strips of cloth, that's wonderful!"
Upon hearing this, both Madam Zhao and Old Madam Yun were delighted and agreed without much thought.
Originally, when changing their foot bindings, the women would hide themselves, but nowadays, due to limited conditions, they can only simply turn their backs.
However, there was nothing to stand on right now. Zhao was fine, but Old Madam Yun was old and it was very inconvenient for her to bend over while sitting, so she moved very slowly.
Yun Zhourong then stepped forward and said to Madam Yun, "Grandmother, let me help you get dressed."
"Good, good, good child."
Madam Yun hesitated only slightly before smiling and agreeing.
After the foot bindings were removed, Yun Zhourong finally saw Madam Yun's feet, but was stunned by the sight.
This foot no longer resembles a foot; the arch is bent high, and the toes are twisted and deformed. Simply put, it's almost indistinguishable from a disability.
She felt her grip suddenly go limp, and her socks fell to the ground.
Seeing her reaction, Madam Yun realized something and sighed, "Grandmother has forgotten that you never had your feet bound. This is perfectly normal. Ruanruan, don't be afraid."
"No wonder you and your second aunt walk so slowly and your feet hurt every day. It turns out that your feet are deformed from being bent!"
Overwhelmed with heartache, Yun Zhourong's eyes reddened, and her voice choked with emotion, "Ruan Ruan isn't scared, but do you really think these feet are beautiful?"
No wonder the Snow Fairy said this kind of aesthetic is deformed; such feet are truly too cruel for women!
To have one's feet become like this, how much suffering must one have endured? Could it really have been voluntary?!
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would have thought foot binding was a wonderful thing. Now that she knows, she is absolutely unwilling!
"Ruanruan, you didn't have bound feet, so you wouldn't understand. Your mother-in-law's feet were the perfect three-inch golden lotuses, and countless people envied them!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao quickly stepped forward, took the bandage, and rewrapped it around Old Madam Yun's neck, explaining, "This isn't something everyone can do. I only wrapped it halfway, so it's not perfect, which is a pity."
"Alright, alright, now that we're all exiled, I'd say we need Bigfoot. Look, if it weren't for Bigfoot making it easier to move around and find food, we would have starved to death."
Madam Yun patted Yun Zhourong's head and said with some relief, "As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Now that we are going to that harsh place, Grandmother thinks that Big Feet will be able to survive better."
Zhao disagreed, saying, "What's so good about it? If Ruan Ruan hadn't been unbound, she would have been married by now and wouldn't have been implicated by the Earl's mansion."
According to the rules of the Dasheng Dynasty, the crime does not apply to married women. Yun Zhourong is twenty years old and should have been married long ago to avoid this calamity, but she did not have her feet bound.
Yun Hongcheng also said, "Ruanruan, your second uncle knows you regret not being able to bind your feet, but that doesn't negate the goodness of bound feet."
"Okay, so what's so good about bound feet?"
The severely deformed bound feet of Old Madam Yun really shocked Yun Zhourong, causing her to lose her mind. "Second Uncle, if you think bound feet are beautiful, why don't you bind them yourself?"
"Nonsense! I am a dignified seven-foot man, meant to travel the world, how can I bind my feet!" Yun Hongcheng was also provoked by these words and became somewhat angry, his tone becoming a bit harsher.
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhourong felt even more grief-stricken and questioned, "Second Uncle, you know that bound feet make it difficult to walk, so why do you make women bind their feet? You think bound feet are beautiful, but have you ever asked Second Aunt and Grandmother if they would still be willing to bind their feet if it weren't for the need to get married more easily!"
These unprecedented remarks struck Yun Hongcheng like a thunderbolt, causing him to freeze in shock as he stared at Zhao's bound feet, speechless for a long time.
"Waaaaah..."
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Yun covered her face and began to sob. "If it weren't for the pressure from family, who would willingly bind their feet to marry into a good family... Ruan'er, you have no idea how painful foot binding is. Several of my sisters died young because they couldn't endure the pain of foot binding..."
Even Zhao couldn't help but choke up, "Actually, back then, I only bound my feet halfway because the pain was so bad that I almost committed suicide. That's why my parents gave in and stopped the rest of the process."
Every time she recalls it, the shadow that seeps into her soul sends chills down her spine. Walking is like stepping on a knife's edge, a truly unbearable ordeal.
These words from the two women closest to him greatly shocked Yun Hongcheng's preconceived notions.
Yes, people adore bound feet, but the pain women suffer is often subconsciously ignored.
He clearly had sisters who died because of foot binding, but that was casually ignored; he simply said they were unlucky.
But are they truly unlucky...?
Isn't Yun Zhourong also big-footed?
But not only did she survive, she also gained the favor of the Snow Demon during her exile, saving her entire family.
Who dares to say that such a good girl is unlucky?!
Yun Zhourong had only said so much in a fit of anger, and she hadn't expected the three elders to react so strongly. After calming down, she felt a little guilty.
With her head down, she apologized softly, "Ruan Ruan was a bit thoughtless with her words..."
"No, Ruanruan, you're right."
Yun Hongcheng waved his hand and walked up to Madam Yun, taking a serious look at her bound feet for the first time.
The distorted and deformed appearance made his heart ache terribly; he felt only anger and couldn't perceive any beauty in it at all.
He took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly, "Mother, how did you get your feet bound? Can you tell your son about it?"
During the Dasheng Dynasty, foot binding was a prevalent practice, and high-ranking families married women with bound feet.
He had no particular fetish for bound feet, and since women never unwrapped their feet while sleeping and washed their feet in secret, he had never actually seen what Zhao's feet looked like after the bindings were removed.
If he had seen it earlier, he probably would have felt more heartache than anything else!
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