1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 579 "Three-Inch Golden Lotus"

“Cultural reflection and the root-seeking literary trend are different.”

Feng Jicai sat in the center of the stage, speaking eloquently about a discussion of his works that was being held in Beijing today.

"In my view, traditional culture reveals its charm in the literature of tracing roots. And what is cultural reflection? It is highly social and realistic, and it is a deeper exploration of social issues."

Starting with Lu Xun, this approach focuses on grasping the characteristics of national culture from a macro perspective, closely addressing reality, exhibiting a strong critical attitude towards traditional culture, tearing away the fig leaf of "family scandals should not be publicized," and seeking out the psychological factors hindering progress from the national cultural mentality.
Based on this understanding, I designed a series of cultural reflection novels consisting of about six to eight novellas in my plan, which I collectively titled "Strange Tales of the World".

The first book is "The Divine Whip," which follows Lu Xun's path of criticizing the inferiority of the national character, using the queue as a symbol to express the inertia in the national culture.

Based on "The Divine Whip", I further explored and discovered new problems: since such deep-seated inferiority and inertia exist in the national culture, why can they persist and be so stubborn that even the torrent of the May Fourth New Culture Movement could not sweep them away, but instead they later erupted in a malignant way, becoming a powerful obstacle to reform and opening up.

I believe this is because traditional culture is something even more powerful—it has charm.

It can transform distorted, morbid, and artificially twisted rules and regulations into a kind of charming beauty, a universally recognized and sacred law of beauty.

When people immerse themselves in it, they will consciously or unconsciously enrich and improve it, transforming external limitations into self-limitations, and moving from intention to subconsciousness.

In other words, the inertia and charm of traditional culture are like two sides of a sheet of paper, impossible to separate in the middle.

The difficulties encountered in social change are even more difficult to overcome by the Chinese people themselves, and by their own hearts.

What's most frightening is that the Chinese people have no self-reflection on this cultural constraint, that is, the self-binding power of culture.

The repeated struggle between foot binding and unbinding in modern times is a perfect opportunity for me to explore this aspect of cultural connotation—the power of self-restraint. My novel, "Three-Inch Golden Lotus," was created based on this mindset.

"Three-Inch Golden Lotus" is a novella recently written by Feng Jicai. It is clear that it is about the morbid "three-inch golden lotus" culture in traditional culture, that is, the foot binding in the old society.

The novel is roughly about a contest of beautiful feet.

Feng Jicai's writing is superb; he describes pairs of feet in such exquisite detail that they are truly "jade-like." If you have a thing for smelly feet, this is a perfect read for you.

The story is about how Ge Xianglian's grandmother bound her feet when she was seven years old.

Ge Xianglian would start crying and screaming at the sight of a kitchen knife, scissors, alum pot, and cotton:

"I won't wrap it, I won't wrap it!"

As a result, Grandma seemed to change completely, and she frantically pressed down on her feet.
Finally, Xianglian's feet were suffocated in the cloth, causing pus to seep out, flesh to rot and bones to break, but in the end, they were bound into a pair of three-inch golden lotuses.

Grandma hugged Xianglian tenderly and said, "If Grandma is soft-hearted, you'll hate Grandma when you grow up!"

Indeed, suffering for a time brings lasting beauty.

When Xianglian turned seventeen, her small feet caught the eye of Manager Tong of the "Yangguzhai" antique shop, who then married her as his eldest daughter-in-law.

This shopkeeper, whose real name is Tong Ren'an, is the richest man in Tianjin. The Tong family has a peculiar habit: they only appreciate people's feet, not their faces.

Especially for Manager Tong, because he has a pair of exquisitely bound feet, even an old, faded, and ugly maid like Aunt Pan can become his secret lover.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, while others were enjoying the moon, the Tong family was having a race.

They hung up ram's horn lanterns and gathered a group of lay Buddhists and scholars, all of whom had a "lotus obsession".

Look at the wording used! Foot fetishists aren't called foot fetishists, they're called "lotus fetishists," how elegant! Unlike later generations, who generally call it "porridge fetish."
Feng Jicai wrote about this race in a particularly interesting way.

Since it's a competition, there must be a standard, and the standard for whether a pair of jade pieces is good enough is generally referred to as the Seven-Character Lotus Sutra:

"Sharp, slender, curved, small, soft, upright, and fragrant"

When the competition began, each room had a number on its curtain, and pairs of small feet peeked out from under the curtains, allowing guests to admire and vote.

Xianglian lost to her second daughter-in-law, Bai Jinbao, in her first competition.

From then on, the second young mistress became arrogant and domineering, while Xianglian was tormented to the point of death by the eldest young master. Even when Xianglian was pregnant, he picked up a kitchen knife and wanted to cut open Xianglian's belly to see if she was carrying a big-footed girl.

This young master was both insane and foolish, and finally died.

Xianglian was strong-willed but not destined for happiness; she gave birth to a girl.

In ancient times, men were valued more than women. Xianglian did not leave an heir for the eldest son and lost her status in the Tong family. She was heartbroken and took a packet of arsenic, intending to leave this world with her daughter, but was saved by the maid Pan Ma.

Pan Ma picked up Xianglian's foot and said to her:

"If you're willing, give me these feet, and I guarantee you'll be able to walk with your head held high in the Tong family!"

So Pan's mother rebound her feet.

With this wrap, the cheat code is activated.

Pan Ma's technique was very different from Xianglian's grandmother's. With a twist, a loop, a hook, and a block, she actually changed the appearance of Xianglian's pair of bound feet.

Manager Tong, with his keen eye, immediately noticed his daughter-in-law's "jade lotus" feet. He secretly gave Xianglian a pair of tiny red satin shoes and instructed her to repeatedly study "Illustrations of Foot Binding" and "Erotic Anecdotes" to grasp the essence of the three-inch golden lotus feet. Then he said:
"I'll organize another competition for you, and I guarantee you'll come in first place!"

Sure enough, when the Lantern Festival arrived, it was time for another foot-shaping contest. Xianglian wore an ivory-yellow pleated skirt that completely covered her bound feet.

When she tossed a black shuttlecock into the air, her skirt fluttered, and a pair of small red shoes, like two little red sparrows, went to catch the shuttlecock.

That sharpness, that ingenuity, that nimbleness.
"Jade!"

"It's so beautiful!"

After that, Xianglian's bound feet became a unique feature of Tianjin, and she gained even more prestige in the Tong family.

Then, when Xianglian's daughter Lianxin was four years old, Manager Tong suffered a stroke and was critically ill. Before she died, she asked Pan Ma to bind the feet of all her granddaughters. As the young girls of each household were preparing, Xianglian could not bear to let her daughter Lianxin repeat her mistakes, so she had someone take her daughter and flee Tianjin.

In the blink of an eye, the Republic of China era arrived, and the "Civilization Training Institute" and the "Natural Foot Society" emerged.

The so-called Natural Foot Society naturally opposed foot binding and pursued a pair of naturally beautiful feet.

Xianglian, who had suffered greatly from foot binding, had now taken charge of the Tong family. She consistently upheld the family rules and issued strict orders to the entire family:

"Whoever tries to untie their feet can get out of the house!"

But the Natural Foot Society still set up a tent outside the door to give speeches about the suffering of foot binding.

As a result, the second young mistress's daughter, Yuegui, ran away from the Tong family and joined the Natural Foot Society.

Xianglian aged ten years in an instant, but she refused to give up. She immediately founded the "Resurrection Society" and, under the pseudonym "Ms. Ailian," wrote an article in the Vernacular Newspaper:
"If women with bound feet lose their natural beauty and become pretentious, then what about fashionable women who perm their hair, bind their chests, and wear high heels?"

After publishing an article, he challenged the Tianzu Association to a showdown at the Civilization Lecture Hall.

On the day of the competition, the crowd was enormous.

It must be said that Feng Jicai's writing is exceptionally beautiful.

On Ge Xianglian's side, her colorful little feet darted in and out of her skirt, a dazzling sight. Meanwhile, the Natural Foot Association introduced its president, Niu Junying.

This is a stunningly beautiful modern woman in a short-sleeved dress that reaches just to her knees, revealing her exquisitely sculpted neck, arms, and bare thighs.

After they were seated, Niu Junying first lifted her bright red high heels and stretched them out in front of Ge Xianglian.

Ge Xianglian then pulled up her skirt, revealing her three-inch golden lotuses, which drew cheers from the foot-binding faction.

But Niu Junying smiled and said to Ge Xianglian:
"This is called a shoe competition, not a foot competition."

Then, she took off her shoes in public, removed her barely-there silk stockings, and revealed her fleshy legs and feet.
Jade!
So beautiful!
The members of the "Natural Feet Faction" blushed and cheered, then took the opportunity to force Xianglian to take off her shoes.

Xianglian's side was so angry they almost fainted.

Niu Junying remained calm and unhurried. She lit a cigarette and exhaled smoke rings. These smoke rings seemed to be alive, trembling and slowly descending, landing perfectly on Niu Junying's raised big toe. Then, with a flick of her big toe, her snow-white unborn foot was able to carry the smoke rings in a curve.

He possesses both jade and exceptional skills.

Everyone was stunned.

When Niu Junying's sole was facing Xianglian, Xianglian immediately saw a mark on the sole of her foot, and her body slumped forward and she fainted.

She recognized Niu Junying.

It turns out that Niu Junying is actually her missing daughter, Lianxin.
Feng Jicai's "Three-Inch Golden Lotus" quickly sparked intense debate in literary and critical circles upon its publication.

The discussion took place in publications such as Contemporary Writers Review, Works and Debates, and Literary Freedom Forum.

Many people believe that Feng Jicai is promoting the decadent phenomenon of foot binding, and many critics hold an overall negative attitude towards the novel. On the other hand, some critics have given the work high praise.

As for the interpretations and criticisms of the novel by critics, whether praising or criticizing, Feng Jicai himself does not agree with any of them, saying, "Few people understand me."

Since no one else understood, only he could explain it clearly. Therefore, he spent this period of time attending various discussion meetings on "Three-Inch Golden Lotus". Before he knew it, it was August.

He received an invitation and made a special trip to Canada. This year, Feng Jicai went to Belgium and Singapore, gaining experience in traveling abroad and knowing that flights can be long and arduous journeys.

Therefore, before setting off, he made a special effort to buy several periodicals to pass the time on the road.

When he went to his usual newspaper stand, the clerk there knew him well and was especially happy to see him.
What brings you here?

"Give me a copy of the latest issues of People's Literature, People's Digest, Contemporary, Harvest, Flower City, and October," Feng Jicai said, listing several publications.

"Hey."

The other person agreed, bent down to gather a few periodicals, and said, "Wouldn't you like a copy of 'Children's Literature'? This issue of 'Children's Literature' is selling particularly well!"

"Children's Literature?"

Feng Jicai frowned. "Let's just forget about it."

"Please don't rush to refuse, I know what you're thinking."

The sales clerk said, "You probably think this is for kids and you're not interested, but I really think you should take a look at this issue. This is a special issue, featuring a novel by Comrade Jiang Xian. I've read it all, and it's exceptionally well-written!"

When the salesperson said the last three words, "It's really good," she deliberately slowed down.

"Children's Literature? Jiang Xian?"

Feng Jicai suddenly recalled that he had previously contacted Jiang Xian on behalf of "Chinese Writers" to commission his novel, but Jiang Xian said that his novel was a children's literature work and was not suitable for publication in "Chinese Writers".

It seems that the children's literature work mentioned back then is the same one the salesperson is talking about now.

"Then could you please give me one? I'll take it back and take a look."

"Hey."

The sales clerk smiled at him, "It's good that you came early, I really don't have many copies left. This issue of 'Children's Literature' is selling really well!"

“After all, it’s Jiang Xian’s novel,” Feng Jicai said. “As long as his name is involved, it’s impossible for it to be sold poorly.”

"That is."

The sales clerk, having gained experience selling magazines, strongly agreed with Feng Jicai's words.

Who in their line of work doesn't know about the "Jiang Xian phenomenon"?!
Over the years, whenever Jiang Xian releases a new work, that's when his magazine sells the best.

In short supply!

Demand far exceeds supply!
Carrying a stack of publications back home, Feng Jicai immediately picked out a small publication called "Children's Literature" from among the top-tier periodicals such as "People's Literature," "People's Digest," "Contemporary," "Harvest," "Flower City," and "October," a publication far smaller than these.

The cover of this issue of Children's Literature is beautifully drawn: a deep blue with a small golden figure sitting on a planet slightly larger than a chair.

Opening the table of contents, there were no extra stories in the entire publication, only one.

—The Little Prince, by Jiang Xian.

"The Little Prince?"

Feng Jicai found it a bit strange, because in China, the title of "prince" is rarely used.

If I had to say, it should be the young prince.
However, he also understands that children's literature is generally based on fantasy stories.

In a fantasy world, a crown prince seems a bit out of place; a prince or princess would be more fitting.

In addition, Feng Jicai noticed that more than sixty pages of this publication were in full color!
He hadn't paid much attention to the novel "Children's Literature" before.

However, having worked in editing for many years, he is well aware of the difficulties of producing full-color content.

Clearly, Children's Literature magazine gave Jiang Xian's novel the highest honors, creating a truly valuable special issue for him.

Feng Jicai was not surprised that Jiang Xian was writing children's literature novels.

Many great writers have written children's stories and poems, including Faulkner, Calvino, Maugham, Le Clézio, Modiano, Pushkin, Galsworthy, Anatole France, Chekhov, Eliot, Kawabata Yasunari, and Akutagawa Ryunosuke.
Of course, the novel's content is not enough to fill the entire publication. In the novel's table of contents, there are also several literary reviews of "The Little Prince" written by critics and well-known writers commissioned by "Children's Literature".

These names are all very familiar to Feng Jicai, and they are all very well-known names.

"Ok?"

Feng Jicai paused for a moment when his gaze fell on one of the names.

"Liu Xinwu?"

(End of this chapter)