Annual Ceremony

Chapter 17 Grain Rain (I)

The fact of foot binding has often appeared in Zhenyi's nightmares since she was four years old, in the form of a strange and ferocious beast.

This ferocious beast feeds on human flesh and bones. Its body is covered with bloody sharp blades and human faces, including those of the third wife, the eldest sister, and many other people with bound feet that Zhenyi had seen.

Whenever this ferocious beast appeared, the walls that rose from the ground and pierced the sky would also appear, and each time Zhenyi would wake up in a sweat.

When she was four years old, Zhenyi escaped by climbing out the window, and avoided foot binding by crying and rebelling.

After that, he fell seriously ill, but because of the care of his grandfather and grandmother, he was given a "temporary pardon" for two or three years.

When Zhenyi was seven years old, her grandfather was exiled and the family was in chaos for a while. Then Yang Jinniang became pregnant, had a difficult delivery, and had to nurse the baby for a year. Now Zhenyi was nine years old, and the matter of foot binding could no longer be delayed.

In Lu’s mother’s words, it’s too late. If we delay any further, not only will we suffer, but it will also be difficult to wrap the baby “beautifully”.

Mother Lu also told Yang Jinniang that children are inevitably afraid of pain, and it will be fine if they can just endure it. When they grow up, they will naturally understand the adults’ painstaking efforts.

At this time, Yang Jinniang was sitting at the table and Zhenyi was standing in front of her mother.

Yang Jinniang is not yet thirty years old this year, but Zhenyi actually saw a few white hairs on her mother's temples.

Zhenyi thought of the way to be a good child that was repeatedly mentioned in Confucianism.

Zhenyi has learned a lot now, but it is difficult for her to act recklessly and instinctively like she did when she was four years old. She began to think about right and wrong, but she always felt confused. And my grandfather said that confusion comes from thinking too much but understanding too little.

Zhenyi wanted to know more, about things in the sky, underground, and between heaven and earth... Since she was a child, she didn't like the end of a question to end up with an ambiguous answer from God. She wanted to uncover the truth of all problems to fight against confusion.

Is foot binding right or wrong?
Shouldn't human growth follow the order of all things? Why should the loss of one's own body be considered beautiful?

Why does the Confucian filial piety say that one's body and hair are given by one's parents, and one should not damage them, which is the beginning of filial piety?

But he also said - A filial son's support is to please his child and not go against his will?
But Zhenyi now knows that she cannot argue or discuss these things with her mother.

She tried to ask her father, who quoted from classics and talked about the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, but still could not give Zhenyi the clear answer she really wanted.

At this time, Zhenyi had to make a choice in this confusion.

Last year, when her mother had a difficult delivery, Zhenyi secretly promised herself that she would never make her mother angry again.

Orange noticed Zhenyi's hesitation and sat down on Zhenyi's shoe. He looked up at Zhenyi with a serious expression on his chubby cat face, as if he was frowning, conveying his opposition to Zhenyi - No!

Zhenyi lowered her eyes and looked at Orange, and suddenly felt a little sad.

She might never be able to run around with Orange again.

When Zhenyi raised her head, her eyelashes were a little wet. She looked at Yang Jinniang again: "Mother..."

"If you don't want to wrap it, then don't wrap it." Yang Jinniang said.

Zhenyi suddenly widened her eyes, trying to hold back tears.

Juzi also turned around and looked back at Yang Jinniang, who was behaving out of character.

"There is just one thing that I cannot let you do." Yang Jinniang said to her daughter, "You cannot go to Suiyuan. Although Mr. Yuan Mei is a good teacher, he is not suitable to be a teacher for girls... Your father thinks so too."

Zhenyi was still immersed in the huge surprise, and nodded like pecking at rice.

After a moment, Zhenyi threw herself into Yang Jinniang's arms and hugged her mother tightly: "Mother, you are so kind!!"

"Whether it's good or bad, I don't know..." Yang Jinniang gently touched her daughter's hair, her eyes melancholy: "As long as you don't blame me when you grow up, it's fine."

In many things, Yang Jinniang could not distinguish right from wrong. She easily believed others and was easily influenced by the environment.

Recently, because Shuyi's marriage was decided, Yang Jinniang couldn't help but think that in the original plan of the third brother's wife, Shuyi was to be an official's wife, but now because of family changes, she has to marry a merchant...

Third uncle is still an official, and Shuyi's marriage proposal has been downgraded again and again. What about her chastity?

When Zhenyi is ready to marry, what kind of family can she marry into?

Yesterday, Mother Zhao went out to buy needles and thread. When she came back, she told Yang Jinniang that the woman selling bamboo baskets at the back alley had died.

No one knew the woman's last name. All they heard was that she was a concubine of a minor official. The minor official committed a crime and his house was searched and his wives, concubines and daughters were all sold. The woman was sold to several families and was finally bought home by Baldy, who made a living by weaving bamboo baskets.

Yang Jinniang was deeply impressed by this woman with bound feet, so she asked Mother Zhao how she died.

Mother Zhao said that he was beaten to death by the drunk Baldy.

Yang Jinniang couldn't believe it.

That bald-headed, hunchbacked, short, and lame-legged guy, even if he didn't resist, could he have run out and asked his neighbors for help? Was he just going to let himself be beaten to death?

Mother Zhao sighed: [What can she run with? Her small feet can't even walk fast on weekdays. She'll probably trip if she runs a few steps...]

Yang Jinniang was suddenly stunned.

She did not bind her feet, so even though she had seen a lot, she had never experienced it personally.

This made me wonder - is a woman with bound feet worse than a cripple?

At this moment, the lady's dignity suddenly came into such a direct and shocking contrast with her injuries and disabilities.

Last night, Yang Jinniang almost couldn't sleep the whole night.

If she bound her feet, she would not be able to marry into a rich family and become a lady. Instead, she would have to walk in the mud. Not only would she not be respectable, but even standing still and surviving would become a problem. In the past, Yang Jinniang would not have such worries, but now that her family was in such a situation, it was difficult for her not to prepare for the worst.

When it was almost dawn, Yang Jinniang tried to ask her husband what he thought.

Although Wang Xichen had many characteristics of a contemporary scholar, he was not a harsh person at heart. He was proficient in medicine and understood the serious harm that foot binding would cause to women. Seeing that his wife was wavering, he agreed with her and nodded.

When Wang Xichen came back from outside, he saw his daughter running out of the yard with her cat. Her face was bright and joyful as she shared this great news with him: "Dad, I don't have to bind my feet anymore!"

Zhenyi ran with the orange and met Wang Yuan on the way: "Brother, I don't need to bind my feet anymore!"

Wang Yuan bowed to Zhenyi in a flattering manner: "Congratulations! Remember to have a wedding banquet later!"

Zhenyi continued to run forward, her soft embroidered shoes stepping on the green bricks after the rain, her willow-yellow dress floating in the wind, the fluffy hair on her full forehead wet with sweat, sparkling in the sun.

"Mother, my mother said that I don't need to bind my feet anymore!"

Mrs. Dong smiled and nodded: "Okay, okay..."

Zhenyi ran to look for her elder sister again: "Big sister, big sister! I don't need to bind my feet anymore!"

Shuyi put down her needlework, wiped Zhenyi's sweat with a handkerchief, and said lovingly, "You crazy girl..."

There was an unspeakable sympathy and sorrow hidden in Shuyi's smiling eyes.

Zhenyi was extremely happy. At night, she sat on the steps and watched the stars again. She felt that the starry sky was even brighter and more vast, as if the mist that had covered it had dissipated a layer.

On the stone steps, Zhenyi looked up at the sky, supported her hands on her sides, and leaned back in a relaxed manner, with her legs stretched straight, occasionally shaking her feet.

Juzi also sat like Zhenyi, exposing her hairy belly to the wind.

The evening breeze made the cat's ears a little itchy. Orange pressed his ears back and suddenly thought that Zhenyi should now have the courage to celebrate her birthday.

Wouldn't it have to worry about Zhenyi's tenth birthday ceremony again next year?

Following Zhenyi, Juzi, who was good at arithmetic, suddenly realized that Zhenyi would be ten years old next year.

Orange turned and looked at the child beside him.

Orange hopes time will go slower so that it can spend more time with Zhenyi.

But Orange hoped that time would go faster, otherwise, he was worried that he would not be able to see Zhenyi grow up.

But whether it is fast or slow, it hopes that the child will always be as happy as today.

Orange thought very unmodestly that it had contributed to Zhenyi's happiness today - one morning when she was four years old, it was it that woke Zhenyi up and took her away through the window!
Looking at the happy Zhenyi, Juzi, who felt very great, silently decided that he must try his best to live longer - how pitiful Zhenyi would be without the cat.

As Juzi thought about it, he moved closer to Zhenyi, rubbed against her, and finally just lay on Zhenyi's legs so that he could leave more of his scent on Zhenyi.

Before the end of Grain Rain, while the last ray of east wind was still there, Shuyi and Zhenyi, invited by Qian Yuling, went to the Qinhuai River to fly kites.

Yao is a kite. The word "Duan" in Duan Yao originally means "rest", which means flying a kite for the last time before the spring breeze leaves. Later, it gradually became a custom to write words to ward off disasters and misfortunes on the kite, fly the kite to mid-air, and cut the kite string. This is how the folk custom of Duan Yao came into being.

When Zhenyi and her companions arrived, it was evening and they saw many people flying kite lanterns - so-called kite lanterns are kites with lights attached, similar to sky lanterns.

Zhenyi liked such customs very much. She did not believe in praying for blessings and warding off disasters, but on such days, she was often allowed to go out and take it as a matter of course to join in the fun.

This is true for Zhenyi, and it is also true for most Han women. Festivals and custom days are like their days of amnesty.

Kites lanterns are dancing on both sides of the Qinhuai River, and pleasure boats are constantly coming and going, with occasional sounds of melodious zithers and singing.

Zhenyi ran with the orange to fly the kite, and Chun'er chased after her: "Miss, slow down!"

Qian Yuling and a group of girls were laughing and playing. Shuyi avoided the crowded place and flew her kite.

Shuyi played the Beauty Zither, which was a paper-cut figure of a human with a fair face, a black bun, and colorful clothes.

However, before the kite could fly high enough to be cut, it got stuck on the treetops.

Shuyi felt that this was not a good sign. Just as she was getting anxious, a young man's voice came from behind her: "Let me... help you take it off?"

Shuyi tightened her grip on the kite string and did not look back.

The young man in blue shirt walked up to her, pondered, and was about to speak again, but he saw Shuyi gently cut the kite string in her hand and whispered, "No need."

Shuyi never dared to look up. She took two steps back and turned away.

"Wait for me……"

Qian Yuling interrupted Wen Yiheng and said, "Young Master Wen, since you can't make your own decisions, why do you bother to provoke her? If someone spreads rumors, it won't hurt you, but she will ruin her reputation."

Wen Yiheng looked ashamed and lonely, and stopped talking. He just watched Shuyi take Zhenyi's hand and leave.

Juzi turned around, glanced at the young man from afar, then looked at Shuyi with red eyes. He felt that the world was really bad. There were people everywhere who could not make their own decisions and were simply unreasonable.

The beautiful kite on the branch was swaying in the wind, making a faint sound.

　【Opening the sixth solar term. 】

　　I'm asking for votes from everyone, any votes! I hope the little seedlings can grow stronger~

　　
　
(End of this chapter)