Embroidered bow shoes

 

Embroidered bow shoes

 

It was an unforgettable morning. The horse dealer immediately said to Agudemba and Adhuo: I will say goodbye to you, because there is a businessman who will purchase my horses, and I want to deliver these horses to him as soon as possible.

Agudengba not only congratulated Fangshi for the success of the horse trade, but also seemed reluctant to leave. Because after meeting Fang Shidi by chance in Myanmar, they had a lot of exchanges with each other.

Three generations of Fang Shi's ancestors and grandsons experienced the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and were also the witnesses of the "Dashun Dynasty". His grandfather Fangyuanli was the general manager of the blood horse breeding farm of Dawan Kingdom in the Western Regions. He was responsible for escorting tribute horses to the Ming Dynasty court, and had a close relationship with Xia Xiong, the court horse official. Fang Shidi's grandfather and the imperial horse officer Xia Xiong were both Tocharians. My grandfather served the Ming Dynasty throughout his life, but was framed and killed. Even so, under the persuasion of Xia Xiong, the court horse official, Chongzhen agreed to let Fang Shidi's father continue to transport sweat-blooded horses to the court. When the Dashun Army surrounded Shanhaiguan on three sides, Fang Shidi's father and the imperial horse officer Xia Xiong were under Wu Sangui. At that time, they were mainly responsible for taking care of the horses of Guan Ning's cavalry. During the great battle at Shanhaiguan, Fang Shidi's father and the imperial horse officer Xia Xiong died on the battlefield in order to take care of and treat injured military horses.

Wu Sangui rebelled against the Ming Dynasty and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. Because he defeated the short-lived dynasty of the Southern Ming Dynasty, he was later named General Pingxi by Emperor Kangxi and was canonized as the prince. Fang Shidi was Wu Sangui's horse officer. He once participated in the Mongolian trade to purchase military horses.

At that time, Wu Sangui seemed to have the posture of an independent kingdom, and the three vassals gradually became invincible. In the twelfth year of Kangxi's reign, Emperor Kangxi made a decision, that is, he decided to abolish three vassal kings with different surnames headed by Pingxi King Wu Sangui who guarded Yunnan, that is, to "remove the vassal". Wu Sangui, who had no choice but to surrender to the Qing Dynasty, rebelled when the imperial court withdrew the vassal state. Immediately, Wu Sangui claimed to be the "President's Grand Marshal of the World on Land and Water" and the General of the Xingming Conqueror. As a result, the rebellion against the Qing Dynasty and the restoration of the Ming Dynasty triggered the San Francisco Rebellion.

However, the corruption of the Ming Dynasty has long lost public opinion. Wu Sangui once again raised the banner of "restoring the Ming", but few people responded. So in the seventeenth year of Kangxi, Wu Sangui simply proclaimed himself emperor, with the reign name Zhaowu. Added another short-lived Han emperor to the Chinese nation.

Faced with the Qing army's encirclement and suppression, Wu Sangui felt too anxious and angry. He suffered from "stroke and choking" and later "diarrhea". Soon, Wu Sangui died of illness. He lived for sixty-seven years. From beginning to end, Wu Sangui only served as the so-called emperor of the Han people who went south for more than five months. Fang Shidi lost his position as a horse official and became a horse dealer.

When Fang Shidi said goodbye to Agudengba and Azhuo, Miss Dawa, Chu Sanxing and Xiang Qima also came to say goodbye.

Fang Shi gave a small suitcase to Agudengba. He said: Mr. Agudengba, this small box contains my previous collections, which are all folk handicrafts. Each item has a story. You are a wise man and you can tell all kinds of stories to your friends. My horse has been sold and it is inconvenient to carry this small box with me. Just accept it, no need to refuse.

Fang Shidi opened the small suitcase, took out a pair of exquisite embroidered shoes from the box, smiled and said to everyone, this is a pair of bow shoes worn by the "Three-Inch Golden Lotus", you can let Agudengba tell you about Chinese women. Let’s talk about the story of bound feet. You will definitely gain some knowledge.

Agudengba took the pair of exquisite embroidered bow shoes from Fang Shidi and smiled: Mr. Fang, thank you for the gift. I will study carefully how Chinese women with small feet wear these bow shoes. , passed through generation after generation.

Fang Shidi said to Adhuo, Dawa, Chu Sanxing, and Xiang Qima and his wife:

Foot binding was a common phenomenon in China in the past. Foot binding, also known as foot binding, binding of small feet, binding of small feet, is called binding wrestling in southern Fujian and foot binding in Guangdong. This is a bad habit of ancient Han women. When and where it started, I don't know. We only know that foot binding was a custom in China during the Northern Song Dynasty.

It is said that people in the Song Dynasty regarded women's small feet as beautiful, and it became popular during the period after Yuanfeng in the Northern Song Dynasty. Foot binding in the Song Dynasty was to make the feet "slim and straight" but not bowed. Foot binding in the Yuan Dynasty continued to develop in a smaller direction. The foot-binding style of the Ming Dynasty entered a period of prosperity and required the feet to be curved. In the Qing Dynasty, the practice of foot binding spread to women from all walks of life, and the theory of "three-inch golden lotus" emerged, requiring feet to be as small as three inches. During the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, society generally believed that foot binding was a bad habit. The Qing court and the Republic of China government also advocated the abolition of this custom, which gradually disappeared by the beginning of the 20th century. But in

In the early 21st century, some elderly women with bound feet can still be seen in Chinese society.

Fang Shidi said a formal farewell to Agudenba, Azhuo, Dawa, Chu Sanxing and Xiang Qima.

Chu Sanxing picked up the mysterious small suitcase and said to Agudengba with a smile: From now on, I will be responsible for carrying this box, and you will be responsible for telling the story in the box.

Adhuo, Dawa, and Xiang Qima laughed.

Dawa happily sang the improvised song "Embroidered Bow Shoes":

 

The toe of the shoe is shaped like a crest,

Auspicious flowers are embroidered on the sides of the shoes.

The uppers are high and the face is deep,

The soles are made of wood.

The upper is made of white cloth with outer pulp.

 

The three-inch golden lotus is called bow shoes,

Shoes have high soles and flat soles.

There are many different types of shoes with different functions.

Rain boots, sleeping shoes and cotton shoes,

Wedding shoes, mourning shoes and galoshes.

 

Tie your feet with silk and cover them with white socks.

Slender and curved like a crescent moon,

Fairy's slender whirling dance,

The three-inch golden lotus is as tall as the clouds.

 

Painted with fragrance, it is no different from the lotus carrying the steps,

Long silk stockings go to Lingbo,

The three-inch bow is half-folded on the lotus step,

The soft baby and golden lotus are the most beautiful.

 

The cloth is wrapped around the feet,

Slowly break the foot bones,

It is a bad habit for women to bind their feet.

But it is called national style by the world.

 

Footbinding distinguishes the noble from the humble;

Golden lotus symbolizes ugliness and beauty,

Climbing to the top and winding your feet,

The woman with small feet burst into tears.

 

How bitter it is for a woman to have her feet bound;

The feet of minors are disabled first,

Three feet of cloth carries a lifetime of tears,

Just live happily and live happily.