Humans of China│人在中国 （第104）内蒙古裹小脚的女人

Humans of China  

人在中国

Exploring China one person at a time

一次探索一个中国人

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I don't like to talk too much about my past as it was tough and there were many sad times but, now in my old age I feel much happier. I have had the chance to travel to some other cities and now my husband and I live quite well. I am lucky that I have had the chance to grow old with him. I also have the chance to eat well, drink well, wear nice clothes, and I now feel safe. We still live together, just us 2 and this year we are both 87. He is quite healthy but he shakes a lot and can't walk very well. Our children bought him a zimmer frame and this helps keep him walking. We married at 18 and I didn't meet him until the day of the wedding. We weren't allowed to meet before. He came from another village and when he arrived he first looked at my small feet and not my face. Back then small feet were very important and the only way to be able to marry a good man. After we married I felt pretty happy with him. When I was younger I was very beautiful and my husband thought so too. The house that we live in is the house we have lived in for the last 60 years or so. After marriage, we continued our lives working as farmers and we grew lots of corn. We had 3 children 1 boy and 2 girls and things were good. We never fight and he treated our children and me very well. He was and still is very gentle and patient and still really cares about me. He had the chance to study as a young boy but I never had the opportunity, I was stuck at home. I started to bind my feet at around 8. My mum made me do it and she would help me at first. She told me when I was crying and in pain that, if I didn't have small feet, no one would want to marry me. My grandmother also agreed to make my feet small and they both have very small feet like mine today. My younger sister didn't have to bind her feet, she was lucky. There is no pain in my feet now but I remember I often cried and couldn't sleep well. I would try and avoid walking and I would crawl around on my knees instead. I think my feet are ugly. It was and still is very inconvenient. 

Today I still wrap them up, as if I don't I find it hard to walk. My daughter and I can still make shoes, as I can't buy shoes that fit me anymore. I am still pretty healthy. My eyes are still pretty good, unlike my ears. I can still cook and clean and take care of myselfand my husband. About 15 years ago our son took us on the train to Beijing. We visited some famous sights but didn't climb the Great Wall. We went to Tiananmen Square and lots and lots of people were looking at me and my small feet. I wasn't scared and felt quite safe, I think Beijing is a good place but now I am too old to return. We now spend our days at home with each other and we don't need too much help but sometimes we feel quite bored. I care most about my children and I want them to lead a happy and healthy life.

Inner Mongolia

我不是很喜欢谈论以前的生活，因为那时候日子很辛苦，很多难过的时候，我现在年纪大了后感觉幸福多了。我有机会去其他城市旅行，我丈夫和我在一起住地很好。我觉得能和他一起变老很幸运，我现在吃的好、喝的好，还有漂亮衣服穿，感觉很安全。我和他现在还住在一起，只有我们两个人，我们今年都87岁了。他身体很健康，但是身体抖的厉害，自己走路走的不是很好。孩子们给他买了一个助行架，他就用助行架走路。我们在18岁时候结婚的，在婚礼前我们从来没见过，没结婚前不允许我们见面。他是另外一个村的，他到我家第一个看的就是我的脚而不是我的脸。在当时，小脚很重要，是嫁给一个好男人的唯一方法。我们结婚后，我很幸福。我年轻的时候很漂亮，我丈夫也这么觉得。我们现在住的房子也是我们过去60年住的房子。我们结婚后，还是农民，种很多玉米。我们有3个孩子，1个儿子2个女儿。我从来没打过架，他对我们的孩子和我都很好。他一直以来都很温柔很有耐心，现在都还很关心我。他年轻的时候有机会去读书，但是我从来没这样的机会，一直被困在家里。我大概在8岁左右开始裹脚。我母亲逼我裹脚，也是她开始帮我裹脚的。裹脚很疼，我哭的时候她告诉我，如果我没有小脚，就没有人愿意娶我。我奶奶也认为我需要有双小脚，她和我母亲都是小脚。

我妹妹没有裹脚，很幸运。我的脚现在不疼了，但是我记得刚开始裹脚的时候我经常哭，晚上也睡不好，我会避免用脚走路，用膝盖跪着往前爬。我觉得我的脚很丑，不管是以前还是现在都很不方便。我现在还是会裹脚，如果不裹的话，会很难走路。我女儿和我还会自己做鞋子穿，因为我买不到适合我脚的鞋子。我现在身体还很健康，眼睛也很好，但是耳朵不怎么行。我能自己做饭、打扫卫生、照顾我丈夫。大概15年前，我儿子带我们坐火车去北京玩，我们看了很多著名的景点，但是没有爬长城。我们去天安门广场，很多很多人看我和我的小脚。我不觉得害怕，觉得很安全，我觉得北京是个好地方，但是我现在年纪太大了，去不了了。我们现在每天陪对方在家待着，基本不需要别人帮忙，但是有时候觉得很无聊。我最关心我的孙子孙女们，我希望他们生活健康幸福。

内蒙古

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