Chapter 1
In order to look good, a woman is capable of doing anything, just watching it is painful! Her eyes are filled with tears, and her mouth is twisted like a gourd, "I think... let's wrap it up again tomorrow"
She gasped for breath, opened her eyes, the lights dim like beans, and before her was the face of her senior brother illuminated from behind.
Having said so much, let us return to the topic of execution. What does it mean to execute? When a criminal is beheaded at the market square, that is referred to as execution. The criminal is reluctant to part with life, and on the way, someone must accompany him; it is of no concern, as there are people waiting at the execution ground. The one who wears a red scarf and quick boots to carry out this task is commonly known as the executioner. The term 'executioner' sounds quite terrifying, yet it is merely a means to earn a living. This line of work involves dealings with the King of Hell, carrying a heavy aura of death, and ordinary people do not dare to provoke it. The work is light, the salary is high, and once one sees it clearly, they would not exchange it for any other position, as nowadays, it is customary to serve under the most renowned executioner, Wu Chang-geng, in Shuntian Prefecture.
With a loud crash, the girl broke the porcelain bowl. What to do with the shards? They were wrapped in the foot-binding cloth. The shards cut into the flesh, causing it to bleed and become a mess, rotting and stinking, the toes bent and the instep arched, so that the small feet could take shape.
Even foot binding is consulted with the calendar, once the date is chosen, it is unchangeable.
Prince Zhuang lowered his head and ordered Geshaha to help the person up, frowning as he said: "It is not that I am unwilling to assist, but this matter has been appointed by His Majesty, and I cannot make decisions on my own. Since the palace has issued an order, it is imperative that I first fulfill my duties here. We can discuss further matters later. Please wait; once the case is thoroughly investigated, if it turns out to be unjust, I will naturally restore your rights."
Her mother looked at her with both hands tucked away, her face showing little expression. "It is time; you cannot be fooled today. This should have been done when you were three years old; back then, I cherished you and couldn't bear to do it. Now, look at you; if we delay any longer, the suffering in the future will be even greater." While speaking, she nodded and turned away, gesturing to the maid below, "Get to work!"
It is not a toothache, but rather a pain in the ribs! When it comes to wielding a knife, this fellow becomes dispirited, and there is a reason for that. In this line of work, one's reputation and skill are entirely dependent on the knife. This knife is quite temperamental; it is usually enshrined at the Xuanwu Gate tower, and is more difficult to serve than a master. Before using it, one must offer incense, paper horses, and perform rituals of worship and bowing; it is not something that clean individuals can approach. It is either extremely yin or extremely yang, and one must not touch it if they have lost their virginity, for it will become irritable at the slightest contact. No matter how well the blade is sharpened, if it rolls at a critical moment, it will fail to separate flesh from bone when struck, getting stuck at the nape and rendering the knife wielder's reputation ruined. Before using it, one must offer incense, paper horses, and perform rituals of worship and bowing; it is not something that clean individuals can approach. It is either extremely yin or extremely yang, and one must not touch it if they have lost their virginity, for it will become irritable at the slightest contact. No matter how well the blade is sharpened, if it rolls at a critical moment, it will fail to separate flesh from bone when struck, getting stuck at the nape and rendering the knife wielder's reputation ruined.
She glanced at him and said, "Why don't you come?"
Senior brother listened to the banter and said, "With your abilities, it wouldn't have been possible to achieve this without your red scarf!"
The population is decreasing, houses are becoming smaller, and large homes are being exchanged for smaller ones. In the end, only three people remain in the household. She sleeps in the west wing with the wet nurse at night, while the lady sleeps alone in the main room
Her chest felt as if it were being crushed by a millstone, the pain so intense that she could not scratch it. All around her were searing flames, and she thought she should die here. In this moment of despair, a cool hand covered her forehead, gently calling to her, "Tree, whose wife is this in the dream? That wife must be beautiful, just look at this urgent and greedy expression!"
Her senior brother turned his back, covering half of his face and muttering, "Why am I suffering from a toothache..."
Look up, two old women with large sewing needles pinned to their lapels came over to squat down. "Sister, don't be afraid. You're small and your bones are soft, just like kneading dough; you can curl up however you like." As she spoke, she took out a pair of red embroidered shoes, the shoe tops adorned with golden flowers, resembling a pair of small water chestnuts, and held them out in her palm towards her. "Take a look, aren't they beautiful? Once we finish wrapping you up, you can wear them."
Sweat crawled down her cheeks like worms. She raised her arm to wipe it away, unable to sleep from the heat, and sat up. The crackling sound of burning firewood still echoed in her ears. Suddenly, she turned her head and saw flames shooting into the sky outside; the main house was on fire, and her mother was still inside! She was so frightened that she cried out loudly, but the wet nurse seemed to be in a deep sleep. In her panic, she had no choice but to slap the wet nurse's face, waking her up. Even after waking, it was of no use; she stumbled over garlic on the floor as she got off the bed and fell on the stepping board. She cried out in fear again, and the wet nurse, still seemingly asleep, was slapped awake once more. Waking up did not help; she tripped over garlic again and fell on the stepping board. Holding her, she rushed outside to find the lady, but the fire in the main room was too intense, and the eaves twisted in the heat, making it impossible to see the lady's figure.
There is nothing left, there can be no more mother! She broke free and desperately rushed forward, the wet nurse held onto her tightly, she stamped her feet and cried out hoarsely, "Madam... please come out..."
Ding Yi was unaware of what had happened, struggling to raise her head, but was held down by the wet nurse, one hand covering her mouth to prevent her from making a sound. Her head felt dizzy, and everything around her was chaotic, as if she had fallen into an iron barrel, only able to see the white window paper, with a window decoration of a magpie holding auspicious grass stuck in the center.
A well-functioning family has suddenly fallen apart, how terrifying! Fortunately, the sins do not extend to the three clans, and the womenfolk are still safe. She raised her head to look at the sky, as two small birds flew by. Both her father and brother are gone, what remains of the Wen family now? Tears as big as beans fell down, creating two ripples on the water's surface
Dingyi was still young and felt frightened when she saw the tips of zongzi protruding from the wide pants of the old women. The women around her all had bound feet; her mother was the legitimate wife of a Grand Secretary, holding a prestigious position. She wore a large red skirt adorned with cloud patterns, and with each step, even her toes were not visible, as she too had bound feet. In terms of foot binding, the Han military banners were truly inferior to those under the Wuyin banner. The Han people have valued the three-inch golden lotus for over a thousand years. Dingyi's father hailed from Datong, where the small feet were known to be slender, small, pointed, curved, fragrant, soft, and proper, renowned throughout the world. This made it particularly difficult for girls, as the standards for foot binding were even stricter than in other places.
It was a time when I was only five or six years old, just beginning to understand the world. I was pulled out of the warm bed by my nanny, rubbing my eyes and shuffling in my shoes, standing in front of the bluestone mortar in the courtyard
"Are you in a trance? Crying and shouting, how terrifying!" The senior brother observed her gasping for breath, opened the cabinet to find the medicine gourd, poured out two pills of Rongxin Wan to feed her, and standing in front of the kang said, "You know about Anbalinwu, right? The other day, the case was submitted, and the Ministry of Justice forwarded the memorial, the Emperor has decreed, and tomorrow at noon, the execution will take place. Given your condition, I suspect you won't be able to handle it either, so it's better to inform the master and rest at home!"
How did a good girl end up in this line of work? To elaborate, it is a long story. To cut to the chase, at that time, her mother was burned to death, and the small courtyard was also reduced to ashes. The wet nurse took her to seek refuge with relatives on both sides, but they all said that those who died in the family were dead, and those who were exiled were exiled, leaving only her behind. This shows her resilience. No family was willing to take her in. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; this has been the case since ancient times. There was no other way, so in the end, she had to return to Sanhe County with her wet nurse.
The next day, her mother checked the date again and was just preparing the items when a group of people entered through the door, all dressed in official uniforms. Leading them was a prince, wearing a red tassel hat, with a strong accent reminiscent of Beijing opera. He raised his voice and shouted: "Women stay in the room, and all the men are to be tied up!"
In any case, this heavy rain arrived just in time, disrupting her foot-binding ceremony. It was only appropriate to remove the shackles, and she joyfully sat on a small stool, watching several household servants discipline the children, while also cheering and teasing on the side, "Well done, the child should speak, and the little tree should be struck."
It was both hot and humid, causing the hairs on the back to stand on end. Two chickens flapped their wings, their innards connected by blood vessels, not yet fully dead, one of them pressed against the sole of her foot, jumping with a thud.
Ding Yi's father held a position in the Censorate, a significant role as a chief censor. He had always been the one to take people in, but today, the tides have turned. Madam Wen pleaded for a long time, "Where did this all begin? Please give me a hint; it is your good deeds that have brought this about."
As soon as the words were spoken, rain droplets the size of kidney beans fell down indiscriminately, leaving no time to think about anything else. I pulled my feet out from the henhouse and dashed back. The old woman had small feet, and as she ran, she stumbled, causing Dingyi to lose her bearings.
The wind is truly strong, sweeping past the eaves and branches, howling long and loud, causing one to feel alarmed. Her mother kneels before Prince Zhuang, bowing her head in supplication, "There must be some misunderstanding in this matter. Wen Lu's loyalty to his lord is as clear as day, and his promotion has been observed step by step by the prince. Over these years, he has diligently served the court, and even if there have been some oversights, it is inevitable for anyone living in this world. Your Highness... Your Highness, you are a living Bodhisattva; please, grant us a chance at rebirth and save our master’s life!" Over these years, he has diligently served the court, and even if there have been some oversights, it is inevitable for anyone living in this world. Your Highness... Your Highness, you are a living Bodhisattva; please, grant us a chance at rebirth and save our master’s life!
Today it was postponed to tomorrow, and tomorrow it was postponed to the day after; it has been delayed for two years. This time, her mother was resolute, insisting that it must be done.
No one paid her any attention, the maid took off her shoes, rubbed her delicate little feet in her hands, and stuffed them into the opened belly of a rooster.
The wet nurse truly could not bear to part with her. Two years ago, her son passed away, and her foster daughter was like half a son to her. Unfortunately, her lifespan was short; the year the old emperor abdicated, she fell ill, and when the new emperor changed the era name in spring, she passed away. Counting the years, it has been five or six years since then; at that time, Ding Yi was only twelve years old. A twelve-year-old child should start finding a way to make a living. She was perceptive and knew that staying in the Mu family would not lead to a good outcome, so she humbly served the mother of Wu Changgang, fetching water and grinding grain. The family saw that the child was clever and, after some consideration, accepted her as an apprentice and took her back to Beijing.
This time it seems difficult to escape disaster, having fallen into a dead end, with no way out. Just feeling disheartened, the western sky turned dark like the bottom of a pot, with clouds rolling and spreading overhead. The girl looked up and exclaimed: "Madam, it looks like it's going to rain, a heavy downpour is coming!"
Her father and brothers were taken away, and Dingyi felt as if the sky were about to fall. In this house full of women, each one was like a startled thunder, unable to come up with any solution. Although Dingyi was small, she understood everything. With tears in her eyes, she shook her mother's leg, trying her best to comfort her, "Don't worry, madam, father will be back as soon as he whistles. " Hearing this, her mother felt even more heartbroken, holding her and crying until the latter half of the night
The prince rubbed his nose and said, "Last year, the Censorate judged a case involving the royal family, which was related to Lord Wenlu. Several high-ranking officials were implicated and executed all at once. Now this case has resurfaced for retrial, and someone has to take the lead... Our families have a connection, and I said whatever I said. Don't let personal interests lead you to go against others. He agreed verbally, but ultimately did not listen to me. Now that things have gone awry, whether he can save his life depends on fate!"
Some matters are beyond one's control, much like trying to scoop water with one's hands; no matter how much effort is exerted, what is meant to flow will still flow. It is advisable to hold a small fishing rod and sit by the pond to catch goldfish, while people come and go behind her, and she dares not look back. The family cannot support so many people; the lady's oil bowl must be emptied, and even if they smash pots and sell iron to fill the gaps through backdoor means, her father was still sentenced to death with a reprieve. He was ashamed to be executed at the market, so he hanged himself in prison. As for her three brothers, the court, considering her father's "minor contributions," showed leniency and sentenced them to military service, sending them to Changbai Mountain to dig ginseng.
The wet nurse's family is not well-off, and the elderly are no longer around. She lives next to her brother's house, and the sisters-in-law often quarrel. The men are not capable, and life is quite difficult. Fortunately, the wet nurse is a shrewd person; she took her back to raise as a boy, giving her the surname Mu and changing her name to Xiaoshu. Everyone knows that being a girl is inconvenient in many ways, making one susceptible to others' intentions, while being a boy is somewhat better. Thus, the men in the wet nurse's household grumbled, "A boy is a treasure to you. The family at the village head has no sons; why not send the boy to live with them? We could exchange it for a couple of bags of cornmeal, wouldn't that be good?" It is known that she is a girl, and everyone is aware that being a girl is inconvenient in many ways, making one susceptible to others' intentions, while being a boy is somewhat better. Thus, the men in the wet nurse's household grumbled, "A boy is a treasure to you. The family at the village head has no sons; why not send the boy to live with them? We could exchange it for a couple of bags of cornmeal, wouldn't that be good?" It is known that she is a girl, and sooner or later, she will be harmed by schemes. Selling her as a child bride is the better scenario; the worst would be selling her into a brothel. One cares for their own flesh, while the daughters of others are treated as mere commodities.
She said there is no need, "If I am not here, who will present the knife to the master?"