Chapter Thirteen: Bound Feet Women Cannot Travel Far, But Books Can

“Honestly, Sister Su, I don’t believe my cousin died for love,” the young girl said, puffing out her cheeks. “She wasn’t that kind of person.”

“In our generation, there were fewer girls in our family. Among the uncles and elders of my father’s generation, most families had sons.”

“Since daughters were rare, and because my father and eldest uncle were full brothers, even though my cousin was eight years older than me, we grew up as the closest peers.”

Cheng Yingxue’s voice softened as if lost in memory. “My cousin appeared delicate but was actually resilient and strong-willed.”

“When I was five or six, she often held me in her arms while reading. She would read aloud words I didn’t recognize and explain phrases I couldn’t understand.”

“She once told me, ‘A Xue, girls learn to read and write not just to expand their horizons, but to understand the world and become better people.’”

“She said the books we read would one day give us the courage to struggle and resist injustice. Learning music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and managing the household is to build our own confidence — what we learn should never become a tool to flatter or seek favor inside the home.”

“...She also said, ‘Women with bound feet cannot travel far,’” the girl’s eyes glistened with tears, “but books can take us places we cannot go.”

“She explained why the folk saying goes, ‘For centuries, the best thing a family can do is to cultivate kindness, and the highest virtue is to study.’”

“So, Sister Su, I just can’t believe it.”

“I truly cannot believe that my Yingrou, who said ‘girls learn to open their minds through reading,’ would end her life for a man she was only married to for a few months—”

“She might have stayed faithful, served her in-laws well, and cared for her younger brother-in-law,” Cheng Yingxue’s eyelashes trembled, “my cousin had that kind of sense of responsibility.”

“But to die for love—”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but Su Changling understood what she meant.

Not knowing how to comfort the grieving girl, Su Changling fiddled with her fingers, conjuring a small pale flower that shimmered with tiny stars from her spiritual energy. She held out her arm straight, placing the flower beneath the girl’s eyes.

Cheng Yingxue looked at the flower suddenly appearing in her sight and couldn’t help but smile. “Sister Su, has anyone ever told you—”

Su Changling looked confused. “Told me what?”

“You can be a little silly sometimes.” The girl grinned, pinning the flower to her temple.

The small creation formed of spiritual energy quickly dissolved into a flurry of glowing fireflies around her head.

Her mood settled considerably, Cheng Yingxue rested her chin on her hands and gazed out the window. The courtyard framed a square piece of sky, and from where she stood, all she could see were the upturned dark blue eaves opposite.

—She was trapped here.

Yet somehow, it didn’t feel like she was truly trapped.

“If the chance arises someday, I’ll find a way to thoroughly investigate what happened back then,” Cheng Yingxue smiled with narrowed eyes. “Not for anything else, but to uncover the truth... to let my cousin rest peacefully beneath the earth.”

“But sadly, I clearly don’t have that ability yet.”

The girl sighed deeply, resting her cheeks in her palms. Su Changling blinked slowly as she looked out the window and said, “Then take it slow.”

“So, the future famous female merchant Cheng Yingxue, the great boss—”

“Before stepping out of the house, shouldn’t we first fix your feet?”

“Eh? Can we start treatment now?” Cheng Yingxue’s face lit up. “Sister Su, don’t you need to prepare anything else?”

“No, not really,” Su Changling waved her fingers casually. “I’m not sure how the foot binding process works exactly... but judging from your foot injuries yesterday on the mountain, I have a rough idea.”

“To treat old injuries like this, it’s basically about using our mountain herbs to break and reset the deformed bones.”

“It’s not too difficult, just painful.”

“Miss Cheng, are you afraid of pain?” Su Changling glanced at the girl, who trembled slightly and bit her lip. “Ah... I guess I’m okay with it...”

Su Changling was silent for a moment.

“...Shall we try first?” The girl’s eyes flickered. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll think of something else.”

“Al-alright.” Cheng Yingxue nodded nervously, then quietly pulled out two plain cloths from her box. “Shall we start now? Where should I sit?”

“On the couch in the outer room. Breaking and resetting bones will likely cause bleeding. I don’t want to stain your bed,” Su Changling said thoughtfully, pointing to a small couch behind the curtain. “There’s more space there, and you can lean back.”

“All right.” Cheng Yingxue bit her lip, picked up her cushion and cloth, and climbed onto the small couch with surprising agility.

The bound foot wrapped in white cloth looked as twisted and dreadful as ever. Though afraid, a small flicker of hope stirred in her heart.

—She hadn’t run freely and painlessly on the ground for a long time.

Her feet had been bound for so long, she almost forgot what normal feet felt like.

Her heart thumped wildly. Seeing this, Su Changling gently patted her head to soothe her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be as gentle as I can.”

“Mm-hmm.” Cheng Yingxue nodded, clutching the cloth tightly. But in the next moment, Su Changling’s movements were swift and sharp as she cracked the bones on the top of her foot with two firm knocks.

The searing pain shot to her mind, and the girl’s face instantly drained of color.

Perhaps because she was older now, she felt that Su Changling’s strikes hurt even more than when the old foot-binding nanny used to break her bones.

—She really couldn’t trust these cultivators when they said “gentle”!

Cheng Yingxue bit the cloth so hard it was torn to shreds, tears threatening to spill.

Had she known these cultivators were so ruthless, she would have sent someone ahead to buy anesthetics from the doctor—she’d rather be numbed first!

The girl wanted to cry but had no tears, sweat instantly soaking through the layers of her clothing.

Su Changling examined the broken bones, realigned them, then drew a small knife to carefully remove the years of necrotic flesh and excess fragments.

After finishing, she stood and took a porcelain bottle from her bosom, frowning slightly. “Miss Cheng, open your mouth.”