Red and White
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“Son, please take care of this child while I'm gone,” said General Huang Tse, leaving a sobbing little girl to his son, Huang Lin.
“Yes father.” He looked at the girl who seems to be his age. She was wearing ragged clothes and her face is covered with tears and dirt.
He went to the girl and handed over his silk handkerchief to her.
“Ni Hao (Hello).” Lin greeted, but the little girl is still weeping and didn't even bother to acknowledge his presence.
“Hey, stop crying.” At last, the little girl looked at him and start sniffing and wiping her face with her hands.
“M-my... My mama and papa... died...” she said, then she started crying again.
Lin hugged the little girl and patted her head.
“Don't worry everything's going to be fine.” He pushed her lightly, wiping her face.
“By the way, what's your name?” he asked.
“My name is Mei Yu,” she answered as she tries to smile in front of Lin.
“Ren shi nin (nice to meet you), I am Lin.” He smiled back.
Mei Yu's parents died in a battle where Lin's father, General Huang Tse, and his army fought. General Tse found Mei Yu crying beside her parents' bodies. As a result of pity for the little child, General Huang Tse decided to take care of Mei Yu and bring her with him to his house to be one of his servants.
As time passed by, Mei Yu and Lin became friends despite of their differences. Few years later, a new member of the Huang family was born. The princess of the family, Ruji. Mei Yu took care of Lin's little sister, and so, Ruji became close to her too.
“Mei Yu, why are your feet not small like others?” asked the four-year-old, Ruji.
“Well, I guess, as a servant, we don't have the privilege to have our feet bound,” Mei Yu said while looking at her unbound feet.
“Do you think it's painful?” Ruji said, looking terrified.
“I guess so, why? Are you nervous?” she said as she stroked her hair.
“Yes. I'm scared. Please don't leave?” she asked.
I smiled. “Don't you worry, I won't leave you.”
The servants, including Mei Yu, started preparing for the binding of Ruji's feet. It was said that having your feet bound is a girl's first step in the preparation for marriage. Mei Yu started preparing the herbs needed and put them into a pail of warm water. Other servants started to soak Ruji's feet and massaged them gently. They stepped aside as Ruji's grandmother steps in to continue the binding.
Ruji's face was ashen as her grandmother started folding her little toes up to her heel until it breaks. Ruji started to weep as she hear her bones crumble and break.
After all the pain and agony, they have finally bounded Ruji's feet in bandages. She was still sobbing while looking at her feet.
“Stop crying lady Ruji,” Mei Yu said, wiping Ruji's tears.
She handed over a pair of beautiful lotus shoes embroidered with a golden dragon to Ruji.
“Beautiful, isn't it?” Mei Yu asked.
“Do you like it?” asked Ruji.
“Well, I wish I can wear something like that. But you see, those shoes won't fit onto my feet.” she said as her face saddened.
She was not saddened by the fact that, she won't able to wear beautiful shoes like Ruji's. She was saddened because she was aware of the fact that she won't be able to marry someone she loves because her feet are unbound.
