climbed, and crawled all the way into her nose. She reeled back as if she was in pain and with eyes watering and
nose stinging, she tried again and again only to fail. Finally Winter Snow gave up, she did not see Xiao Hua
lying close by, until she heard these words “I need to tell you a secret that I have been hiding all my life. I
may look 12 but I am actually a lot older.”
“
I was born on the 25th December 702 in the Tang Dynasty . It was the age of art and literature and was
called the Golden Age. It was also a dark age for young girls as foot binding started, which was an
excruciating process and it resulted in life long disabilities. They bent back your toes into your heel and they
would break all the bones in the foot. There would be infections and your toes might even drop off. .
It was my fifth birthday and I found out that I would have my feet bound, I was so happy I hugged and
kissed my mother and father 100 times. At the time I wanted to be just like my mother, she was delicate and
attractive, I just didn’t know how much pain she went through to be like that. She wanted me to marry into
money and my chance for freedom away from poverty.
When the day came I could hardly wait for my mother and yia ya to bind my feet. First they soaked my feet
in warm animal blood and herbs, then they soaked the bandages in the warm mixture and finally they massaged
my feet. After that my mother told my yia ya to hold my feet tightly and not to let go, while she cut my
toenails really short and broke my bones and bent back my feet. I was screaming and crying, I felt that I might
never walk again. When my mother wrapped my feet in bandages I shouted at her that she was evil and I hated
her. My tantrum did not last long because my mum came over, told me lots of stories and gave me delicious hot
drinks, and buns filled with barbequed pork.
A year later on my 6th birthday my mum was going to tighten the binds, so one day before I packed my
small satchel .It carried , a pair of boys pants, a boys shirt, bandages to bind my feet, a pair of lotus shoes, a
water holder and a book about edible plants. I climbed out of the window and ran away as fast as I could
towards the Great Wall as it could give me shelter .I made my living selling berries and potions and celebrated
my birthdays alone.
On the night of my 12th birthday I was stabbed to death by my mum .She thought I had brought shame on
my family and had been looking for me for years and despite my disguise she recognized me. She threw me of
the Great Wall to the Mongolians, to eat me.
I was lucky, the Mongolians did not eat me but decided to burry me like a queen, in one of their secret
hideouts. They told my body that until I was buried next to my mother I would never rest in peace. They also
said that a young girl with a pure heart and soul would be able to put me to rest. To tell who is pure, that person
would have a rainbow aura around them and they would be able to see and hear me . As soon as they finished
talking to me they put me in a beautiful ceramic jar with animals and trees carved into it.
Dear Winter Snow I have been waiting a very long time for some one like you. PLEASE help me by putting
me to rest, you have the most beautiful aura I have ever seen in the one thousand three hundred and ten years I
have lived “