. The large toes were left unbound. The bandage was then wrapped around the heel so forcefully that the heel and toes were drawn close together. The process was repeated from the beginning until the entire piece of cloth had been applied. The bones in the foot would eventually shatter after walking on it and they would heal incorrectly due to the bandage. It would take about two years for the foot to reach its model of three inches. Often, a girl would unwrap her feet after a few days because of the enormous amount of pain and pressure against her foot. This would cause the shrinking process to take longer and the mother would just have to redo it again. After a few months, the flesh of the foot would become rotten and portions of it would slough off from the sole; sometimes one or more toes dropped off. Perfuming of the feet and shoes was necessary to veil the gagging odor of rotten flesh. It wasn't uncommon for young girls to be beaten by their mothers for crying and wincing at the pain the bandages caused. They were actually
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