I spent this Spring Festival in my hometown, a remote village in Hunan Province. The cold weather caused me to get chilblains, which meant my feet were covered in ulcers. My mother was clearly anxious but said nothing.

    One night, the pain from the ulcers was keeping me awake. I found my mother was standing beside my bed, knitting. I asked: “Mom, what are you making?” She answered with a smile: “A pair of cotton-padded shoes.” “I won’t wear something so old-fashioned,” I replied. She did not answer directly but reminded me: “Please make sure you are fully under the quilt.”

    Over the following days and nights I did not get much attention as my mother continued to nonchalantly knit and sew. One afternoon, she excitedly presented the newly made cotton-padded shoes to me, saying, “Just put them on!” I could not help complaining, “Oh, you just made them for me? We young people can’t wear these. They are so ugly!”

    My mother comforted me, “Yes, they are ugly but they can help cure your chilblains!”

    “Really? Then I must have a try!” I replied and put my feet into the ugly shoes. They were even cozier than I had imagined. At that moment, my nephew popped up in my room, pursing his lips at my mother. “Grandma, you have not played with me for two days!” My mother quickly apologized, “Sorry, sorry, honey.” Suddenly, I found out my mother’s eyes were bloodshot.

    My mother believed that “Chilblains are caused by cold weather and the most vulnerable area is the feet.” Whether she was right or wrong, my chilblains disappeared very quickly after I started wearing the shoes. Gradually I decided that the shoes were actually very beautiful because they were a labor of love.