The noisy hall gradually quieted down, and Guo Dongyang put down the ruler and began to chat.
One moment he was talking about the prosperous customs of the capital city, and the next moment he seamlessly transitioned to talking about the equally wealthy Jiangnan.
He said that during the festive temple fairs in the six regions of Jiangnan, they would hold a "Foot Competition." The so-called Foot Competition is a beauty contest. At that time, people were more reserved and did not want to show their faces even for beauty contests. So, what should they do?
The locals came up with a compromise: the participating women would sit around an open field or in a cart, veiled, so their faces could not be seen.
Some might ask, how could it be called a beauty contest if they couldn't see the faces? That shows the ignorance of outsiders. The Foot Competition is also called the 'Lotus Foot Competition,' and the beauty standards naturally have something to do with 'feet.'
