"Hehe, with their temperament, how could they not stop it?" The woman’s voice carried a mocking tone, "Besides, what difference does it make if the performance continues? Would you care? Would your body ever touch a woman?"

"You..." The man angrily said a word but did not continue. Soon, an eerie silence returned to the room. The woman continued to comb her hair meticulously in the mirror. Her glossy and thick hair was indeed beautiful.

...

This voyage still involved two boats traveling together. Bai Ruozhu considered the possibility that if they found the Dragon-seeking Grass but also discovered clues about Merfolk Island and couldn’t return promptly, they could first arrange for the astrologer and others to take one of the boats and bring back the Dragon-seeking Grass to treat the Emperor and the others.

Although the cost was a bit high, Bai Ruozhu’s Tangfen Restaurant had been doing very well recently. Coupled with the rewards from the Emperor and Akamatsu earlier, they could easily cover all expenses.

Before departure, Bai Ruozhu considered the issue of freshwater and specially brought twenty water tanks of freshwater into the space. Her space stored food without spoilage, so the freshwater naturally wouldn’t lose its taste.

Everything went smoothly this time, and shortly thereafter, they arrived at the first small island to the east.

"I actually know this place; I’ve been here once. This island is called Asheng Island. Many years ago, a group of people fled here, but a big storm occurred, and a young man named Asheng saved everyone, so they named the island after him," the astrologer explained to everyone. "Furthermore, most Fusang people call this Guozu Island."

"Guozu? Foot binding?" Bai Ruozhu curiously asked. Since she transmigrated here, she had hardly seen circumstances of foot binding. She was quite relieved about this because if her feet were those deformed, diseased little feet, she’d go insane.

The astrologer nodded, "Yes, foot binding. But here’s the strange thing: nobody knows where this custom came from, but their women don’t practice foot binding; only the men do."

Pfft, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t hold back and sprayed her tea, "Men practicing foot binding? How small do they bind it? Three-inch golden lotuses aren’t achievable, right? And once their feet are bound, how do they work?"

"Nowadays, men there no longer work, but nobody knows why. There are very few men on the island. Their custom is that boys are deemed especially precious while girls have to work from a young age. Boys start foot binding very early, binding their feet extremely small, and they walk with a wobbly gait," the astrologer said with a laugh, as the sight of men was indeed peculiar.

The more Bai Ruozhu listened, the more she wanted to laugh. Throughout history, it had always been the men who drove the trends, desiring those three-inch golden lotuses, causing women to become nearly disabled with foot binding, which was infuriating.

Now the custom on this island is that men practice foot binding, which is hilarious, yet Bai Ruozhu also felt some satisfaction. She wondered who was the first to propose this idea.

On the islands east of Fusang, everyone spoke Fusang Language, so the astrologer sent Zhitian to greet the island’s leader, who was the village chief.

When the village chief heard they were Fusang officials from Kyoto, he immediately brought a group of elders to welcome them. Each one was exceptionally respectful, but they walked very slowly and shakily. Upon closer inspection, they were all old men with bound feet!

Bai Ruozhu struggled to hold back her laughter; the scene was just too humorous.

She was even curious whether the men here bind their toes underneath as well.

In her previous life, she had seen a photograph capturing an elderly woman’s bound feet. In the picture, the elderly woman had removed her shoes and socks, exposing those deformed feet, and the sight back then made Bai Ruozhu uneasy. How could one’s good feet be twisted into such a state!

Only the big toe remained straight, while the other four toes had been forcibly bent down and locked underneath the foot, fixed in that position after long-term binding.

The heel was strange too, so the foot could fit into the pointed-toe shoes, but thinking back, one realizes the kind of pain the owner must have endured.

Binding good feet is truly a perverse custom.

"Old man Shengsi greets all the lords. I am the village chief here; what do the lords need?" The village chief Shengsi bowed respectfully and asked.

"We plan to rest on the island for a day and are looking for a type of herbal medicine." Zhitian said, showing them a sample picture.

Shengsi called over the other bound-footed elders, who waddled over difficultly, taking a long time despite being only a short distance away.

"Seems like we’ve never seen this before." Shengsi answered after consulting the others, "But we have a mountain with lots of herbs in the depths. However, since a great demon resides there, we dare not enter, nor do we know what’s available inside."

"A great demon?" the astrologer asked.

"None of us have ever seen it, but it’s been passed down from old. The great demon is very powerful but doesn’t come out to harm people. But if anyone enters its territory, they never return. Families here always keep their children disciplined, teaching them from young age not to go inside, and over the years, there has been no trouble." Shengsi replied.

The astrologer looked at Jiang Yichun and others, questioning if they should investigate. Jiang Yichun thought for a moment and nodded; they couldn’t miss any opportunity. Perhaps their so-called great demon is a dragon, and it’s said the Dragon-seeking Grass can find a dragon. There might be one nearby.

"We’ll rest for one night first, and go take a look in the morning," the astrologer suggested.

Shengsi seemed worried, "Lords, you should carefully consider; entering may mean never coming out."

"We’ll be cautious," the astrologer’s attitude was firm, and Shengsi and others didn’t dare say more, leading the group into the village slowly.

On the boat, fresh water and food supplies were needed. Though they hadn’t used much since the start of the journey, stocking up well was preventive.

The people on Guozu Island were very generous, providing fresh water without charging a penny, and even gave them plenty of food. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Bai Ruozhu felt a bit embarrassed, so she gifted them some medicine and fabric, much to the islanders’ delight.

They were temporarily accommodated in the village chief Shengsi’s home, while Shengsi’s family moved to a neighboring house to stay.

Dinner was hosted by Shengsi and his family. Although it wasn’t exceptionally delicious, the islanders were certainly warm-hearted.

Night fell quickly, Bai Ruozhu and others finally felt grounded, and none wanted to sleep early. Instead, they gathered in Shengsi’s yard to drink and watch the moon.

The group only had a few drinks when they heard a child crying from the house next door. The cry wasn’t ordinary; it sounded as if he were being killed, instantly catching everyone’s attention.

Bai Ruozhu quickly perked up his ears to listen. He remembered that house was borrowed by Shengsi’s family. Were the children from the two houses fighting?

Then, the voice of a displeased woman arose, "Why cry? Hasn’t everyone been through the same?"