I have an idea

    Have you seen? Although the cloth shoes made by mother are not beautiful in appearance, the patterns are quite many. Diversiform, not only are they suited, ventilated, but also the feet won’t perspire easily in summer if you wear them. They won’t press feet and still won’t affect your eyesight……You see, an nave and adorable little friend is wearing cloth sandals that have been made by mother, scampering about and growing healthily. Moreover, all people who have once worn cloth shoes know one truth---cherishing fruits of labor.
    Please first listen to a story. When I was little, I hated cloth shoes very much, because they “follow” my feet tightly, want to become a lifetime partner of my feet. In four seasons of a year, shoes that are on my feet, except cloth shoes, are nothing else. So, at that time, to have a pair of shoe leather or sport shoes, is my only pursuing goal. In winter, sometimes my pals and I, in order to satisfy our own desire, we wore cloth cotton shoes and rubbed on show bank with heels forcefully. When the soles were stuck with snow, we rubbed on mound again. Thus with one layer of earth one layer of snow, the shoes at last became the high-heel shoes that we earnestly longed for. That time was the most excited moment of our childhood. Happy, joyful, as if we were the noble misses wearing high-heel shoes. But, we not in the least knew that doing this would wear away shoes very much. Only a few days later, there opened a hole in the sole. Mother couldn’t bear to see her own child to get frozen, stayed up all night making shoes, for which I didn’t care a hang, and in my opinion, making shoes was a very easy thing.
    Later I grew up and I was more sensible. I no longer afflicted cloth shoes like that. I don’t know the reason, maybe because of that thing.
    That night, oil lamp was not very bright. The moon was very round. Strong moonlight came through the window and sprinkled on the sole. The sole was very thick. Mother first pricked the needle into the sole a little, then pressed the eye of the needle forcibly on a piece of tile on her knee, exerted all her strength, two hands taking hold of the sole, and pushed the needle out. If the force was wrongly given, the needle would tilt and had to be pulled out with teeth and started once again. In such a way mother ceaselessly sewed, by every needle and every thread.
    Suddenly, mother shivered once all over. It was the needlepoint poking into her finger. Mother frowned, pulled out the needlepoint at a draught and smeared a little saliva on the wound, continued as if nothing had happened.
    Seeing all of this, blasts of great waves surged up in my heart. So that is! For almost ten years, mother has been making the cloth shoes in such a way. She, with one needle and another needle, one thread and another thread, close and densely, sewed in so much care, so much love. But I actually didn’t care a nut and had wasted them. How foolish I was, how stupid! I deeply regretted. For these two years, I have been wearing the cloth shoes that mother made. And I treasure them very much.
    Isn’t it true? In our life, there are many precious things. People sometimes don’t treasure it. If it is found out later, one begins to feel disconsolate, agonized. But it can’t be retrieved. But I am very lucky, and I feel very blissful, for when I found the rarity of the cloth shoes, they still exist and I can still enjoy the warmth that they bring me.
    Have you ever worn cloth shoes? Do you like wearing them? If you like, I can give you a pair. But---you must cherish them well.

Author：Wang Yufeng