At the end of Fucheng Bridge of Changfu Street, people could always see an old granny, and her hand-made tiger-head shoes.
She sits on a narrow step, stooped, slightly sluggish; her hands rough, skin wrinkled, but her works are amazing. With the needle threading quickly from the sole of the shoe, she stitches swiftly and neatly.
Her hand-made tiger-head shoes are exquisitely styled, embroidered with tiger patterns, pleasing to the eye and the heart. Sewing tiger-head shoes is complicated and tedious, and it requires more than 20 processes and usually takes 2 or 3 days to finish a pair. But one pair is only 60 yuan or 70 yuan.
Surnamed Wang, Granny is 78 years old and came to Nanjing about 10 years ago with her sons and daughters from Xinyang, Henan Province.
Granny Wang said she had been doing needlework all her life. In those years, she had been raising her children up with a stitch. Now, when the whole family doesn’t need to care about money that much and she could lead an easier life, Granny still keeps herself busy with making shoes and selling them. She has to keep her life full.
Granny said tiger-head shoes nowadays are not that popular and all year round, she can only sell out about 100 pairs. But she just enjoys people liking them and adoring them. The shoes are her works of art and she wish she could pass the techniques on.
However, granny’s children have different ideas about her making and selling shoes on the street. They worry about her, also feeling embarrassed. But granny likes this job. “ Isn’t it a modest business, why is it embarrassing”?
"It's a hard job, and most people can't do it yet." Granny is busy with her work, muttering yet her face gleaming with pride.
Granny had esophageal cancer a few years ago and meanwhile was fitted with a pacemaker. Over the years, she’s been troubled by her health problems. But every time she was recovered, she began to make shoes again. Unfortunately, both of her hands are not as flexible as before, and she cannot make large soles. The largest shoes granny makes, are just big enough for 3-year-olds to wear.
Granny Wang said she has been working all her life. Every time she gets nothing to do, she feels upset. So whenever it’s possible, she’ll make her tiger-head shoes and have little kids put them on, admiring them.
