Xing'er: First Experience of Barefoot Activity

Today, I finally did something I've always wanted to do—going out barefoot. To be honest, my heart was pounding so fast when I first went downstairs, feeling like I was doing something “shameful” and bad, so nervous that my steps were a bit stiff.

I hesitated at the entrance of the mall, but ended up mustering the courage to go in anyway. The escalator was slowly moving upward, and the moment I stepped onto it, the cool metal under my feet felt ticklish, and my heart was instantly gripped. I couldn't help but sneak glances around, wondering if everyone was staring at me. But the reality was, almost no one paid me any attention. People just occasionally looked down for a couple more glances, then went back to chatting or scrolling through their phones. In that instant, I suddenly relaxed; it turned out only I had made such a big deal out of it.

Inside the supermarket, walking barefoot on the tiles, the cool, slippery sensation rose up, feeling particularly distinct. With every step, I could feel the texture of the ground, as if even the most ordinary tile was speaking to me. I pushed the shopping cart and casually grabbed a few bottles of water, pretending to be natural, but inside I was very excited.

After finishing shopping, I didn't rush home. Instead, I walked a lap around the outside of the mall. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, and my feet stepped on the rough stone pavement, completely different from the supermarket floor earlier. That feeling of being directly close to the world made my whole body loosen up. I looked down and only then noticed my soles had turned black. I thought it was cool, a real sense of achievement; I had never seen my feet like this before.