The wearing of ear-rings is supposed to help a child to live, as giving it something extra to hold on to.
Other objects thus carried on the cap or elsewhere on the person as reservatives are the image of Lao Tzŭ, or of the Eight Immortals 八仙 pa hsien; or of the the character 壽 shou longevity, with five bats fu, 蝠 (symbol for happiness, punningly for 福 fu); or 100 silver badges with shou 壽, wishing the child may living 100 years; or the image of sun and moon; or that of a bald, long-bearded old man.
Another way is to tie the hand, foot or neck with red, black or green cord. The knots used may be 72 in number, 36, 28 or 12, signifying the same as in a paragraph above. These cords are also worn by adults.
Boys who are expected to be good at business, or girls who, it is hoped, will be clever at needle-work, wear respectively an abacus 算盤 suan p‘an and scissors 剪刀 chien tao as badges.
The image of the god of smallpox and measles 痘母神: tou-mu shén, is taken from door to door in a box by a very disreputable looking person. Women offer to it shoes, rice or money, and then expect their children will not succumb to these diseases.
Bridges and stone tablets 碑 pei are worshipped to gain their protection for children (see chapter on Passing crises); or a willow tree; this is a cheap wood, not much wanted, and the hope is that no spirits will want the child.
The length of time during which a child is suckled is three years. Some of course do not have so long, and a few have a longer time. One man I know, over 70 and very robust, regards his present good health as due to his mother nursing him till he was over six years old. The custom of three years of mourning for a parent is based on this three years' nursing.
As to infanticide, 丟兒溺女 tiu êrh ni nü: if male children are thrown out it is generally because they are illegitimate. Girls are drowned or starved by both rich and poor; by the rich, it is said, even more than by the poor. The rich suppose that a disproportionate number of girls shows the family stock is degenerating; the poor destroy
