Why is it Ironic that Wang Lung is disappointed that O-Lan's feet are not bound?

O-lan is an example of the important, and often cruel, duties that women had to endure in traditional Chinese culture. As O-lan works herself to exhaustion, she also increases Wang Lung's wealth. She works both at home and in the fields. The irony is clear when Wang Lung is disappointed that O-lan's feet are not bound. Bound feet are a status symbol but the feet would make O-lan unable to do the work that she does. This is just one of many double standards that come out of heavily patriarchal cultures.