The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

The afterglow of the setting sun shone across the yard, making Tang Youyou's busy figure appear particularly slender. She hummed a brisk tune as she evenly spread the rice she had bought into the troughs for the poultry and livestock, eagerly anticipating their healthy growth and adding a touch of color to their future beautiful life.

However, at this moment, Tang Youyou noticed something unusual. Several chicks that had been lively and energetic were now huddled listlessly in a corner, their feathers having lost their former luster. Their eyes were half-open, and they occasionally let out a few faint cries, as if silently telling something.

Tang Youyou's heart suddenly sank, and an ominous premonition came over her. She quickly put down the wooden basin in her hand and walked quickly to the chicken coop, carefully observing the sickly chicks. They were breathing rapidly and had no appetite. Even the grains that they usually loved to peck at were scattered at their feet, with no one paying attention to them.

"What's wrong with the little chicks? Why aren't they eating?" Tang Wan and Tang Jin also noticed the abnormality and asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Mom will go and take a look." Tang Youyou tried hard to suppress her inner uneasiness, gently stroked the children's heads, and comforted them softly.

She carefully checked the physical condition of each chick and found that not only the chicks, but also several piglets showed similar symptoms. They were listless, their limbs were weak, and some even began to have diarrhea and vomiting.

"Oh no, he must be sick!" Tang Youyou thought to herself that something was wrong. She remembered that she had seen on TV that if poultry and livestock were not managed properly, they would easily be infected with diseases, and the disease would spread very quickly. If not handled in time, it would cause large-scale deaths.

Thinking of this, Tang Youyou didn't have time to think about it anymore. She immediately called Tang Wan and Tang Jin and asked them to help separate the sick chicks and piglets from the healthy ones to avoid cross infection.

"Wan'er, Jin'er, be gentle and don't scare them." Tang Youyou was directing the children while anxiously thinking of a solution.

"Mom, what should we do now?" Tang Wan asked worriedly.

"I'll go find Veterinarian Li. You guys take good care of them at home. Remember, don't get close to sick chickens and piglets." Tang Youyou said in a firm tone, turned around and ran out the door.

Veterinarian Li was the only person in the village who knew veterinary medicine. If any of the villagers' livestock had a headache or fever, they would ask him to take a look. Tang Youyou ran to Veterinarian Li's house anxiously and described the condition of her poultry and livestock in detail.

After listening to Tang Youyou's description, Veterinarian Li said solemnly, "The situation is not optimistic. It looks like a plague. I have to go and see it to be sure."

Tang Youyou's heart sank to the bottom of the valley. She anxiously waited for the diagnosis from Veterinarian Li, which seemed to last for a century. Veterinarian Li carefully examined the sick poultry and livestock, his brow furrowed, and he said nothing.

"Veterinarian Li, how are they? Can they be saved?" Tang Youyou asked anxiously.

Veterinarian Li pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "The situation is more serious than I thought..." "The situation is more serious than I thought..." Veterinarian Li's words were like a bolt from the blue, shattering Tang Youyou's last glimmer of hope. She stood there blankly, her mind blank, as if the whole world had collapsed at this moment.

"Mom..." Tang Wan and Tang Jin were filled with worry and fear when they saw their mother's distraught look.

"It's okay, it's okay..." Tang Youyou came back to her senses, suppressed the grief in her heart, squeezed out a forced smile, and comforted the children.

Veterinarian Li sighed, took out some herbs from the medicine box, handed them to Tang Youyou, and said, "Take these herbs back and boil them in water for them to drink. It will help alleviate their condition. As for whether it can be cured, it depends on their luck."

"Thank you, Veterinarian Li, thank you." Tang Youyou took the herbs, as if she had grabbed the last straw, and a glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes.

After returning home, Tang Youyou immediately got busy. Following Veterinarian Li's instructions, she carefully boiled the herbs and then fed them spoonful by spoonful to the sick poultry and livestock. Tang Wan and Tang Jin also helped their mother, isolating the sick animals in a separate shed and caring for them carefully.

Although young Tang Xiaoya didn't understand what was happening, she could sense the tension in the house. She quietly walked to a corner, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed in a baby voice, "God bless the chicks and piglets, and may they get better soon..."

However, things went against her wishes. Although Tang Youyou tried her best to take care of the sick poultry and livestock, the spread of the disease was far beyond her expectations. More and more poultry and livestock began to show similar symptoms. The yard that was once full of vitality was now shrouded in a shadow of death.

Tang Youyou was extremely anxious. She asked around for folk remedies to treat the disease. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she would not give up. She sold all the valuable things in the house and bought a lot of herbs and medicinal materials, but it was of no avail. The disease continued to spread mercilessly.

"Mom, what should I do? The chicks and piglets are almost dead..." Tang Wan looked at the sick poultry and livestock in the yard and couldn't help but shed tears.

"Don't be afraid, child, mother will definitely find a way..." Tang Youyou hugged her daughter tightly, trying hard not to let her tears fall.

However, her heart was filled with despair and helplessness. She didn't know how to save these innocent lives, let alone how to face the impending difficulties.

At this moment, a neighbor passed by Tang Youyou's house and saw the dead bodies of sick animals piled up in the yard. His face suddenly changed and he left in a hurry...

Neighbor Aunt Wang had originally planned to come to Tang Youyou's house to borrow some needlework, but before she even entered the yard, she was shocked by the scene before her and took two steps back. The Tang family's yard was dead silent, the air was filled with a disgusting stench of decay, and several skinny chickens and ducks lay limply on the ground, barely breathing. Aunt Wang immediately realized that Tang Youyou's family was plagued by an epidemic!

"Oh, what a sin! What should I do?" Aunt Wang whispered in shock, not daring to take another step forward, fearing she might be contaminated by something unclean. She hurried away, discussing the Tang family's affairs with others along the way, fearing she might be infected.

The news spread quickly throughout the village. People were terrified of the epidemic and avoided Tang Youyou's home. The once bustling Tang family home was now deserted. Even the friends who usually played well with them were afraid to approach Tang Wan and Tang Jin because of their parents' warnings.

Tang Youyou understood that this was human nature. She was powerless to change anything and could only endure it all silently. In the dead of night, looking at the sleeping faces of the children, Tang Youyou felt no sleep at all. She felt sorry for the dead animals and was even more worried about the safety of the children.

"Is there really no other solution?" Tang Youyou tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She got up, lit the oil lamp, and dug out ancient books from the bottom of the box, hoping to find some solution. She carefully flipped through the pages, from folk remedies for livestock diseases to ancient epidemic prevention measures. She was unwilling to miss any possible opportunity.

Time passed minute by minute, and the sky outside the window gradually brightened, but Tang Youyou still hadn't found any useful information. She rubbed her sore eyes, her heart filled with a sense of powerlessness. Just when she was almost in despair, an illustration on the page caught her attention. It was a plant with a strange shape, and next to it was the words "Exorcise evil spirits and avoid epidemics" written in ancient characters...

Tang Youyou sat up straight abruptly, her heartbeat quickening and her breathing becoming rapid. Could this be... the key to solving the problem?

Under the dim light, Tang Youyou lay exhausted on the table, ancient books spread out before her, but she couldn't find any solution to her problem. Despair and anxiety surged like a tide, making her breathless. In a trance, she fell asleep on the table.

In her dream, she found herself in a misty forest. Birdsong filled her ears, but she couldn't discern the direction. Anxiously, she looked around, hoping to find a way out. Suddenly, an old voice rang in her ears: "Child, are you lost?"

Tang Youyou turned around suddenly, but saw only an ancient banyan tree with a thick trunk and lush branches and leaves, like a wise man who had experienced many vicissitudes of life. "Who is speaking?" Tang Youyou asked vigilantly.

"Don't be afraid, child," the voice sounded again, with a hint of comfort, "I am the guardian of this forest. I can help you."

Tang Youyou hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do you know how to treat the plague? My poultry and livestock are all sick, and I can't find a solution..."

"My child, your mind is in turmoil," the voice said calmly, "calm down. The answer is right beside you."

"Calm down? The answer is right beside you?" Tang Youyou muttered to herself. A flash of inspiration came to her mind, but she couldn't grasp the key point.

"Child, think carefully, what things on this land possess the most tenacious vitality?" The voice guided Tang Youyou, "They have experienced wind and rain, yet they continue to thrive. They contain the mysteries of nature..."

Tang Youyou suddenly woke up, her forehead covered in cold sweat and her heart beating violently. The scene in her dream still appeared clearly in front of her eyes. That old voice and those meaningful words were like a flash of lightning, illuminating her thoughts.

"Yeah, why didn't I think of that?" Tang Youyou muttered to herself excitedly. She stood up suddenly, her eyes determined, "Maybe, there really is a way..." She didn't bother to tidy up her messy hair. She walked quickly to the window and pushed it open. The first ray of morning sunlight shone in, dispelling the gloom in the room and illuminating the hope in Tang Youyou's heart...