The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

As the sun set, the golden afterglow filled the entire yard. Chickens, ducks, and geese clucked happily, as if celebrating their rebirth. Tang Youyou looked at the lively poultry and livestock in the yard, a gratified smile on her face. "Mom, look, the chicks are laying eggs again!" Tang Xiaoya's cheerful voice rang out in the yard. She held two warm eggs in her hands and handed them to Tang Youyou like a treasure.

"Oh, our little girl is awesome!" Tang Youyou touched her daughter's head and took the egg, her eyes filled with joy and hope. This sudden epidemic almost destroyed the farm that Tang Youyou had worked so hard to manage, but with modern knowledge and tenacious perseverance, she finally overcame the difficulties.

After the poultry and livestock recovered, Tang Youyou's farm quickly regained its vitality and even became more prosperous than before. Her eggs were large and delicious, and the chickens and ducks were tender and fresh. Her reputation in the town was getting better and better, even attracting many villagers from neighboring villages to come and buy.

Tang Youyou's success caught the attention of Mr. Zhou from the neighboring village. Mr. Zhou's family had been in business for generations and was quite influential in the local area. He had always regarded Tang Youyou as a thorn in his side. Seeing Tang Youyou's business flourish, he was jealous and crazy, and always wanted to teach her a lesson.

"Master, I heard that Tang's breeding farm is doing very well. Many people line up to buy their products every day!" Manager Liu, Master Zhou's confidant, whispered while massaging Master Zhou's shoulders.

"Hmph, you're just a woman, and you dare to steal my business!" Master Zhou's face was gloomy, and a hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes. "Go spread some rumors, saying that her poultry and livestock are cured with some uncanny method and will make you sick if you eat them!"

"Master, you are wise!" Manager Liu immediately understood and retreated with a nod and a bow.

Over the next few days, rumors began to spread at the town market about Tang Youyou's farm, claiming that the reason her poultry and livestock recovered so quickly was because they used something unclean that would make people sick. At first, no one believed these nonsense, but the rumors grew increasingly outrageous, causing panic among the people. Gradually, Tang Youyou's stall attracted fewer and fewer customers...

"Mom, there seem to be fewer people buying things today than yesterday," Tang Wan said worriedly as she helped her mother sort the goods. Tang Jin echoed her, "Yeah, Mom, there were still a few people holding eggs, asking about this and that, and then putting them down, saying…"

Before Tang Jin could finish his words, Tang Youyou stopped him with a look. Her heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition came over her. Could it be...

Tang Youyou put down the bamboo basket in her hand, her brows furrowed. The children's words undoubtedly confirmed her suspicions. This rumor came out of nowhere, and spread at an abnormal speed. There must be someone behind this, deliberately making trouble. And she couldn't think of anyone else besides Master Zhou.

"Wan'er, Jin'er, don't worry, Mom will be back soon." Tang Youyou patted the children's shoulders gently and comforted them.

She took a few of her biggest eggs and headed straight for the neighboring village. Mr. Zhou's house was at the west end of the village. It was made of black bricks and tiles, with carved beams and painted buildings, and it was very magnificent.

Tang Youyou stood in front of the tall gatehouse, took a deep breath, and knocked on the vermilion door.

“Knock knock knock…”

"Who is it?" an impatient voice came from inside the door.

"Please inform them that Tang Youyou from Tang Village wants to see Master Zhou."

A moment later, the door slowly opened, and a thin man appeared in front of Tang Youyou. It was Mr. Zhou's butler Liu Quan.

"It's Madam Tang. My master has been waiting for a long time. Please follow me." Liu Quan had a hypocritical smile on his face and walked sideways to lead Tang Youyou into the yard.

Passing through the winding corridor, Tang Youyou arrived at a spacious and bright hall. Master Zhou was sitting on a royal chair, leisurely sipping tea.

"Master Zhou, how are you?" Tang Youyou smiled slightly and stepped forward to salute.

Mr. Zhou put down his teacup, looked Tang Youyou up and down, and said with a forced smile, "Madam Tang, what brings you here today?"

"Master Zhou, please understand. I came here today to ask you to help me clarify a rumor." Tang Youyou went straight to the point and recounted the recent rumors circulating in the market about her farm.

"Oh? There's such a thing?" Mr. Zhou pretended to be surprised. "I usually stay at home and rarely go out, so I haven't heard of these rumors. Madam Tang, don't worry, I will send someone to investigate this matter thoroughly and give you justice!"

"Then I'll have to trouble Master Zhou." Tang Youyou sneered in her heart, but her face remained expressionless.

Master Zhou stood up and walked over to Tang Youyou, patted her shoulder, and said earnestly: "Madam Tang, it's not easy for you, a woman, to run a farm alone. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to me. We are from the same village, so we should help each other."

Tang Youyou looked at Master Zhou's hypocritical smile, and alarm bells rang in her heart. She knew that this battle had just begun...

"Thank you very much, Master Zhou. It's getting late, so I won't bother you any longer." Tang Youyou stood up, said goodbye, and turned to leave.

Looking at Tang Youyou's departing figure, the smile on Master Zhou's face gradually disappeared. A hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes, and he whispered, "Liu Quan, you go..."

Tang Youyou said goodbye to Master Zhou, but she didn't feel relieved at all. She knew people like Master Zhou too well. He seemed kind on the surface, but in his heart he was more calculating than anyone else. What he said just now was just a delaying tactic.

As expected, when Tang Youyou reached the entrance of the village, she found that the carriage that was originally parked there was nowhere to be seen. Her heart sank, and an ominous premonition came over her.

"Sister, why is the carriage gone?" Tang Jin asked anxiously, his little face full of worry.

"Don't be afraid, let's look around." Tang Youyou pretended to be calm and led the children to search nearby.

However, they searched every corner near the village entrance and found no trace of the carriage. At this time, the sun was setting, the sky was getting dark, and the cold wind was blowing, making people shiver.

"Mom, I'm cold..." Tang Xiaoya's voice was filled with tears, and her little hands were tightly clutching the corner of Tang Youyou's clothes.

Tang Youyou held her daughter in her arms, feeling distressed and extremely anxious. The carriage must have been tampered with, and as for who, the answer was self-evident. Master Zhou was trying to intimidate her and make her retreat.

At this moment, a familiar figure appeared in Tang Youyou's sight. It was Liu Quan, the housekeeper of the Zhou Mansion. He was holding a lantern in his hand and had a hypocritical smile on his face.

"Mrs. Tang, why are you still here? It's getting dark, why don't you go back?" Liu Quan asked knowingly, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Tang Youyou suppressed the anger in her heart and asked in a cold voice: "Butler Liu, have you ever seen my carriage?"

Liu Quan feigned surprise and said, "Carriage? No, I've been serving the master in the mansion and didn't see your carriage pass by."

"Really?" Tang Youyou looked coldly into Liu Quan's eyes, "Then, Butler Liu, do you know anything about the whereabouts of my carriage?"

Liu Quan felt a little guilty when he saw Tang Youyou's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said with a smile: "Madam Tang, you're joking. How would I know this? However, there are some questionable people in this village from time to time. Maybe your carriage was stolen by them."

"Stole it?" Tang Youyou sneered, "When did the security in this neighboring village become so bad? They even dared to steal my carriage?"

Liu Quan rolled his eyes and said with feigned concern, "Oh, what should we do? Madam Tang, how about this? Find a place to stay in the village tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll send someone to find a carriage for you. What do you think?"

Tang Youyou looked at Liu Quan's hypocritical face and sneered in her heart. She knew that Master Zhou wanted to trap her in the neighboring village so that he could take further action against her.

"Thank you, Butler Liu." Tang Youyou said calmly, "However, I'm not going anywhere tonight. I'll just wait here."

Liu Quan was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting Tang Youyou to reject his "good intentions." He opened his mouth, wanting to persuade her a few more times, but was stopped by Tang Youyou's sharp eyes.

As night fell and the cold wind howled, Tang Youyou held her shivering daughter in her arms, her eyes fixed firmly on the direction of the Zhou Mansion. She knew that a silent battle had just begun...

"Mom, do we really have to spend the night here?" Tang Wan asked worriedly.

Tang Youyou patted her daughter's head and said firmly, "Don't worry, mother will protect you."

In the distance, the Zhou Mansion was brightly lit. Mr. Zhou was sitting in the study, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, with a sinister smile on his lips.

"Tang Youyou, let's see how you can escape from my grasp this time..."

Tang Youyou knew Mr. Zhou's character very well; he would never give up easily. Rather than sit and wait for death, it would be better to be patient and look for an opportunity to strike back. She took the children's hands and resolutely walked towards the village chief's house.

The village chief and his family expressed deep sympathy for Tang Youyou's situation and warmly invited them to stay overnight at their home. Late at night, Tang Youyou coaxed the children to sleep and sat alone in the yard, meditating in the moonlight.

She knew that Master Zhou's goal this time was not just her carriage, but also to completely suppress her and prevent her from gaining a foothold in the breeding industry. Tang Youyou clenched her fists, her eyes flashing with determination. She would never give in easily!

The next morning, Tang Youyou took the children to ask around in the village, trying to find witnesses or the whereabouts of the carriage. However, the villagers either kept silent or were evasive, obviously afraid of the Zhou family's power.

Just when Tang Youyou was at a loss, she overheard a few villagers talking about a man named Zhang Liehu in the village. It was said that this man was a loner, not good at socializing, but kept to himself and was not bound by the Zhou family.

Tang Youyou's heart moved. Perhaps, Zhang Hunter was the key to breaking the deadlock! She decided to visit this mysterious Zhang Hunter.

In the evening, Tang Youyou brought the children to a simple thatched house on the edge of the village. She took a deep breath and gently knocked on the wooden door.

"Who is it?" A rough voice came from inside the house.

"Hunter Zhang, I'm Tang Youyou from Tangjia Village. I'd like to ask you for a favor..." Tang Youyou said as she waited anxiously for a response.

With a creak, the wooden door slowly opened, and a tall and burly figure appeared in front of Tang Youyou. He had thick eyebrows, big eyes, a full beard, sharp eyes, and a wild aura all over his body.

"You need my help?" Hunter Zhang looked Tang You You up and down, with a hint of caution in his tone, "Tell me, what's the matter?"