The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

As the carriage slowly pulled away from the academy, the excitement on Tang Jin and Tang Wan's faces gradually faded, replaced by a hint of confusion and unease. Life at the academy was far more arduous than they had imagined. They rose at the crack of dawn each morning to complete their teacher's morning reading assignments, followed by endless recitation and dictation, before returning home until nightfall.

Tang Jin's typically lively and active nature had become much more restrained at the academy. Though intelligent, he couldn't sit still, feeling like he had nails under his butt during a class. The teacher's scolding and the ridicule of his classmates weighed heavily on him. Tang Wan, on the other hand, was even more reserved. Although she studied diligently, her peasant background meant she couldn't match the poetry and prose of the well-educated children of wealthy families. Whenever she saw other students composing eloquently, she could only hide in a corner, silently envious.

Compared to her older siblings' troubles, Tang Xiaoya's experience was even more heartbreaking. Because she was still young, she was often bullied by mischievous students at the academy. They snatched her snacks, soiled her clothes, and even pushed her to the ground, leaving her crying.

One day, Tang Xiaoya ran home crying, threw herself into Tang Youyou's arms, and grumbled about her experience. "Mom, they all bullied me! Wuuwuwu..."

Tang You You hugged her daughter distressedly, patted her back gently, and comforted her softly: "Little girl, don't cry, tell mother, who bullied you?"

"It's the fat boy from the Wang family, and the skinny guy from Mr. Li's family..." Tang Xiaoya spoke intermittently while sobbing.

After listening to her daughter's story, Tang Youyou frowned slightly. She knew that children would inevitably encounter various difficulties and setbacks in the process of growing up. This was a life lesson they had to go through. However, she could not watch her child being bullied and remain indifferent.

"Xiao Ya, you must remember that we cannot allow ourselves to be bullied, nor can we bully others at will." Tang You You gently wiped the tears from her daughter's face and said firmly, "You must learn to be brave, learn to protect yourself, and learn to use wisdom to solve problems."

Tang Xiaoya looked at her mother, not quite understanding, with tears in her eyes. Tang Youyou knew that these principles might be too profound for a young child, but she believed that as long as she guided them slowly, one day, the children would understand their meaning.

"Mom, I'm scared..." Tang Xiaoya said timidly.

"Don't be afraid, mother will help you." Tang Youyou gently stroked her daughter's hair, her eyes firm, "Tomorrow, mother will accompany you to the academy to find Master Zhao, and let him make the decision for us."

As night fell, Tang Youyou coaxed the three children to sleep, but her heart remained restless for a long time. She knew that the problems the children encountered at the academy were only a small microcosm of their growth. The road ahead was still long, and they would encounter more challenges and experience more hardships. All she could do was to stay by their side, give them support and encouragement, and let them face everything bravely.

"Children, you still need to walk the road of the future by yourselves..." Tang Youyou muttered to herself as she looked at the bright moonlight outside the window. Suddenly, a rapid knock on the door broke the tranquility of the night. Tang Youyou was startled, and an ominous premonition came to her mind... Who would come to visit at this time? Tang Youyou gently patted Tang Xiaoya's back and said softly, "Little girl, don't cry. Tell your mother who bullied you?"

Tang Xiaoya sobbed and spoke intermittently: "It was the fat boy from the Wang family and the skinny guy from Mr. Li's family... They stole my snacks and pushed me down..."

Tang Youyou felt heartbroken listening to her daughter's sobbing, but she knew that blindly tolerating would only make the child suffer more grievances. She wiped away Tang Xiaoya's tears and said earnestly: "Xiaoya, you must remember that we cannot allow ourselves to be bullied, nor can we bully others at will. You must learn to be brave, learn to protect yourself, and learn to use wisdom to solve problems."

Tang Xiaoya looked at Tang Youyou with a look of confusion, tears still glistening in her eyes. Tang Youyou knew that these principles were too profound for young children, but she believed that as long as she guided them slowly, one day, the children would understand their meaning.

The next morning, Tang Youyou brought Tang Xiaoya to the academy and found Master Zhao. She explained the whole story in detail. Master Zhao was a highly respected elder. After listening to Tang Youyou's story, his brows furrowed slightly. He pondered for a moment and said, "Madam Tang, please rest assured. I will deal with this matter seriously and give you and your child an explanation."

Master Zhao then gathered all the students and, in front of everyone, severely criticized those who bullied the weaker ones and emphasized the discipline and rules of the academy. He also specifically called in the fat boy from the Wang family and the skinny boy from Mr. Li's family and asked them to apologize to Tang Xiaoya in person and promise not to make such a mistake again.

In order to prevent such incidents from happening again, Master Zhao adjusted the management of the academy, strengthened the education of students on behavioral norms, and arranged some older students to take turns on duty to maintain order in the academy and promptly discover and stop contradictions and conflicts between students.

Thanks to Mr. Zhao's efforts, the atmosphere of the academy has been completely transformed, bullying among children has been significantly reduced, and Tang Xiaoya is no longer afraid of going to school. However, the troubles of growing up are far more than that, and new challenges are waiting for them not far away...

One day, Master Zhao was explaining the Analects in class. He casually asked the usually taciturn Tang Jin to answer a question: "Tang Jin, what does 'Isn't it a pleasure to learn and practice it from time to time' mean?"

Tang Jin stood up and hesitated for a long time, but couldn't make out the reason...

"Tang Jin, what does 'To learn and then practice it from time to time, is it not a pleasure?'" Master Zhao stroked his beard and looked at Tang Jin with a sharp gaze.

Tang Jin's face flushed red, and he hesitated for a long time, but it was as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say a word. He was usually lively and active, but now he stood there with his head drooped, like an eggplant hit by frost.

"Haha, Tang Jin can't do it, what a fool!" No one knew who took the lead, but a burst of laughter suddenly rang out in the classroom, like countless needles piercing Tang Jin's heart, making him wish he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

After Tang Youyou learned about this, she did not blame Tang Jin. Instead, she gently stroked his head and asked softly, "Jin'er, tell me, do you not like studying?"

Tang Jin shook his head, then nodded, lowered his head, and whispered, "Mom, I... I also want to be like my sister, to be able to recite articles fluently and answer the teacher's questions..."

Tang Youyou smiled and encouraged: "Jin'er, everyone has their own strengths, just like you. Although you are not good at studying, you are very brave and loving. Remember last time you helped the neighbor grandmother fetch water!"

Tang Jin raised his head, tears glistening in his eyes. He choked and said, "But, Mom, I don't want to be called a fool..."

"Silly child, who said you're stupid? You just haven't found a learning method that suits you yet." Tang Youyou patiently advised, "Mother believes that as long as you work hard, you will definitely make progress."

To help Tang Jin, Tang Youyou specifically consulted Master Zhao about Tang Jin's study problems and developed a study plan based on his characteristics. She also encouraged Tang Jin to communicate with his older sister and younger sister about their learning experiences, to help each other and make progress together.

Under Tang Youyou's careful teaching and encouragement, Tang Jin gradually found the joy of learning. He began to recite articles on his own initiative, completed the homework assigned by the teacher carefully, and dared to raise his hand to speak in class.

However, the road to growth is always full of thorns, and one wave after another rises. One day, Tang Wan returned home, uncharacteristically depressed.

"Wan'er, what's wrong? Did you encounter something unhappy in the academy?" Tang Youyou asked with concern.

Tang Wan lowered her head, her eyes red. She took out the academy's exam paper, handed it to Tang Youyou, and said with a sob, "Mom, I... I failed the exam..."

Tang Youyou took the test paper and looked at the glaring red score on it, her heart skipping a beat...

Tang Youyou took the test paper and looked at the glaring red score on it, her heart skipping a beat. This score was a big blow to Tang Wan, who always had excellent grades, and even to other children. Tang Youyou suppressed her worries and asked gently, "Wan'er, what's wrong? Is the content of this exam difficult?"

Tang Wan lowered her head, her eyes red, and she choked up and said, "Mom, am I stupid? My grades used to be among the top, but this time..." As she spoke, tears began to fall, dripping onto the test paper and staining the bright red ink.

Seeing this, Tang Xiaoya quickly ran to her sister, wiped her tears with her chubby little hands, and said in a baby voice, "Don't cry, sister, you are the smartest!"

Tang Youyou hugged her two daughters in her arms and comforted them softly, "Wan'er, the results of one exam don't mean anything. Everyone has times when they don't perform well. The important thing is that we find out where the problem lies so that we can do better next time."

Tang Wan sniffed and asked with a choked voice, "But, mother, do I really not have the talent for learning? Have I disappointed you?"

Tang Youyou gently stroked Tang Wan's hair and said earnestly, "Silly child, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and the same goes for learning. Your test results this time were not ideal. It may be that you did not master the study methods well, or that you are still lacking in certain aspects, but this does not mean that you do not have a talent for learning."

Tang Youyou flipped through the test paper, pointed to one of the wrong questions, and patiently explained: "Look at this question, the reason you got it wrong is because you didn't understand the meaning of the question. As long as we examine the question carefully, we can find a way to solve it."

With Tang Youyou's patient explanation, Tang Wan gradually understood her problem. Tang Youyou encouraged her not to lose heart and to believe in herself. As long as she worked hard, she would definitely make progress.

"Wan'er, look at your brother, hasn't he made great progress now? Studying is like rowing against the current, if you don't move forward, you will fall behind. As long as we persevere, we will definitely reach the other side of success." Tang Youyou pointed to the sky outside the window and said meaningfully.

Tang Wan followed her mother's gaze and saw a few birds soaring high into the blue sky, facing the rising sun...

At this time, Tang Jin's hearty laughter came from the yard: "Brother Sun, the method you mentioned is really wonderful. Why didn't I think of it?"