The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

"What happened to Tang Jin?!" Tang Youyou's heart sank suddenly, and the bamboo basket in her hand fell to the ground, and the scattered clothes rolled in the autumn wind.

"Don't worry, Master Zhao has taken Master Tang Jin to see a doctor. It's just his leg..." The little servant boy hesitated to speak, his face full of worry.

Tang Youyou didn't have time to think about it. She picked up Tang Xiaoya who was playing nearby and hurriedly followed the servant to the town's clinic.

In the clinic, Tang Jin was lying on the bed, with Master Zhao comforting him. Seeing Tang Youyou come in, Tang Jin's eyes instantly turned red, and he cried out in grievance, "Mother..."

After the doctor's diagnosis, he said that it was a leg fracture and he needed to rest for a while. Looking at Tang Jin's leg in plaster, Tang Youyou felt distressed, but she could only hold back her tears and comfort him: "It's okay, Jin'er, have a good rest, mother is with you."

After returning home, Tang Youyou took good care of Tang Jin, made bone soup for him, told him stories, and encouraged him to actively cooperate with the treatment. Although Tang Jin pretended to be optimistic and strong on the surface, Tang Youyou still noticed the uneasiness hidden in his heart.

"Mom, will I fall behind in my studies?" Tang Jin lay on the bed, looking at the blue sky outside the window, his eyes full of worry.

"No, mother will help you make up for it." Tang Youyou gently stroked Tang Jin's head and comforted him softly.

However, one wave has not settled, and one wave has risen again.

That day, after Tang Wan came home from school, she did not play with her brothers and sisters as usual. Instead, she hid in her room in a sullen mood. Tang Youyou noticed her daughter's abnormality, so she knocked on the door and asked softly, "Wan'er, what's wrong? Did you encounter something unhappy in the academy?"

Tang Wan opened the door, her eyes red, and said in a low voice, "Mom, I did very poorly on this math test..."

Tang Youyou then realized that her daughter was holding a test paper tightly in her hand, and the bright red numbers on it stung her eyes.

"Wan'er, don't be discouraged. One exam can't prove anything..."

"But, Mom, I feel like there's something wrong with my study method. I've been studying very hard, but why haven't my grades improved?" Tang Wan couldn't help but shed tears, her tone filled with confusion and helplessness.

Tang Youyou held her daughter in her arms, patted her back gently, and comforted her softly.

As night fell, after Tang Youyou coaxed the two children to sleep, she went to the yard and looked at the starry sky, her heart filled with worry and anxiety. Children will inevitably encounter various difficulties and setbacks on their path to growth, and all she can do is to stay by their side, encourage them to face challenges bravely, help them overcome difficulties, and move on.

"Mother..." At this time, Tang Xiaoya's timid voice came from behind, "I..." Tang Youyou turned around and saw her little daughter rubbing her sleepy eyes, with tears on her little face.

"What's wrong, little girl? Did you have a nightmare?" Tang Youyou asked gently, holding her little daughter on her lap.

"Mom, I was at the academy today..." Xiao Ya sobbed and spoke intermittently, "I, I recited "Spring Dawn" incorrectly..."

It turned out that the academy had organized a poetry performance for the children that day. Xiao Ya was so nervous that she forgot a large section of "Spring Dawn," which she had memorized so well, after going on stage. This caused some children to snicker. Although Master Zhao quickly smoothed things over, the sensitive Xiao Ya still felt deeply frustrated and had been sulking since returning home.

"Silly child," Tang Youyou gently wiped the tears from her daughter's face, "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and a small mistake doesn't mean anything. Look, your brother's leg is injured, and your sister has encountered difficulties with her homework, but they didn't give up, right?"

The little girl nodded, not quite understanding, and her emotions gradually calmed down.

The next day, Tang Youyou took the children to visit Tang Jin. Master Zhao also happened to come to the clinic to tutor Tang Jin.

"Master, I feel that studying has become increasingly difficult recently," Tang Wan hesitated for a moment before finally mustering the courage to speak, "Am I too stupid?"

Mr. Zhao put down his book and looked at the three children in front of him, his eyes full of love and understanding. He realized that the children were at different stages of growth and faced different confusions and challenges.

"You are all good children, and you all work hard," Master Zhao said gently. "Everyone has their own learning pace and method. There's no need to be too anxious or compare yourself."

"I plan to develop a personalized study plan for you," Master Zhao continued. "Tang Jin, you can rest assured and recover from your injuries during this time. I will come to help you with any missed lessons every day. Tang Wan, your foundation is solid, but you may lack some study methods and techniques. I will provide targeted tutoring for you. Xiaoya, you are still young. You should balance work and rest in your studies and don't put too much pressure on yourself..."

After hearing Master Zhao's words, the children all smiled with joy. Tang Youyou also expressed her gratitude for Master Zhao's good intentions.

However, all of this was seen by a pair of eyes hiding outside the clinic window. The owner of those eyes was none other than Madam Qian, who had always been at odds with Tang Youyou. A sneer curled up at the corner of her mouth as she turned and left...

Mrs. Qian was secretly delighted when she learned that Tang Youyou's children had some difficulties studying at the academy. She found an opportunity, pretended to care, but actually exaggerated the matter and spread it among the neighbors, her words full of ridicule and belittling of Tang Youyou.

"Oh, have you heard? The Tang family's children have suffered a lot in the academy!" Madam Qian pretended to be mysterious and lowered her voice. "I heard that Tang Wan, who usually looks quite smart, did terribly on this exam. It even pissed Master Zhao off!"

The people around him were all surprised and started talking about it. Mrs. Qian saw this and became even more proud. She continued, "And that Tang Jin? He relied on his cleverness and didn't study hard. He ended up getting in a fight in school and breaking his leg. He really deserved it!"

"What about Xiaoya? Is Xiaoya in trouble too?" someone asked curiously.

"The little girl is still young, what trouble could she possibly get into? But..." Madam Qian deliberately stretched out her voice, speaking mysteriously, "I heard that this little girl is always absent-minded in school. She doesn't study well, and all she does is eat snacks and play with toys. Oh, I don't know how Tang Youyou teaches her children. It's really a headache!"

Mrs. Qian's words were like pebbles that stirred ripples on a calm lake, and soon spread throughout the village. Although Tang Youyou was angry when she heard these rumors, she did not let her anger cloud her mind. She knew that a direct confrontation with someone like Mrs. Qian would only make her even more complacent.

So, Tang Youyou found an opportunity and calmly said to Madam Qian in front of everyone, "Madam Qian, I respect you as an elder and usually tolerate you a lot, but you shouldn't slander my children like this. When children encounter difficulties in their studies, we as parents will naturally find ways to help them, instead of just hiding behind their backs and making sarcastic remarks like you did!"

Mrs. Qian obviously didn't expect Tang Youyou to refute her so directly. She was stunned for a moment, hesitating and unable to speak. Tang Youyou ignored her embarrassment and continued, "Although I wouldn't say that all of my children are geniuses, they are all very hardworking and sensible. I believe that as long as they persevere, they will be able to overcome difficulties and make progress!"

Mrs. Qian was left speechless by Tang Youyou's words. Her face turned pale and blue, and she stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Tang Youyou looked at her, a cold smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, and turned away, leaving behind only a dashing back...

As the sun set, the clouds in the sky were dyed a gorgeous orange-red, just like sweet honey. Tang Youyou returned home and saw the three children sitting dejectedly in the yard, their faces looking somewhat depressed.

"What's wrong? They all look like eggplants hit by frost." Tang Youyou put down the basket in his hand and asked with a smile.

Tang Wan raised her head, her eyes reddening, "Mother, Madam Qian said in the village today..."

"They said you guys were causing trouble in the academy and failing to achieve academic success?" Tang Youyou took over the conversation in a calm tone.

The three children all looked up in surprise, not understanding why their mother was so calm. Tang Jin couldn't help but ask, "Mom, do you know everything?"

Tang Youyou walked over to the children and patted their heads one by one. "Silly children, rumors stop at the wise. Those who gossip are just bored. Just remember, walk upright and sit upright, and you don't have to pay attention to other people's gossip."

"But, Mom, I did really badly on this exam..." Tang Wan's voice trailed off, her tone filled with self-blame.

Tang Youyou held her hand encouragingly, "Wan'er, the result of one test doesn't mean anything. Mother believes in your ability, you just need more time and effort to master it. Studying is like rowing against the current, if you don't move forward, you will fall behind, but as long as you persevere, you will reach the other side of success one day."

"Mom, I will work harder in the future!" Tang Wan was encouraged by Tang Youyou's words, and the light of hope rekindled in her eyes.

"And you, Jin'er." Tang Youyou turned to Tang Jin, "Mother knows that you are lively and active by nature, but learning is not something that can be achieved overnight. You need to calm down and take it seriously. This incident will be a lesson for you to understand that you must think twice before doing anything."

"Mom, I know I was wrong, and I will change in the future." Tang Jin lowered his head and admitted his mistake sincerely.

"Xiao Ya, what about you? Have you encountered any difficulties in the academy?" Tang You You looked at the youngest Xiao Ya.

Xiaoya shook her head and said, "No, I have learned everything the teacher taught me."

"That's good. Remember, study for yourself. Don't let other people's opinions affect your pace." Tang Youyou gently reminded.

As night fell, the family gathered around the table, enjoying a simple dinner. The children chatted with each other about their experiences at the academy, their faces filled with joy, their previous gloom swept away.

Seeing the children regain their vitality, Tang Youyou was relieved. She believed that as long as their family worked together, they would be able to overcome all difficulties and create a better life.

The next morning, Tang Jin got up early, limped to the yard, took a book from the shelf, and began to read it carefully...