The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

"Manager Zhao?" The burly man in the lead also recognized the newcomer, and his tone was a little more fearful. "This matter has nothing to do with you. It's best if you don't interfere."

Shopkeeper Zhao ignored the burly man's warning and walked straight to Tang Youyou. He looked her up and down, and was relieved to see that she was fine. He turned around, faced the crowd, and said loudly, "This Madam Tang is my shop's supplier. Anyone who dares to touch her is disrespecting me, Zhao!"

Shopkeeper Zhao was quite prestigious in the town. As soon as he spoke, the strong men immediately looked at each other like deflated balls, not daring to do anything else. The leading strong man glared at Tang Youyou fiercely, said "You're lucky", and left with the others in disgrace.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper Zhao, for your help!" Tang Youyou said gratefully.

Shopkeeper Zhao waved his hand, signaling her not to be polite, and then lowered his voice and said, "Madam Tang, this is not the place to talk. Come with me."

Shopkeeper Zhao brought Tang Youyou to a private room in a teahouse in town. After dismissing his attendants, he asked, "Madam Tang, what exactly happened between you and Mr. Liu? Why is he targeting you so?"

Tang Youyou then told Shopkeeper Zhao the whole story.

After hearing this, Shopkeeper Zhao frowned and said after a moment's contemplation, "Madam Tang, you don't know that this Mr. Liu, relying on his brother being the county magistrate, is a tyrant in this area, bullying the people and committing all sorts of evil! You're an orphan and a widow, and he's targeting you. It's probably going to be difficult to resolve this peacefully."

Tang Youyou's heart sank when she heard this, but she did not despair. Instead, she asked, "Is there no way to deal with him?"

A gleam of light flashed in Shopkeeper Zhao's eyes, and he said, "It's not that there is no way, but I need your cooperation, Madam Tang..."

As night fell, Tang Youyou returned home with her three children.

"Mom, what did Manager Zhao say to you?" Tang Wan asked curiously.

"Nothing, just some business matters." Tang Youyou didn't want to worry the children, so she didn't tell the truth.

"Oh." Although Tang Wan was a little confused, she didn't ask any more questions.

The next morning, Tang Youyou took Tang Wan and Tang Jin to work in the fields.

"Mom, do you think these things we grow can really be sold for a lot of money?" Tang Jin asked while waving a hoe.

"Of course I can. Shopkeeper Zhao said that as long as the things we grow are of good quality, he will take care of everything!" Tang Youyou said with a smile.

"Really? That's great!" Tang Jin said excitedly, "When I make some money, I'm going to buy Xiaoya lots of candied haws!"

Tang Youyou looked at the children's innocent smiles, her heart filled with hope. She knew that as long as she worked hard, she would be able to give the children a good life.

Suddenly, Tang Jin and Tang Xiaoya pointed at the field and exclaimed, "Mom, look!" Tang Youyou followed the children's gaze and saw that the originally sparse corn seedlings had become exceptionally tall overnight. Crystal dewdrops rolled on the emerald green leaves, shining with the light of life in the sun.

"Mom, this corn is growing so fast! It wasn't this tall yesterday!" Tang Jin opened his mouth in surprise, as if he had seen something incredible.

Tang Xiaoya also clapped her hands and said in a baby voice, "Wow! The corn has grown taller. I want Xiaoya to grow taller too!"

Tang Youyou's heart moved. Could it be that the golden finger had been upgraded? She squatted down and carefully observed the corn seedlings. She found that they not only grew faster, but also had wider and thicker leaves, and a more developed root system, as if full of infinite vitality.

"It seems that we have to work harder and not let down the gift of this land." Tang Youyou stood up, with a determined light in his eyes.

After returning home, Tang Youyou told Tang Wan about the upgrade of the golden finger and discussed the next plan with her.

"Mom, since our crops are growing so well, why don't we plant more and then sell them in town!" Tang Wan suggested.

Tang Youyou nodded and said, "I think so too, but we are unfamiliar with the place, so it may not be easy to sell things."

"Mom, I can help you!" Tang Wan said confidently, "I've been learning business knowledge from Shopkeeper Zhao recently. I believe I can help!"

Tang Youyou looked at her daughter with satisfaction, her eyes filled with pride and expectation. She knew that Tang Wan had been smart and had a strong learning ability since she was a child, and she believed that she would be able to become her right-hand man.

Therefore, Tang Youyou decided to expand the scale of planting. In addition to corn, she also planted various crops such as wheat, rice, and vegetables. She used the power of the golden finger to make them grow quickly and reap abundant fruits.

Tang Wan began to learn how to run a business. She would go to Manager Zhao's shop to help every day, learning various knowledge such as how to purchase, sell, and keep accounts, and humbly asked Manager Zhao various questions.

Shopkeeper Zhao also admired Tang Wan's diligence and eagerness to learn, and shared his many years of business experience with her to help her grow quickly.

As time went by, Tang Youyou's farmland was filled with a scene of harvest. The golden ears of wheat, heavy rice, and fresh and juicy vegetables attracted the attention of the villagers.

Tang Wan also gradually mastered the skills of doing business. She began to help Tang Youyou contact buyers and sell the agricultural products she grew in the town and even further away...

"Mrs. Tang, the things in your house are getting better and better. I want all this batch of vegetables!" Shopkeeper Zhao looked at the mountains of goods in front of him and showed a satisfied smile on his face.

"Shopkeeper Zhao, you know, this is all thanks to you!" Tang Youyou said with a smile.

"Haha, there's no need for such polite words between us." Shopkeeper Zhao waved his hand and said in a low voice, "By the way, I heard that Landlord Liu has been eyeing your farm again recently?"

Tang Youyou's face froze, and she pretended to be relaxed and said, "What else can he do? The title deed is in my hand."

Shopkeeper Zhao sighed and lowered his voice, "That being said, you know who Landlord Liu is. What kind of despicable tricks can he not use? I heard..." He paused, leaned close to Tang Youyou's ear, and told her everything he had heard.

It turned out that when Landlord Liu saw that Tang Youyou's farmland had better and better harvests, he was jealous and secretly spread rumors, saying that Tang Youyou used some evil magic to make the crops grow so well. He also deceived the villagers and said that if Tang Youyou was allowed to continue, it would bring disaster to the village.

After hearing this, Tang Youyou sneered in her heart. This Landlord Liu was really a thief who couldn't bear to see others doing well. She looked at Shopkeeper Zhao gratefully, "Thank you for the reminder, Shopkeeper Zhao. I will be careful."

Shopkeeper Zhao waved his hand. "There's no need for such politeness between you and me. However, this landlord Liu has gone too far, and we can't just sit there and wait for death." A gleam of light flashed in his eyes. "I've already sent word out, exposing the oppression landlord Liu has been doing in the village over the years. I don't believe he won't curb his behavior."

Tang Youyou felt warm in her heart. This Shopkeeper Zhao was such a warm-hearted person. Not only did he help her with business, he also always considered her well.

However, the development of the matter was beyond their expectations. When Landlord Liu learned that his evil deeds were exposed, instead of restraining himself, he became furious and took out all his resentment on Tang Youyou.

That night, the ridge of Tang Youyou's field was maliciously destroyed, and the water in the field flowed away. Many of the crops that were originally growing well withered as a result.

Looking at the mess in front of her, Tang Youyou was furious. She knew that this must have been done by Landlord Liu! She clenched her fists, her eyes flashing with determination, "Landlord Liu, I'm not done with you!"

The next morning, Tang Youyou took Tang Wan straight to the village chief's house...

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the dilapidated wooden house. Tang Youyou had already gotten up early to prepare breakfast for the children. She hadn't been able to sleep the entire night because of what happened in the fields last night. Landlord Liu's despicable behavior had infuriated her, and it had made her realize that in this era, courage alone was far from enough.

"Mom, let's go to the fields and take a look." The sensible Tang Wan seemed to feel her mother's worry and said softly.

"Okay." Tang Youyou touched her daughter's head, took her hand, and walked towards the field with the three children.

The ridges of the fields were severely damaged, the water in the fields had dried up, and the once lush green crops had turned yellow. Seeing this scene, Tang Wan and Tang Jin couldn't help but tear up.

"Mom, what should we do? Our crops are..." Tears welled up in Tang Jin's eyes.

Tang Youyou suppressed the anger in her heart and comforted the children, "Don't be afraid, mother is here. We will find a way."

At this time, Shopkeeper Zhao rushed over and was also furious when he saw the miserable state of the fields. "This landlord Liu is really going too far! Youyou, don't worry, I will definitely seek justice for you!"

"Brother Zhao, thank you." Tang Youyou looked at him gratefully, "I've decided. I'll go to the county government office to sue him tomorrow!"

"Sue him? This..." Shopkeeper Zhao looked embarrassed. "Youyou, it's not that I won't help you, but this landlord Liu has some connections in the county government. I'm afraid..."

"I know." Tang Youyou took a deep breath, "But we can't just let others bully us like this! I don't believe that there is no justice in this world!"

Looking at Tang Youyou's determined eyes, Shopkeeper Zhao felt a surge of admiration. "Okay! Since you've made up your mind, I will fully support you! I've already contacted several respected elders in the village. They were all beneficiaries of your father-in-law's kindness in the past, and they will definitely speak a fair word for you when the time comes."

"And me!" Uncle Li, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. "Although I'm old and my legs and feet are not very convenient, I can still testify for you! I saw with my own eyes that Landlord Liu's men were destroying your fields!"

"Uncle Li..." Tang Youyou was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes.

"Youyou, don't worry, we'll all help you." Shopkeeper Zhao patted her shoulder. "The most important thing now is that we have to find a way to divert water back to the fields. We can't let the crops die from drought."

"Yes, yes, the most urgent thing is to save the crops first!" Uncle Li also echoed.

Tang Youyou nodded, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. With the help of Uncle Li and Shopkeeper Zhao, she began to formulate a response strategy. They organized manpower overnight to repair the ridges and re-direct irrigation. A race against time began...