The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

The person Tang Youyou thought of was none other than Wu Hua, a well-known painter in the city. Wu Hua was famous for his landscapes, flowers, and birds, and was particularly good at capturing the spirit of things. Tang Youyou believed that with Wu Hua's skills, he would be able to design a unique mark.

The next morning, Tang Youyou brought a few wooden toys with her and went to the city to visit Wu Hua. Wu Hua's studio was located in a quiet alley in the east of the city. When she opened the door, a faint scent of ink filled her nose. Several landscape paintings hung on the wall, creating a profound artistic conception.

"Master Wu, I've long heard of your name!" Tang Youyou explained her purpose and took out the toys she had made. Wu Hua carefully observed these exquisitely crafted wooden horses and puppets, his eyes filled with admiration. "Madam, your craftsmanship is superb, truly admirable!"

"No, no, it's just a trivial skill. I'm sorry to have made Master Wu laugh. I came here today to ask Master Wu to help me design a mark to use on these wooden toys to prevent others from copying them."

Wu Hua pondered for a moment and asked, "I wonder if Madam has any ideas in mind?"

Tang Youyou laid out all her thoughts and concerns: "I hope this mark can reflect the characteristics of these toys, while being concise, easy to remember, and difficult to imitate."

After hearing this, Wu Hua picked up a pen and began sketching on the paper. Tang Youyou watched quietly from the side, seeing Wu Hua's brushstrokes sometimes light, sometimes heavy, and each pattern jumped onto the paper, but he rejected them one by one.

After a long while, Wu Hua put down his pen and handed one of the papers to Tang Youyou: "Madam, please take a look. What do you think of this pattern?"

Tang Youyou took it and looked at it. She saw a simple pattern drawn on the paper. It looked like a butterfly spreading its wings and flying, but the word "Tang" was cleverly integrated into it. It was lively and steady, and it was unforgettable.

"Wonderful!" Tang Youyou couldn't help but admire it. This was exactly the effect she wanted. "I wonder how Painter Wu came up with this pattern?"

"The toys made by Madam are delicate and cute, just like this butterfly, which can bring joy to children. The butterfly represents transformation and hope, and also carries Madam's good wishes for the children," Wu Hua explained.

Tang Youyou was very satisfied with Wu Hua's design and immediately decided to use this pattern as the logo of her handicrafts. At the same time, she had another plan in mind. She wanted to push these handicrafts into a higher-end market, and this required a suitable partner.

She thought of Madam Zheng. Madam Zheng was the wife of a wealthy businessman in the city. She loved collecting exquisite toys and was also willing to mentor the younger generation. Tang Youyou brought a few carefully crafted wooden toys engraved with a new logo and went to visit the Zheng Mansion...

The Zheng Mansion, with its carved beams and painted buildings, exuded luxury. Tang Youyou was led to the garden by a maid, only to see Madam Zheng leisurely sipping tea.

"Madam Zheng, I've long heard of your name." Tang Youyou stepped forward and saluted, presenting the wooden carved toys in her hand. "I've come specially to visit you today. I hope Madam won't dislike these little gadgets."

Mrs. Zheng took the wood carvings and examined them carefully. They were exquisitely crafted and lifelike, especially the butterfly logo engraved on them, which was unique and interesting, and it was a real eye-opener.

"This butterfly logo is quite unique. I wonder which master created it?" Mrs. Zheng asked, her eyes full of admiration.

Tang Youyou then recounted how she collaborated with Wu Hua to design the logo, and took the opportunity to express her desire to create high-end handicrafts.

"Madam, what a great idea!" Mrs. Zheng nodded in approval. "Most toys on the market today are crudely made and lack originality. Madam, with your exquisite craftsmanship and this unique logo, you'll definitely be able to carve out a niche in the high-end market."

Mrs. Zheng is a famous "trendsetter" in the city. She praised Tang Youyou's handicrafts and expressed her willingness to promote them in her social circle, which made Tang Youyou overjoyed.

Within a few days, Tang Youyou's handicrafts spread among the city's noble ladies. Those exquisitely crafted wooden toys, engraved with unique butterfly logos, became treasures that the ladies rushed to buy. Tang Youyou's orders also poured in like snowflakes, and her handicraft business took off.

However, just as Tang Youyou was immersed in the joy of success, some vendors in the city also set their sights on this piece of "fat meat". They began to imitate Tang Youyou's copyright logo, trying to pass off fake products as genuine ones and disrupt the market...

"Madam, something bad has happened! Please go to the shop and take a look!" One day, Tang Youyou's shop assistant came running in hurriedly, sweating profusely.

Tang Youyou's heart tightened, vaguely sensing that something was wrong. She hurriedly asked, "What happened? Tell me slowly."

The clerk gasped, "There's a new shop across the street that also sells wooden toys, and... and their toys are also engraved with our butterfly logo!"

When Tang Youyou heard this, she immediately understood that those who were jealous of her business could not help but make a move. Her face darkened and she said to the clerk, "You go back to the shop first, I'll be there soon."

Tang Youyou arrived at the store and saw a new toy store across the street. The decoration was very similar to hers, even the font on the sign was imitated perfectly. Tang Youyou walked into the store and saw that the shelves were filled with all kinds of wooden toys. The workmanship was crude, but the prices were much cheaper than hers, and each toy was clearly printed with her butterfly logo.

"Boss, where did the logo on your toy come from?" Tang Youyou asked coldly, pointing at the toys on the shelf.

"This... This is my own design. Why, is it not okay?" The shop owner was a thin man with flickering eyes, not daring to look directly into Tang Youyou's eyes.

"You designed it yourself?" Tang Youyou sneered, "Master Wu and I spent months designing this logo, and you dare to say that you designed it yourself?"

Seeing that Tang Youyou had seen through his lie, the shop owner simply stopped pretending. He said arrogantly, "So what? This logo isn't unique to you, why can't I use it?"

Tang Youyou took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in her heart. She knew that reasoning with such people would not work. She decided to use legal weapons to protect her rights and interests, and also teach those who tried to get something for nothing a lesson.

She found a famous lawyer in the city and explained the whole story in detail. After listening, the lawyer said to Tang Youyou, "Madam, don't worry. I'll take this case! The laws of the Tang Dynasty clearly stipulate that no individual or organization may use a logo created by others without authorization. Otherwise, they will bear the corresponding legal responsibility."

The lawyer's words reassured Tang Youyou. She knew that she was sure to win the case!

As the news spread, people in the city talked about it. Everyone expressed deep sympathy for Tang Youyou's experience, and also condemned the behavior of those imitators.

Finally, after a trial, the government ruled in Tang Youyou's favor. The imitator not only had to compensate Tang Youyou for her losses, but also had to publicly apologize and destroy all infringing products.

Tang Youyou's victory not only safeguarded her own legitimate rights and interests, but also set an example for the entire handicraft industry, so that those who want to get something for nothing will never dare to have such crooked ideas again.

However, just as Tang Youyou was about to sue the imitator, she received a mysterious letter, which mentioned a secret about handicrafts, which made her fall into deep thought...

Tang Youyou held the thin letter. The beautiful handwriting jumped out from the paper, but it also revealed an unspeakable coldness. The letter was unsigned, only saying, "Madam, if you want to resolve this matter once and for all, you can go to the Guanyin Temple on the outskirts of the city on the full moon night in three days. Someone will speak with you in detail."

Tang Youyou's eyebrows furrowed slightly, her doubts growing even stronger. This letter came so strangely, and the contents were so mysterious. Who wrote it to her? Could it be that someone knew the inside story of the imitation incident?

She handed the letter to Painter Wu and asked, "Brother Wu, what do you think about this?"

Painter Wu took the letter, read it carefully, and said thoughtfully, "Madam, this letter comes too strangely. We must be on guard. In my opinion, it is better to be cautious in this matter. It is better to wait and see what happens."

Tang Youyou shook her head, a hint of determination flashed in her eyes, "No venture, no gain. If there really is someone behind this, I must get to the bottom of it!"

She decided to go to the appointment, but for safety reasons, she decided to bring Mrs. Zheng with her. Mrs. Zheng was a well-known virtuous woman in the local area, who was righteous and had a good personal relationship with Tang Youyou.

Three days later, on the night of the full moon, the night was as cool as water, and the moonlight cast a silver glow on the earth. Tang Youyou and Madam Zheng disguised themselves and quietly came to the Guanyin Temple on the outskirts of the city.

The Guanyin Temple wasn't very popular, and seemed rather deserted. The two of them entered the temple and saw a figure in a black cloak standing in the middle of the main hall, their back to them, their face invisible.

"Who are you? Why did you ask me to come here?" Tang Youyou asked straight to the point.

The man in the black cloak slowly turned around, and the moonlight shone on his face, revealing a familiar face.

"It's you!" Tang Youyou exclaimed.

The person who came was someone who had met Tang Youyou once before...