The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

The dawn light shines on the dock of a foreign country, giving everything a light golden hue. The air is filled with the salty smell of seawater, mixed with a hint of spices, heralding the beginning of a new day.

Tang Youyou stood at the dock, watching the cargo from her caravan being loaded onto the ship box by box. Behind her, Tang Wan and Tang Jin were holding account books, carefully checking the numbers, their faces filled with joy and excitement.

"Mom, the silk and porcelain we brought this time are almost sold out, and the local merchants are also very interested in our tea. It seems that our choice this time is correct." Tang Wan closed the account book and said with a smile.

"Yes, mother," Tang Jin also ran over excitedly, "I also found that there is a plant called 'pandan' growing in abundance here. Its leaves can be used to make spices with a very unique flavor. Can we try to bring it back?"

Tang Youyou looked at his son's expectant eyes, smiled and nodded: "Jin'er is right, we can't just be satisfied with the existing products, we must continue to develop new products, so that we can remain invincible in the market competition."

At this time, Gang Leader Ma came over and said with a hearty smile, "Boss Tang, congratulations! Your products are the most popular in the market this time. Even Boss Hai is full of praise for you!"

Tang Youyou smiled modestly: "Master Ma, you are too kind. It is thanks to your help and that of all the brothers that we were able to transport the goods here so smoothly."

"Haha, we're all family, let's not be polite," Gang Leader Ma waved his hand. "I've already made an appointment with Boss Hai to host a banquet for you guys at his house tonight. You must show up!"

Tang Youyou readily agreed. The dinner was packed with guests and the atmosphere was lively. Boss Hai was a well-known local businessman. He was generous and enthusiastic towards Tang Youyou's family.

After three rounds of drinks, Boss Hai raised his glass and said to Tang Youyou, "Boss Tang, I toast you! Your goods are of high quality, the prices are fair, and you are sincere people. I am very happy to cooperate with you!"

Tang Youyou also raised his glass and said in return, "Boss Hai, you're welcome. We also hope to establish a long-term and stable cooperative relationship with you."

During the banquet, Tang Wan and Tang Jin also had a pleasant conversation with local merchants and officials. They learned that although this country had a developed economy, its cultural traditions were completely different from those of the Tang Dynasty. Many things that were common in the Tang Dynasty were very novel here.

Tang Wan suddenly had an idea. She suggested to Boss Hai that they could hold some cultural exchange activities regularly, such as tea art performances, calligraphy exhibitions, etc., which would not only allow local people to understand the culture of the Tang Dynasty, but also promote mutual understanding and friendship.

This proposal was unanimously agreed by Boss Hai and other businessmen, who expressed their willingness to provide venues and financial support. Tang Youyou looked at the children's confident and energetic appearance, and her heart was filled with relief and pride.

After the banquet, the family returned to their residence. It was late at night, and the children had all gone to bed, but Tang Youyou was wide awake. She walked to the window, gazing at the stars in the sky, her mind racing.

Suddenly, a clear child's voice broke the tranquility of the night: "Mom, look, the moon is so round..."

Tang Youyou turned around and saw Tang Xiaoya rubbing her sleepy eyes, standing at the door with an innocent smile on her face... "Yes, little girl, the moon is so round." Tang Youyou smiled and picked up her little daughter, patting her back gently, "What are you thinking about? Why are you awake?"

"Mom, I dreamed that many people praised me, saying that my dancing was beautiful, and asked me where I learned it." Tang Xiaoya's voice was full of excitement. "Mom, are we still going to that school tomorrow?"

"Go, of course I have to go." Tang Youyou tapped the tip of Xiaoya's nose, "Our Xiaoya is mother's pride. We have to keep working hard tomorrow to make more people like you."

The next day, Tang Xiaoya got up early, changed into the skirt that Tang Youyou had sewn herself, tied two cute pigtails, and excitedly followed her sister and brother to the local school again.

At the school, a unique cultural exchange event was in full swing. Tang Wan was performing a tea ceremony on stage. Her graceful movements, the fragrance of tea filling the air, drew applause from the audience. Tang Jin, speaking fluently in the local language, explained the history and stories of tea culture, drawing frequent applause.

When it was Tang Xiaoya's turn to perform, she showed no signs of stage fright and danced gracefully to the music. Her dancing was light and agile, full of childlike innocence and vitality, like a happy elf, infecting everyone present.

After the performance, Tang Xiaoya was surrounded by enthusiastic local residents who praised her dancing and gave her various small gifts. Tang Xiaoya happily hugged the gifts, her eyes narrowed into slits with a smile.

Seeing the children still able to confidently show themselves in a foreign country and gain happiness and friendship, Tang Youyou's heart was filled with comfort and pride. She knew that the children had found a new stage here and also found their own sky.

At the same time, in the teahouse at the dock, Gang Leader Ma and Captain Zheng were having a heated discussion.

"Brother Zheng, you've seen how well our goods are selling this time. Demand is simply outstripping supply!" Gang Leader Ma excitedly slammed his fist on the table. "In my opinion, we need to quickly expand our transportation capacity and bring in more goods to meet market demand here!"

Captain Zheng pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Old Ma is right. I'll arrange for manpower when I get back and build a few more large ships as soon as possible so that we can transport more cargo next time."

"Alright! It's settled!" Gang Leader Ma slapped his thigh excitedly. "If we brothers join forces, we'll definitely be able to carve out a bigger niche in this land!"

At this moment, the teahouse's door curtain was lifted, and a familiar figure walked in...

"Boss Hai!" Gang Leader Ma spotted the newcomer and quickly stood up to greet him, "Come on, come on! We're just having a great time!"

Boss Hai walked in with a smile and bowed to everyone: "Everyone, I'm sorry for being late. Something delayed me on the way."

"Boss Hai, you've arrived just in time," Captain Zheng said, pointing at Gang Leader Ma. "Old Ma was just telling me we wanted to expand our shipping business! Looks like we're going to make a fortune this time!"

"Haha, I can't say I'm getting rich, but business is definitely getting better and better." Boss Hai said, turning his gaze to Tang Youyou, "Boss Tang, let me introduce you to a few friends. They are all well-known local businessmen and are very interested in our goods."

Upon hearing this, Tang Youyou quickly stood up and greeted the merchants. Boss Hai introduced them one by one: "This is Boss Wang from the silk business, this is Boss Li from the tea business, and this is..."

Several merchants praised the goods brought by Tang Youyou and expressed their willingness to establish long-term cooperative relations with her. Tang Youyou also took this opportunity to understand the needs of the local market and some business rules, accumulating valuable experience for future development.

Just as everyone was chatting happily, a sudden commotion broke out outside the teahouse. A middle-aged man in official uniform walked in, accompanied by several followers. This man was the local official Wu Dehua.

"Sir Wu!" Boss Hai recognized the visitor at a glance and hurried forward to greet him.

Wu Dehua nodded slightly, his eyes swept around, and finally landed on Tang Youyou: "This is Boss Tang, right? I've heard of your name for a long time."

Tang Youyou quickly stood up and returned the greeting: "Master Wu, thank you for your compliment. I, Tang Youyou, am honored to meet you, Master."

"Boss Tang, I heard you brought a lot of new things and you have a good business sense, so I came here specially to see you." Wu Dehua said, motioning Tang Youyou to sit down, "I came here this time to invite you to attend a business meeting to be held at the government office in three days. By then, merchants and celebrities from all walks of life in the city will attend, and you can also take this opportunity to make more friends and expand your business."

When Tang Youyou heard this, she was delighted. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! She quickly stood up and thanked him, "Thank you, Master Wu, for your kindness. I will definitely be there on time."

Three days later, Tang Youyou brought carefully prepared gifts to the government office to attend a business meeting. The venue was decorated magnificently, and businessmen and celebrities from all walks of life gathered together, drinking and chatting happily.

Tang Youyou's appearance immediately attracted the attention of many people. Her elegant manners, confident smile, and calm conversation left a deep impression on people.

At the beginning of the meeting, Wu Dehua delivered an enthusiastic speech, encouraging everyone to seize opportunities and seek common development. Afterwards, representatives from various industries took the stage to introduce their business philosophy and development plans.

When it was Tang Youyou's turn to speak, she slowly walked onto the stage, looked around at the people below, and a confident smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. "Everyone, today I want to introduce to you a..."

"Everyone, today I want to introduce a brand new business model to you," Tang Youyou's voice was clear and confident, echoing in the silent hall, "I call it - 'win-win'."

The people in the audience looked at each other and whispered. Tang Youyou ignored the discussions. She calmly took out a sheet of drawings from her sleeve and spread them out on the table.

"Everyone, please look," Tang Youyou pointed at the drawings and talked eloquently, "In my hometown, there is an organizational form called 'cooperative'. It brings together people with the same goals to jointly produce and sell products and share profits. We can learn from this model and integrate our respective advantageous resources..."

Tang Youyou's proposal detailed how to unite businesses of different industries and sizes to create a mutually beneficial and win-win business ecosystem. Using silk as an example, she linked sericulture, textiles, dyeing, garment manufacturing, and sales to form a complete industrial chain. This would not only improve efficiency and reduce costs, but also ensure product quality and enhance market competitiveness.

Her explanation, simple yet insightful, supplemented by vivid examples and data, quickly captured the attention of the merchants present. Some discerning businesspeople began discussing the topic in low voices, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

However, not everyone agrees with this novel model. Mr. Wang, a longtime cloth shop owner, stood up and questioned, "Boss Tang, your idea is certainly a good one, but it's fraught with difficulties in practice. Every merchant has their own interests. How can we coordinate these relationships and ensure fairness and justice?"

Boss Wang's question resonated with many merchants. They nodded in agreement, their concerns evident in their words.

Tang Youyou was well prepared. She smiled slightly and said, "Boss Wang is absolutely right. Any cooperation is inseparable from trust and rules. We can draw up a detailed contract, clarify the rights and obligations of all parties, and set up a special agency to supervise and implement it..."

She answered each question in detail and proposed a series of practical solutions.

"Of course," Tang Youyou said finally, "the development of any new thing requires a process. I don't expect my plan to be recognized by everyone. But I believe that as long as we cooperate sincerely and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, we will be able to create a better future."

As soon as Tang Youyou finished speaking, a young businessman stood up impatiently and asked, "Boss Tang, I very much agree with your philosophy. How can I join your cooperative?"

Soon after, several more businessmen expressed strong interest in cooperation. However, others were skeptical and were still waiting, waiting for the right opportunity...

"Everyone, please allow me..." Before Tang Youyou could finish her words, she was interrupted by a burst of hurried footsteps.

"Boss Tang, Boss Tang!" A familiar voice came from outside the crowd, "Something happened!"