The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

The early morning sun shone across the fields, illuminating Tang Youyou's hopeful face. In her eyes, the wasteland east of the village seemed to have become a paradise for children to play and frolic.

In order to turn the orphanage into a truly warm home, Tang Youyou decided to first visit County Magistrate Wang to seek his support. Upon hearing Tang Youyou's idea, County Magistrate Wang was very impressed and immediately offered to provide all possible assistance. "Madam Tang, you have such kind intentions, and I deeply admire you. I will coordinate the government's support for the construction of the orphanage, so you can go all out!"

After receiving County Magistrate Wang's promise, Tang Youyou felt more at ease. She immediately went to the home of Mr. Li. Mr. Li was a well-known philanthropist, generous and kind, and very prestigious in the local area. Hearing that Tang Youyou wanted to build an orphanage, Mr. Li stood up excitedly, "Great! Great! Great! I've been looking forward to something like this for a long time! Youyou, just go for it. If you need money, tell me, and I'll help you find people!"

With the official support of County Magistrate Wang and the financial help of Mr. Li, Tang Youyou's confidence grew. After discussing, the three decided to build the orphanage into a loving home. It should not only provide the children with a living security, but also pay attention to their mental health and let them feel the warmth of home.

News of the orphanage's construction quickly spread throughout the village, and Tang Jin and Tang Wan volunteered to recruit volunteers and organize the construction team. Despite his young age, Tang Jin was incredibly capable. He led a group of friends door-to-door, promoting the project and quickly recruiting a team of enthusiastic volunteers. Tang Wan, meanwhile, meticulously orchestrated the construction team's shifts and material procurement, ensuring smooth construction.

That day, Tang Xiaoya skipped over to Tang Youyou and said, "Mom, Mom, I want to help too!"

"Xiao Ya, do you also want to contribute to the orphanage?" Tang You You smiled and touched her daughter's head.

"Yes! I want all the children to have a home!" Tang Xiaoya nodded vigorously.

"Good boy, then you..." Tang Youyou paused, a sly look flashed in his eyes, and he leaned close to Tang Xiaoya's ear and whispered...

"Good child, then go and write down the best stories in the village, and when the orphanage is built, tell them to your younger brothers and sisters, okay?" Tang Youyou said to Tang Xiaoya with a smile.

"Okay!" Tang Xiaoya nodded seriously, as if she had received some important task, and ran out of the house to collect stories from the old people in the village.

Looking at her daughter's jumping figure, Tang Youyou showed a gratified smile on her face. Although the children were young, they also hoped to contribute their own strength to the orphanage, which made Tang Youyou feel extremely warm and moved.

Thanks to the efforts of Tang Jin, Tang Wan and Tang Xiaoya, the construction of the orphanage is in full swing. The villagers also lend a hand, some donating money, some donating materials, and some contributing their labor to contribute to the construction of the orphanage.

However, as the project progressed, the problems of insufficient funds and materials gradually became apparent. Looking at the dwindling silver and the mountain of material lists, Tang Youyou couldn't help but feel a little worried.

In order to raise funds, Tang Youyou began to try to sell her own cakes and embroidery. She worked hard from dawn to dusk, and her craftsmanship gradually spread throughout the town, attracting many customers to buy.

"Youyou, the osmanthus cake you make is absolutely amazing. My daughter loves it. Please give me two more boxes!"

"Madam Tang, your embroidery is truly exquisite. I want to buy this painting of birds paying homage to the phoenix. How much is it?"

Tang Youyou's efforts and dedication allowed her to raise some funds in a short period of time, but it was only a drop in the bucket. Looking at the dwindling silver in her hands, Tang Youyou knew that she had to find another solution.

She went to the town again and asked from door to door, hoping to find cheaper building materials. However, after running around for a whole day, she still found nothing.

Just when Tang Youyou was feeling disheartened, she overheard someone talking about County Magistrate Wang who was recently worried about something...

As the sun set, a fiery red sunset glowed across the horizon. Tang Youyou dragged her tired steps on the way back to the village. Clutching her empty purse tightly in her hand, she couldn't help but sigh. Was she really going to give up?

"Have you heard? County Magistrate Wang has been so worried about repairing the city gate that his hair has turned white. He is raising money everywhere!" At a roadside tea stall, several villagers were chatting animatedly.

City gate? Tang Youyou's heart moved, and an idea flashed through her mind. She quickly walked to the tea stall and asked anxiously, "Brothers, is what you just said true?"

"Of course it's true. How could we possibly lie to you?" One of the villagers took a sip of tea and said slowly, "I heard the funds allocated by the court haven't arrived yet, and the rainy season is about to arrive. If the city gates aren't repaired, what will happen if something goes wrong?"

Tang Youyou's eyes lit up. Wasn't this her chance? If she could help County Magistrate Wang solve this problem, perhaps he could help the orphanage gain some support. Thinking of this, she didn't have time to think about it and turned around and ran towards the county government office.

County Magistrate Wang was currently fretting over the repairs to the city gates. Seeing Tang Youyou rushing over, he couldn't help but feel puzzled: "Madam Tang, why are you here? But the cakes are sold out again?"

Tang Youyou took a deep breath and told him all the information and thoughts he had heard: "Sir, I heard that you are worried about repairing the city gate recently. I have an idea here that may be able to help you..."

After hearing Tang Youyou's suggestion, County Magistrate Wang's eyes lit up. He had always admired Tang Youyou's intelligence and ability, and this proposal gave him hope of solving the problem. He immediately decided to use his authority to obtain some financial and material support for the orphanage to purchase building materials and hire workers.

As the news spread, the townspeople praised Tang Youyou's kindness. Mr. Li was so moved by her kindness that he approached her and expressed his willingness to mobilize his friends in the business community to donate money and supplies to help the orphanage overcome its difficulties.

For a moment, love poured in like a tide, and the construction of the orphanage was back on track. Looking at the bustling scene in front of him, Tang Youyou showed a gratified smile on his face.

"Mom, look, the roof of the orphanage has been built!" Tang Jin shouted excitedly, pointing to the courtyard in the distance that was beginning to take shape.

"Yeah," Tang Youyou patted his head and looked into the distance, "Next, there are more important things to do..."

Magistrate Wang followed through on his words, leveraging his influence to quickly secure funding and supplies for the orphanage. Benevolent Li even mobilized the Chamber of Commerce, contributing cartloads of lumber and bricks, and within a few days, the orphanage had taken shape.

Looking at the house rising from the ground, Tang Youyou's heart was filled with gratitude. She knew that this was not just an orphanage, but also a seed of hope. With the joint efforts of everyone, this seed would eventually grow into a towering tree, providing a warm sky for those helpless children.

After the main construction was completed, Tang Youyou began to prepare the children's living facilities and educational resources. She walked around the streets and alleys, asking around, and finally found an old carpenter who was willing to build sturdy and durable tables and chairs for the children.

"Mrs. Tang, don't worry. The things I make will last for eight or ten years for the children to use them!" The old carpenter patted his chest and guaranteed, with a kind smile on his weather-beaten face.

"Then I'll trouble you, old man." Tang Youyou said gratefully, "If the children knew that someone cared about them so much, they would definitely be very happy."

In addition to daily necessities, Tang Youyou also searched everywhere for books, pens, ink, paper and inkstone. She hoped that the children could not only have enough food and clothing here, but also receive education, acquire knowledge, and become useful people to society in the future.

"Mom, when can we pick up those kids?" Tang Wan asked curiously while helping to organize the books.

"It's almost time. Once everything is ready, we can pick them up." Tang Youyou smiled and patted her daughter's head. "When the time comes, you have to stay with your brothers and sisters and take good care of them, okay?"

"Yeah!" Tang Wan nodded vigorously, with anticipation glittering in her eyes.

Seeing the children's excitement, Tang Youyou couldn't help but smile. She knew that the road ahead was still long, but she believed that as long as her heart was full of love and hope, she would be able to overcome all difficulties and create a bright future for the children.

As night fell, Tang Youyou stood in the yard, looking at the starry sky, and suddenly an idea emerged in her mind...