The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

Butler Li slowly walked out from the shadows behind Tang Youyou, his face showing obvious anxiety and anger: "Madam, they are going too far! They actually want to..."

"I know exactly what they want to do." Tang Youyou said calmly, as if she didn't care about the coming storm. "What they want is never what is called fairness."

The next morning, just after Tang Youyou had finished breakfast, Second Master Tang and a group of relatives stormed into her yard. Fourth Aunt Tang walked in front, her sharp voice like a blade, piercing the morning tranquility: "Tang Youyou, do you still take us elders seriously?!"

Tang Youyou put down the teacup in her hand, and her eyes calmly swept across the greedy faces in front of her, finally landing on Master Tang Er: "Second Uncle brought so many people to my place so early in the morning, what's the matter?"

"Don't play dumb!" Mr. Tang slammed the table and said angrily, "We're here today because of the family fortune!"

"Family property?" Tang Youyou pretended to be confused, "What happened to the family property?"

"What's wrong?!" Aunt Tang shrieked. "Over the years, you've made a lot of money outside in the name of the family, right? You've done so much charity, why don't you help us poor relatives?!"

"That's right! What do you think of us?!" other relatives also echoed.

Tang Youyou sneered: "Second Uncle, Fourth Aunt, what you said is very interesting. When father was seriously ill, it was you who forced the four of us, mother and children, to move out of the main house. Over the years, I have worked hard to raise three children, paid off all the debts for the Tang family, and revitalized the family business. Why haven't you said you would come to help me?"

Master Tang was speechless after hearing Tang Youyou's words. His face flushed red, and he pointed at Tang Youyou's nose and cursed, "You...you unfilial daughter! How dare you say that?!"

"Why should I be ashamed to say it?" Tang Youyou retorted without showing any weakness, "Everyone has witnessed everything I have done for the Tang family! But what have you done for the Tang family over the years? Apart from being lazy and greedy, you have always been trying to take advantage of me!"

"You..." Master Tang was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Tang Youyou and couldn't speak for a long time.

Uncle Tang San, who had been standing at the back of the crowd, couldn't stand it any longer. He stepped forward and said, "Second Brother, how could you talk to Youyou like that?!"

"Third brother, don't be fooled by her!" Aunt Tang Si said quickly, "I think she just wants to take the family fortune for herself! She's become so powerful now that she doesn't even take us elders seriously!"

"That's right! Uncle San, you can't favor her!" Other relatives also joined in the funk.

Third Uncle Tang's face turned pale. Just as he was about to open his mouth to scold, Second Uncle Tang pushed him away: "Don't get in the way here! This matter today has nothing to do with you!"

After saying that, he turned to look at Tang Youyou, his tone cold: "I'll give you three days to think about it. After three days, I want to see you come up with a reasonable plan! Otherwise..." He waved his hand violently, and the ferocious relatives behind him immediately moved closer. The flowers and plants in Tang Youyou's yard trembled in their shadow, as if foreshadowing that a bigger storm was coming... Uncle Tang saw that this group of people were becoming more and more outrageous, and he was furious. His beard was shaking with anger: "Second brother! Do you still have me as your brother in your eyes? How much has Youyou done for this family over the years? Don't you know? If it weren't for her..."

"Third brother, what do you mean by that?" Aunt Tang Si interrupted sharply, her triangular eyes flashing with brilliance. "So we're all blind, and only you can see clearly? I think you've become senile and lost your mind. You've been drugged by this little girl and are now supporting her!"

"That's right! Uncle San, you are too biased!"

"Youyou is your niece, so aren't we your relatives?"

The relatives started talking one after another, like a flock of angry crows, surrounding Uncle Tang San, their spit almost spraying into his face. Uncle Tang San was so angry that he was shaking all over, pointing at them and unable to speak for a long time.

Tang Dayuan, who had been silent the entire time, finally couldn't stand it any longer. He pushed aside the people surrounding Third Uncle Tang, pointed at Second Uncle Tang's nose and cursed, "Second Brother! Do you still have any shame? Youyou has spent all these years working for this family, even delaying her marriage. Not only are you ungrateful, but you're also trying to steal her things. Have you all lost your conscience?!"

"Tang Dayuan, stop pretending here!" A sharp female voice rang out. It was Master Tang's wife. "I think you want to take advantage of Tang Youyou! Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"

"That's right! I think he just wants to climb up the social ladder!"

"Tang Dayuan, why don't you take a piss and look at yourself? Are you worthy?"

Tang Dayuan's face flushed red as he pointed at them, shaking with anger: "You...you..."

"Enough!" Tang Youyou's cold voice rang out amidst the noise. She slowly stood up, her eyes sweeping across the distorted faces in front of her, a mocking smile curling up at the corner of her mouth, "Since you all say that I've taken all the family wealth for myself, then I'll show you what I've done for the Tang family over the years..."

She walked to the desk, opened a drawer, and took out a thick stack of papers...

Tang Youyou's slender fingers gently stroked the yellowed papers. Each page recorded the Tang family's good deeds over the years, from donations to disaster relief to funding schools, no matter how big or small. These were all her own way of maintaining the Tang family's reputation and filling the gaps in their reputation over the years.

"Over the years, I sold my dowry to supplement the family income. Has anyone of you ever asked about it?" Tang Youyou's voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone. "I opened a workshop and hired people from the clan so that everyone could have fields to farm and jobs to do. Has anyone of you seen it?"

Every time she spoke, she pulled out a piece of paper from the stack and threw it in front of everyone. The yellowed paper drew arcs in the air, like a sharp blade, cutting through those greedy faces.

"I'm not doing this for myself, but for the Tang family!" Tang Youyou suddenly threw the last few pieces of paper onto the table, making a crisp "pa" sound. "Now you're blaming me and saying that I took all the family wealth for myself. Don't you feel any pangs in your conscience?"

However, she was responded with a round of sarcastic laughter.

"Who knows if these are forged by you?" Mr. Tang's wife's sharp voice rang out again. "You want to use these things to fool us? Do you think we are three-year-old children?"

"That's right, who can't make up a story these days?"

"I think she's just feeling guilty, so she's deliberately coming up with these things to gain sympathy!"

The relatives echoed the sentiment, their greedy eyes sweeping over the papers recording the good deeds. Without a trace of shame, they became even more unscrupulous.

Steward Li, standing nearby, was sweating profusely. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was glared back at by Aunt Tang. In this family, he was just a servant. No matter how loyal he was, he had no right to speak.

Uncle Tang was so angry that he was shaking all over as he looked at his relatives who were as greedy as jackals. He pointed at them, his lips trembling, but he couldn't say a word.

Tang Dayuan wanted to stand up and speak for Tang Youyou, but he was pushed and shoved by the people around him and couldn't get close at all.

Tang Youyou looked at the chaotic scene before her, and the sarcasm on the corner of her mouth gradually disappeared, replaced by a hint of bitterness. She had originally thought that by showing these evidences, she could make these people understand her painstaking efforts, but she didn't expect that in the face of greedy desires, any reason and conscience seemed pale and powerless.

"Enough!" Tang Youyou took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in her heart. Her eyes slowly swept over the ugly faces in front of her and said word by word, "Since you are stubborn and refuse to change, don't blame me for being rude!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and walked towards the secret compartment behind the desk...

Tang Youyou's fingers touched the wooden box in the secret compartment. It was a piece of nanmu wood with exquisite carvings, and inside it was her final trump card. However, just as she was about to open the box, she hesitated. Once the box was opened, it would mean a complete break between them, and the Tang family would be plunged into an irretrievable situation.

"Youyou, don't be like this, they were just confused for a moment..." Tang Dayuan struggled to squeeze out of the crowd, trying to stop Tang Youyou, but was pushed away by Master Tang Er, "Shut up! You don't have the right to speak here!"

"That's right, a daughter who is married off is like spilled water. It's none of your business to meddle in the Tang family's affairs!" Fourth Aunt Tang's sarcastic voice rang out again, like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue, making people shudder.

"You..." Tang Dayuan was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at their noses but couldn't say anything for a long time.

"Sister-in-law, you'd better hand over the family property obediently, so as to avoid ruining the relationship among us." Mr. Tang rubbed his hands greedily, with greed flashing in his eyes.

"That's right. We are doing this for your own good, so that you don't have to guard so much family property alone and be lonely and miserable." Aunt Tang also echoed.

Listening to these high-sounding words, Tang Youyou felt a wave of sadness in her heart. These people didn't care about her at all. They were clearly greedy for her property and wanted to squeeze her dry!

Tang Youyou took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She knew that now was not the time to fall out. She had to find a way to stabilize these people, at least to prevent them from uniting against her.

"Don't worry, now that I'm back, I won't treat you unfairly." Tang Youyou said slowly, with a barely perceptible trace of fatigue in her tone, "It's just that I've given so much for this family over the years. You have to give me some time to think carefully about how to distribute it fairly and justly."

"This..." Master Tang Er and Aunt Tang Si exchanged a glance, a hint of suspicion in their eyes. They had originally thought that as long as they put pressure on her together, Tang You You would obey, but they had not expected her to be so difficult.

"Uncle San, please say something." Tang Youyou turned her gaze to the silent Third Uncle Tang, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. She knew that although Third Uncle Tang was pedantic and old-fashioned, he was still a fair person. As long as he could stand on her side, there would be room for improvement.

Uncle Tang looked at the chaotic scene before him, then glanced at Tang Youyou's exhausted face, and couldn't help but sigh. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was stopped by a sharp look from Master Tang Er.

"Third brother, you better think this through!" Mr. Tang lowered his voice and threatened, "So many of us are counting on you!"

Third Uncle Tang's expression suddenly turned ugly. He looked at Tang Youyou, then at Second Master Tang, and finally he sighed deeply and said slowly, "Youyou...