The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

Late at night, the tent was still brightly lit. Tang Youyou sat beside General Huhan's bed, her brow furrowed, silver needles flying in her hand as she treated him. Outside the tent, the Tuoba leader paced anxiously, occasionally peeking inside, hoping for good news. Ayi Na and several foreign healers knelt nearby, hands clasped together, silently praying... Suddenly, Tang Youyou seemed to remember something. She put down the silver needles, stood up, walked to the corner where the luggage was stored, opened the box, and began to search.

"Mrs. Tang, what are you looking for? Do you need my help?" Seeing this, Wang Jin hurried forward and asked.

"I'm fine, I just want to find something." Tang Youyou replied without raising her head.

She rummaged through the box for a while and finally found what she wanted - a small package of fine white flour and some icing sugar.

"This is..." Wang Jin looked at the thing in Tang Youyou's hand in confusion.

"These are the ingredients for making snacks." Tang Youyou smiled slightly, "I think it's time to let our friends taste the delicacies of the Tang Dynasty."

Tang Youyou got to work as soon as she said it. She asked Wang Jin for some hot water and began to get busy. She skillfully kneaded the dough, rolled out the dough, and wrapped the fillings. After a while, delicate and small snacks appeared in front of everyone.

The tempting aroma of the snacks quickly attracted the people outside the tent. Chief Tuoba walked in curiously, "Madam Tang, what is this? It smells so good!"

"This is a traditional snack of our Tang Dynasty. Please try it." Tang Youyou said as she handed one to Chief Tuoba.

Chief Tuoba hesitated for a moment, then took a bite and his eyes lit up immediately. "Delicious! What is this made of? Why is it so delicious?"

"It's made with fine white flour and icing sugar. The method is not complicated." Tang Youyou explained with a smile.

Although General Hu Han was still lying in bed, the aroma also aroused his appetite. He couldn't help but ask, "Madam Tang, may I have the honor of tasting it?"

"Of course." Tang Youyou said, then picked up a snack and handed it to General Hu Han's mouth.

General Hu Han took a bite carefully, savoring it carefully, with a surprised expression on his face, "Delicious, so delicious!"

Seeing this, Tang Youyou smiled with relief. She knew that delicious food was the best bridge to bridge barriers. She asked Wang Jin to distribute the prepared snacks to everyone present, including the foreign doctors and the guards.

"Mrs. Tang, you are so kind!" Aina took the snack and said gratefully.

"This is just a small token of our appreciation from the Tang Dynasty. I hope you all like it." Tang Youyou said modestly.

As the night deepened, the aroma of snacks lingered across the grasslands, lingering for a long time... In the distance, a dark figure flashed by, its gaze fixed intently on this side, wondering what it was thinking...

Ayi Na accepted the snack from Tang You You, her face brimming with joy. She carefully held the sweet treat, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. She imitated Tang You You, distributing the snacks to the surrounding tribesmen and explaining in her broken Chinese, "This is made by Madam Tang herself. It's delicious. Madam Tang is a good person..."

However, in the face of Ayi Na's enthusiastic recommendation, some tribesmen only accepted it hesitantly, with doubts still on their faces. They whispered to each other, their words full of distrust of the Tang Dynasty.

"Does this Tang person really have good intentions? Is this some kind of trap?"

"That's right, anyone who shows kindness without any reason is either a traitor or a thief!"

Tang Youyou saw all of this, but she didn't get angry. She just smiled. She believed that time would prove everything.

"Ayi Na, help me move this box to the open space." Tang You You said, pointing to a larger box in the corner.

Although Ayi Na didn't understand what Tang Youyou was going to do, she did not hesitate to call a few strong tribesmen and together they moved the box to the open space outside the tent. Tang Youyou opened the box, and inside were sets of brightly colored dresses and some exquisite headdresses.

"Next, please enjoy our Tang Dynasty dance." Tang Youyou announced.

As soon as he finished speaking, several women in gorgeous dance costumes emerged from behind the tent. They danced gracefully to the music, their graceful movements flowing like clouds and water, a sight to behold. The outsiders, who had never seen such a spectacular performance, were transfixed. Even those who had harbored doubts couldn't help but be captivated.

"It's so beautiful..." Aina looked at it infatuatedly, her eyes full of longing.

However, the Tuoba leader still frowned, and whispered to General Hu Han beside him: "Humph, it's just some fancy moves, trivial tricks."

Tang Youyou naturally heard what Chief Tuoba said. She did not refute him, but walked to the center of the crowd and said loudly: "This dance is called "Rainbow Feather Dance", it..."

Before Tang Youyou finished speaking, Wang Jin stepped forward and translated into the foreign language: "This dance is called..."

As the night deepened, Wang Jin's voice of translation echoed across the grassland. But this voice seemed to foreshadow something, and in the silent night, it was particularly clear...

Wang Jin's voice echoed across the grassland night sky, as he diligently conveyed Tang Youyou's accurate interpretation of the "Rainbow Feather Dance" to everyone present. "This dance not only showcases the magnificent costumes and elegant demeanor of our Tang Dynasty, but more importantly, it expresses our pursuit of peace and harmony, and our tolerance for multicultural integration..."

Wang Jin's translation earned the murmurs of praise from many foreign girls, who looked at Tang Youyou with a hint of curiosity and yearning. However, General Hu Han snorted contemptuously and interrupted Wang Jin's translation, "Peace? Harmony? Tolerance? These words are meaningless to us! We, the grassland people, believe that the strong are respected. Only by being brave and skilled in fighting can we win a place to survive!"

General Hu Han's words resonated with some of the surrounding tribal leaders, who nodded in agreement. Li Huaiyong, upon seeing this, walked over to Tang Youyou and said in a low voice, "Madam Tang, it seems our previous plan was too optimistic. These foreigners simply don't understand our culture. If we continue to display it like this, it will probably backfire!"

Tang Youyou shook her head firmly, "No, Master Li, I believe in the power of culture. They reject it because they don't understand it yet. What I bring today is not just song and dance, but the spiritual core of the Tang Dynasty!"

She turned to look at the still silent Tuoba leader and spoke loudly, "Leader Tuoba, song and dance are only one form of cultural expression. Our Great Tang is vast and rich in resources, and its culture is even more extensive and profound. I wonder if you would be willing to let us show you something more profound?"

Chief Tuoba looked at Tang Youyou deeply, then glanced at the curious, puzzled, or disdainful eyes of the surrounding tribesmen, and slowly said, "What do you want to show?"

Tang Youyou smiled slightly and pointed to a box of books that had been quietly placed in the corner of the tent. "These are the poems and songs of our Tang Dynasty..."

Before she finished speaking, a cry of surprise suddenly came from the crowd, "Wait, what's in that box?!"

The exclamation came from Ayi Na. She pointed at the carvings on the box and said excitedly, "This is our tribe's lost totem! How did it appear here?!"

Ayi Na's words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves. The surrounding tribal leaders were talking among themselves, looking at Tang You You with eyes full of suspicion and hostility.

General Hu Han took a step forward, staring at Tang Youyou, and said sternly, "Tell me! Where did you get this box?!"

Tang Youyou looked calm and unhurried as she explained, "This girl might have made a mistake. I made this box myself, and the carvings on it were designed based on the traditional patterns of the Tang Dynasty. They are not tribal totems."

"Impossible! This is clearly the sacred bird totem that our tribe has worshipped for generations!" Ayina said firmly, tears glistening in her eyes. "Ever since our tribe was attacked by bandits ten years ago, the sacred bird totem has disappeared. You must have stolen it from us!"

"Ayina, don't be rude!" Chief Tuoba scolded, but there was also a hint of doubt in his tone. He walked to the box, carefully looked at the carvings on it, and frowned.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Li Huaiyong looked at Tang Youyou worriedly, but saw that she was still calm, as if everything was under control.

Tang Youyou knew that any excuses at this moment would be pale and powerless. Only by presenting solid evidence could the misunderstanding be dispelled. She took a deep breath and turned to look at Wang Jin, "Master Wang, please tell everyone exactly what I said to you before."

Wang Jin understood, cleared his throat, and spoke loudly, "Everyone, Madam Tang once told me that she hopes to use this opportunity not only to conduct trade, but also to establish deep friendships with the various tribes on the grassland. To this end, she has specially prepared many gifts, hoping to express her sincerity..."

"Gifts? What gifts?" General Hu Han interrupted Wang Jin, his tone full of disdain. "Is there any gift that can compare to the fine horses, cattle and sheep on our grasslands?"

Tang Youyou smiled slightly, pointing to the box of books, and said confidently and firmly, "The gifts I brought are these books, and the culture of our Tang Dynasty contained in these books!"