The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

The children's cheerful laughter echoed in the yard, but Tang Youyou seemed a little absent-minded. She put down her teacup and looked into the distance, where the fields that had been cultivated by the villagers for generations were. The children were still young and did not understand the hardships behind the harvest, nor did they understand the importance of water to farmland.

"Jin'er, little girl, you guys play by yourselves for a while. Mom has something to ask Uncle Zhao..." Tang Youyou stood up, gently stroked the children's heads, and said softly.

"Mom, are you going out again?" Tang Xiaoya raised her little face and asked in a baby voice.

"Well, Mom went to discuss something with Uncle Zhao and will be back soon."

Tang Youyou walked out of the house and went straight to the home of Craftsman Zhao at the west end of the village. Craftsman Zhao was a well-known skilled craftsman in the village, especially good at water conservancy projects. He had built canals, water wheels and other facilities for many villages.

"Is Uncle Zhao home?" Tang Youyou walked into the yard and saw Craftsman Zhao fiddling with some wood and tools.

"It's Youyou, come in and sit down." Craftsman Zhao put down the tools in his hands and greeted her warmly.

The two sat down in the yard, and Tang Youyou stated her purpose straight out of the gate. She told Zhao the irrigation methods she had seen on the grassland and some of her own ideas, hoping to combine the local actual conditions to design a water conservancy facility plan suitable for the village's farmland.

After listening to Tang Youyou's idea, Craftsman Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "Youyou, your idea is very good. Most of the fields in our village rely on the weather for their livelihood. If we can build a complete set of water conservancy facilities, we can solve the drought and flood problems and greatly increase production."

"It's just..." Craftsman Zhao looked troubled. "Building water conservancy facilities is no small project. It requires a lot of manpower and material resources, especially in terms of funds. I'm afraid..."

"Uncle Zhao, don't worry about the funding. I'll find a way." Tang Youyou knew what Craftsman Zhao was worried about, but she already had a plan in mind.

In the next few days, Tang Youyou and Craftsman Zhao carefully surveyed the topography of the village, measured the distance to the water source, and finally determined a relatively complete water conservancy project plan.

However, when Tang Youyou saw the budget for the project, she couldn't help but gasp. The cost was far beyond her expectations, and even with the savings she had accumulated over the years, it was still a long way off.

"It seems like I have to go to the county town..." Tang Youyou muttered to herself, her eyes determined. She was going to give it a try for this "dream of irrigating the fields."

The next morning, Tang Youyou set off for the county town, her carefully prepared plan in hand, filled with both anticipation and trepidation. She was going to visit Liu Zhubu at the county government office, hoping to gain their support... Passing through the bustling streets, Tang Youyou arrived at the gates. She took a deep breath and stepped over the high threshold. A sense of authority washed over her, filling her with a sense of unease. Following the guidance of the yamen runners, she met Liu Zhubu, the official in charge of agriculture and water conservancy.

Liu Zhubu was a middle-aged man in his fifties, with gray hair on his temples, but he looked energetic. He listened carefully to Tang Youyou's statement and carefully read the carefully drawn water conservancy project plan. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Madam Youyou, your plan is very insightful. If it can be implemented, it will definitely benefit the people."

Hearing Liu Zhubu's words, Tang Youyou felt a glimmer of hope, but it was quickly extinguished by his next words. "However, most of the county government's annual tax revenue goes to the national treasury, and the portion that can be retained is not much. Now that spring plowing is approaching, all places need money..."

Tang Youyou understood that Liu Zhubu was politely rejecting her. Although she had been mentally prepared, she still couldn't hide her disappointment. Could it be that her dream of "watering the fields" had died just like that?

No, she can't give up!

After leaving the county government office, Tang Youyou pondered over a solution. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she thought of the richest man in the village—Liu Youcai. Although Liu Youcai was a bit stingy, if she could make him understand the benefits of the water conservancy project, perhaps he would be willing to invest.

However, when Tang Youyou found Liu Youcai with great anticipation and explained her purpose, she was flatly rejected. "What? Repairing the canal? How much would that cost? I don't have that much spare cash!" When Liu Youcai heard that he was asked to pay, he immediately put on a refusal attitude.

"Master Liu, after the completion of this water conservancy project, it will not only solve the problems of drought and flooding, but also greatly increase grain production. By then..." Tang Youyou wanted to persuade him again, but was interrupted impatiently by Liu Youcai.

"Okay, okay, stop telling me these useless things! It's not your turn to tell me how I spend my own money!" After Liu Youcai finished speaking, he turned and went into the house, slamming the door shut.

Despite hitting a wall one after another, Tang Youyou was not discouraged. She just didn't believe that for the benefit of everyone in the village, she could not find a solution!

She returned to the village and began visiting every household, explaining the benefits of the water conservancy project. However, many villagers, skeptical and dismissive, dismissed the idea as a waste of money and labor. Even the highly respected Liao Daming remained on the sidelines.

"Youyou, your idea is good, but building a canal is not a trivial matter. What if..." Liao Daming hesitated to speak, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen.

Tang Youyou looked at the faces in front of him that were full of doubt and confusion, and secretly made up his mind: "I must let everyone understand that water conservancy projects are related to the future of the village..." "Uncle Liao, I know what you are worried about," Tang Youyou said sincerely, "but think about it, if there is a severe drought, we can only watch the crops die. What will we do then? If there is a flood, and the fields we have worked so hard to cultivate are submerged, what will we eat?"

Liao Daming remained silent. Tang Youyou's words were like a pebble, stirring up ripples in his calm heart. He understood the importance of water conservancy. He knew better than anyone the hardships of generations of people who had toiled in the fields, relying on the weather for their livelihoods. However, building a canal was time-consuming and labor-intensive. If it failed, the losses would be enormous.

Seeing Liao Daming wavering, Tang Youyou continued, "Uncle Liao, you are the elder of the village and a good farmer. Everyone believes what you say. For the construction of the canal this time, I have hired the experienced craftsman Zhao, and he has also drawn up detailed blueprints. It will definitely be successful!"

Liao Daming frowned, struggling internally. He looked up at Tang Youyou. The young woman's eyes gleamed with determination, reminding him of his youth, when he dared to fight for his dreams.

At this moment, Ma Xiucai, who had been silent the entire time, stood up. He waved his folding fan and said slowly, "Youyou's idea is indeed feasible. As the saying goes, 'Prosperous water conservancy leads to abundant harvests.' Building canals will benefit the country and the people, and will benefit both the present and future generations!"

Ma Xiucai was quite prestigious in the village. He was knowledgeable and respected by the villagers. Seeing that he supported Tang Youyou, some villagers began to whisper, and their original firm refusal began to waver.

"Master Ma is right. This water conservancy project will benefit future generations!"

"Yes, if we can really solve the drought and flood problems, our future lives will be much better!"

Seeing the change in the villagers' attitudes, Tang Youyou and Ma Xiucai looked at each other and saw hope in each other's eyes. Ma Xiucai offered to help post notices in the village, explaining in detail the significance of the water conservancy project and how to participate in it.

However, after a few days, few people responded. Most villagers still took a wait-and-see attitude, worried that they would invest too much without seeing any returns.

Tang Youyou was extremely depressed. Was she going to watch her "dream of irrigating the fields" shattered again? No, she couldn't give up! Even if the villagers didn't support her, she had to find a way to raise funds. Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, she would persevere!

Late at night, Tang Youyou sat under the oil lamp, using the dim light to carefully study the water conservancy project blueprint. She bit her lip tightly, her eyes flashing with determination.

"Since we can't raise funds in the village, let's go find a solution outside!" Tang Youyou stood up suddenly, a trace of determination flashed in her eyes. She wanted to go to the surrounding villages and visit each family one by one...