The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

The afterglow of the setting sun gilded the village, and the air was filled with the scent of earth and straw. Tang Youyou stood in the center of the crowd, feeling the villagers' gazes meeting hers, and a mixture of emotions welled up in her heart. She knew that in order for the "stacked beam arch" plan to be successfully implemented, she had to first gain the villagers' complete trust.

Just then, a strange man appeared at the village entrance, breaking the slightly stagnant atmosphere. He was dressed in a coarse linen shirt and a wide-brimmed bamboo hat, his face completely concealed, revealing only a sharp jawline. He walked steadily towards Tang Youyou, emitting an indescribable mysterious aura.

The villagers all turned their eyes to this uninvited guest, and whispers rose and fell. Tang Youyou was puzzled. Who was this stranger? What was he doing here?

The stranger walked up to Tang Youyou, stopped, and slowly removed his bamboo hat, revealing a weathered face. His eyes were deep, as if filled with countless stories. He smiled slightly, revealing his white teeth, which formed a sharp contrast with his dark complexion. "Madam Tang, I have long heard of your name. I am Mr. Mo, and this is Madam Lin." He gestured sideways to the woman behind him.

Mrs. Lin, who was following behind Mr. Mo, was wearing a simple green dress and a simple wooden hairpin on her head. She had a gentle temperament and elegant manners, completely different from the women in the village who wore coarse linen clothes. She nodded slightly at Tang Youyou with a faint smile on her face.

Tang Youyou suppressed the doubts in her heart and responded politely: "Mr. Mo, Madam Lin, you two have come from afar. I wonder what brings you here?"

Mr. Mo's gaze fell on Tang Youyou's face, with a hint of inquiry. "Mrs. Tang, we came here to entrust you with a matter." His tone was low and mysterious, as if he was telling a secret.

Tang Youyou was even more curious. What kind of thing could have caused these two unidentified people to travel thousands of miles to find her? "Mr. Mo, please speak."

Mr. Mo looked around and said in a low voice, "This matter is of great importance. Can I have a moment to speak?"

Tang Youyou nodded and brought Mr. Mo and Mrs. Lin to their yard. The three children were playing in the yard. When they saw Tang Youyou and the strangers coming in, they stopped what they were doing and looked at them curiously.

"Wan'er, Jin'er, little girl, go and pour mother three cups of tea." Tang Youyou ordered.

The children responded obediently and ran into the house.

After the children left, Mr. Mo said, "Mrs. Tang, we came here to ask you to help us find something."

"What is it?" Tang Youyou asked.

Mr. Mo paused, his tone becoming more mysterious, "An...ancient treasure."

Mrs. Lin added, "This matter is of great importance. We have only learned from many sources that you, Mrs. Tang..." She paused, as if choosing her words, "...are unique."

Tang Youyou's heart trembled. She realized that these two people seemed to know something about her, and the "treasure" they were talking about was probably not an ordinary thing. She was about to ask for more details when Mr. Mo suddenly stood up.

"Mrs. Tang," Mr. Mo said in a deep and powerful voice, "time is running out, and we can't stay here for long. If you are willing to accept this mission, we will come back to discuss it with you in three days." He took out a jade pendant with intricate patterns from his sleeve and handed it to Tang Youyou, "This is our token of love."

Tang Youyou took the jade pendant; it felt cool and delicate to the touch. Mr. Mo and Mrs. Lin turned to leave. As they reached the door, Mr. Mo suddenly stopped, turned back, and said, "Remember, Mrs. Tang, you only have two weeks..." He gave Tang Youyou a meaningful look before disappearing into the night with Mrs. Lin. Mr. Mo and Mrs. Lin's abrupt departure left Tang Youyou brimming with questions. She gripped the cool jade pendant, rubbing its intricate patterns repeatedly, her heart churning. An ancient treasure? A unique woman? What secrets lay hidden within?

"Mr. Mo! Please wait a moment!" Tang Youyou chased out. The only sounds left in the yard were the children's laughter. There was no sign of the two mysterious visitors. She stood at the door, looking at the empty village road, feeling extremely anxious.

When Tang Youyou returned to the yard, the three children had already finished their tea and were chattering around her about what they had just seen and heard. "Mom, who are those two people? They're wearing strange clothes!" Tang Jin asked curiously.

Tang Youyou forced a smile and touched Tang Jin's head, "It's okay, just two passers-by." Her mind was now full of what Mr. Mo said before he left. Half a month, the ancient treasure, all of these were like heavy stones pressing on her heart.

Night fell, and the stars twinkled. Tang Youyou lay in bed, but she couldn't fall asleep. Mr. Mo's words echoed in her ears. She tossed and turned, thinking about this sudden task. Accept it, or not?

She thought of the upcoming water conservancy project in the village, which would require a substantial sum of money, and she didn't have nearly enough on hand. If she could secure the "generous reward" Mr. Mo had mentioned, perhaps she could solve her immediate problem. But what exactly would the mission entail? What dangers would she face? All of this remained unknown.

Three days later, as the sun was setting, Mr. Mo and Mrs. Lin arrived as scheduled. Tang Youyou had already been waiting in the yard, and she had sent the children to play at the neighbor's house in advance.

"Mr. Mo, Mrs. Lin, you are here." Tang Youyou's tone was calm, but her heart was full of anticipation and uneasiness.

Mr. Mo was still wearing the wide-brimmed hat, which concealed his expression. Only Mrs. Lin nodded slightly to him as a greeting.

"What do you think, Mrs. Tang?" Mr. Mo asked straight to the point, his voice low and powerful.

Tang Youyou took a deep breath and said, "I want to know more details about the mission."

Mr. Mo just smiled and said, "Mrs. Tang, if you want to know more, you have to accept the task first." His tone left no room for doubt.

Mrs. Lin added, "This mission is not easy. You will encounter various dangers and unknown challenges along the way. Madam Tang needs to be mentally prepared." She paused, then added, "But in return, if you complete it, you will receive unimaginably generous rewards."

"Is half a month really enough?" Tang Youyou confirmed again, feeling vaguely uneasy.

"Time is running out, Madam Tang." Mr. Mo's tone became more serious, as if hinting at something. He took off his bamboo hat and looked directly at Tang Youyou with a deep gaze. "You don't have much time to hesitate."

Tang Youyou was silent for a moment. She looked at Mr. Mo's determined eyes and made a decision in her heart. "I accept."

Mr. Mo showed a barely perceptible smile. He pulled out a delicate little wooden box from his pocket and handed it to Tang Youyou. "This is the key clue to start the mission."

Tang Youyou took the wooden box, which was slightly cool to the touch, and a faint scent of sandalwood filled her nose. Before she could open it, Mr. Mo and Mrs. Lin turned and left, their figures quickly disappearing into the twilight.

Tang Youyou looked at the wooden box in her hand, and an inexplicable premonition came to her heart. This journey might be more complicated than she had imagined... She slowly opened the wooden box, and inside lay quietly... a copper coin. Tang Youyou looked in the direction where Mr. Mo and Mrs. Lin disappeared. The night breeze blew, bringing a hint of coolness. The wooden box in her hand seemed to be heavy. She took a deep breath and turned back into the house. Under the dim oil lamp, the three children had fallen asleep. She gently placed the wooden box on the table with a complicated look. The funding gap for the water conservancy project was huge, and the villagers were eagerly looking forward to the start of work as soon as possible. She couldn't let them down. The generous reward promised by Mr. Mo might be the only hope.

She slowly opened the wooden box, and a faint scent of sandalwood wafted into the air. However, the box didn't contain the gold, silver, or jewelry she'd imagined, not even a letter. Just a thin piece of paper with some strange symbols drawn on it, twisted like tadpoles, which she couldn't understand at all.

Tang Youyou's heart sank, a chill running from her feet to her head. What was this? Was the key clue Mr. Mo mentioned this piece of paper covered in strange symbols? She flipped through it again and again, trying to find some clue, but found nothing. Was this a prank? Or was there some hidden meaning behind this that she couldn't understand?

She rubbed her brows, trying to calm herself. Mr. Mo and Mrs. Lin acted mysteriously, their comings and goings so hurriedly. What was their purpose? And where was the ancient treasure they spoke of? It all seemed like a fog, leaving her confused and uneasy. Was there some conspiracy hidden behind the generous reward?

Tang Youyou decided she couldn't just sit there and wait for death. She had to take the initiative and find the answer. Perhaps these strange symbols were the key to solving the mystery. She carefully folded the paper, put it back into the wooden box, and hid it in a secret compartment under the bed.

The next morning, Tang Youyou got up early, made breakfast, and after settling her three children, she went to the town market alone. She planned to ask around to see if anyone recognized these strange symbols.

The market was bustling with people. Tang Youyou walked along, stopping here and there, carefully observing the surrounding shops and stalls. She first found an old scholar who was setting up a fortune-telling stall and showed him the symbols on the paper, hoping to get some clues. The old scholar, wearing a pair of reading glasses, squinted his eyes and examined it carefully for a long time, finally shaking his head, saying that he had never seen such symbols before.

Tang Youyou felt a little disappointed, but she didn't give up. She continued to search the market, asking everyone she met, hoping to find someone who knew the signs. She asked the antique dealer, the painter, and even the vendors selling small items on the roadside, but the results were the same: no one recognized the signs.

Time ticked by, the sun gradually set, and Tang Youyou still hadn't found anything. She felt exhausted and frustrated, but the uneasiness in her heart grew stronger and stronger. This mission was more complicated and mysterious than she had imagined. She clenched the wooden box in her hands, and an ominous premonition came over her... She suddenly stopped and her eyes fell on an inconspicuous stall on the corner of the street. There were some strange items on display there. The stall owner was a mysterious man dressed in black and wearing a conical hat. He seemed to notice Tang Youyou's gaze and slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of deep and cold eyes... "Are you looking for this?" His hoarse voice broke through the hustle and bustle of the market.