Reborn and married in a swapped marriage, my aloof husband is too ruthless.

Magistrate Li, sporting panda eyes and a fawning smile, bowed to Su Jinxin and Yan Chengan as soon as he entered the room: "Congratulations, Young Master Yan, congratulations, Madam Yan! This epidemic is finally over! Thanks to you both, I can finally put my mind at ease."

Yan Cheng'an gave a faint "hmm," glanced at Magistrate Li, and his eyes held a hint of barely perceptible disdain.

This Magistrate Li hid away when the epidemic was at its worst, but now that the epidemic has subsided, he's very proactive—a typical case of "Monday morning quarterbacking."

Su Jinxin calmly observed Magistrate Li. She knew that this fellow would not come to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason, and that he must have come today to ask for something.

"You're too kind, Lord Li. The fact that this epidemic has been brought under control is the result of the joint efforts of all the people in the city." Her tone was calm, but carried a hint of distance.

Magistrate Li rubbed his hands together and chuckled dryly, "Madam Yan, you are mistaken. If it weren't for Madam Yan's intervention, who knows how many more people in the city would have suffered! Your humble servant..."

"Lord Li, what brings you here today?" Su Jinxin interrupted his lengthy pleasantries and got straight to the point.

Magistrate Li's face stiffened, then he forced a smile and said, "Madam Yan is indeed very straightforward! I do have a request. Although the plague has passed, many families in the city have been destroyed, leaving behind many orphaned children. I think that Madam Yan has always been kind, so perhaps..."

"Does Lord Li want me to adopt these children?" Su Jinxin raised an eyebrow, a knowing glint in her eyes.

Magistrate Li has a clever plan; he doesn't want to take responsibility himself, so he wants to push these children onto her.

"This humble official dares not!" Magistrate Li quickly waved his hand. "However, these children are truly pitiful. If Madam Yan could lend a helping hand, it would be an immeasurable act of merit!"

Su Jinxin sneered: "Lord Li, this is moral blackmail."

Magistrate Li's expression changed, but he dared not refute.

“Lord Li,” Yan Cheng’an said slowly, his tone icy, “there are many orphans in the city, which cannot be borne by the Yan family alone. Moreover, my Yan family is not a charity.”

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Li immediately became anxious: "Young Master Yan, Madam Yan, that was not my intention! It's just..."

Su Jinxin stood up, walked to Magistrate Li, and looked down at him: "Lord Li, I, Su Jinxin, am not a cold-blooded person. It is my duty to help orphans. However, this matter is of utmost importance and requires careful consideration."

Upon hearing that there was hope, Magistrate Li quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, Madam Yan is absolutely right! I will return immediately..."

"Wait a minute," Su Jinxin interrupted him. "I have another question for Lord Li. Some unscrupulous merchants in the city are hoarding goods and driving up prices, causing many people to lose their fortunes. Is Lord Li aware of this?"

Magistrate Li turned pale and stammered, unable to speak.

Su Jinxin sneered, "Lord Li, I advise you to come up with a plan sooner rather than later, otherwise..." She paused, looking at Magistrate Li meaningfully, "I'm afraid you'll lose your official position."

Magistrate Li was so frightened that he trembled all over and quickly took his leave.

Su Jinxin watched Magistrate Li's retreating figure and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

She turned to Yan Cheng'an and said, "It seems the 'waters' in this city are deeper than I imagined."

Yan Chengan held her hand, his eyes firm: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the door, and a servant rushed in, shouting in a panic, "Master, Madam, something terrible has happened! Several large shops in the city have joined forces and refused to cooperate with us!"

Su Jinxin sneered, "Refuse to cooperate?"

They've probably forgotten who's the real boss in the city now!

"Why weren't these fair-weather friends so tough when they were crying and begging her to save them?"

Now that the pandemic is over, they've turned their backs on us so quickly!

Yan Cheng'an gently patted Su Jinxin's hand, "Madam, don't be angry. Let's see how your husband deals with these clowns."

His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them.

He has a hundred ways to deal with this kind of person and make them obey.

Su Jinxin was not one to sit idly by and wait for her fate. She immediately summoned the most respected merchants in the city, all of whom had previously received favors from her and were deeply grateful to her.

Su Jinxin revealed her plan to help the orphans and expressed her willingness to cover most of the costs.

"Gentlemen, the city is in dire need of rebuilding, and these orphaned and helpless children need our help even more."

I hope everyone can lend a helping hand and get through this difficult time together!

"

These merchants responded enthusiastically, expressing their willingness to provide their full support.

They all knew that following Su Jinxin would guarantee them success!

Moreover, this is a good deed that accumulates merit, so why not do it?

Those businessmen who refused to cooperate were dumbfounded.

They originally thought they could unite to put pressure on Su Jinxin, but they didn't expect her to be so fearless and even win over more people!

Now they're all alone, and their business has been greatly affected.

It’s really a waste of money!

Seeing the merchants' regretful expressions, Su Jinxin felt secretly pleased.

"If only I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."

She chuckled softly, then turned and left.

Yan Chengan accompanied Su Jinxin to the warehouse to select supplies for helping orphans.

"Madam, what do you think of these quilts?"

Yan Chengan picked up a thick cotton quilt and handed it to Su Jinxin.

Su Jinxin touched it; it was soft and comfortable. "Great, this is it!"

Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, and Su Jinxin couldn't help but shiver.

Upon seeing this, Yan Chengan immediately took off his cloak and gently draped it over Su Jinxin.

Be careful not to catch a cold.

His gentle voice was like a spring breeze caressing Su Jinxin's heart.

Su Jinxin felt his deep care and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

She nestled gently in his arms, her eyes filled with happiness.

"It's so good to have you here."

"

Yan Chengan hugged her tighter and whispered in her ear, "Everything will be alright."

The scene of the two embracing was warm and beautiful.

However, beneath the calm surface lies a turbulent undercurrent.

Su Jinxin's gaze gradually deepened. She knew this was just the calm before the storm... "Those officials who hold positions without doing their jobs..." she said slowly, her tone icy.

Su Jinxin sneered, her eyes sharp as knives. "It's time to settle accounts with those lazy bums!" She wasn't some saintly white lotus; revenge was her motto.

During the previous outbreak of the epidemic, some officials failed to act and even took advantage of the situation to enrich themselves. Now it is time for them to pay the price!

Yan Cheng'an gave her an appreciative look. "Madam is wise." He had long disliked those parasites and was just waiting for Madam's order to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

Su Jinxin was not one to make empty promises; she had long since secretly collected evidence of the officials' corruption and was just waiting for the right moment to take them down in one fell swoop.

Now, the time has come!

She presented the compiled evidence to her superiors and went to testify in person.

Magistrate Li and his ilk are used to throwing their weight around, never expecting that Su Jinxin would actually dare to take real action.

They originally thought they could settle things by spending some money, but Su Jinxin didn't give them that chance at all.

With irrefutable evidence, they had no choice but to surrender.

When the news spread, the people of the city were overjoyed.

"Madam Su is truly a woman who rivals any man!" "Let's see if those corrupt officials still dare to be arrogant!" Su Jinxin's reputation has reached new heights once again; she is simply the embodiment of justice!

Meanwhile, thanks to Su Jinxin's efforts, a temporary relief station for orphans was successfully built.

Seeing those children who were originally homeless find new support fills Su Jinxin with a sense of accomplishment.

This is the life she wants: to use her own power to change the world and make it a better place!

The people in the city held Su Jinxin in even higher esteem, calling her a "living Bodhisattva."

Su Jinxin simply smiled faintly. Everything she did was not for fame or fortune, but for the justice in her heart.

Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction; however, Yan Chengan noticed that Su Jinxin's brows were always furrowed lately.

"Madam, is something troubling you?" he asked with concern.

Su Jinxin sighed, "The daily expenses of the rescue station are huge..." Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"What is it?" Guard Zhang's voice came from outside the door, tinged with anxiety.

"Madam, something bad has happened..."

Guard Zhang rushed into the room, sweating profusely. "Madam, something terrible has happened! Old Sun from the Sun Pharmacy, he... he's escaped from prison!"

Su Jinxin and Yan Chengan exchanged a glance, both of them stunned.

The owner of that Sun Pharmacy hoarded and inflated drug prices during the epidemic. Later, Su Jinxin collected evidence against him and sent him to jail. How did he escape?

"That old bastard is really slippery as an eel!" Su Jinxin sneered. "Looks like jail can't hold a 'talent' like him!"

Yan Cheng'an's eyes darkened. "It seems we need to send more men to capture him as soon as possible." He turned to Zhang, the guard, and ordered, "Immediately send men to seal off the city gates and search every house. Make sure to bring that old man Sun back!"

Guard Zhang accepted the order and left, but Su Jinxin still had a furrowed brow.

The escape of the pharmacy owner was just a minor incident; what really troubled her was the funding problem of the shelter.

"Sigh, money is being spent like water..." Su Jinxin rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

I thought that by confiscating Sun's pharmacy's assets, we could last for a while, but I didn't expect it to run out of money so quickly.

Yan Cheng'an held her hand and said softly, "Madam, don't worry, there's always a way out."

Su Jinxin sighed, "Where is this road?" Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, "Wait! I remember when they searched the house before, they seemed to have found a land deed..." She stood up abruptly and started rummaging through drawers and cabinets.

Finally, under a pile of ledgers, she found the land deed.

"Found it!" Su Jinxin excitedly unfolded the land deed, only to find that the writing on it was blurry and difficult to decipher.

She scrutinized it carefully for a long time, and finally managed to make out a few words—"West of the city...a hundred acres of fertile land..."

Su Jinxin was stunned. This... a hundred acres of fertile land in the west of the city?

That's a piece of fatty meat!

The owner of Sun's Pharmacy was hiding such a big secret!

"That old fellow is really hiding his true abilities!" Su Jinxin exclaimed.

With this land, the rescue station's funding problem will be easily solved!

Just then, Guard Zhang rushed back, shouting, "Madam, something terrible has happened..."