Fleeing from famine? Not a chance; the divine healer's wife made her fortune.

At the start of his business journey, he faced numerous obstacles.

As night fell, the flames of the campfire flickered, radiating a warm glow.

Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan sat side by side by the campfire, neither of them speaking.

Having weathered this storm, their bond deepened, and their understanding of each other became even stronger.

“Lan’er,” Xiao Yuhan broke the silence, “What’s next…”

Su Yunlan turned to look at Xiao Yuhan, took out a map from her pocket, and spread it between the two of them. "Look, starting from here, we can go to the nearest town first. There should be some business opportunities there."

Xiao Yuhan nodded in agreement, "Okay, let's do it your way. We'll set off tomorrow morning."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan set off for the nearest town.

Their hearts were filled with anticipation and longing, as if the road ahead was paved with golden light.

As Su Yunlan envisioned the prosperous future of the trade routes, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

"Do you believe we can definitely succeed?" Xiao Yuhan asked softly, his eyes shining with determination.

“Of course,” Su Yunlan gripped the map tightly in her hand, “as long as you’re here, I’m not afraid of anything.”

The two looked at each other, smiled, and continued on their way.

As time went by, the outline of the town ahead gradually became clearer.

The high city walls, the well-arranged houses, and the wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys in the distance—everything seemed so peaceful and beautiful.

However, as the distance shortened, a subtle pressure began to envelop them, as if an invisible net awaited them ahead.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance to the town.

Su Yunlan took a deep breath and took the first step forward.

She first went to the local chamber of commerce, hoping to learn about some business rules.

The Chamber of Commerce's gate was solemn and dignified, with a plaque bearing the four large characters "Merchants' Guild" hanging above it.

Su Yunlan pushed open the door and stepped into the heart of this commercial hub.

The Chamber of Commerce's interior hall is spacious and bright, and is decorated very elegantly.

Several rows of long tables were neatly arranged, piled with various ledgers and documents.

Chairman Luo was sitting in the main seat, holding a calligraphy brush in his hand, and reviewing official documents with his head down.

He didn't seem to care much about Su Yunlan's arrival, merely raising his eyelids and saying indifferently, "What are you here for?"

Su Yunlan bowed politely. "My name is Su Yunlan. I am new here and hope to learn about the business rules here."

Chairman Luo put down his brush, his gaze sharpening. "Are you an outsider?"

“Yes,” Su Yunlan replied calmly, “but our goal is to settle down and build a career here.”

Chairman Luo sneered, "It's not so easy for outsiders to do business here. First, they have to pay a hefty membership fee, and then they have to pass a series of assessments. Are you ready?"

Su Yunlan's heart skipped a beat, but she did not back down. "We can pay our membership fees, and we are willing to accept the assessment. What are the specific requirements?"

Chairman Luo scrutinized Su Yunlan with a sinister gaze, a cold smile playing on his lips. "The assessment covers many aspects, including business ethics, management skills, and understanding of the local market. If you pass, you can stay here. Otherwise..." He paused deliberately, rolling up his sleeves to reveal a tattoo on his arm, "...you know what I mean."

Su Yunlan sensed the threat in Chairman Luo's words, but there was no fear on her face. Instead, her determination only grew stronger. "Then let's give it a try."

Chairman Luo's eyes sharpened, seemingly not expecting Su Yunlan to be so resolute.

He pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Yuhan, who stood behind Su Yunlan with a resolute expression, and he became secretly wary.

“Fine,” he said coldly, “I’ll send someone to familiarize you with the rules here, but I hope you won’t regret it.”

Su Yunlan nodded, turned around to leave, but already had a plan in mind.

She knew that the road ahead would not be smooth, but as long as there was light in her heart, nothing could stop her from moving forward.

Stepping out of the Chamber of Commerce, Su Yunlan took a deep breath and looked at Xiao Yuhan, "Let's go, let's find out about the supply of goods here first."

Xiao Yuhan nodded and held Su Yunlan's hand tightly. "No matter what the future holds, I will always be by your side."

The two smiled at each other and strode forward, facing the unknown future.

In this bustling town, a new challenge is quietly brewing, awaiting them.

After leaving the Chamber of Commerce, Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan did not immediately look for sources of goods, but went straight to Zheng's shop.

The Zheng merchant was leisurely sipping his tea when he heard his waiter announce that Su Yunlan had arrived.

"Oh, isn't this Lady Su? What, Chairman Luo didn't scare you away?" Merchant Zheng said sarcastically, his tone full of mockery.

Su Yunlan remained unmoved. She walked gracefully to Mr. Zheng and smiled slightly: "Mr. Zheng, you are joking. I am here today to discuss cooperation with you."

The Zheng merchant almost spat out his tea. He stared wide-eyed at Su Yunlan in disbelief.

Is this woman crazy?

Chairman Luo is clearly trying to trip her up, yet she still wants to cooperate?

Moreover, it's about cooperating with oneself?

"Cooperate? Madam Su, you must not understand the situation. Why would I cooperate with you?" Merchant Zheng sneered and said disdainfully.

Su Yunlan remained calm and slowly said, "Mr. Zheng, as far as I know, you have been looking for a special spice recently, hoping to develop new products with it, but you haven't been able to find a suitable source, is that right?"

The merchant Zheng's expression changed slightly; this was indeed his recent worry.

This spice was extremely rare, and he sent people everywhere to search for it, but they never found anything.

How did this woman know?

Seeing the strange expression on Zheng's face, Su Yunlan was secretly delighted and continued, "I happen to know the origin of this spice and can guarantee a long-term, stable supply. If we cooperate, you can not only obtain a stable source of goods but also seize market opportunities. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

The Zheng merchant's heart stirred. These spices were of vital importance to him. If the supply could be stabilized, his new products could be launched smoothly, and he would surely make a fortune.

But he still had doubts, "Do you really have this spice?"

Su Yunlan smiled slightly, took out a small packet of spices from her sleeve, and handed it to Mr. Zheng, saying, "Mr. Zheng, why don't you take a sniff?"

The Zheng merchant took the spices, opened them, and smelled them. A rich, exotic fragrance wafted out, exactly the kind of spice he had been searching for!

He was immediately excited, but on the surface he still pretended to be calm, "Even if you have this spice, why should I cooperate with you? I can find the source myself."

Su Yunlan had anticipated his response, and she calmly said, "Mr. Zheng, finding suppliers yourself is not only time-consuming and laborious, but you might not even be able to find them. Cooperating with me will save you a lot of trouble, and I can offer you a very favorable price."

The Zheng merchant's eyes flickered as he weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Seeing that he was starting to waver, Su Yunlan threw out another bait, "In addition, I can provide some unique formulas to make your new products more competitive."

The Zheng merchant finally wavered. He looked at Su Yunlan, a greedy glint in his eyes, "What do you want?"

Su Yunlan smiled slightly, "I just need Boss Zheng to agree to give us some conveniences in future business dealings."

The Zheng merchant remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement, "Okay, I agree."

Su Yunlan had achieved her goal. She stood up, ready to take her leave, and said, "Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

"Wait," Zheng Shangren called out to Su Yunlan, "Aren't you afraid I'll abandon you after I've served my purpose?"

Su Yunlan turned around, a meaningful smile playing on her lips. After saying "Boss Zheng," she turned and left, leaving Mr. Zheng alone in deep thought.

Outside the door, a hand tightly gripped Su Yunlan's hand...

Xiao Yuhan stayed by Su Yunlan's side the whole time. His large, warm hands tightly enveloped Su Yunlan's slightly slender hands, and a continuous stream of strength came from his palms, like a warm current, dispelling the last trace of coldness in Su Yunlan's heart.

Su Yunlan turned her head and met Xiao Yuhan's deep, night-sky-like eyes, which were filled with concern and love, gradually relaxing her tense nerves.

In the tense atmosphere, a faint warmth spread between the two, like the warm sun of early spring melting away the surrounding ice and snow.

After leaving Zheng's shop, Su Yunlan immediately began searching for sources of goods.

She walked through every street and alley of the town, asking countless vendors, but still couldn't find a suitable source of goods.

The market was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of vendors calling out their wares, and a dazzling array of goods.

However, the lively scene did nothing to affect Su Yunlan. She felt a strange sense of oppression, as if everything around her was mocking her predicament.

Left with no other option, Su Yunlan could only seek out the peddler Ding, hoping to obtain some useful information from him.

Ding the peddler was short in stature but exceptionally shrewd. His small eyes darted around constantly, as if he could see right through people.

He casually fiddled with the abacus in his hand, and after listening to Su Yunlan's request, he slowly said, "Madam Su, I do have the source of the goods you want, but the price..." He deliberately dragged out his words, a cunning glint in his eyes.

Su Yunlan's heart sank. She knew that the peddler Ding's prices were not low, but she did not expect them to be so outrageous.

She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger. "Peddler Ding, name your price. As long as the goods are suitable, the price is negotiable."

The peddler chuckled and held up five fingers. "This number."

Su Yunlan frowned. This price was several times higher than the market price; it was practically extortion!

But she urgently needed supplies and had no choice but to grit her teeth and agree.

However, when she saw the source of goods provided by the peddler, she was even more disappointed.

The quantity was pitifully small, and the quality varied greatly, which was far from meeting her needs.

A deep sense of frustration welled up inside Su Yunlan, and she felt powerless.

The bustling crowds, the noisy hawking, and the dazzling array of goods around her all became immense pressure, making it hard for her to breathe.

Just then, a familiar voice rang in Su Yunlan's ears: "Fourth sister-in-law, you look worried. Have you encountered some trouble?"

Su Yunlan looked up and saw that it was Young Master Xiao.

She forced a smile. "Third Brother, I'm really worried about the supply of goods."

Upon hearing this, Young Master Xiao immediately perked up. "Fourth Sister-in-law, you're looking for a source of goods? What a coincidence! I happen to know a place that might be able to help you."

A glimmer of hope ignited in Su Yunlan's heart. "Really? Where?"

Young Master Xiao lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Thirty miles outside the city, there is a place called Black Wind Village. It is rich in medicinal herbs, and the prices are much cheaper than in the city."

"Black Wind Stronghold?" Su Yunlan was shocked. That was a notorious bandit stronghold. Going there would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den.

Xiao Yuhan frowned. "Third Brother, that place is too dangerous. We can't go."

Young Master Xiao quickly explained, "Fourth Brother, don't misunderstand. I didn't mean to go to Black Wind Stronghold, but to a village near Black Wind Stronghold. The villagers in that village often go to Black Wind Stronghold to collect herbs and then secretly transport them to the city to sell. We can buy from them, which is both safe and allows us to get cheap supplies."

Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan exchanged a glance and both thought it was a good idea.

Although there are certain risks, it is worth a try in order to solve the problem of supply.

"Let's not delay, let's set off now." Su Yunlan's eyes gleamed with determination.

Xiao Yuhan nodded, and the group immediately set off for the village near Black Wind Stronghold.

Throughout the journey, Su Yunlan's heart was filled with anticipation, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope.

After several hours of bumpy travel, they finally arrived at the village that Young Master Xiao had mentioned.

However, the scene before them greatly disappointed them.

The village was deserted, the houses were dilapidated, the fields were barren, and weeds grew everywhere, creating a desolate scene.

A putrid stench permeated the air, sending chills down one's spine.

"This..." Young Master Xiao stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. "How could this be?"

Su Yunlan's heart sank to the bottom. Had they made a wasted trip?

Xiao Yuhan looked around and said in a deep voice, "It seems that something has happened here."

Su Yunlan walked to a dilapidated house, gently pushed open the door, and a cloud of dust rushed in, making her cough incessantly.

She covered her nose and went inside. The room was in a mess, with broken furniture and clothes and personal belongings scattered on the floor, as if someone had lived there but had suddenly disappeared.

Su Yunlan picked up a tattered piece of clothing and examined it carefully. Suddenly, her gaze fell on a bloodstain on the clothing. The bloodstain had dried and turned dark red, which was shocking to the eye.

“Yuhan, look…” Su Yunlan pointed at the bloodstains, her voice trembling.

Xiao Yuhan stepped forward and carefully examined the bloodstains, his expression becoming serious. "The bloodstains haven't completely dried yet, so it seems the incident didn't happen long ago."

"What exactly happened here?" Su Yunlan murmured to herself, her heart filled with doubt and unease.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, swirling up the fallen leaves on the ground and making a rustling sound that sent chills down one's spine.

"Let's go." Xiao Yuhan took Su Yunlan's hand and said in a deep voice, "This place is too eerie."

Su Yunlan nodded and followed Xiao Yuhan as they turned and left.

Just as they turned around, a dark figure flashed past the dilapidated house and disappeared into the night.

"Wait," Su Yunlan suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on the direction where the dark figure had disappeared, "There seems to be something there."

Xiao Yuhan followed Su Yunlan's gaze but saw nothing. "Lan'er, you must be mistaken?"

Su Yunlan shook her head, her tone firm, "I wasn't mistaken, there's definitely something there." With that, she walked towards the direction the dark figure had disappeared…