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

A sudden turn of events occurred after a long search for supplies.

Su Yunlan strode towards the spot where the dark figure had disappeared, with Xiao Yuhan close behind.

Pushing aside the dense foliage, the scene before Su Yunlan made her heart sink—the warehouse, which should have been filled with goods, was now empty, with only scattered hemp ropes and broken wooden crates left on the ground. A faint smell of blood, mixed with the musty smell of decay, filled the air, making one want to vomit.

"It seems we're a step too late." Xiao Yuhan frowned as he looked at the empty warehouse.

Su Yunlan squatted down and carefully examined the marks on the ground.

The bloodstains on the ground had dried, turning a dark brown color, which was shocking to see.

“There was a fight here,” Su Yunlan pointed to the messy footprints on the ground, “and quite a few people.” The atmosphere of despair that permeated the warehouse felt like an invisible hand, tightly gripping her throat.

Young Master Xiao rushed over, and his face turned grim when he saw the scene before him.

"How could this be? I made sure there was plenty of stock here..." His voice trailed off, until it was almost inaudible.

For several days, they visited several nearby towns, but to no avail.

Under the blazing sun, people felt dizzy and their eyes were blurred, and the trees along the roadside drooped listlessly.

Su Yunlan wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling anxious and uneasy.

I thought finding a source of goods would solve my immediate problem, but I never expected to encounter this situation.

"Are we really going to go home empty-handed?" Young Master Xiao said dejectedly.

Seeing the disappointed expressions on Xiao Yuhan and the Third Young Master Xiao's faces, Su Yunlan felt even more distressed.

“No,” she said firmly, “there must be other ways.”

They arrived in a small town and inquired about the source of goods from the local residents.

However, they were met with indifference and being driven away.

"Get out of here! Don't bother us. You outsiders will only cause us trouble!" A burly woman waved a broom in her hand, shooing them away menacingly.

"We just wanted to find out some information..." Su Yunlan tried to explain, but was rudely interrupted by the woman, "No information at all! Get out of here!"

Feeling wronged and angry, Su Yunlan bit her lip, forcing back her tears.

Just then, an old voice rang out, "What do you want to know?" An old man leaning on a cane slowly walked over, his cloudy eyes gleaming with shrewdness.

Su Yunlan quickly stepped forward and told the old man about their situation.

After listening, the old man pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I know a place that might have the goods you need, but..." He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over Su Yunlan, "I need some reward."

"What kind of reward?" Su Yunlan asked warily.

The old man stretched out his withered finger and pointed to a distant mountain. "I need you to bring something back for me." He squinted his eyes.

Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan exchanged a glance, a sense of unease rising in their hearts.

"What is that?" Xiao Yuhan asked in a deep voice.

The old man smiled mysteriously, "You'll find out then..."

Young Master Xiao kicked the pebbles on the roadside in dejection, his frustrated voice as low as the buzzing of mosquitoes.

"It's all my fault, I got the wrong information..." He looked up, his eyes reddening, "making everyone come all this way for nothing." Su Yunlan gently patted his shoulder, comforting him, "Life is unpredictable, no one could have foreseen this happening. It's not your fault."

Nevertheless, Su Yunlan felt as if a huge boulder was pressing on her heart.

After several days of travel and hard work, coupled with the unfamiliar environment, she felt dizzy and lightheaded.

She leaned against the wall, took a deep breath, and tried to stay awake.

She cannot fall; she is the Xiao family's last hope.

She mustered her spirits and continued to inquire in the town.

The scorching sun baked the earth, and the air was filled with the dry smell of dust.

The vendors' calls from the roadside stalls rose and fell, but they failed to arouse her interest in the slightest.

Her eyes searched through the crowd, trying to find a glimmer of hope.

Finally, at the entrance of a secluded alley, she saw a ragged old man sitting in a corner, dozing off.

The old man had gray hair and a face full of wrinkles, and he leaned on a well-worn cane.

Su Yunlan's heart skipped a beat; her intuition told her that this old man might know something.

She carefully approached the old man and asked softly, "Hello, sir."

The old man slowly opened his eyes, his cloudy gaze falling on Su Yunlan.

"What is it?" His voice was hoarse and low, with a hint of wariness.

Su Yunlan told the old man about their predicament and needs.

After listening, the old man remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "I know some information, but..." He paused, his sharp gaze scrutinizing Su Yunlan, "What benefits can you offer me?"

Su Yunlan was prepared; she took out a small piece of silver from her pocket and handed it to the old man.

"Old man, this is just a small token of my respect. I would appreciate your guidance."

The old man took the loose silver, weighed it in his hand, and said, "Alright, seeing as your sincerity, I'll tell you." He cleared his throat. "I know a family in the west of the city who have been merchants for generations and have accumulated a considerable amount of goods..."

Upon hearing this, Su Yunlan was overjoyed.

"Thank you so much, sir!" She quickly followed up, "What are the names of that family? Where do they live?"

The old man pointed to the west, "Just keep walking along this road until you see a century-old locust tree. That family lives right next to the locust tree."

"Thank you, sir!" Su Yunlan thanked him again and turned to leave.

“Wait,” the old man called to her, “I have one more condition.” His turbid…

"What is that?" A sense of vigilance rose in Su Yunlan's heart.

The old man pointed to the distant, undulating mountain range. "From the summit of that mountain." He smiled mysteriously. "That thing is extremely rare..."

Su Yunlan thanked the old man and quickly walked westward.

Xiao Yuhan and the Third Young Master Xiao followed closely behind.

As the sun set, it cast long shadows of the three of them.

Xiao Yuhan smiled with satisfaction as he watched Su Yunlan's capable figure disappear into the distance.

He knew that Su Yunlan had never given up hope, and that even in the most difficult times, she could always find a way to solve the problem.

Su Yunlan seemed to sense Xiao Yuhan's gaze. She turned around and smiled sweetly at him.

A warm atmosphere flowed between the two, dispelling the fatigue and anxiety of the past few days.

Following the old man's directions, they arrived at the west side of the city.

A century-old locust tree with lush foliage stands by the roadside, like a wise old man who has witnessed many vicissitudes of life, quietly watching the passersby.

Beside the old locust tree stood a courtyard house with blue bricks and gray tiles, its gate tightly closed, exuding an air of mystery.

Su Yunlan stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a long while, a middle-aged man who looked like a butler opened the door and looked them up and down.

"Who are you looking for?" His tone was cold, tinged with wariness.

Su Yunlan explained her purpose, but the butler snorted coldly, "Our master does not receive guests. Please leave." He then turned to close the door.

Su Yunlan reacted quickly and reached out to block the door.

"Please inform them that we have important matters to discuss with you, which concern your business."

After a moment's hesitation, the butler finally agreed to go in and report.

After a while, the butler came out, his tone softening, "Our master invites you in."

The three followed the butler into the mansion, through winding corridors, and arrived at a spacious and bright hall.

A middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe sat at the head of the table, scrutinizing them with sharp eyes.

Su Yunlan reiterated his purpose and expressed his willingness to pay a high price to purchase the goods.

After listening, the middle-aged man pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "We have the goods, but not just anyone can buy them." His gaze fell on Su Yunlan. "Who are you? Where are you from?"

Su Yunlan was prepared. She fabricated an identity, claiming that she was a merchant from out of town who had lost her goods due to the war and wanted to purchase a new batch here.

The middle-aged man seemed skeptical of Su Yunlan's words. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Su Yunlan, "How much cargo do you want?"

Su Yunlan gave a number, and the middle-aged man's expression changed slightly. "So much? Can you all finish it?"

“We can eat it all,” Su Yunlan said firmly. “As long as the price is right, we’ll take as much as we can.”

The middle-aged man was silent for a moment, then said, "Alright, I can sell it to you, but the price will be 30% higher than the market price."

Su Yunlan had anticipated that the other party would raise the price on the spot, so she calmly said, "Thirty percent is too much, twenty percent at most."

“Twenty percent is not enough,” the middle-aged man said firmly. “At least twenty and a half percent.”

Su Yunlan wanted to try again, but suddenly, a commotion came from outside the door.

A gruff voice rang out, "Who's in there trying to steal our business?" Immediately afterward, a group of burly men barged in, glaring menacingly at Su Yunlan and the others.

The burly man who was leading the group walked up to the middle-aged man and whispered a few words to him.

The middle-aged man's face darkened. He looked at Su Yunlan and said coldly, "It seems we can't do business today..."

The burly men surrounded Su Yunlan and her two companions, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

The burly man leading the group had a fierce-looking face and a thick gold chain around his neck; he was clearly not a good guy.

"Who are you people? How dare you steal our business?" he said arrogantly, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

Su Yunlan remained calm under pressure, observing the surrounding situation with composure.

She noticed that although the middle-aged man appeared tough on the surface, a hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes.

This gave her a glimmer of hope; perhaps there was still a chance for things to turn around.

"Brother, we just want to do business, we don't mean to steal your business." Su Yunlan said calmly, trying to ease the tension.

“Our price is definitely higher than theirs.” She turned to the middle-aged man, her eyes firm. “Moreover, we can also pay a deposit in advance.”

Upon hearing the word "deposit," the middle-aged man weighed the pros and cons and thought to himself: These out-of-towners are generous; perhaps I can take advantage of them.

Thinking this, he cleared his throat and said to the burly man in the lead, "This young lady is right. In business, the highest bidder wins. Since they are willing to pay a higher price, let them buy it."

The burly man in the lead was clearly taken aback by the middle-aged man's sudden change of heart. He paused for a moment, then flew into a rage: "You dare to play me for a fool?"

The middle-aged man sneered: "You think I'm messing with you? I'm just following the rules. The highest bidder wins, it's only fair."

The burly man in the lead weighed the silver in his hand, and his expression softened slightly.

Although he was domineering, he was not unreasonable.

Since the other party offered him benefits, he was happy to go along with it.

"Alright, in that case, we won't interfere. But next time something like this happens, things won't be so easy." He left with a harsh remark and strode away with his men.

With the crisis averted, Su Yunlan breathed a sigh of relief.

She turned to the middle-aged man and smiled, "Now, can we talk business?" The middle-aged man nodded, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness.

After some haggling, Su Yunlan finally reached a cooperation agreement with the middle-aged man at a price 20% higher than the market price.

Su Yunlan, Xiao Yuhan, and the Third Young Master Xiao walked out of the mansion. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on them, as if they were gilded with a layer of gold.

Xiao Yuhan grasped Su Yunlan's hand, his eyes full of admiration: "Lan'er, you're amazing." Su Yunlan smiled sweetly, "This is just the first step; there's still a lot to do."

As night fell, Su Yunlan began arranging the transportation of goods.

She took out the carriage and horses from her spatial storage, preparing to transport the goods away overnight.

“Be extra careful this time,” she cautioned Xiao Yuhan and the Third Young Master Xiao. “We might encounter some trouble on the road.” Xiao Yuhan nodded. He turned and walked towards the carriage. Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar…