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

Love is stirring, and rules are hard to break.

Qinghe Town, a town nestled against the mountains and beside the water, is lined with shops and bustling with people, far more prosperous than the towns we had stayed in before.

Su Yunlan lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and observed the pedestrians coming and going on the street. They were dressed smartly and had satisfied smiles on their faces, presenting a thriving scene.

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of an inn, and Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan stepped off.

After settling in, Su Yunlan couldn't wait to learn about the business rules of Qinghe Town.

She borrowed a thick booklet from the innkeeper, which was filled with all sorts of rules and regulations, making her scalp tingle.

"Local merchants have priority operating rights," "Out-of-town merchants are required to pay high security deposits," "Restrictions on the types of goods," "Restrictions on transaction time"...

Su Yunlan read on, line by line, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

These rules are cumbersome and complex, targeting outside businessmen in every way, like an airtight net that tightly binds her.

She closed the booklet and rubbed her aching temples.

Some local businessmen around her were scrutinizing her, whispering among themselves, their words tinged with contempt and rejection, making her feel oppressed.

Su Yunlan took a deep breath and decided to try her luck at the local chamber of commerce.

Perhaps, she can find a glimmer of hope for a breakthrough.

The Chamber of Commerce is located in the most bustling area of ​​the town center, in a two-story building with carved beams and painted rafters.

Su Yunlan went inside, explained his purpose, and hoped that the Chamber of Commerce could make some concessions.

“Madam, rules are rules, and no one is exempt.” President Luo of the Chamber of Commerce sat in a grand chair, slowly sipping his tea, his tone leaving no room for argument. “The commercial rules of Qinghe Town have been followed for many years. How can they be changed so easily?”

Su Yunlan tried to explain her situation, but Chairman Luo remained unmoved, as if he was determined to shut her out.

She felt like she was hitting a wall, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't budge it an inch.

"President Luo, is there really no other way?" Su Yunlan's voice trembled slightly, and the frustration in her heart almost overwhelmed her.

Chairman Luo put down his teacup, his sharp eyes fixed on Su Yunlan, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Unless..." He deliberately drew out his words, his gaze lingering on Su Yunlan, "...unless you..."

"Unless what?" Xiao Yuhan's voice suddenly came from the doorway. He strode in, stood next to Su Yunlan, and coldly swept his eyes over Chairman Luo and the surrounding businessmen.

"Lan'er, what's wrong?" he asked gently, taking Su Yunlan's hand and offering her silent support.

Upon seeing Xiao Yuhan appear, Chairman Luo immediately softened his tone and said with a laugh, "It's nothing, just talking to this lady about the rules of Qinghe Town." He paused and added, "Young Master Xiao, as you know, the rules cannot be broken."

Xiao Yuhan frowned slightly, tightened his grip on Su Yunlan's hand, and said in a deep voice, "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Lan'er is proficient in medicine and skilled in business, which will greatly benefit the economic development of Qinghe Town. Why doesn't Chairman Luo make an exception?"

Chairman Luo's eyes darted around, and he adopted an official tone: "Young Master Xiao, you are mistaken. Rules are rules. If everyone could break the rules, wouldn't Qinghe Town be in chaos?"

Su Yunlan felt a surge of disgust looking at Chairman Luo's slick face.

She gently tugged at Xiao Yuhan's sleeve and whispered a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuhan's eyes lit up, and he immediately said to Chairman Luo, "Chairman Luo, I have a plan that might solve our current predicament." He paused, his tone carrying a hint of authority, "Our exiled group is quite large, and we need to purchase our daily necessities. If the government could grant us some special commercial incentives, we could make bulk purchases, which would not only meet our needs but also promote the economic development of Qinghe Town. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

Chairman Luo's expression changed slightly; he hadn't expected Xiao Yuhan to bring up the government.

He knew that the exile team was large, and if he could secure this deal, it would indeed be of great benefit to the economy of Qinghe Town.

But what worries him more is that once a precedent is set, it will be difficult to control in the future.

After weighing the pros and cons, Chairman Luo finally compromised.

He forced a smile and said, "Young Master Xiao is right. I need to discuss this matter with the government before I can give you an answer."

Xiao Yuhan nodded and left the Chamber of Commerce with Su Yunlan.

The next day, the government indeed sent people to agree to grant Su Yunlan some special business incentives.

Su Yunlan was overjoyed

As evening fell, the setting sun painted half the sky red.

Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan walked side by side on their way back to the inn.

"I owe you everything today," Su Yunlan said softly, her eyes shining with gratitude.

Xiao Yuhan smiled slightly and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Lan'er, we are husband and wife, there is no need for thanks."

The two smiled at each other, their eyes revealing unspeakable emotions.

“We’ll go tomorrow…” Su Yunlan was interrupted by a series of urgent knocks on the door before she could finish speaking.

The knocking was urgent and forceful, breaking the cozy atmosphere under the setting sun.

Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan exchanged a glance, the tenderness in their eyes not yet completely gone.

Xiao Yuhan got up, opened the door, and stood outside the door was the Third Young Master Xiao.

He looked anxious, and fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.

"Fourth brother, sister-in-law, something's happened!" Young Master Xiao gasped for breath, his voice tinged with panic.

Su Yunlan frowned slightly, her unease growing stronger.

She walked quickly to the door, her gaze falling on Young Master Xiao. "Third Brother, what happened?"

"It's Zheng the merchant. He sent people to spread rumors that there's something wrong with our goods, and many people are afraid to buy our products!" Young Master Xiao said anxiously, waving his hands as if trying to drive away his unease.

Su Yunlan's heart sank. She had expected that the local businessmen would not let them off easily, but she did not expect them to act so quickly.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Third Brother, don't worry, I'll handle this."

Xiao Yuhan patted the third young master on the shoulder, his tone steady, "Third brother, you go back and rest first. Leave this matter to me and Lan'er."

Young Master Xiao nodded and turned to leave.

In the room, Su Yunlan fell into deep thought.

She knew that in order to gain a foothold in Qinghe Town, she had to come up with a solution.

As night deepened, the chirping of insects drifted in from outside the window.

Su Yunlan was studying the map of Qinghe Town, which was densely marked with the distribution of shops.

Xiao Yuhan watched her quietly from the side, a hint of heartache in his eyes.

"Lan'er, it's late, go and rest for a while," Xiao Yuhan said softly, his voice deep and gentle, with a hint of concern.

Su Yunlan looked up and saw the concern in Xiao Yuhan's eyes, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

She put down the map in her hand, stood up, and stretched.

Xiao Yuhan walked to her side, picked up the cloak beside him, and gently draped it over her shoulders with tender and careful movements.

Su Yunlan raised her head and looked at Xiao Yuhan, who was so close to her. His eyes shone like stars in the night sky.

Xiao Yuhan gently stroked Su Yunlan's hair, his fingertips softly brushing across her cheek, the tingling sensation making Su Yunlan's heart beat slightly faster.

A blush rose on her cheeks, as delicate and beautiful as peach blossoms in early spring.

Their eyes met, and an ambiguous atmosphere seemed to fill the air, making the temperature rise.

However, as time went on, Su Yunlan became increasingly busy.

She leaves early and returns late every day, shuttling between shops and markets, dealing with all sorts of people.

Xiao Yuhan could only stand silently behind her, watching her busy figure, and the sense of loss in his heart gradually accumulated.

He would occasionally think of taking a walk with her and chatting about everyday things, but Su Yunlan would always brush him off with "Let's talk about it when I'm done with my work."

This feeling of being ignored made him feel suffocated, and a faint sense of oppression began to rise in his heart.

Today, another busy day came to an end. Su Yunlan returned to her room exhausted, wanting nothing more than to collapse into bed and sleep.

Xiao Yuhan looked at the dark circles under her eyes, wanting to say something, but hesitated to speak.

"I'm a little tired, I'm going to sleep now," Su Yunlan said softly, without even glancing at Xiao Yuhan.

As Xiao Yuhan watched Su Yunlan's hurried departure, his throat felt as if something was blocking it, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only let out a soft sigh.

Just then, Ding the peddler's shrill voice came from outside the door, "Madam Su, I've brought you the goods you requested, they're all outside!"

Su Yunlan rubbed her aching temples; the peddler's shouts sounded particularly grating to her ears.

She then realized that she had been neglecting Xiao Yuhan recently, and a sense of guilt welled up in her heart.

Xiao Yuhan silently carried the goods brought by the peddler into the room without saying a word.

Su Yunlan watched his retreating figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

The next day, Su Yunlan specially instructed the inn to prepare a sumptuous dinner.

The dishes were exquisite and fragrant, made with ingredients she had specially taken from her spatial storage. Even the tableware was her treasured porcelain.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window onto the table, adding a touch of warmth to the room.

"Yuhan, you've been working hard lately." Su Yunlan placed a piece of fish on Xiao Yuhan's plate, her tone gentle.

Xiao Yuhan looked at Su Yunlan, the melancholy in his eyes gradually fading away. "Lan'er, I was just worried that you were too tired."

Su Yunlan held Xiao Yuhan's hand; her hand was soft and warm, which calmed Xiao Yuhan's heart.

"I know you're worried about me, but I promise you I'll get more rest and spend more time with you in the future."

Xiao Yuhan grasped Su Yunlan's hand in return, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

"Lan'er, it's so good to have you." He gazed at Su Yunlan with deep affection, his eyes shining like stars in the night sky.

The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.

The two enjoyed a warm and sweet meal together, and the previous misunderstandings vanished.

Su Yunlan nestled in Xiao Yuhan's arms, listening to his strong heartbeat, feeling incredibly peaceful.

In the days that followed, Su Yunlan's business grew bigger and bigger, and the variety of goods became more and more diverse.

Taking advantage of her location, she was always able to obtain the best goods at the lowest prices, giving Zheng merchants a resounding slap in the face.

The Zheng merchant was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

One day, Su Yunlan was checking the accounts when Li Shaonian rushed in, looking flustered. "Madam Su, something terrible has happened! Someone is asking about your source of goods!"

Su Yunlan felt a chill run down her spine, a cold sensation shooting from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

She put down the ledger in her hand, her eyes blazing. "Who is it?"

"I don't know him, but he seems to be someone important." Li's voice trembled, clearly frightened.

Su Yunlan frowned; it seemed someone was watching her.

She walked to the window, looking at the bustling crowd on the street, her heart filled with turbulent emotions.

Who is secretly watching her trade routes?

"Keep an eye on it, and report back immediately if there's any news." Su Yunlan's tone was icy; she had a premonition that a storm was about to break.

In the evening, Su Yunlan told Xiao Yuhan about it.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuhan's expression also turned serious. "Lan'er, be careful."

Su Yunlan nodded, her eyes resolute. "I know, I won't let them succeed."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and an unfamiliar voice said, "Madam Su, my master invites you in."