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

Further exploration of sources of goods leads to more setbacks.

Horse hooves shattered the starlight as Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan sped along.

As dawn broke, they had penetrated deep into the town.

Su Yunlan's purpose for this trip was clear—to find new sources of goods.

She worked tirelessly, day and night, traversing every street and alley of the town, her eyes shining with unwavering determination.

However, reality dealt her a heavy blow.

Wherever she went, whether it was a fabric shop, a grain and oil shop, or a medicinal herb shop, she found that the supply of goods had long been firmly controlled by local forces.

Chairman Luo is like a giant spider entwined here, tightly weaving all business opportunities into his web.

Su Yunlan visited a fairly large fabric shop. The shopkeeper bowed and scraped, seemingly very enthusiastic, but he was vague on key issues and ultimately just said that there was no stock left.

Su Yunlan walked out of the fabric shop, her palms clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

The air was filled with a faint musty smell and the odor of dye, which made her feel suffocated.

On the street corner, a ragged beggar huddled up, emitting low groans, his situation strikingly similar to hers.

A sense of helplessness spread around Su Yunlan, but she was unwilling to give up.

She pondered that perhaps there would be new opportunities outside the city.

Just then, a shrewd and cunning peddler named Ding appeared in her field of vision.

Ding the peddler traveled to various places and had a thorough understanding of the sources of goods, but he asked for very high prices.

After some haggling, Su Yunlan received a "reliable" piece of information—a village fifty miles west of the city had a large quantity of medicinal herbs for sale.

With hope rekindled, Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan immediately set off.

The journey was long, and the bumpy dirt road kicked up clouds of dust from the horses' hooves, making everyone cough.

Under the blazing sun, my skin felt burning hot.

Finally, they arrived at their destination, only to find that it was just a desolate field with no trace of medicinal herbs.

Anger burned like a raging fire in Su Yunlan's chest.

She was scammed!

She gripped the whip tightly and lashed it hard against a withered tree beside her, the branch snapping in two.

A suffocating atmosphere enveloped her, and the air around her seemed to freeze.

Xiao Yuhan dismounted and walked to Su Yunlan's side, looking at her with heartache.

He gently patted her shoulder, his deep voice whispering in her ear: "Yunlan..."

Xiao Yuhan looked at his wife with heartache, his eyes filled with anger.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as if he wanted to crush the peddler who had deceived Su Yunlan.

But he finally endured it.

His status as an exile was like a shackle, binding his hands and feet.

He couldn't cause Yunlan any more trouble.

Heavy breathing churned in his chest, and a suffocating atmosphere spread around him.

Su Yunlan took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging emotions in her heart.

She knew that anger wouldn't solve anything.

The scorching sun shone on her face, and sweat trickled down her temples, but her eyes remained unusually calm.

She began to carefully recall her conversation with the peddler, as well as what she had seen and heard along the way, trying to find any flaws in the story.

"Third Brother, are you familiar with the trade routes around here?" Su Yunlan turned to look at Young Master Xiao, who had been following them.

Young Master Xiao was stunned for a moment, not expecting Su Yunlan to be able to think so calmly under such circumstances.

His admiration for Su Yunlan grew even stronger.

"I know a little bit about it. Has Sister-in-law Yunlan thought of something?"

“I think we may have been misled,” Su Yunlan said firmly. “The peddler Ding may not know the real source of the goods; he just wants to swindle our money.”

"So what should we do now?" Xiao Yuhan asked anxiously, his rough hands unconsciously stroking Su Yunlan's back, trying to comfort her.

Su Yunlan's gaze fell into the distance, where the sun was setting and a fiery red cloud was burning on the horizon.

“President Luo has monopolized the business within the city, but what about outside the city? There must be places we haven’t discovered yet.” A wise glint shone in her eyes. “Third Brother, do you remember that young Li we met before?”

Young Master Xiao recalled for a moment, "Are you talking about that clever young man next to the Chamber of Commerce president? I think his name is Li Shan."

"Yes, it's him." Su Yunlan. Perhaps he can help us.

Xiao Yuhan nodded and immediately arranged for someone to go find Li Shan.

Night falls and the stars are shining.

Su Yunlan and her group rested in a simple teahouse.

The dim oil lamp flickered, illuminating the tired faces of the crowd.

A faint aroma of tea filled the air, mixed with a hint of dust.

Li Shan was soon brought before Su Yunlan.

He was a little nervous, fidgeting with the hem of his clothes, but his eyes were clear and firm.

"Mrs. Su, you wanted to see me?"

Su Yunlan got straight to the point and explained her purpose.

She spoke sincerely and promised a generous reward once the matter was resolved.

After hearing this, Li Shan fell into deep thought.

He knew the inside story of the Chamber of Commerce and also knew Chairman Luo's methods.

Helping Su Yunlan would undoubtedly be going against Chairman Luo, which is extremely risky.

He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, it was the sincerity in Su Yunlan's eyes that moved him.

“Mrs. Su, I know someone who might be able to help you.” Li Shan’s voice was soft, but it carried a hint of determination.

Li Shan led Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan to a secluded manor outside the city.

The night was deep and quiet in the manor, with only a few dim lanterns casting a faint glow.

The air was filled with a faint scent of grass and trees, mixed with a hint of damp earth.

A burly, composed middle-aged man appeared before them.

He called himself Manager Zhao, the owner of the manor, and a businessman who operated in the gray area.

He has unique sourcing channels and offers reasonable prices.

After a detailed discussion, Su Yunlan and Manager Zhao finally reached a cooperation agreement.

She found a new source of goods, and the gloom in her heart was swept away.

The moonlight shone on her face, reflecting her relieved smile.

Xiao Yuhan looked at Su Yunlan with eyes full of satisfaction.

He reached out and took her hand, his rough palm enveloping her soft fingers.

"Yunlan, you've worked hard."

Su Yunlan grasped Xiao Yuhan's hand in return, and the two smiled at each other.

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

In the distance came the sound of the night watchman's clapper, once, twice, three times...

"Looks like someone's going to have trouble sleeping," Manager Zhao said meaningfully, glancing towards the town.

The night watchman's clapper echoed in the silent night, striking the hearts of Zheng merchants with each beat.

He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

The news that Su Yunlan had found a new source of goods gnawed at his heart like a leech.

He could not tolerate an exiled convict stealing his business, nor could he tolerate losing to a woman in the business world.

"Guards!" The Zheng merchant suddenly sat up and shouted sternly.

A burly thug entered in response, bowing and waiting for orders.

"Investigate! Find out where Su Yunlan's new source of goods is coming from!" Zheng Shangren's eyes flashed with a fierce light, his tone as cold as a knife.

The thugs obeyed and left, quickly returning with the news.

"Master, Su Yunlan's new source of goods comes from Manager Zhao's manor outside the city."

"Manager Zhao?" Merchant Zheng frowned, tapping his fingers on the table repeatedly with a dull thud.

"This Manager Zhao is always cautious, why would he cooperate with Su Yunlan?"

"I've heard that Manager Zhao seems a bit scared and wants to withdraw from the cooperation with Su Yunlan," the thug replied cautiously.

A cold smile crept across the Zheng merchant's lips. "Good that you're afraid." He said.

The atmosphere at Manager Zhao's manor was somber.

In the dim light, Manager Zhao's face was pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

His hand gripped the teacup tightly, his knuckles turning white, and tea spilled onto the table, leaving a dark stain.

"Manager Zhao, what's wrong?" Su Yunlan noticed Manager Zhao's unusual behavior and asked with concern.

Manager Zhao forced a smile, but his voice trembled slightly.

"No...it's nothing, it's just that the weather has been so unpredictable lately, I'm feeling a bit unwell."

"Is that so?" Su Yunlan stared sharply at Manager Zhao, her tone tinged with doubt.

Suddenly, the tranquility of the manor was broken by the rapid sound of horses' hooves.

A wounded servant stumbled into the hall, crying out in terror, "Master! Something terrible has happened! Master Zheng has sent men!"

Manager Zhao's expression changed drastically, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "crash," shattering into pieces.

The fragments scattered everywhere, just like his panicked state of mind.

He looked at Su Yunlan in horror, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a word.

Su Yunlan's face darkened. She stood up, walked to Manager Zhao, and said firmly, "Manager Zhao, don't be afraid, I'm here."

She turned to look outside the door. In the pitch-black night, several torches snaked their way in like a fire dragon, approaching the manor with an oppressive aura.

Su Yunlan took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with determination.

"It seems we need to have a serious talk."