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

The exile began, and supplies were guarded.

As dawn broke, the winding path in the wilderness stretched into the distance like a gray serpent, disappearing into the horizon. Su Yunlan stood at the assembly point of the exile group, her brow furrowed. Her fingers traced the map in her hand, the rough texture of the paper doing little to alleviate her anxiety. The shadow of Black Wind Ridge loomed over her; the road ahead was long and fraught with danger. She had to quickly gather sufficient supplies to ensure the safety of the Xiao family as they weathered the storm.

Time was of the essence. Commander Zhao's cold, piercing gaze swept over the crowd like a hawk's, an invisible pressure making it hard to breathe. Su Yunlan glanced around; the other exiles' eyes gleamed with greed, staring at the carriages behind her like hungry wolves, as if they might pounce and steal them at any moment. A sense of urgency washed over her like a tidal wave, almost overwhelming her. She took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and declared resolutely, "I will not let them succeed!"

"Lan'er, what are we going to do?" Lin Wanyan walked to Su Yunlan's side with a distressed expression, her tone full of worry. "The government has only given us so little time, how can we possibly prepare everything? Where are we going to find food and drink in this desolate wilderness?"

“Mother, now is not the time to complain,” Su Yunlan said in a low voice. “We need to hurry and prepare as many necessities as possible. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Lin Wanyan's complaints attracted the attention of those around her, and Captain Zhao's sharp gaze swept over, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.

Just then, a shifty-eyed man squeezed out from the crowd; it was Old Liu. He rubbed his hands together, his face full of fawning smiles, and approached Su Yunlan: "Fourth Young Mistress, you see, you have so many things in your house, why not share some with this old man? I would be eternally grateful."

Su Yunlan glanced at him coldly, her tone icy: "Old Liu, please have some self-respect."

Old Liu was rebuffed, and a hint of malice flashed across his face, but he quickly put on a pitiful look: "Fourth Young Mistress, please have pity on this old man. I have elderly parents and young children to support..." As he spoke, he actually reached out and tugged at Su Yunlan's clothes, saying, "Fourth Young Mistress, aren't you afraid of retribution for being so heartless?"

Su Yunlan calmly straightened the hem of her clothes before speaking, retorting with even sharper words: "Old Liu, if you continue to be so rude, I won't be so polite. The road to exile is long, and I have plenty of ways to make things difficult for you."

Su Yunlan whispered, "Mother, go tell Granny Sun to have a few children play around there and try to distract those people." Lin Wanyan nodded and hurried to find Granny Sun. Granny Sun and a few children were jumping and playing around, their laughter echoing, which indeed attracted the attention of many exiles.

Su Yunlan quickly took out bags of dry food and several clean clothes from her spatial storage and placed them on the carriage. Her movements were swift and skillful; in no time, the carriage was piled high with various necessities. Seeing this, the Xiao family members were filled with admiration for Su Yunlan's ingenuity, with the Second Young Master of the Xiao family giving her a thumbs-up: "Sister-in-law, you're truly amazing!"

Seeing Su Yunlan busy at work, Xiao Yuhan came over to help. He gently put his arm around Su Yunlan's shoulder, his eyes filled with trust and love: "Lan'er, you've worked so hard." Su Yunlan felt his support and her heart warmed. She nodded vigorously: "It's okay, we will definitely get through this."

Just then, Old Liu's gaze froze. He stared at the supplies on the cart, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. His Adam's apple bobbed, and you could almost hear him swallowing. He had initially thought Su Yunlan was just a little clever and had hidden some things, but he hadn't expected her to be so wealthy! This made the greed in his heart grow wildly like weeds, and he could no longer suppress it.

"Fourth Young Mistress, you're so generous! This...this probably isn't all, is it? You must be hiding even more good stuff, right?" Old Liu said sarcastically, his voice filled with jealousy and greed. He deliberately raised his voice, trying to attract the attention of those around him so he could take advantage of the situation.

Upon hearing Elder Liu's words, the surrounding exiles all stopped what they were doing, their eyes fixed intently on Su Yunlan as if she were a lamb to the slaughter. A tense atmosphere filled the air, as if a conflict could erupt at any moment.

Standing on the carriage, Su Yunlan displayed and explained the uses of each item of supplies. Her voice was steady and powerful, each word like a command, making those around her hesitant to move. Sunlight shone on her, making her appear like a female general commanding her territory. "Captain Zhao, I do indeed have some supplies. However, these supplies are not something I intentionally concealed, but rather to take care of my frail second brother. He needs better nutrition and a more comfortable environment to survive this long journey of exile." As she spoke, she took some common medicines from the carriage and handed them to Captain Zhao: "These are some commonly used medicinal herbs. My second brother is weak and needs to be on hand at all times."

Lieutenant Zhao took the medicinal herbs, examined them carefully, nodded, and then looked at the pale-faced Young Master Xiao, having already made his judgment. He said in a deep voice, "We are about to depart; you must not cause any more trouble."

Old Liu was dumbfounded upon seeing this. He had originally thought he could take this opportunity to get a share of the profits, but he never expected Su Yunlan to resolve the crisis so cleverly. He gritted his teeth and reluctantly retreated back into the crowd.

Su Yunlan watched as Captain Zhao turned and left, secretly relieved. She knew that the crisis was temporarily over, but the road ahead was long, and the challenges had only just begun. She turned to look at Xiao Yuhan, their eyes meeting, both filled with determination and trust.

“Yuhan,” Su Yunlan said softly, “Next, we…”

Su Yunlan watched Zhao Xiaowei leave, then turned and beckoned the Xiao family members to approach the carriage. She distributed the prepared supplies one by one, and each person received a small bag of dry rations, a water pouch, and some essential medicines.

After receiving the supplies, Lin Wanyan excitedly grasped Su Yunlan's hand, tears welling in her eyes: "Lan'er, I knew you would find a way."

Young Master Xiao accepted the specially prepared medicine packet from Su Yunlan, smiled gratefully, and a blush rose on his pale face: "Sister-in-law, thank you. With you here, I feel much more at ease." He gently sniffed the medicine packet, and a faint herbal fragrance wafted up, making him feel refreshed and relaxed.

Even the usually taciturn Xiao Yuhan unconsciously tightened his grip on the jade pendant at his waist when he was nervous. He also couldn't help but hold Su Yunlan's hand tightly. He gently stroked the soft back of Su Yunlan's hand, feeling the warmth of her palm, and a warm current surged in his heart.

Granny Sun watched as Su Yunlan arranged everything in an orderly manner, and a gratified smile appeared on her face. She walked shakily to Su Yunlan and said kindly, "Fourth Young Mistress, you are truly a compassionate person. Even we servants are included. This old servant thanks you on behalf of all the servants of the Xiao family."

Seeing the Xiao family members beaming with joy after receiving the supplies, the surrounding exiles discussed Su Yunlan's wisdom and abilities, and a sense of awe for her arose spontaneously.

Su Yunlan's prestige among the exiled troops reached its peak at this moment.

Just then, a piercing cry shattered the brief silence.

"My child! What happened to my child!" Widow Zhou stumbled over, carrying a pale-faced child with purple lips.

The child's faint breathing and Widow Zhou's heart-wrenching cries made the surrounding air freeze instantly.

Su Yunlan's heart sank. She realized a new test was about to begin. She quickly walked to Widow Zhou, knelt down, and gently touched the child's forehead. The burning temperature made her heart tighten. She knew the child's condition was critical and required immediate medical attention.

However, she had limited supplies, and if she used some of them now, the journey ahead would be even more difficult.

She hesitated, her gaze complex as she looked at the child in her arms, then at the Xiao family members waiting expectantly behind her, her heart filled with contradictions and struggles.

A memory suddenly flashed through her mind of seeing her servant's child sick when she was a child. She had been in great pain then because she was powerless to help, so she didn't want to see such a tragedy happen again. Without hesitation, she took out a jade pendant that she had always treasured, saying that she would use it to exchange for medicine to save the child.

Time ticked by, the widow's cries grew more piercing, and the child's breathing became weaker and weaker. Su Yunlan felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. But she knew she had to do it.