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

Entangled in emotions, breaking free from the predicament

Master Lin's sudden departure was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples, and Su Yunlan's heart sank to the bottom.

She vaguely sensed that the hastily delivered letter was inextricably linked to the school she had painstakingly prepared for.

Sure enough, not long after, a yamen runner came running up in a menacing manner, holding an official document stamped with a red seal in his hand. He read in a gruff voice: "By order of the county yamen, you have opened a school without permission. You must immediately cease all preparatory activities. Any disobedience will be severely punished!"

The yamen runner's voice was extremely loud, like a cold winter wind that completely extinguished the glimmer of hope that had just ignited in Su Yunlan's heart.

She felt a chill run from her feet to the top of her head. Was all her careful preparation going to go to waste?

Seeing the expectant expressions turn to blank looks on the faces of the parents around her, Su Yunlan felt a deep sense of powerlessness welling up in her heart.

She gripped her sleeves tightly, her nails almost digging into her flesh, trying her best to suppress the turbulent emotions inside her.

"Let's go." Xiao Yuhan walked to Su Yunlan's side, his deep voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible tenderness.

He reached out and gently grasped her cold fingertips. The warmth of his palm seeped through her skin, calming Su Yunlan's heart slightly.

Back in the courtyard where she was staying, Su Yunlan could no longer suppress her frustration. She leaned weakly against the door frame, staring blankly at the bare branches of the trees in the yard.

Xiao Yuhan silently walked behind her and gently embraced her.

His cool, refreshing aura enveloped her, giving her a rare sense of peace.

"Don't worry, I'm here." Xiao Yuhan gently stroked her hair with his large hand, his movements gentle yet full of strength.

Su Yunlan rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his chest, and the unease and helplessness in her heart gradually dissipated.

She greedily inhaled his unique scent, like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline.

The courtyard was silent, save for the occasional bird call from afar.

Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows that fell upon the two of them, as if gilding them with a golden halo.

Su Yunlan felt a sense of security she had never felt before. Beside this man, she felt as if she could shed all her pretenses and show her truest self.

She looked up into Xiao Yuhan's deep eyes, which were filled with determination and tenderness, as if they could encompass all her emotions.

Just then, Xiao Yuhan slowly lowered his head, his gaze like a burning flame, intense and full of longing. He gently kissed Su Yunlan's forehead, tender and lingering, their breaths mingling, and an ambiguous atmosphere slowly warmed up between them, as if time itself had stood still.

Su Yunlan felt his heartbeat and the burning emotion in his eyes, and the gloom in her heart seemed to be dispelled.

She knew that no matter what difficulties she encountered, he would be by her side, protecting her, which made her feel extremely at ease.

"I'll be right back." Xiao Yuhan gently released Su Yunlan, his gaze calm, his tone carrying a hint she had never heard before. He turned and strode out of the courtyard.

Su Yunlan was seething with anger; she refused to believe that there was no place in the world where reason could prevail!

Master Lin's house was located at the east end of the town, a small courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles. The gate was half-closed, exuding a sense of gloom and stagnation.

Su Yunlan stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a long while, she heard an impatient voice from inside, "Who is it?"

The door creaked open, and Master Lin poked his head out. Upon seeing Su Yunlan, he put on a fake smile: "Oh, it's Madam Su. What brings you here?"

"Master Lin, what's the deal with the county government's order? I opened the school for the children, what's wrong with that?" Su Yunlan got straight to the point, her tone sharp, her eyes like knives piercing Master Lin's evasive gaze.

Master Lin chuckled and rubbed his hands together, saying, "Madam Su, you don't understand. Opening a school requires approval at every level. Your procedure is not compliant..."

"Not in compliance?" Su Yunlan sneered. "I've inquired, and there's no such regulation. Master Lin, you're deliberately making things difficult for me!"

Lin, the clerk, froze with a smile. His eyes flickered and darted away, but he continued to speak in a high-sounding manner: "Madam Su, you're being too harsh. How could I, a mere clerk, dare disobey the county government's orders..."

Su Yunlan pressed on relentlessly, forcing Master Lin to retreat repeatedly, almost touching the door panel.

Her tone was firm and resolute: "Master Lin, you know perfectly well who you're working for! I, Su Yunlan, have done nothing wrong and have nothing to fear from the villains behind your back!"

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Master Lin's forehead. He hadn't expected Su Yunlan to be so forceful, and for a moment he didn't know how to deal with her.

Just then, a clear voice came from outside the door: "Madam Su, I'm here to help you!"

Su Yunlan turned around and saw Miss Li standing at the door, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on her, as if she were wearing a golden robe.

Her eyes were firm, and her tone carried an unwavering determination.

Su Yunlan felt a jolt in her heart, a warm current flowing through her, as if she had seen a glimmer of dawn in the darkness.

“Master Lin, listen carefully,” Miss Li stepped forward, her voice clear and bright, like sparkling beads, “We women also yearn to read and write. Madam Su’s opening of a school is a blessing for all of us women. If you insist on obstructing it, you will be making an enemy of all of us!”

Master Lin's face turned ashen, and his lips trembled slightly. He hadn't expected Miss Li to stand so resolutely on Su Yunlan's side.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. He could only watch helplessly as Su Yunlan and Miss Li walked away side by side, the setting sun casting long, long shadows of them...

A gust of wind blew by, swirling up a few fallen leaves that drifted away into the distance.

Master Lin closed the courtyard gate, turned around and went into the house, lit an oil lamp, and the dim light shone on his face, making him appear unpredictable.

He walked to the table, picked up a calligraphy brush, and wrote a few words on a piece of paper...

Master Chen stroked his goatee, stood in the center of the teahouse, spitting as he spoke: "That Su woman, she's no saint! What she teaches is all crooked and evil, she's corrupted all the children!" He deliberately lowered his voice, feigning mystery: "I heard that she teaches girls to show their faces in public and teaches boys to disrespect their elders..." People around him whispered among themselves, and the parents who were initially interested began to back down.

When the news reached Su Yunlan's ears, she felt a surge of anger rising to her head.

She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, and her temples throbbed.

This Master Chen clearly can't stand to see her doing well!

A suffocating atmosphere descended once more, like a sky overcast with dark clouds, making it hard to breathe.

Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open, and Young Master Xiao led several children in.

The children were dressed in rags, but that couldn't hide the thirst for knowledge in their eyes.

Young Master Xiao walked up to Su Yunlan and bowed respectfully, saying, "Sister-in-law, we want to learn from you." The children behind him followed suit, calling out in their childish voices, "Mr. Su, we want to learn!"

Looking into the children's innocent eyes, Su Yunlan's anger was instantly extinguished, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

She knelt down, gently stroking the children's hair, her voice choked with emotion: "Okay, good children, I'll teach you."

The children's clear voices, like the first birdsong of spring, broke the dull atmosphere in the courtyard.

The parents around them, seeing the longing in their children's eyes, also began to waver.

A woman hesitated before speaking, "Madam Su, can you really teach the children well?"

Su Yunlan stood up, her eyes resolute, her tone firm and powerful: "I can! I can not only teach them to read and write, but also teach them how to be good people and how to stand on their own two feet in this world!" She looked around, her gaze piercing: "I, Su Yunlan, have acted with integrity and have nothing to fear from anyone's slander!"

The surrounding parents were intimidated by Su Yunlan's imposing presence and all lowered their heads in deep thought.

Young Master Xiao led the children into the house, opened the brand-new books, and the sound of reading aloud echoed in the courtyard, like a clear spring, washing away the doubts in people's hearts.

Su Yunlan watched the children's retreating figures, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

She knows the road ahead is long, but she will not give up.

She took a deep breath, turned to look at Xiao Yuhan, only to find him standing silently at the door with a gloomy expression...

"What's your expression?"

Xiao Yuhan's face was ashen, radiating a chilling aura. His tone was as cold as the biting north wind in winter: "Su Yunlan, you're too naive! You think you can change all this with your passion? They'll only intensify their slander and mudslinging against you!" He clenched his fists, veins bulging on the back of his hands. "I'm going to find Master Chen right now and make him take back those vile words!"

Su Yunlan grabbed him, her tone firm: "What good will it do you go? It will only make him more arrogant! We can't let him lead us by the nose. We need to let the facts speak for themselves and let everyone see our results!" Her eyes shone with determination. "I believe that as long as we persevere, we will definitely be able to change all of this!"

"The facts? The fact is they don't care about the facts at all!" Xiao Yuhan flung Su Yunlan's hand away, his tone laced with anger. "They only believe what they want to believe. Doing this will only put you in a passive position!" He paced back and forth, restless and anxious, like a beast trapped in a cage.

"Passive? I'm not afraid of being passive!" Su Yunlan met his gaze without backing down, her tone firm and resolute. "I believe justice will prevail, and time will prove everything!" She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the turbulent emotions within her. "Instead of wasting time arguing with them, I'd rather focus my energy on teaching and prove them wrong with my actions!"

Neither of them would back down, and a tense atmosphere filled the air, like the calm before a storm.

The children's clear reading voices in the courtyard contrasted sharply with the tense atmosphere between the two, making them sound particularly jarring.

Just then, a dark figure appeared silently at the gate of the courtyard.

He was draped in a black cloak and wore a large hat that covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of deep eyes that gleamed with an unfathomable light.

He slowly walked up to Su Yunlan, his voice hoarse and low, like the hooting of an owl: "Lady Su, I heard you're lacking teaching materials?"

Su Yunlan eyed the mysterious man before her warily, her mind filled with doubt.

She had never met this person before, so how could he know that she lacked teaching materials?

She asked tentatively, "Who are you? How do you know I'm missing teaching materials?"

The mysterious man chuckled softly, his voice tinged with mystery: "Who I am is not important. What is important is that I can help you solve your textbook problem." He pulled a thick stack of books from his pocket and placed them in front of Su Yunlan. "These books are enough for you."

Su Yunlan looked at the brand-new books in front of her, feeling both surprised and puzzled.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Why do you want to help me? What are your conditions?"

The mysterious man chuckled again, his tone meaningful: "My condition is simple, as long as you promise me one thing..." He paused, his gaze fixed on Su Yunlan, and said, word by word, "Help me open your space."