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

A new decree suddenly arrived, but the art gallery remained steadfast.

Su Yunlan's heart sank suddenly, and a chill ran up from the soles of her feet.

New order?

What will it be?

Are we going to make them relocate again and give up everything they've worked so hard to build?

She clenched her fists instinctively, her delicate eyebrows furrowing into a knot.

The surrounding artisans were also in an uproar, and the originally joyous atmosphere was instantly replaced by unease and panic.

"We have to move again? My God, when will this end!" Old Mrs. Zhou pounded her chest and stamped her feet, her face contorted with grief, her cloudy eyes filled with despair.

Miss Wu clutched her embroidery frame tightly, her petite body trembling slightly, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.

"What...what are we going to do? We finally have a stable income..." Master Zhao's hands trembled incessantly. His calloused hands, which had once created countless exquisite works, now hung limply at his sides.

He looked at Su Yunlan with concern.

The henchmen sent by Boss Qian were hiding in a corner, gloating and whispering among themselves.

"It seems even God can't stand their smugness. This is going to be a good show!" They wore gloating smiles, as if they had already foreseen the tragic demise of the art gallery.

Old Mrs. Zhou grabbed Su Yunlan's sleeve, her tone tinged with reproach: "Su Niangzi, you see, I told you, this art workshop is not a long-term solution. Let's just stick to the group and stop causing trouble!" Her weathered face was filled with anxiety and unease, as if Su Yunlan's insistence had brought them great disaster.

Su Yunlan took a deep breath, trying to suppress her agitation. She gently patted Old Madam Zhou's hand, her tone firm and steady: "Grandma Zhou, don't worry, I won't abandon the art studio, nor will I abandon anyone!" Her gaze swept over the crowd.

The message brought by the messenger quickly spread throughout the exile group: a new imperial decree required some of the exiles to be transferred to other places to work, and many artisans from the art workshop were among those listed.

“Madam Su…” Master Zhao walked shakily to Su Yunlan, his voice low and hoarse, “I…I’m afraid I have to go…”

Brother Sun patted his chest and shouted, "Miss Su, I'll follow you! No matter where we go, I'll work at the art gallery!" His young face was full of determination, and his eyes shone with youthful light, like a blazing flame that ignited hope around him.

His resounding statement was like a thunderclap, exploding in the crowd and instantly igniting the previously lifeless atmosphere, creating a surge of warmth among them.

Miss Wu timidly raised her head, and a glimmer of hope gradually ignited in her originally dull eyes.

"I...I'll stay too!" Her weak voice, though not loud, was full of strength, like a delicate flower blooming tenaciously in the wind and rain.

Looking at Young Master Sun and Miss Wu, Old Mrs. Zhou's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed. She sighed deeply, her tone filled with relief: "Oh well, this old woman is going all out. What can I be afraid of at my age?"

Master Zhao excitedly grasped Su Yunlan's hand, tears streaming down his face: "Miss Su, you...you are such a good child! I entrust my life to you!" His calloused hands gripped Su Yunlan's hand tightly, as if she were a lifeline, and a feeling of gratitude welled up from the bottom of his heart.

Xiao Yuhan walked to Su Yunlan's side, gently took her hand, and his deep eyes were filled with tenderness and determination.

"Lan'er, don't be afraid, I'm here." His deep and magnetic voice flowed into Su Yunlan's heart like a warm current, dispelling all fear and unease.

Su Yunlan looked up at Xiao Yuhan, her eyes slightly red. She held his hand in return, feeling the warmth of his palm, and an indescribable sense of security welled up in her heart.

Just then, a cold voice came from outside the crowd, "Oh, it's quite lively! It seems you don't know what happened!" Boss Qian swaggered in with a group of thugs. A sinister smile was on his fat face. His appearance was like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over the once hopeful art studio.

Boss Qian's gaze fell on Su Yunlan, his tone carrying a hint of threat: "Mrs. Su, let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve this time!"

A fake smile plastered on Boss Qian's greasy face. He rubbed his hands together, and his shrill voice echoed through the art gallery: "Masters, I know you're all in a difficult situation right now. The new imperial decree has left you bewildered. How about this, I, Mr. Qian, am willing to accept you all to work in my shop. The wages, of course, are much better than here!" As he spoke, he pulled a silver ingot from his sleeve, twirling it deftly between his fingers. The gleam of the silver reflected off it was so dazzling that it made everyone's eyes water.

Some artisans' once determined eyes began to flicker. They exchanged glances, and whispers began to rise again.

Old Mrs. Zhou tugged at Su Yunlan's sleeve worriedly and whispered, "Madam Su, this...the price offered by the shopkeeper is indeed quite good, so...we should..."

Miss Wu gripped the embroidery hoop tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

She longed for a stable life, and Mr. Qian's offer was undoubtedly a huge temptation for her.

She stole a glance at Su Yunlan.

Seeing that the crowd was wavering, Boss Qian was smug. He raised his stakes and said in a louder voice, "As long as you're willing to come to my shop, I guarantee that everyone will get double the wages! Moreover, I will provide accommodation and meals so that you won't have to worry about food and clothing!"

Just then, Young Master Xiao cleared his throat and said loudly, "Boss Qian, you've got quite the scheme! Double wages? Lodging and meals? You're being so kind, but I'm afraid you have ulterior motives." A mocking smile appeared on his lips, and his sharp eyes stared at Boss Qian, as if he could see through the deepest scheming in his heart.

Mr. Qian's smile froze. His eyes darted around as he stammered, "Young Master Xiao, what do you mean by that? I... I meant well, how did that become ulterior motives?"

Young Master Xiao sneered and pointed at the silver in Boss Qian's hand, saying, "This silver is just bait! Boss Qian's real goal is to poach the artisans from our workshop and then monopolize the entire market! Then he can raise prices at will and make huge profits! And you will only become his money-making tools in the end!"

Young Master Xiao's words exploded like a bomb in the crowd.

The craftsmen suddenly realized what was happening and glared angrily at Boss Qian.

They had initially held onto a sliver of hope for Boss Qian, but now they realized they had almost fallen into his trap.

"You bastard, Mr. Qian, how dare you deceive us!"

We won't fall for your tricks!

"Get out of our art studio!"

An angry chorus rose and fell. Boss Qian's face turned from red to white, then from white to green. Enraged, he pointed at the crowd and cursed, "You...you bunch of ungrateful bastards! You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences!"

Su Yunlan glanced gratefully at Young Master Xiao, then turned to face the crowd and said loudly, "Don't be fooled by him! Although our art workshop is facing difficulties, we have skills and confidence! As long as we unite as one, we will definitely be able to overcome the difficulties!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, their bodies tightly united around Su Yunlan, as unbreakable as steel.

Seeing that things were not going well, Boss Qian slunk away from the art gallery with his thugs.

Su Yunlan looked at the renewed hope on everyone's faces and a confident smile appeared on her lips.

"In that case, we must prove our worth! I've decided to hold a skills exchange conference at the Art Gallery!"

Her voice was clear and powerful, echoing in the air above the art gallery.

The crowd was taken aback at first, then burst into enthusiastic cheers.

"A skills exchange conference?" Miss Wu's eyes widened, sparkling with excitement.

She hugged her embroidery hoop tightly, as if she could see her work being praised by everyone.

"Great! I've been wanting to exchange wood carving skills with Master Zhao for a long time!" Young Master Sun rubbed his hands together, eager to try.

He could almost see himself shining brightly at the skills exchange conference.

Master Zhao stroked his gray beard, his eyes filled with anticipation.

He longed for a platform where he could pass on all the knowledge he had acquired throughout his life.

As a result, the entire art studio sprang into action.

The artisans all brought out their best skills and began to prepare meticulously.

Wood chips flew, needles and thread darted about, and the clanging and banging of hammers mingled with laughter, creating a vibrant melody.

Miss Wu took out her treasured silk thread, which shimmered with iridescent light in the sunlight, like a rainbow in the sky.

She meticulously embroidered a picture of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, pouring all her heart and soul into every stitch.

Brother Sun is carving a lifelike eagle on a piece of fine wood. The eagle spreads its wings as if about to take flight and break through the clouds.

The carving knife in his hand danced like a sprite, and wood shavings flew from his fingertips, falling like snowflakes.

Master Zhao guided the young craftsmen from the side, patiently explaining each step and each technique, sharing his knowledge without reservation.

Looking at the lively scene, Su Yunlan felt a sense of satisfaction.

She seemed to see seeds of hope taking root and sprouting on this barren land.

However, just as everyone was getting excited, a sudden problem caught them off guard.

"Madam Su, we're running out of fine silk threads and dyes..." Miss Wu said anxiously, holding the empty silk thread box.

“Yes, I’ve run out of my best wood…” Brother Sun looked at the wood carving in his hand with a worried expression. The eagle’s wings were not yet finished, but he had run out of materials.

Su Yunlan's heart sank suddenly, and a bad premonition surged into her mind.

She hurried to the warehouse, opened the wooden crate, only to find it completely empty.

"How could this happen..." she murmured to herself, her brows furrowed.

"Lan'er, what's wrong?" Xiao Yuhan walked over and asked with concern.

Su Yunlan took a deep breath and slowly said, "We... are short of materials."