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

Salt routes blocked, salt merchants' treacherous schemes

Su Yunlan looked at the destroyed transport team in front of her, her eyes filled with anger.

The once neatly parked vehicles are now scattered and disorderly, as if ravaged by a giant beast, leaving a mess everywhere.

The wheels were maliciously splattered with paint, emitting a pungent smell. The paint was sticky, like clumps of black sludge, firmly fixing the wheels to the ground.

The wooden crates containing the goods were smashed to pieces, and the goods inside were scattered all over the ground, some of them even being damaged.

What pained her most were the ripped salt bags, with white salt grains scattered all over the ground, reflecting a blinding light in the morning sun, as if silently accusing this malicious destruction.

She slowly walked to a wooden cart that had been smashed and deformed. She had personally chosen this cart; it was made of sturdy wood and had exquisite craftsmanship, but now it was in this state.

She reached out and gently stroked the rough wood, feeling a cold touch on her fingertips, as if she were touching her own wounded heart.

Once, this car carried her hopes and her dreams for the future, but now it has become the target of malicious vandalism.

A surge of anger welled up from the bottom of his heart, and Su Yunlan clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force.

She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger and telling herself to calm down.

Especially in times like these, it's crucial not to lose your composure.

She's determined to find the mastermind behind this and make them pay!

“Lan’er…” Xiao Yuhan walked to her side, looked at her furrowed brows, and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?” His voice was low and gentle, with a hint of heartache.

He understood how much effort Su Yunlan had put into this new salt road, and how heartbroken she must be to see all this now.

Su Yunlan didn't speak, but simply handed the black scraps of cloth in her hand to Xiao Yuhan.

She found the piece of cloth on the ground; it seemed to carry a faint, peculiar fragrance that instantly alerted her.

Xiao Yuhan took the scrap of cloth, held it to his nose and sniffed it, his brows furrowing as he did so.

This scent...

He seemed to recognize the smell from somewhere before.

“The Sun family…” Su Yunlan’s voice was icy cold, as if it were being squeezed out from between her teeth.

Meanwhile, near the saltworks, a group of thugs were shouting and yelling at the salt workers.

Holding sticks, they menacingly threatened the salt workers, preventing them from providing salt for the new salt route.

Although the salt workers dared not speak out against their anger, they were all seething with resentment, yet they were helpless to do anything about it.

"You bunch of troublemakers, don't you want to live anymore?" a thug with a face full of scars shouted viciously. "You dare to go against Master Sun, I think you're tired of living!"

"How dare you be so arrogant in broad daylight!" A voice came from afar, growing louder as it approached...

Young Master Xiao rode a tall horse, followed by a group of well-trained servants, and rushed into the salt field like a whirlwind.

The whip in his hand drew a sharp arc in the air, and with a crisp "snap," it stunned everyone present.

Those previously arrogant thugs were suddenly terrified, their faces turning pale, and the sticks in their hands fell to the ground with a clanging sound.

"How dare you be so arrogant in broad daylight!" Young Master Xiao's voice boomed like thunder, echoing throughout the entire salt field.

He dismounted, his gaze sharp as he swept over the trembling thugs, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Who gave you the audacity to cause trouble here?"

The thugs looked at each other, none of them daring to utter a sound.

They usually act arrogantly and domineeringly because of Sun, the salt merchant, but they never expected to run into a brick wall today.

"Tenth Young Master..." one of the bolder thugs stammered, "We...we just..."

"Just what?" Young Master Xiao stepped forward, grabbed the thug by the collar, and lifted him up. "Speak! Who sent you here?"

The thug was terrified, and a strong stench of urine filled the air. He stammered, "It's...it's Master Sun..."

Young Master Xiao snorted coldly, threw him to the ground, and ordered the servants behind him, "Beat them hard! Beat them until they dare not set foot in the salt field again!"

Upon receiving the order, the servants immediately rushed forward and began punching and kicking the thugs.

Screams and pleas for mercy rose and fell, echoing throughout the saltworks.

Upon seeing this, the salt workers clapped their hands in delight, their faces beaming with satisfaction.

After the saltworks matter was resolved, Xiao Yuhan never left Su Yunlan's side.

He gently held her hand, feeling the warmth of her palm. "Lan'er, are you alright?" His voice was deep and gentle, like a spring breeze caressing Su Yunlan's heart.

Su Yunlan grasped his hand in return, feeling the warmth and strength in his palm, and a warm current surged in her heart.

She looked up at the man who loved her deeply, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips.

"I'm fine. With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."

The two gazed at each other with deep affection, their eyes seeing only each other.

As the sun sets, golden sunlight bathes them, creating a warm and beautiful scene.

In the distance, a figure lurked in the shadows, observing everything.

He watched Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan's intimate interaction and muttered to himself, "Hmph, you won't be smug for long..." before turning and disappearing into the night.

Seeing that his plan to sabotage the transport team had failed, Sun, the salt merchant, came up with another idea.

He secretly sent people to spread rumors that there was something wrong with the salt on Xinyan Road, and that eating it would make people sick or even endanger their lives.

Rumors spread rapidly like a plague, causing widespread panic among the people and casting a shadow over their initial expectations for the new salt road.

Salt sales on Xinyan Road plummeted, and the warehouse was piled high with salt, causing Su Yunlan great anxiety.

"Lan'er, don't worry, we'll find a solution." Xiao Yuhan gently put his arm around Su Yunlan's shoulder, trying to comfort her.

He knew how much effort Su Yunlan had put into this new salt road, and how anxious she must be to see all this now.

Su Yunlan took a deep breath, trying her best to remain calm.

“Yuhan, you’re right. We can’t afford to panic.” Her eyes shone with determination. “I’ll go to the city right now and prove to everyone that there’s nothing wrong with our salt!”

The next morning, Su Yunlan brought several bags of salt to the busiest square in the city.

She invited several of the most respected traditional Chinese medicine doctors in the city to test the quality of the salt in public.

The experienced traditional Chinese medicine doctors carefully examined the color, texture, and taste of the salt, and finally unanimously concluded that the salt from Xinyanlu had no problems and fully met the standards for consumption.

The people suddenly realized what was happening and condemned Sun the salt merchant's despicable behavior.

Sun, the salt merchant, suffered a severe blow to his reputation and, in a fit of rage, smashed the teacup in his hand to pieces.

"Su Yunlan, you just wait!" he growled through gritted teeth.

Su Yunlan stood in the center of the square, watching the crowd gradually disperse, a confident smile playing on her lips.

She knew that although this rumor storm had brought her considerable trouble, it had also strengthened her resolve.

She was determined to ensure that the new salt road would be unobstructed and benefit the people!

As night fell, Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan walked side by side on their way home.

The moonlight shone on them, as if they were draped in a layer of silver gauze.

“Yuhan…” Su Yunlan stopped and turned to look at Xiao Yuhan, her eyes sparkling.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Yuhan looked at her gently and stroked her cheek.

Su Yunlan took a deep breath, "I think..."

Looking at the darkening sky, Su Yunlan took a deep breath and said, "I think we need to speed things up." Xiao Yuhan nodded in agreement.

The following morning, Su Yunlan summoned Zhang, the bodyguard, to discuss how to expedite the transportation.

Zhang, the bodyguard, looked grave, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

He rubbed his rough hands together, his gaze avoiding Su Yunlan's sharp eyes.

"Master Zhang, is there some difficulty?" Su Yunlan saw through his thoughts at a glance.

Zhang, the bodyguard, sighed and finally spoke: "Madam Su, I have an elderly mother, wife, and children at home... Now, Mr. Sun, the salt merchant, has sent people to threaten me. I really..." His voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Su Yunlan understood his predicament; Sun, the salt merchant, wielded immense power in the area, making him difficult for ordinary people to contend with.

But she couldn't give up because of this; this new salt road was related to the livelihoods of too many people.

“Master Zhang, I know you’re in a difficult position,” Su Yunlan said sincerely. “But think about it, once this new salt route opens, it won’t just benefit us, but also millions of ordinary people. Right now, the Sun salt merchant has a monopoly, and salt prices are sky-high, causing immense suffering for the people. If we back down, won’t they become even more unscrupulous?”

Zhang, the bodyguard, fell silent. Su Yunlan's words struck his heart like a heavy hammer.

Doesn't he know this truth?

But how could he ignore the safety of his family?

“Madam Su, I am not a coward, but…” Zhang’s voice choked, and he raised his head, his eyes reddening, “I have elderly parents and young children to support. What will they do if something happens to me?”

Su Yunlan gently patted his shoulder, "Master Zhang, I understand your concerns. Don't worry, I will send people to protect your family secretly and will never let them get hurt."

Looking into Su Yunlan's determined eyes, Zhang, the bodyguard, felt a glimmer of hope.

He took a deep breath and finally made up his mind: "Madam Su, I entrust my life to you! I will do my utmost to escort the salt convoy safely to its destination!"

Su Yunlan smiled with relief and was about to speak when suddenly, a servant rushed in, pale-faced and panting, saying, "Madam, something bad has happened! The government... the government has come..." He was out of breath and couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"Officials have arrived? What happened?" Su Yunlan's heart tightened, and an ominous premonition welled up in her mind.

The servant finally caught his breath and said in a trembling voice, "The government... the government said that our new salt route... has been operating illegally..."