[Marriage first, love later] She is happy after marrying a widower

In the main hall, several large tables were set up for banquets, and the tables were piled with large bowls of wine and meat. The candlelight swayed in the warm breeze, and the light and shadow danced on everyone's faces.

Han Heming was wearing a neat suit with an open collar. His hair was a little messy due to being drunk, but he did not lose his high spirits at all.

He raised the wine bowl high with both hands, and the rich aroma of wine instantly filled the air. He shouted loudly: "Brothers!"

This voice, full of energy, instantly drowned out the noise in the room, and everyone's attention was focused on it.

"Today, after going through many twists and turns, we finally settled down here!" Han Heming paused, his eyes slowly sweeping over every face at the table, some familiar and some with new injuries, with emotion and even more relief in his eyes.

"From now on, this is our root, our place of shelter and where we can show our talents! Come, drink this bowl!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and brought a full bowl of liquor to his mouth. The liquor poured in, flowing down the corners of his mouth and neck, wetting his lapel.

But he seemed unaware, his Adam's apple rolled violently, making a "gulp gulp" sound, and drank the wine in one breath.

"Okay!" The brothers shouted in unison, picked up their wine bowls, and imitated Han Heming, drinking from their glasses with their heads tilted back.

For a moment, the main room was filled with the aroma of wine, wine splashed, and heroic shouts and hearty laughter were intertwined.

After three rounds of drinks, everyone became more and more excited, and the sound of finger-guessing games could be heard one after another.

Han Heming also rolled up his sleeves and joined the battle.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze was sharp and drunken, he stretched out his thick palms and shouted a drinking game: "Three stars shine, four seasons of wealth..."

Every shout was filled with the smell of drunkenness and unruliness.

The brother on the opposite side was not to be outdone and responded at the top of his voice. Each voice was louder than the other, shaking the dishes and chopsticks on the table slightly.

After winning a fight, Han Heming laughed out loud, drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp, and did not forget to make a few jokes; when he lost, he was also not vague, and drank the wine neatly. His eyes became more and more blurred, but he still showed his unwillingness to admit defeat.

As the night deepened, the sound of the night watchman ticked in the silent night, but the noise in the main room did not diminish in the slightest.

Han Heming's steps were already unsteady, and he staggered as he stood up. He reached out to steady himself on the table, then staggered towards another table of friends. On the way, he accidentally kicked over a few small stools, the "crackling" sound drowned out by the laughter. He just mumbled a few words and continued to stumble forward, humming a few vulgar country songs from time to time, running so far off-key that everyone around him burst into laughter again.

The drinking session lasted until three o'clock in the morning. When the moon had quietly disappeared behind the dark clouds, he staggered towards the backyard.

The lights were just coming on, and the warm yellow glow stained Han Heming's newly settled home. In the main hall, several tables were set up for banquets, and the brothers' laughter and joy were about to blow the roof off. Han Heming, holding a wine bowl, shuttled between the tables, his face flushed, his eyes full of drunkenness and joy. "Brothers, today we have finally landed safely! From now on, this will be our roots!" After saying that, he raised his neck and gulped down a bowl of strong liquor. The spicy taste spread in his throat, but made him even more excited. Everyone cheered loudly, and then clinked glasses to drink. The sound of finger-guessing games rose one after another, and the rough voice shouted drinking orders, shaking the window paper.

This drinking session lasted until three o'clock in the morning, when the moon was already setting in the west.

Han Heming's steps were unsteady as he staggered towards the backyard, knocking over a few small benches along the way. He was mumbling inaudible drunken words and humming a few out-of-tune country songs from time to time.

Song Yanzhi, Su Shi, and Cui Jingshu were also sitting in the warm inner room, with several pots of warm Huadiao tea placed on the small table.

After a few drinks, three people's faces flushed and their eyes became brighter.

Su patted Song Yanzhi's hand and joked with a hint of drunkenness, "Yanzhi, it's been a long time since we had such a good drink. Let's have a good time today!"

Song Yanzhi smiled and nodded, then filled their glasses with wine. After washing up, Song Yanzhi arranged for the maid to keep watch, then fell headfirst into the soft bed. After a while, a light snoring sound could be heard.

The night was as thick as insoluble ink. Xu Nian lay on the soft and warm bed, staring at the dark ceiling with wide eyes, feeling irritated.

She could never have imagined that Han Heming and Song Yanzhi came from such a remote mountain village.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She clutched the quilt beneath her and cursed inwardly, "In this kind of place, how can you seduce men to climb up the ladder? Han Heming, Da Wa, humph, what's the use!"

What she longed for was a prosperous city and a powerful nobleman, not staying in this small mountain valley, marrying a farmer with calloused hands and covered in mud, giving birth to a bunch of children, and spending her life like this.

The next day, the sun sprinkled on Cui Jingshu's yard. As soon as Song Yanzhi stepped into the yard, she heard Xu Nian's crisp and flattering laughter coming from the house.

"Madam, you are finally here!" When Xu Nian saw Song Yanzhi, he hurriedly stood up, his face instantly filled with a well-behaved smile, and he bowed.

Song Yanzhi stepped into the room, feeling a warm breeze. She asked curiously, "What are you guys talking about? Why are you so excited?"

Cui Jingshu put down the teacup in his hand, smiled and waved for Song Yanzhi to come over and sit down. "Miss Xu was praising your intelligence. She said the house plan you designed is novel and practical, especially the water use. The concept is very ingenious. I was fascinated by it."

Song Yanzhi recalls how, when she first arrived in this era, getting water was a major challenge, with every household laboriously carrying water from the well. Back in Lizao Village, she had a sudden inspiration: using bamboo tubes to connect and modify, she managed to create a simple water system. This time, as she built her new house, she put even more thought into perfecting it.

When Xu Nian and Cui Jingshu first met, their eyes widened in curiosity and amazement.

Xu Nian was actually quite reluctant to praise Song Yanzhi, but for his own calculations, he had to pretend to be enthusiastic.

Last night, she lay on the couch, tossing and turning, thinking that if she wanted to leave Hongya Village smoothly and hook up with a truly powerful man, the key was to hold on to Cui Jingshu, the big tree.

Cui Jingshu's man is the majestic Duke of Zhenguo, who holds a large army and controls a region. Compared to Han Heming, there is a world of difference between them.

Therefore, she had to go to find General Xiao Chang before Cui Jingshu set off and try her best to curry favor with him in order to get a chance to go with him.

Song Yanzhi smiled faintly and waved her hand: "Sister Cui, you are too kind. These are just some daily little ideas. I am satisfied if they can save everyone some effort and make things more convenient."

Xu Nian immediately joined in the fun, her voice cloyingly sweet: "Madam, you're too modest! This isn't just a small idea, it's clearly a brilliant trick that surpasses all others. No one else could have come up with it!"