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

Xu Nian, filled with curiosity and anticipation, followed the little maid's footsteps through the corridors and courtyards.

The breeze blew gently, and her clothes fluttered. Soon, she arrived at the courtyard assigned to her by Song Yanzhi.

The little maid stepped forward, stretched out her slender fingers, and gently placed them on the copper ring of the vermilion door. With a little force, the door hinge slowly turned with a "creak", and a dreamlike and beautiful picture slowly unfolded before Xu Nian's eyes.

In the small courtyard, several peach trees stand tall and graceful, and the flower buds on the branches are like shy girls, about to bloom.

It looks simple and natural, but it has been carefully decorated. The pink silk flowers imitate the shape of real peach blossoms, and are wrapped around the branches in strands and layers.

The pink and hazy color, caressed by the sunlight, seemed to have a dreamy halo. Xu Nian couldn't help but widen his eyes and subconsciously exclaimed in amazement: "It's so luxurious!"

She knew very well how precious silk gauze was. It was a rare commodity that was hard to buy even with money, and its annual output was pitifully small.

In the past, in the capital, even in the imperial palace with carved beams and painted rafters, one could only see some of the magnificent scenes decorated with silk and gauze during festivals and royal ceremonies.

But now, the county government of Qinghe County, which is located in a remote area, actually spared no expense and went to great lengths to set up these things on ordinary days. It can be seen that the extravagant lifestyle here is beyond imagination.

Xu Nianlian took light steps and walked slowly inward along the winding bluestone path. Every step seemed to be filled with amazement.

When she approached the door of the room, she raised her head slightly and glanced inside casually. In an instant, she was so shocked that she froze in place.

The floor of the house was paved with warm and delicate white jade. Even in the dim light, the jade still emitted a bright luster that hurt people's eyes.

The scent of sandalwood drifted out from the crack of the door, elegant and quiet, lingering at the tip of the nose and stirring the heart.

Xu Nian took a deep breath and stepped into the house.

Everywhere you look, you see rosewood furniture arranged in an orderly manner. The deep color and exquisite carvings all show a luxurious atmosphere.

The calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hanging on the wall have sharp or elegant strokes, and they must be worth a lot of money.

Looking at the shelves of the treasure cabinet, thirty-six auspicious beasts carved from white jade are lifelike, some squatting, some lying, in different postures, as if they will break through the wall and rush into the human world in the next second.

The surprise in Xu Nian's heart was like a surging wave, one wave after another.

She secretly wondered how much money the Qinghe County Government had extorted from the people to make it so luxurious, even comparable to the Imperial Palace.

The thoughts that were originally wavering in my heart seemed to be injected with a shot of cardiac stimulant, becoming more active and heated.

If the courtyard allocated to her alone is so luxurious and extravagant, how magnificent and grand would the entire county government be?

Han Heming, who was able to take over the county government in one fell swoop, must have accumulated an astonishing amount of wealth. With money paving the way, his future uprising will surely be smooth.

If Han Heming could really achieve great things, and if she could climb into his bed, even as a concubine, she would have endless wealth and glory for the rest of her life.

Han Heming is young, has sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and is handsome. Such a good thing is hard to find even with a lantern, so why not do it?

The more Xu Nian thought about it, the brighter his future seemed. A smile of complacency, almost arrogance, unconsciously appeared on his face, as if he could already see himself wearing a phoenix crown and a bridal robe, and walking towards the pinnacle of power under the envious gaze of everyone.

She walked gracefully to the rosewood chair, slowly sat down, and gently stroked the extremely smooth armrests with her fingers. The touch was cold, but it made her even more excited.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, and her mind began to carefully plan a detailed plan to approach Han Heming.

After thinking it over, she turned to look at Xiaoling, who had been following behind her silently, with an unquestionable command in her eyes: "Go and find out what the master and the mistress are doing right now?"

Xiaoling was full of doubts and frowned unconsciously. She really couldn't guess Xu Nian's intention.

The longer she followed Xu Nian, the more afraid she became of this master.

Xu Nian was moody and vicious on a daily basis. If things didn't go his way, his face would turn vicious and he would beat or scold her.

Xiaoling mustered up her courage and asked cautiously, "Miss, why are you asking about the Master and the Madam?"

Xu Nian was leisurely fiddling with the shiny nails on his hands. Hearing this, he stopped and glanced at Xiaoling casually with cold eyes, as if he was looking at an ignorant ant.

She opened her red lips slightly and said slowly, "Master and Madam have allocated me such a nice courtyard, I should definitely go and express my gratitude.

Why, you don't even understand this?"

After hearing this, Xiaoling still had doubts in her heart, but she didn't dare to say anything more. She lowered her head, replied "yes" in a low voice, then hurriedly turned around and went to inquire about the news in a panic.

Not long after, Xiaoling came back jogging, beads of sweat on her forehead. She reported breathlessly, "Miss, the master has gone out of the house, and the mistress is in the hall. Do you want to go and see the mistress now?"

Xu Nian's lips curled up into a meaningful smile, which was filled with calculation and ambition.

She slowly stood up, tidied her clothes unhurriedly, and looked through the window lattice into the distance, as if Han Heming was waiting for her there.

She whispered, "Is that so? Then keep an eye out for the time when the master returns and report it to me secretly. Remember, don't make any mistakes. If you make a mistake, you will be in trouble."

Xiaoling's eyebrows were furrowed, her face solemn, and her eyes revealed deep worry. Her lips were slightly parted, as if she had a thousand words to say.

After a fierce inner struggle, Xiaoling finally mustered up the courage to persuade him, "Girl, seeing how you look, are you planning to go and thank the master?

Madam is in the mansion right now! In my opinion, young lady, you should go and pay your respects to Madam first and express your gratitude in person. That way, you will be considered to have fulfilled all the etiquette.

After all, you are not married yet. It is not appropriate for a young lady with a pure heart to run to the master in such a hurry and eagerly to thank him.

If it is accidentally seen by outsiders or spread out, it will affect your reputation..."

Before she could finish, Xu Nian glanced at Xiaoling with a half-smile, his eyes like a cold knife, which scared Xiaoling so much that she trembled all over and swallowed the rest of her words.

She was most afraid of seeing this look in the girl's eyes. In the past, whenever it appeared, it meant that she had said something wrong or done something wrong, and she would be severely punished.

Fortunately, this time, Xu Nian did not punish her. He just said lightly: "You all have to thank me. Just do as I say. If you say anything more, watch out for your skin!"