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

Outside the Shili Pavilion in Qinghe County, a gentle breeze blew, causing the weeping willows beside the pavilion to sway, as if expressing a feeling of reluctance to leave.

The sunlight shines through the gaps between the branches and leaves, filling the ground with mottled light and shadows, but it cannot dispel the sadness and melancholy that is shrouding everyone's hearts at the moment.

Song Yanzhi's eyes were slightly red, and she held Cui Jingshu's hands tightly. Her knuckles turned white due to the force. Her lips trembled slightly, and her voice was full of deep attachment and reluctance.

"Sister, the journey ahead is long, you must be extremely careful. I hope you'll be safe along the way. I really... can't bear to see you go."

These days, the entanglement between her and Han Heming was like a tangled mess, tightly wrapped around her heart, and every time she thought about it, she felt heartbroken.

And Cui Jingshu was like a ray of light in the darkness, always by her side, patiently listening to her talk about her grievances and pains, gently comforting her, and using warm words to heal her inner wounds bit by bit.

If it weren't for Sister Cui's unwavering companionship, she would have been completely overwhelmed by the endless sorrow and fallen into a deeper abyss of pain, unable to escape.

Cui Jingshu's eyes also turned red, tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

She held Song Yanzhi's hand with the same strength, as if she wanted to convey her reluctance and concern through these hands. Her voice was choked with sobs, but she tried to speak more steadily.

"Sister, I know. Don't worry. Don't always trap yourself in those sad things. Try to open your heart and look forward. There is still a long way to go, and things will always get better."

She has always been grateful to Song Yanzhi in her heart. If Song Yanzhi had not saved her and Fuling at that critical moment, regardless of her own safety, they would probably have become lonely ghosts in the underworld.

She always remembers this life-saving grace and cherishes the sisterhood between her and Song Yanzhi even more.

"I will, sister."

Song Yanzhi nodded vigorously, her eyes full of determination, but the sadness in her eyes could not be hidden.

The two of them stood hand in hand outside the Shili Pavilion, talking to each other, expressing the intimate words that they usually kept hidden in their hearts.

From the fun things that happened when we first met, to the little things we experienced together later, to our aspirations and expectations for the future, it seems as if I want to take advantage of this moment before we part to pour out all my thoughts, so that the longing after separation can have a place to rest.

It was getting late, and the sun had already risen from the horizon, dyeing the sky bright red.

The brilliant colors failed to add a touch of joy to the farewell scene, but instead made it seem even more desolate.

Cui Jingshu knew that any further delay would affect the itinerary and delay the journey.

She bit her lip, hardened her heart, and slowly let go of Song Yanzhi's hand, but that hand seemed to have its own consciousness. After letting go, it unconsciously reached out again, trying to grab something again.

"Sister, I...I really have to go."

Cui Jingshu's voice was filled with tears, and every word seemed to be spoken with all her strength.

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the carriage, each step she took was extremely slow, as if there was a thousand pounds of weight under her feet. Her back looked particularly lonely in the afterglow of the setting sun.

After getting on the carriage, Cui Jingshu couldn't help himself. He pulled aside the curtain, stuck his head out, locked his eyes with Song Yanzhi, and shouted, "Yanzhi, you must take care of yourself. We will meet again in the future. Don't forget me!"

The voice traveled far away in the empty suburbs, echoing in the wind with a strong sense of reluctance and concern.

Song Yanzhi fought back the tears that were about to burst out, raised her head, took a deep breath, tried to make her voice sound steady, waved at her, and responded loudly: "Sister, have a safe journey. Remember to let me know you're safe when you get to the border. I'm waiting for you to come back!"

The carriage started slowly, the driver raised his whip and swung it in the air, making a crisp sound. The wheels turned slowly, rolling the ground, making a "crunching" sound and raising a cloud of dust.

Song Yanzhi just stood there quietly, her eyes never leaving the carriage that was moving further and further away, her eyes full of attachment and reluctance.

Until the shadow of the carriage became smaller and smaller, and finally disappeared completely at the end of the road, and was swallowed up bit by bit by the twilight.

She seemed to wake up from a dream, her body swayed slightly, she turned slowly, and walked back slowly with steps that seemed as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

After returning home, Song Yanzhi felt empty inside, as if something important had been dug out from the bottom of her heart, leaving behind a hole that could never be filled.

She sat in the empty room, looking at the familiar table and chairs, but felt that everything had become strange. The laughter and joy of the past seemed to still echo in her ears, but now she was left alone.

But she also knew in her heart that the affairs of the mansion were complicated and there were thousands of things waiting for her to deal with. How could she have the time to indulge in the sadness of parting?

She took a deep breath and shook her head vigorously, as if to shake off all the sorrows lingering in her heart. Then she straightened her back, cheered herself up, and devoted herself to her busy life as usual.

The days passed one by one, and Cui Jingshu left for three consecutive days.

Song Yanzhi would silently calculate the itinerary in her mind every day, thinking that at a normal travel speed, Cui Jingshu should be able to reach the border smoothly in another ten days and meet the General Xiao Chang whom she had been thinking about.

Whenever she thought of this, the corners of Song Yanzhi's mouth would unconsciously rise slightly, and her heart would relax a little, as if she could already see the happy scene when Sister Cui and General Xiao Chang reunited.

However, that afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, the mansion was quiet, and Song Yanzhi was sitting in the study doing the accounts.

Xiao Wei hurried in from outside the door. He was sweating profusely, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat. Those beads of sweat gathered together and kept sliding down his cheeks, wetting his collar and leaving a dark mark on the front of his clothes.

His face flushed crimson, his eyes filled with panic and anxiety. As soon as he entered the room, he didn't even bother to wipe the sweat off his face, and shouted anxiously, "Madam, this is bad! Madam Cui is in trouble!"

Song Yanzhi was looking at the account book in the room. When she heard this, her heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if being grabbed by an invisible big hand. The account book in her hand fell to the ground with a "bang". She stood up quickly, her body swaying, and she almost fell.