Courtyard House: A Start with Black Gold Swallowing 100,000 Silver Dollars

"What job?" she asked in a low voice, but with a tense expression.

Dong Haitang was not surprised by her reaction. It was perfectly normal for a bandit leader to be on edge at the slightest sign of trouble.

"Second Division of the Lixing Society, Special Agent."

"Will you do it or not?"

spy?

They were spies!

Could it be... that he sent her as an intermediary?

Sai Honglian's heart skipped a beat, and she tentatively asked, "You wouldn't happen to be...?"

"That's right, the captain of the third squad of the second division of the Lixingshe, specializing in monitoring Japanese spies."

Dong Haitang frankly admitted, then leaned forward again: "How did your stronghold collapse? Wasn't it because the second-in-command colluded with the Japanese, letting the wolves into the house! The masterminds behind it all were those beasts in kimonos who spoke gibberish. Don't you want to spit that pent-up anger into their necks?"

Sai Honglian didn't rush to refuse; she simply lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of the wine glass.

Logically speaking, as a member of the local party, she would never join the ranks of her mortal enemy. But now, trapped in her room, she was itching to get her hands dirty and anxious. If she could really use the Lixing Society as a front to expose Japanese spies and cut off clues, she could not only vent her anger but also secretly gather information for the organization—who knows, one day when the organization is in danger, the intelligence she holds might be a lifeline.

She even had a vague worry: would she, like Li Wenguo, be worn down by life and become a weather vane, swaying with the wind?

More importantly, she had to take this opportunity to find out Li Wenguo's background and report the information verbatim; she also had to follow the clues to find out the elusive "Red Owl" and see if this person was in cahoots with Li Wenguo or a ruthless character who was starting his own business.

"What requirements would I need to meet if I wanted to join?"

Sai Honglian asked.

"No need to negotiate, I'll get it done for you directly."

Thus, Sai Honglian joined the Lixingshe Society—ostensibly as a new member, but in reality as a thorn in the side of the enemy.

Dong Haitang felt at ease, thinking that Sai Honglian had been won over and that they would be on the same boat from now on, sharing the same heart and mind with her husband.

Little did she know that Sai Honglian was actually a spy planted by the local party, and had long regarded the Second Division of the Lixingshe as a powder keg that could explode at any moment.

Sai Honglian had only been with the organization for a few days when she was shocked to discover that Li Wenguo wielded immense power, practically controlling everything: all the agents in the Second Division obeyed his orders, and even his immediate superior, Group Leader Chang, treated him with utmost respect and deference. The entire Second Division was already firmly in his grasp.

After all, the map search was not yet finished, and all three action teams were under his command, ready to act immediately upon his orders.

This sent a chill down her spine—if Li Wenguo were to defect one day, the hiding places of the underground comrades in Beijing would likely be uprooted in an instant.

She had to get the information out as soon as possible.

The only people they can contact right now are Battalion Commander Chen Jiang and Yang Yuerong from Chenjia Village on the outskirts of Beijing. But it would take a whole day for a single person to travel to and from the city, and any slight abnormality would immediately arouse suspicion.

She was even more afraid that Li Wenguo would secretly investigate her whereabouts—once exposed, not only would her identity be revealed, but the top-secret contact point of Chenjia Village would also suffer, with unimaginable consequences.

Unbeknownst to her, Li Wenguo had already thoroughly investigated the situation of Chenjia Village.

We can only remain still and wait for an opening.

At the entrance of a deserted alley, a black sedan sat quietly. Sai Honglian, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, reached for the car door, about to get out—

Wu Xiaogou, sitting in the passenger seat, immediately turned to the side and said, "Auntie Sai, just sit tight. We can handle things like tailing and catching people in one trip."

The driver, Fish Head, chimed in, "Yes, Aunt Sai, you can't go wrong leaving it to us."

Although she did not explicitly state her identity in the Second Division, veterans from the guard team, such as Wen San, Wu Xiaogou, Xiao Jie, and Yu Tou, all knew perfectly well that this newly arrived concubine was an ancestor who could not be neglected and had to be treated with utmost care and protection when going out on missions.

She paused in raising her hand, her gaze sweeping over the two of them, her voice cold: "From now on, don't say things like 'Wait in the car' or 'Hide behind us.' When we're out, don't call me Aunt Sai, just call me by my name."

After saying that, she pushed open the door and got out of the car.

Wu Xiaogou and Yu Tou exchanged a quick glance, both seeing the bitter smile in each other's eyes.

Having such a seemingly delicate but actually difficult concubine as a colleague means this job is destined to be restrictive.

And at this moment—

Li Wenguo was standing in Dong Haitang's office, veins throbbing on his forehead.

"Are you out of your mind? You have more flesh on your body than brain!"

"Isn't our house chaotic enough? Why do you have to shove a spy in here, as if you're afraid a Japanese spy won't find a crack in the door to slip in?"

That was just an excuse. What truly enraged him was that Dong Haitang had actually put a local spies into the Lixingshe (a secret society), and what's more, it just so happened to be his newlywed concubine—this wasn't hiring, it was planting a time bomb in his own bed!

If the truth comes out one day, the scene will definitely be quite a spectacle.

What's worse, he can't tell Dong Haitang the truth. He's burning with anger but can't bring himself to say it, feeling like he's swallowed a live fly.

He originally had only two plans for Sai Honglian: one was to keep her in a secluded mansion like a caged bird, enjoying a comfortable and happy life while continuing the family line; the other was to cut off her intelligence channels and take control of them himself, so as to protect He Shuting and have him cover for her if anything happened.

But now, they've forcibly sent her to the Second Division—can she really behave herself?

No, she will never stay still!

Li Wenguo knew her temperament all too well: she was unwilling to be controlled and regretted handing over the intelligence network to him. She would make her move sooner or later; she just needed an opportunity.

"Sir, don't worry! I've been a spy for so many years, and my family has always been safe and sound. Besides, there are police officers patrolling the gate day and night, and the house is guarded inside and out. What foolish Japanese spy would dare to come looking for trouble?"

Dong Haitang disagreed.

Ever since she was kidnapped, Li Wenguo immediately summoned Kong Wu and had a team of patrol officers stationed outside the house, fully armed, patrolling day and night. It is said that since then, even thugs dare not roam the streets, and petty theft has disappeared—the public security is unbelievably good.

She's right.

But what bothered Li Wenguo wasn't public security at all.

"No means no! You woman, stop interfering! Who's in charge of this house? I'm the one who calls the shots! What gives you the nerve to make decisions for me and send her to be a spy? Huh?" His voice was deep and fierce.

"Hey, I just noticed she's always going against you and trying to trip you up! That night I had a heart-to-heart talk with her, and she said, 'Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together'—I thought, rather than letting her stubbornly resist, it would be better to simply put our paths together."

Now that she felt more at ease, she naturally stopped trying to compete with you, sir. Besides, she used to be a notorious bandit leader who roamed the mountains. If she were suppressed for too long, who knows when she might just throw a tantrum and overturn the table? How could this house possibly remain peaceful then?

"I did all this for this family."

Dong Haitang spoke with righteous indignation.

Fuck!

But we can't bring her into the spy system!

Li Wenguo knew perfectly well that Dong Haitang genuinely wanted to mend the rift.

But this time, good intentions backfired.

Entering Lixingshe is like stepping over a threshold, but leaving is like climbing a mountain of knives—transferring? Better not to stay! At least the people are still under our noses, and we can see the slightest movement.

"From now on, she should stay in the office and not go anywhere else; any action is out of the question."

Since things have come to this, the only option is to keep her pinned down in place to prevent her from running around the city and causing trouble.

"No way! The Lixingshe Society doesn't support idlers. Others risk their lives to catch Japanese spies and climb the ranks amidst gunfire, while she just sits in her office eating sunflower seeds and listening to rumors? Who would respect that?"

Dong Haitang refused outright, shaking her head vigorously.

Others risk their lives for their future, while you sit there drinking herbal tea and getting promoted? What are your subordinates gossiping about behind your back?

"Then... transfer to the logistics department?"

Li Wenguo came up with another crooked idea—anything would be fine as long as she was locked up.

Dong Haitang immediately waved her hand: "No way! They're lucrative and have close connections there; they've already got her under tight control. If she, a complete newcomer, goes there, she'll either be ostracized or suspected, and people will think we're trying to get a share—I don't want to deal with those rude people coming to my door every day!"

Not to mention, the logistics department is best known for its three-word strategy of "delaying, pushing, and obfuscation": they hold back on approving funding, claim that equipment is "out of stock," and even drag their feet on buying bullets—do they expect Li Wenguo to pay for guns and ammunition out of his own pocket? Wouldn't that be like handing money to them? Do they think they're not stupid enough?

"Then...then..."

Li Wenguo was speechless for a moment, feeling as if a wad of cotton was stuck in his throat.

The intelligence section needed to be able to send telegrams, and the administration section needed to be able to write impressive reports—a bandit leader who stormed a mountain stronghold with a large machete, writing reports? He'd probably have to learn even the punctuation on the spot. He himself didn't believe it.

It seems... there's really no other way?

In the end, he could only secretly instruct Wen San, Wu Xiaogou, Xiao Jie, and Yu Tou to keep a close eye on Sai Honglian and not miss her every move.

In addition, we're pushing forward with our "baby-making plan" at full speed—we'll see how she tries to cause trouble once she's already pregnant!

The night is getting darker.

Li Wenguo first chatted and cuddled with each of the concubines, then squatted down to coax the children with stories and touch their foreheads to take their temperatures. The whole round took a full two hours.

By the time they entered Sai Xishi's room, the clock on the wall had struck almost ten times.

Of course, it wasn't every night—he would set aside two or three days each week to gather the whole family in the main room for a lively meal and chat, which was both heartwarming and gave him the comforting feeling of having his children and grandchildren around him. The only thing that left him feeling empty was that He Shuting wasn't there.

Pushing open the door, I saw Sai Xishi leaning back on the couch, sipping a drink, wearing one of the several specially made nightgowns he had personally selected.

Today's dress is a long dress, but the material is so thin that it's almost see-through. When worn, it's so revealing that it's practically invisible. The cut is also very tight, outlining the curves of the waist and hips, as well as the lines of the shoulders and neck, making it impossible to look away.

"From now on, you're giving up alcohol, understand?"

Li Wenguo's eyes were practically glued to her, but his mouth remained tight-lipped, his tone harsh, like he was issuing a military order.

"Oh? Even alcohol is banned?"

"Is this what you call enjoying life?"

Sai Honglian raised her eyes and smiled, her words laced with barbs.

On the night he first entered the house, Li Wenguo personally promised: Buy whatever you want; cook whatever you want to eat; just live life to the fullest and don't wrong yourself.

It's only been a few days, and they've already turned their backs and taken back power? Isn't that a slap in their own face?

He didn't actually stop her from drinking—but since she wasn't pregnant yet, alcohol had to take a backseat. If it harmed the fetus, it would be too late to regret it.

"Don't give me that attitude! I'll make you drink it back eventually—but for now, you're not allowed a single drop!"

"Gulp!!!"

"Gulp!!!"

Before she finished speaking, Sai Honglian tilted her head back and chugged the wine, leaving not a drop behind, clearly showing her resentment.

"Are your ears crooked? Can't you understand human speech?!"

Li Wenguo's temper flared up instantly. He snatched the bottle and slammed it on the table with a bang, his eyes wide open.