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

"Master Li is giving us money, guns, and even barracks are ready-made. All you need to do now is recruit people—such a simple task, and you're dragging your feet?"

Tong Jinyi lowered his eyebrows, his voice as taut as a fully drawn bowstring.

"Yes, yes, Commander Tong is right! We'll go back and get to it right away!"

The two were scolded so badly they practically buried their heads in their waistbands. They turned around, jumped into the car, stepped on the gas, and sped away.

Tong Jinyi glanced at Binzi and Da Yan indifferently, then turned and went into the neighboring courtyard.

……

"Damn it, luckily we're following Master Li and only nominally in the army, otherwise we would be the ones getting a scolding today."

Only after Tong Jinyi's figure disappeared did Binzi breathe a sigh of relief and wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Exactly! They act like they have a mandate just because they have a feather in their hand. They rely on being on the Madam's side to try and put us down. I hate these kinds of clueless people the most!"

Big Eyes scoffed, his face full of resentment.

The head of this household is Li Wenguo, and the second is Xu Wanqing; however, the person next to this second mistress insists on putting on airs and belittling Li's old subordinates, which makes people feel angry.

But he's a regimental commander—his rank speaks for itself, who would dare to challenge him?

"Alright, alright, we'll run into each other again soon. They didn't give us a hard time, so let's stop gossiping."

Dafei, dressed in a crisp military uniform, strode out from behind the door. His voice was not loud, but very steady.

He was an elderly man who came with Ding Xiaoqi and the others. He was the oldest and had a kind and honest nature. Now he was Li Wenguo's adjutant, and he was in charge of keeping an eye on the safety of the entire house.

Upon hearing him speak, Binzi and Dayan immediately shut their mouths and remained silent.

On the other side, Xu Wanqing went straight to the master bedroom. Just as she reached the door, intermittent panting and soft giggles escaped from inside. Her face darkened instantly, and she kicked the door open—

She saw her husband lounging on the headboard, playing cards with Xiao Cui and Xiao Ju, who had just finished their postpartum confinement. The three faces were very close together, and the cards were flipping over with a clattering sound.

In broad daylight?

Still in my bed?

Xu Wanqing's temples throbbed, and anger shot up to the top of her head!

In broad daylight?

Still in my bed?

"Get out!"

Her voice suddenly rose, as cold as ice shards scraping against an iron plate.

Xiao Cui and Xiao Ju were so frightened that they frantically put on their clothes and rushed out the door without even having time to tie their shoes properly.

"Take all the sheets and blankets with you!"

The two had just moved their bedding to the doorway when a sharp shout froze them in place.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

With a swift, decisive slap, Xu Wanqing said through gritted teeth, "If you dare step into my house again, I'll break both your legs!"

"roll!!!"

Xiao Cui and Xiao Ju covered their faces, tears streaming down their faces, and scrambled away as they ran.

—It was clearly the master who sent us here!

When feelings of grievance welled up, memories of the days when He Shuting was around quietly surfaced in my mind...

At least back then, at most you'd get a scolding, but you wouldn't actually get hit.

"Wanqing, did you eat gunpowder or swallow hot coals? You're setting off a firecracker the moment you walk in the door? If you startle the baby in your belly, you'll be crying incoherently!"

With his plans ruined, Li Wenguo's face darkened, and his tone was full of sarcasm.

If it weren't for her prominent belly, I would have grabbed her and pinned her to the edge of the bed to clean her up.

"My lord, I may turn a blind eye to your pleasures elsewhere, but this is my bed—I find it dirty to have been touched by other women."

Xu Wanqing held her waist with one hand, her chin slightly raised, her voice even more blunt as she spoke, supported by the pregnancy.

"Fine, fine, you're carrying a golden nugget, you're the boss, I won't fight you for it, okay? I can go to someone else's room for some peace and quiet, right?"

Xu Wanqing was nearly nine months pregnant, and her due date was fast approaching. It was her first child, so her family was accommodating her in every way—if she really held her temper and suppressed her anger, both the mother and child would be in danger, which was no joke.

How could Li Wenguo dare to gamble on this? If the venue is lost, it can be recovered, but if the person is gone, there's really no way to find them.

"Sir, please don't go... I was too hasty and my tone was a bit harsh, but who wouldn't feel uneasy seeing you being intimate with another woman in my room? If this had happened to my former wife, would she have been able to swallow this insult?"

Uh!

Shu Ting would probably smash the cup on the spot!

Li Wenguo's heart skipped a beat, and his cold expression immediately appeared.

"So, if I'm being a little coquettish or throwing a tantrum, please don't take it too seriously, okay?"

Xu Wanqing hugged her husband's arm tighter, her fingertips swaying gently, her voice as soft as honey.

Where was even a trace of his previous fierce and stern demeanor?

Li Wenguo's anger had long since subsided, but a strange sense of familiarity welled up in his chest—as if many years ago, he had also been coaxed, pulled, and manipulated in this way, making him feel perfectly at ease and obedient.

He Shuting!!!

He almost burst out laughing.

Could it be that all smart women secretly possess the same secret to managing their husbands?

She was willing to humble herself and show weakness, while subtly elevating the man's pride!

His smile widened, and his tone became more relaxed: "Alright, alright, I'm dead now, so stop overthinking it."

"By the way, why are you back so early today?"

Otherwise, how would I have stumbled upon that scene of three people playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game)?

Xiao Cui and Xiao Ju got scolded and punished because of this, I'll have to secretly give them red envelopes to make up for it later, hehe!

"It's all because of those distant relatives—as soon as they saw my belly was getting bigger and my maternity leave was coming up, they all swarmed around my door trying to get close to me, vying to take over the family business. What are they after? They just want to take advantage of the situation and skim some money off me! It's so annoying."

Xu Wanqing's brows furrowed at the mention of this matter.

She knew exactly what kind of people they were: they only cared about money, had no regard for their clan, and were nothing but bloodsucking parasites.

Unfortunately, they all came from the same lineage as the elders, even forcing her father, Xu Junshan, to sigh in frustration.

Although she married Li Wenguo, she still held the key to the Xu family business—Xu Junshan didn't trust anyone else and preferred to let his daughter take over.

It's not that the Xu family has no successors, but rather that the truly capable members are all rooted in the military, either guarding the border or leading troops, and have no time for business.

All that remained were纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats) indulging in eating, drinking, and merrymaking, resulting in their wealth growing ever larger while the people in charge became increasingly incompetent.

After Young Master Xu retired due to illness, it was her turn to take on the responsibility.

"Alright, the Xu family is a large and well-established family. Losing a few parasites won't matter. Relax, take good care of him, and give me a strong and healthy baby boy," Li Wenguo said gently.

Women these days have an exceptionally strong maternal instinct. Sure enough, before she finished speaking, Xu Wanqing had already subconsciously touched her round belly, her lips curving into a smile, her eyes so tender they could melt.

"By the way, my dad is planning to build a factory to manufacture bullets. Could you order a few production lines for me, the sooner the better?"

She suddenly remembered and added a sentence.

Oh, the war is only two years away from starting!

The Xu family has sensed the impending battle and has prepared an ammunition depot in advance!

Li Wenguo's heart sank, but he simply said on the surface, "It's a small matter, I'll arrange it right away."

The clock struck as soon as he finished speaking.

Dinner time is always the busiest time of the day.

More than twenty people crammed into the restaurant, with tables and chairs almost touching, making the air feel hot.

Especially a group of children, babbling and chattering, crying, laughing, and making a fuss, making one's head buzz.

The eldest daughter, Li Jinghan, was five years old; Hongyu's eldest son, Li Guofu, was four years old; Dong Haitang's eldest son, Li Guoping, was also four years old; and then there were three-year-olds, two-year-olds, one-year-olds, and several babies still in swaddling clothes.

Hongyu gave birth to a son for Li Wenguo at the beginning of the year, named Li Guohe.

She gave birth to two sons and two daughters, making her the woman with the most children in the household.

Xiao Cui and Xiao Ju each gave birth to a son and a daughter for Li Wenguo.

Currently, besides Xu Wanqing, Sai Honglian, Dong Haitang, and Xu Meijing are also pregnant.

Dong Haitang conceived this pregnancy on the office sofa, and afterwards she gave Li Wenguo a cold shoulder for seven whole days.

"Let's change the rules from now on: the children should eat first, and the adults should wait until they've finished before taking their seats. Otherwise, the whole hall is as noisy as a market, what kind of order is that?"

Xu Wanqing, feeling irritable during her pregnancy, was so bothered by the noise that her temples throbbed, and she immediately gave the order.

No one dared to contradict this young mistress from a military family, and they all readily accepted the order.

After dinner, she took Dong Haitang's arm and they strolled into the garden together—the two were close friends.

On the day she entered the house, she was so shocked to find that Dong Haitang was actually Li Wenguo's concubine that she was stunned for a long time. Now, recalling the subtle glances and hesitant probing that day, everything finally became clear.

"Wanqing, I never imagined you would end up marrying the master. I thought you would choose a young master from a prestigious family and become a glamorous lady of the house."

Dong Haitang spoke up.

"I never expected this. Two years ago, at that dinner with the American diplomats, he even came over to talk to me. At the time, I declined due to various concerns. But who would have thought that fate would take such a turn and tie us together again?"

Xu Wanqing sighed softly.

"Huh? So that's what happened? Well... will you regret marrying him?"

"I don't regret it at all!"

She shook her head and continued slowly, "You know, girls from aristocratic families like us don't get to decide our own marriages. The master may be a bit of a playboy, but he really understands women's hearts—he can make people laugh, he's willing to put in the effort, and what's more, he's really capable, far superior to those spoiled brats who only have family backgrounds."

Dong Haitang felt a slight pang in her heart upon hearing the words "understands women." After all, it was she who had secretly told Li Wenguo in detail about Xu Wanqing's temperament, tastes, and even the kind of music she liked, which allowed him to easily win her over.

To put it bluntly, she was a matchmaker.

Days passed by one by one.

In the blink of an eye, a month has passed.

The delivery was fraught with excitement but ultimately safe; Xu Wanqing gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

Li Wenguo was overjoyed—he didn't care whether the child was a boy or a girl, but Xu Wanqing, deeply influenced by her family and being a lawfully wedded wife, had long hoped for a legitimate son. Her hopes were dashed, so she was understandably unhappy.

Fortunately, when she saw her husband holding the baby girl in his arms, his eyes relaxed and full of tenderness, which did not seem fake at all, the pent-up anger in her chest dissipated a little.

That's it!

This time it's a girl, next time if we have a boy, then we'll have a complete family, right?

After Li Wenguo passes away, his family business will eventually be inherited by his son.

To be honest, it's fortunate that his wives are all preoccupied with his affairs after his death—if he himself had discovered this, he would probably have been furious.