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

The people are still alive and kicking, and they're already thinking about their coffin money?

But no one can be blamed for this. Firstly, it's the prevailing social trend; secondly, his backyard is full of beautiful women, and the competition for favor and power is fierce. Who wouldn't want to grasp at a straw to entrust their life to?

Xu Wanqing had just finished her postpartum confinement when Sai Honglian followed her into the delivery room.

The two were only thirty days apart.

When Sai Honglian first learned she was pregnant, she considered having abortion. But Li Wenguo seemed to see through her thoughts at a glance and immediately declared: If she dared to do so, he would have Hongxiao send a telegram to the newspaper to expose her for betraying the organization and joining the Lixing Society, thus confirming her crime as a traitor and spy.

She gritted her teeth and ultimately had no choice but to give birth to the child.

A month later, a loud cry came from the delivery room—it was a chubby baby boy.

Looking at the wrinkled yet vibrant little face in her arms, Sai Honglian felt a sudden weight in her chest as guilt surged up: not long ago, she had almost extinguished this little life with her own hands.

At that moment, she felt a pang of gratitude towards Li Wenguo—if it weren't for his intervention, she feared she would have carried the burden of guilt for the rest of her life.

But the next morning, she opened her eyes and found that her child was gone.

Ignoring her weakness, she threw off the covers and got out of bed, staggering from room to room searching. Finally, in Xiao Cui's room, she found Li Wenguo holding the baby in his arms, while Xiao Cui squatted beside him, changing the baby's diaper.

"Give me back my son!" she snapped, her eyes gleaming coldly.

Xiao Cui shrank back under her fierce aura and stammered, "It was...it was Master who personally delivered it. He said he was afraid you...afraid you wouldn't take good care of him, so he'll leave him to me to take care of from now on."

"Bullshit! He's my own flesh and blood, would I mistreat him?"

She snatched the child from her hand, turned and walked away, her skirt brushing against the doorframe with a buzzing sound.

That evening, Li Wenguo strode into her room, and she immediately pointed her finger at him and yelled, "I'm warning you, if you dare to take my son away again, I'll make you pay!"

"What's wrong with you?"

"Didn't you want to kill him a while ago?"

"Since you don't even want to keep him, why should I keep him here? Just so you can change your mind someday and then strangle him?"

Li Wenguo gave her a stern lecture, every word hitting her right in the heart.

She lowered her eyes, her voice softening: "I... I won't. I will raise him well, teach him how to be a person, and protect him."

Once she said that, she herself believed it to some extent—it was indeed she who had the evil intention first, so it was reasonable for her husband to be cautious.

"Wow—wow—wow—!"

The child suddenly started howling at the top of his lungs.

Sai Honglian thought she was hungry, but she had just been breastfed two hours ago.

She hurriedly unbuttoned her clothes and brought her nipple to the child's mouth.

The child turned his head away, his little mouth pursed, and he cried even harder.

She was so anxious that she paced back and forth like a sparrow trapped by the stove—after all, it was her first time being a mother, and she was at a loss.

Li Wenguo leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, watching her struggle quietly without offering a single word of advice.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and turned to him, shouting, "What's wrong with Xiao Guoli?"

"Weren't you always so opinionated? Now you're at a loss?"

He smirked, his tone full of mockery.

"I...I...please tell me! What happened to Xiao Guoping?"

The child's piercing cries almost ripped her eardrums. Sai Honglian was at a loss, her heart pounding so hard it hurt her chest.

"First, call me 'Master' and let me hear it."

He didn't even lift his eyelids, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking about the weather.

"Master!"

Sai Honglian blurted out, her voice both urgent and crisp.

"Not right—it needs to be soft, chewy, and with a slight vibrato."

"It's this late! Little Guoli is about to cry his eyes out, and you're still dawdling here?!"

Her voice was strained, and her fingertips dug into her palms.

People lose their composure when they panic. Actually, the child was just whimpering and crying, far from heartbreaking, but she herself lost her composure first.

"Should we call out or not?"

Li Wenguo made his point clear, without backing down an inch.

Sai Honglian bit her lower lip, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and her cheeks flushed slightly. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes were slightly shimmering, and she softly called out, "Master~~~".

What the hell!

Why is that voice so alluring?

It felt as sweet as honey wrapped in hot tea. Li Wenguo felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck and a shiver run down his spine.

"Alright? Hurry up and say it!"

She was urging her so urgently that she was even holding her breath.

"You have to do two things for me: from now on you have to call me 'Master' whenever you see me; and when we're doing serious business, you have to use this tone."

He took advantage of the situation to lower the price.

Sai Honglian's ears burned, and she was about to shake her head when she caught a glimpse of her son's face turning red, his face covered in tears and snot. She immediately nodded vigorously.

"Hmm, lay him flat, lift the swaddle, and see if he pooped or peed."

"Hey hey!"

She hurriedly did as instructed, and sure enough, a sour, rancid smell hit her—she had diarrhea.

But her hands trembled as she untied the cloth straps, turned over, and removed the diaper, her movements clumsy as if she were learning to walk. Li Wenguo sighed and brought over a basin of warm water. "Step aside, I'll do it. You keep a close eye on her."

He held the child's neck steady as he immersed the child in the water, gently rubbing the folds with his fingertips. The warm water slid over the tender flesh, and he used a dry towel to absorb the water droplets. He then wrapped the child in a new cloth and finally wrapped him tightly in a blanket.

"Got it? Serve me like this from now on."

"I've got it, I've got it!" she nodded obediently.

A thought secretly crossed her mind: This man is usually as tough as iron, but he holds the baby as lightly as if he were holding a cloud. He washes, cleans, and changes the baby in one go, as if he knows the ropes well—he must have practiced this a hundred or eighty times.

Xiao Guoli quieted down, half-opened his eyelids, and his dark, bright eyes darted around, staring intently at his mother's face.

"Grandpa, he's staring at me, his eyes are full of bright, curious eyes!"

Sai Honglian blurted out the word "Master," not even realizing that the word had become as natural as an exhale.

"National gift, national gift, Mom is here!" She smiled and leaned closer, her forehead touching her son's little head.

"Hey, this little guy is so smart! His eyebrows and eyes are like yours, his nose is like yours, even the curve of his mouth when he smiles is just like yours."

"No way! This little nose clearly comes from you..."

In an instant, all past grievances vanished. She was no longer the guarded young woman, and he was no longer the annoying, scoundrel husband—the two of them huddled around the baby in swaddling clothes, chatting and laughing until their eyes curved into crescent moons.

Half an hour later, Xiao Guoli wriggled and whimpered again, his little mouth pouting as if he was about to explode. Sai Honglian subconsciously looked at her husband. He didn't even look up: "He's hungry, time to breastfeed."

"Why!"

She hurriedly unbuttoned her clothes, and just as she took her nipple into her mouth, Li Wenguo was already close to her, his nose almost brushing against her shoulder.

"Oh? You too..."

She reached out to push him away, but he grabbed her wrist.

"I have plenty of breast milk; he can't finish it all."

She could only bite her lip and lower her eyes, letting him do as he pleased.

Li Wenguo had to reconsider the matter, his mind heavy as if weighed down by a bluestone.

Should they pack their belongings and flee far away? Or grit their teeth and defend the capital to the death?

If they stayed, they could only retreat to the embassy district—just like the foreign concessions in Shanghai and Tianjing, entirely foreign territory. The Japanese army wouldn't dare openly enter; at most, they'd send in some furtive Japanese spies to target key figures and strike from the shadows.

But if we really have to leave, where can we go?

The Red Party's base area? He wouldn't even consider that place. His body, nourished by rich and fatty foods every day, couldn't possibly withstand a life of eating sweet potatoes, sleeping on an earthen bed, and using oil lamps. He'd probably wither away in three days.

That leaves only one path: Qingzhong.

But once you enter Qingzhong, you'll inevitably have to deal with the Party and the State—want to stand idly by? No way.

"Well, let's discuss it with the rest of the family first and hear what they think."

He turned to Binzi and instructed, "Go to the embassy district right now and invite He Shuting over."

As soon as I parked my car in front of the villa, I saw Wen Keren, with her round belly, strolling slowly in the garden.

Two years have passed, and she's determined to get pregnant. If she delays any longer, she'll grow old and lose her beauty, and if Li Wenguo glances at her, she'll truly become just a decoration.

Her child is the guarantee of a peaceful life for her later years.

"Sir, you've arrived!"

She held her back, smiling as she approached the car, her voice as soft as spring water, her eyes sparkling with light.

Li Wenguo stepped forward, put one arm around her shoulder, and gently placed the other hand on her protruding belly, his palm lightly caressing it.

It's been over eight months, and I'm due to give birth next month.

"My dear, isn't pregnancy tiring?"

"Not tired at all! Giving birth to a child is the proudest thing in my life!"

She tilted her head back, a smile spreading from her eyebrows to the corners of her lips.

Look how sweet her words are, they're even sweeter than honey!

"Alright, once the child is born, I'll give you a proper status."

Although her chest was a bit thin, it naturally became fuller after childbirth due to abundant milk, making her qualified to join the ranks of concubines.

Besides, she'd been with him for almost four years; even if she hadn't done anything particularly meritorious, she'd certainly put in the effort. He casually gave her the position of Ninth Concubine—after all, there were still long lists of Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Concubine… a title really wasn't a big deal.

"Really? Sir!"

"You've been so kind to Keren, Keren... Keren really doesn't know how to thank you!"

Her eyes welled up, and she almost burst into tears.

"Oh dear, don't get excited, be careful not to upset the baby."

Li Wenguo quickly reached out and patted her back, speaking in a soft and gentle tone.

"Mmm, you're the best!"

She leaned her head on his shoulder, her cheek pressed against his, like a satisfied cat.

The others had already discreetly dispersed, standing far away in the shadows of the trees under the eaves—neither wanting to witness this sticky scene nor daring to disturb this moment of tenderness.

It was rare for her to reveal her true feelings, so Li Wenguo patiently accompanied her on a few walks around the garden before finally turning into a quiet corner.

A row of white poplars stood straight there, their dense foliage blocking the view from outside; but Li Wenguo could still catch a glimpse of a few blurry figures in the distance by turning slightly to the side.

He and Wen Keren often did things here that couldn't be said out loud.

"Sir...do you want to stay here?"

She glanced at him sideways, her eyes sparkling like two peach blossoms floating in spring water.

"Never mind, you're pregnant now, it's not convenient for you."

He stroked her swollen belly again, his heart itching with desire, but he ultimately restrained himself.

"It's alright, it's inconvenient down there, I'll take care of you up there."

Before she finished speaking, she had already pulled out a wicker armchair from the side—it turned out she had prepared it beforehand. Truly thoughtful and considerate.

After a short while, the two straightened their clothes and slowly walked out of the shade of the tree.

Wen Keren raised her hand and gently touched the corner of her mouth with a plain handkerchief.