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

After entering the house, Li Wenguo called He Shuting, who was teaching her eldest son to write, upstairs to discuss matters.

My eldest son, Li Guohua, is almost six years old and should be going to school next year.

But with the storm brewing in the capital, the little book's iron hooves could trample the school into a pillbox.

Ugh!

Heartbreaking!

"Shuting, take a look at this morning's newspaper."

He handed over the newly purchased printed newspaper.

"The newspaper? What big thing happened?"

She sat down on the sofa by the window, crossed her legs, and the slit of her cheongsam slid down to her thighs—Li Wenguo's eyes widened, and he immediately moved to sit next to her, his fingers casually lifting a corner of her skirt.

"Little Notebook... did he really make a move?"

Her voice trembled slightly, and her brows furrowed.

Going to war is no joke; the lives of 400 million people hang on to this single battle report! How could she not panic?

"I think this is just them testing the waters, trying to figure out how tough our army is and how effective our weapons are. Once they've figured out our strength, they might launch a full-scale attack on our border, but that might not happen until next year."

Li Wenguo gently stroked his wife's long, white legs, his fingertips gliding over her warm, firm skin, as he slowly explained the current situation.

"If what you say is true, and we launch a major invasion next year, the capital, bordering the northeast, will undoubtedly become the first line of fire!"

Her brow furrowed slightly, and a look of worry appeared on her face.

She seemed oblivious to her husband's actions, her mind already wandering to the war-torn northern frontier.

"Shu Ting, I dare say—if the Japanese really press in, there is absolutely no way to defend the capital; it's only a matter of time before it falls."

"So, what do you think? Should we evacuate now?"

These were the true reasons he came to visit today.

"This...this...I'll follow the organization's arrangements. The organization told me to stay and guard this place; after all, this is the embassy district, foreigners' territory. No matter how rampant the Japanese are, they wouldn't dare to openly open fire and break down the gate."

He Shuting hesitated for a moment before answering in a low voice.

"What if the organization orders a retreat from the base?"

"You...you're coming too?"

His gaze was deep, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he asked the question.

If that's the case, then after eight years of war, each side would have to endure eight long years of conflict, separated by gunfire and bullets.

After asking her what she meant, Li Wenguo didn't step into the house until it was lit.

The children had already eaten dinner and were chasing and playing in the hall under the care of several pretty maids.

He was the only one left at the dinner table, along with his first wife Xu Wanqing, who was heavily pregnant, his second concubine Xianglan, his third concubine Hongyu, his fourth concubine Dong Haitang, his fifth concubine Xu Meijing, his sixth concubine Xiaocui, his seventh concubine Xiaoju, and his eighth concubine Sai Honglian, all of whom were also pregnant. Their skirts were slightly swollen, and the movements of their babies were faint.

All told, four more babies will be added next year.

To be honest, even the emperor's lineage wasn't as flourishing as his.

"Everyone's here. I have something to tell you—the Japanese army has already reached Suiyuan."

He put down his chopsticks, his voice low but firm.

"Huh? Are we really going to fight?"

"Then...would they head straight for the capital?"

"They've been showing their fangs for a long time; they've only waited until today to sharpen their blades."

"Sir, if they break into the city, how will we survive?"

"..."

Apart from Xu Wanqing and Dong Haitang, the others were still unaware of the situation.

"Knock knock!"

Seeing everyone in a panic, talking all at once, Xu Wanqing raised her hand and tapped the rim of her bowl twice, the sound like cold jade falling onto a plate.

The moment the imposing presence was displayed, the entire table fell silent.

"Suiyuan is far in the northwest border region, and artillery fire cannot reach our courtyard walls."

Dong Haitang glanced sideways at Xianglan and Hongyu, her tone calm and confident, as if she were talking about the weather.

Upon hearing this, the women's expressions softened slightly.

"Haitang is right—the storm outside has nothing to do with us. Let's all live our own lives and stop gossiping about such empty and frightening things!"

Xu Wanqing rebuked him with a stern face.

He sneered inwardly: "All he does is put on makeup and pose to seduce me, never doing anything serious, just freeloading!"

Indeed—Xianglan and Hongyu, seeing that the master had taken concubines one after another, were afraid that his favor would slip away. In the past two years, they have been wearing increasingly heavy makeup, and their clothes have become thinner and shorter. Their swaying waists are full of alluring spring colors.

The black stockings that Xiao Cui and Xiao Ju wore were a rule personally set by Li Wenguo, who even ordered a tailor to make several pairs so they could wear them day and night.

Every time Xu Wanqing saw it, she felt it was an eyesore and cursed the decline of morality and the collapse of social order.

"Wanqing, Haitang, don't just relax. This is a test by the little devils. I have received confirmation that they will launch a full-scale invasion of China by next year at the latest. The capital will be the first to be hit and will definitely be besieged by a large army. It's only a matter of time before the city falls. So I'm telling you this now: stay or leave, it's up to you."

Li Wenguo picked up his teacup, blew on it, and his eyes were deep and mysterious in the rising steam.

Xu Wanqing, Dong Haitang, and Sai Honglian, who was sitting quietly to the side, all frowned.

"Sir, you're not making fun of us, are you?"

Xu Wanqing was the first to speak, her tone skeptical.

There was no word of it coming from her home, so she naturally didn't believe it.

"Yes, sir, this isn't child's play—whether a war should be fought or not can't be decided based on just your words. Where did you get this information from?"

Dong Haitang followed closely behind, her tone revealing disbelief.

"Regardless of where I heard it, treat it as a foregone conclusion. Now, I only ask one question—stay, or leave?"

He was resolute and unambiguous.

"Beijing is the old capital. If the little devils want to establish their authority, they must first take over this place so that they can crush the backbone of the party and the country."

As a descendant of a military family, Xu Wanqing understood immediately.

"So—with the city on the verge of falling, which path will you choose?"

He pressed him for answers again.

"If the capital falls, headquarters will order a full evacuation, and I will have to go to Nanjing."

Dong Haitang was the first to respond.

"No! Although Nanjing is far away, it has no mountains or natural barriers, only vast plains, and it is located beside the Yangtze River, making its waterways easy to blockade. If the capital is lost, the Nationalist government will definitely move its capital."

Li Wenguo waved his hand, his tone calm and composed.

"The old man put it very clearly—Nanjing has always been the key to the north and south, situated at the waist of the Yangtze River. The Japanese were determined to take this tough nut to crack, and the relocation of the capital was a done deal."

Xu Wanqing turned her head to look at her husband, and her heart warmed: This man doesn't talk much, but every word he says hits the nail on the head.

"Should we defend, or retreat?"

"I can't stay in the capital any longer."

Xu Wanqing shook her head gently, giving her answer decisively.

"And you?"

Li Wenguo turned to stare at Dong Haitang, but he already knew what was going on.

Sure enough, she only replied, "I'll shoot wherever they tell me to."

He almost dropped the teacup.

Does this woman really think Lixingshe is her own father?

If it opens its mouth, would you close your eyes and jump into a fire pit?

If you were sent to serve tea and water to the Japanese devils, would you actually do it?

His eyes widened, his anger rising: "Besides the Lixing Society, do you even see me as the leader? 'Do you think you can just follow orders'? If I asked you to take off your cheongsam and go to a brothel to solicit customers, would you really do it?"

"You...you're being incredibly rude! The higher-ups aren't crazy; they wouldn't issue such an order!"

Dong Haitang's voice was weak, and her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes—she knew that she had crossed the line with what she had just said, and that her husband was the most important person she should listen to.

"Madman? I think you're the madman! From tonight onwards, you're my caged bird, and you'll get a taste of what it's like to be held in the palm of my hand and unable to turn over."

Dong Haitang's face instantly turned bright red, and his throat felt blocked. He didn't dare to utter a single harsh word back—if he argued any further, he was afraid that the other man would spew out even more hurtful words.

"Xianglan, Hongyu, what do you two say?"

He has always treated these two women who have been with him for six years as family, and never puts on airs or intimidates them.

"Sir, are you... really not leaving?" Xianglan spoke first.

"It's still undecided."

She bit her lip, hesitating: on one hand, she couldn't bear to leave her husband, and on the other hand, her legs went weak at the mere mention of the words "little devils"—the neighbors had spread rumors that they ate people alive and chewed bones without spitting out any bits of meat.

She was terrified.

"Forget it, let's just take it one step at a time."

He already had a plan in mind.

This family is led by two women: Xu Wanqing and Dong Haitang. If they set off, everyone else will follow. With these two looking after them, life won't be bad.

Besides, now that everyone's gone, he's surprisingly carefree—he doesn't drag anyone along, and he moves forward and backward with ease.

Of course, he couldn't let his beautiful wives be taken by outsiders. He planned to sneak over every now and then to conceive one by one, have one child, and then another, and so on, until the country was restored and the whole family was reunited.

He meant what he said. That very night, he went into Dong Haitang's room and pinned her to the edge of the bed, roughly ravaging her. She trembled, tears welling in her eyes, afraid to fall, and from that moment on, she never dared to utter a single word that would embarrass him in front of others.

He then took some time to visit Qingzhong and bought several houses in one go: a brick courtyard, a small Western-style building with wrought iron railings, and prime shops in Chaotianmen and Xiaoshizi—he could count the rent on his fingers until they cramped up.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye, and it was 1937. Xu Wanqing finally gave birth to a chubby baby boy. Holding the swaddled baby, she smiled from ear to ear, as if she could see that her husband's family business had a successor.

Just after June, a secret message arrived from the Xu family: Pack your valuables and head to Sichuan!

"Ah, so the gentlemen in the halls of power had already set up the chessboard."

In July, the curtain fell on a massive invasion.

At the end of the month, the Japanese flag flew over the walls of Beiping.

Two months earlier, Li Wenguo had settled his entire family in Qingzhong; a month before leaving, he made each of his women pregnant; and he left behind ten loyal guards with their families before turning back to the capital alone.

After much deliberation, he decided to stay in Beiping for the time being—he didn't want to be too tightly bound by the Kuomintang, and he also wanted to see the situation clearly before making a move.

Unexpectedly, the Lixingshe headquarters went along with the plan and directly appointed him as the head of the Beiping station: to spy on the movements of the Japanese army, eliminate traitors and evildoers, and specifically target traitors and high-ranking Japanese officials.

Upon hearing that her husband wanted to stay and gather intelligence, He Shuting immediately decided, "I'll stay too!"—She was responsible for encrypting the intelligence and sending it out, so she could both protect him and take responsibility for the organization.

After careful consideration, the organization nodded in agreement.

Another incident: Sai Honglian received a secret order to immediately rush to Wang'er Mountain to join Battalion Commander Chen Jiang's troops, specifically to disrupt the Japanese army's supply lines and cut off their food supply routes.

After all, most of the underground personnel withdrew after the fall of Beiping, leaving behind only a group of elite forces specializing in intelligence and assassination.

Li Wenguo, as always, wore a suit, carried a briefcase, and walked into the foreign firm's gate on time every day.

Foreigners continue to fight wars, but business never stops—without money coming in, who can survive this chaotic world?

Big Eyes pulled the rickshaw, with Li Wenguo sitting in the back. Driving a car was too conspicuous; they were afraid the Japanese soldiers would see them as fat pigs and slaughter them.

Just as we drove out of the embassy district, we were intercepted by a patrol of Japanese soldiers.