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

"Okay, okay, it's good that you're alright. From now on, just settle down here peacefully."

Wen Keren's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down completely.

"Sis, why do you look so pale? You even seem unsteady on your feet..."

When her younger sister helped her walk to the sofa, she could clearly feel that her older sister's body was limp, as if all her muscles and bones had been removed.

"Huh? N-nothing!"

Wen Keren's ears felt slightly hot, and her eyes darted away slightly.

You can't just say that directly—it's obvious that you were too rough last night, and your bones are aching all over.

Actually, if you rest for a while, you'll recover.

"Sis, you have to tell me if anything happens, don't bear it all by yourself."

Wen Keyi was raised by her older sister from a young age, who supported her education and taught her how to be a person. Their bond had long surpassed that of ordinary sisters. In her heart, her sister was not only family but also like a mother. Seeing her so weary now, her heart tightened.

She was inexperienced and thought it was just a cold or exhaustion.

"Don't worry, I was just too busy. I'll be lively and energetic again after lying down for half a day."

Seeing Wen Keren's fingertips turn white with embarrassment, He Shuting quickly smiled and smoothed things over.

Too busy?

Does this mean that the whole household is being managed by my older sister alone?

The younger sister's nose tingled with emotion. "Sis, from now on, I'll take care of everything—sweeping, wiping windows, grocery shopping, and cooking!"

"Who said your sister was worn down by housework?"

Before he finished speaking, Li Wenguo, wrapped in a loose bathrobe, strolled down the stairs, his sleeves still half-rolled up, revealing his prominent wrist bones.

"Who...who are you? Why are you staring at people like that?"

Wen Keyi frowned, her tone revealing undisguised resistance.

"Keyi, this is your brother-in-law. Watch your words."

Wen Keren spoke hurriedly, but her voice was very low.

Li Wenguo was the backbone of the family, his imposing presence commanding respect. Even a fiery person like He Shuting would shrink back and dare not breathe after being scolded by him—let alone someone as gentle as Wen Keren. She was terrified that a single word of her sister's retort would cause her husband to change his attitude.

"Call him brother-in-law."

"...Sister, brother-in-law."

The younger sister bit her lip and managed to squeeze out two words.

Ouch!

My sister-in-law came to visit!

This is quite a show!

Li Wenguo felt a surge of heat in his heart, and his manhood was already stirring—his penis had been buzzing since Wen Keyi pushed open the door: It's her! After searching for six years, he's finally caught her!

She'll be taken into the household as a concubine; it's a done deal.

He was so tempted by the two sisters that his bones melted.

"Little sister, do you really think that people who can afford mansions and drive cars would lack servants? Would they make their wives sweep the floors?" He scoffed. "You actually believe that? It's laughable!"

"To be honest, your sister's listless state is something I personally 'created' last night—you know what that kind of thing happens in the room, right?"

Wen Keren lowered her head abruptly, her cheeks burning hot. She muttered to herself, "How can you just open your mouth like that? How can anyone hold their head up like this?"

Wen Keyi froze on the spot, her ears turning red all the way down to her neck.

"Sir! How can you say such a thing? Ke Yi is still a pure and innocent young woman!"

He Shuting couldn't hold back and rolled her eyes.

This is getting more and more unpredictable!

"Little sister, didn't you just say you wanted to help your sister? Look, she's right here—look how tired your sister is being 'served' by your brother-in-law, don't you feel sorry for her?"

He completely ignored He Shuting's complaints, glancing sideways at Wen Keyi with a hint of mockery and certainty in his eyes.

"You—shameless!!!"

These words were like a needle, pricking Wen Keyi until she blushed and blurted them out.

Wen Keren hurriedly grabbed her sister's wrist and glanced timidly at her husband—thankfully, he still had that carefree smile on his face, showing no sign of anger.

"Oh? You call me shameless? Then I'll be shameless to the very end today."

He turned his head and reached out his hand to Wen Keren, "Keren, come on, let's go back to the room and continue 'making up'."

"Hmm... okay, sir."

Her fingertips trembled slightly, but she obediently placed her hand in his palm without the slightest hesitation.

"Sis, don't go up there!"

Her younger sister grabbed her wrist, her knuckles turning white.

"It's really nothing, my husband treats me very well. Besides..." She gently withdrew her hand, her fingertips brushing against her sister's hand, her voice soft and steady, "A wife's duty is to accompany her husband."

After saying that, she took Li Wenguo's arm tightly and, step by step, went upstairs.

Only after the two figures turned the corner did Wen Keyi stomp her foot, her heel hitting the wooden floor with a dull thud.

"Keyi, let me give you a piece of advice: don't go head-to-head with him. He's as thick-skinned as a city wall. You can't win the argument, and in the end, it'll only be your sister who suffers."

"Come, let me take you to the guest room—from now on, you can settle in comfortably."

He Shuting offered a soft word of advice and then led her upstairs.

She was perfectly aware of the situation and had long ago realized that her man had his eye on Wen Keyi's sister, but she kept it to herself and didn't say anything.

As she passed by her sister's room, Wen Keyi caught the faint, intermittent breathing inside, like tightly clenched silk, trembling.

His fingertips tightened suddenly, his nails dug into his palm, and his chest felt tight and constricted.

Upon entering the guest room, she was greeted by a room filled with intricate carvings of golden nanmu wood and piles of goose down comforters, but she didn't glance at them at all, nor did she even touch the edge of the bed.

If I had known that man was so petty, I shouldn't have spat the word "shameless" at his face!

Now, things have gotten even worse, leaving my sister bedridden and unable to get up...

Ugh--

A soft sigh drifted away into the air.

As for Li Wenguo's words, "to share your sister's burden," she took them as just glib talk and let them go in one ear and out the other.

The next morning, a maid came to call her for breakfast. She glanced at the long table and saw that her sister's seat was empty.

She had just given the maid a wink when the man diagonally opposite her, who seemed to have read her mind completely, grinned and said in a loud voice, "Want to ask why your sister didn't come down for dinner?"

"To be frank—I was so exhausted last night that I didn't even have the energy to comb my hair this morning, and my meals were already being served to me."

"you--!"

Wen Keyi choked up, swallowing back the words that had just come out.

This guy holds grudges and explodes at the slightest provocation. If you provoke him again, my sister is likely to suffer even more.

She quickly finished half a bowl of porridge with her head down, then turned and ran upstairs.

The night before, a squad of military police, along with their captain who always wielded a whip and kept a lowly notebook, had their throats slit. Enraged, Akagi Toshio smashed three celadon cups and immediately mobilized troops to block the streets. Anyone unfamiliar with their appearance, shifty eyes, or muddy clothes was dragged away without explanation; the branding irons in the torture chambers never cooled down all night.

This isn't a manhunt, it's venting anger; it's not establishing authority, it's taking revenge.

……

Tell those who commit this crime: For every soldier of mine you kill, you'll have to pay with ten lives!

Li Wenguo knew that things were in turmoil outside, so he simply stayed in his house and waited for the storm to pass before going to the foreign firm to check in.

at the same time--

On the top of the Zhengyang city gate tower, three Japanese companies were fully equipped and lined up. They then split into three groups and rushed straight to the outskirts and villages.

They were sent to "clean up" the countryside, guarding against remnants of the Red Army, stragglers of the Nationalist Army, or anti-Japanese heroes hiding in haystacks.

But as soon as they stepped out of the city gate, several teams that had been lying in ambush were already gripping their rifle butts on the ridges of fields, in the valleys, and by the dry wells.

"Hehe, after waiting for almost half a month, the bait has finally come!"

Ding Xiaoqi took off the binoculars hanging around his neck, rubbed his hands together until they were red, and grinned at Agui with bright eyes.

"Absolutely! They're practically growing hair in the cracks between their bones!"

Ah Gui grinned and swayed his shoulders relaxed.

When the main Japanese force pressed in, Li Wenguo issued a death order: no one was to show their faces! The three thousand men huddled in the reeds and the walls of the ancestral hall, stubbornly refusing to move—outnumbered and outgunned, a direct confrontation would be suicide. Now, it was finally their turn to draw their swords.

This team was originally a smokescreen set up by Li Wenguo for his future withdrawal from Beijing. They would pick on the weak: rob Japanese supply trucks, ambush lone patrols, and steal guns, ammunition, and food along the way.

In the first battle, the entire army was deployed. Three thousand men were spread out into six battalions, with two battalions of one thousand men each, specifically targeting one company—the 180th Japanese soldier. No matter how well-equipped they were, they couldn't withstand three times the number of troops descending from the sky.

Not to mention they also brought over several small-caliber howitzers, whose range was even more stable than that of mortars. Fighting this isolated group was like cracking walnuts with a hammer.

The result was swift and clean: not a single Japanese soldier escaped; their bodies lay scattered across the wilderness, leaving not even a groan.

"Damn it! I should have left one truck alive; I'm kicking myself now!"

Ding Xiaoqi squatted beside the charred truck frame, slapping his thigh repeatedly. While cleaning up the battlefield, he had spotted a truck with an intact bed and tires, but the others had been overturned and burned by grenades.

How valuable is this thing? It can easily carry people and goods, and it runs three times faster than a mule or horse. When changing locations, it can disappear in the blink of an eye.

"Never mind, just be careful next time—raise the muzzle half an inch, and shoot people, not cars."

Ah Gui squatted down next to him, staring at the surviving truck, smacking his lips with a look of regret.

Not long after——

The news of the complete annihilation of the three squadrons was like a red-hot iron, burning into the hands of General Nobuda, the highest commander in the capital.

"Baka!!!"

"Our great Japanese Imperial Army has been completely annihilated?!"

"Could a whole anti-Japanese force be lurking outside the city?!"

"Are you doing your reconnaissance with your nostrils?!"

In the conference room, General Nobuda's mustache stood straight up, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

On either side of the long table, beside the coffin covered with a white cloth, a row of Japanese officers stood stiffly with their heads bowed, barely breathing.

The higher-ups are furious; who dares to raise their heads? A few words of reprimand are a minor matter; if you become the scapegoat, you'll truly be stuck in a quagmire, unable to climb out.

After roaring for a full ten minutes, he finally sent a lieutenant colonel to lead two battalions—just over two thousand Japanese soldiers—out of the city to search for and suppress the anti-Japanese armed forces.

To wipe out three of their companies in one fell swoop, the opponent must have at least three times the strength, or at least a whole regiment, or 1,500 to 1,600 men.

The Japanese believed that their superior equipment and training far surpassed that of the National Revolutionary Army, so they only deployed two battalions, which they thought was more than enough.

Shinoda also summoned Akagi Toshio, the commander of the military police, and ordered him to thoroughly investigate the anti-Japanese elements lurking in Beiping, especially those "one of their own" who were mixed in with the Japanese army.

They were surrounded and annihilated as soon as they left the city—what else could it be but an inside tip-off?

……

Akagi Toshio called Niu Dali into his office.

He stared at the other man, his tone calm yet menacing: "Director Niu, tomorrow morning two squadrons are going to 'clean up' several villages around Wanping County. Pick two members from the local militia who know the way and are tight-lipped to go with them, understand?"

"Hai! Sir!"

Niu Dali bent his waist very low, which was a decisive gesture.

The moment he stepped out of the room, his brows furrowed into a knot.

Last time, when three squadrons were dispatched, Akagi only ordered him to pick three Japanese-speaking traitors to wait in the office; this time, he even gave them the locations to sweep.

What's the point?

Are you testing me?

Or did they dig a hole for me to fall into?

That old devil, he's a fox spirit!

Niu Dali cursed inwardly.

That's right, this was a trap set by Akagi.

It was both a test and a bait.

If that anti-Japanese force really ambushed and captured those two companies on the way, the two battalions following behind would immediately counter-encircle and wipe them out in one fell swoop; at the same time, it would also confirm that Niu Dali was an inside man—cooperating from the inside and outside, with irrefutable evidence.

one stone two bird.