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

"Tonight—the belt will do."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a block of ice being smashed into hot water.

"what?"

He Shuting's ears perked up, and she instantly understood the unspoken meaning; her shoulders immediately slumped.

"Please calm down, sir! You can go wherever you want. I'm just a woman guarding the house; how dare I stop or interfere?"

The three wives all stared at the eldest wife, none of them expecting her to cower in fear so suddenly. They were secretly alarmed: Had she been whipped with that belt more than once?

"Um!!!"

Li Wenguo's Adam's apple bobbed, and he nodded in satisfaction.

Okay, not bad, that old woman is quick to admit her mistake, I'll forgive her!

His gaze then turned to Yang Yuerong.

Although she guessed that the "belt" was probably not for fastening trousers, her slightly protruding belly made her back straighter, and with a flick of her eye, her gaze sharp as a knife, she met his gaze head-on.

"Fine, you've got guts! I'll see how long you can keep up this tough stunt!"

Li Wenguo's words carried weight.

"snort!!!"

Yang Yuerong curled her lips, turned her head to look out the window, and simply ignored those words.

—If you really dare to lay a hand on me, you might as well abort the child too. I'll pack my bags tomorrow and never set foot in your house again!

After dinner, Li Wenguo chatted with the children for a while and then chatted with his wives for a bit before He Shuting quietly tugged at his sleeve and led him to the bedroom.

"Sir, a telegram just arrived from the base area: the bullet production line has been established! They praised me for my great contribution and said the country will remember this favor."

Her eyes crinkled with laughter, and her already radiant face seemed to be bathed in a warm glow, dazzling the eyes.

Fortunately, Li Wenguo was already used to this face. Even though his heart skipped a beat, he wouldn't pounce on her and nibble on her earlobe before he could finish three sentences, just like he did back then.

Besides, I've had a good appetite these past few days, and my internal heat is well controlled.

……

"Shuting, I still have a few 205mm howitzers here. Ask the front lines if they need them, and if so, transfer them over."

"Yes! Of course we want it! The battle lines are locked in a stalemate, and we're relying on looting for guns and cannons. We'll take whatever we can get!"

He Shuting blurted it out, speaking as fast as popping beans.

"Oh, right, we're also running low on gunpowder. Send a batch over while we're at it."

Once the bullet line is laid out, there's a sufficient supply of ammunition, but gunpowder can't be a hindrance—this is the most tightly interlocking link.

"Oh, gunpowder... Have Zhang Dadan go there tomorrow morning and transfer the money at the original price, without adding a penny."

Now he is putting all his effort into patronizing the country, and the more merits he accumulates, the brighter his future will be.

Of course, we can't empty our coffers all at once—a steady, gradual approach is the only way to withstand long-term planning.

……

"So, under whose name should this batch of equipment be registered?"

She asked.

"Your man's name."

"Wouldn't it be simpler to just write my name? Why beat around the bush?"

He Shuting blinked, looking puzzled.

—Women with long hair are short-sighted, big-breasted, and brainless.

Li Wenguo muttered to himself.

"Only by using your man's name can you truly benefit! Don't you even understand this basic principle?"

"You're a literature major, after all. To put it another way—the art of conversation—haven't you ever thought about it?"

"Big boobs, no brains."

He smirked and chuckled.

"Hmph, isn't that exactly what you love to hear?"

He Shuting was stunned for a moment, then immediately pulled in her stomach and straightened her shoulders, her two full breasts instantly forming an amazing curve.

Li Wenguo's eyes froze on the spot, as if they were drawn to a magnet, unable to move.

"Hmph! Men!"

"So audacious! His brains have long since been fed to dogs!"

Seeing her husband's greedy expression, she rolled her eyes without hesitation.

In this round, the outcome is still undecided, and the two sides are evenly matched.

"Uh... anything else? If not, I'm going to Yue Rong's place to 'loosen my muscles'."

Li Wenguo was jolted back to his senses and quickly changed the subject.

"That's all, please go ahead."

She paused, then softened her voice: "She's pregnant, so go easy on her... She told me privately that if it weren't for this child, she would have packed her bags and left long ago."

"I know, I know what I'm doing."

He stood up, his steps steady, and walked towards Yang Yuerong's room.

Of course, before leaving, he didn't forget to pinch her hard a few times as a prank, just to vent his anger.

Turning to Yang Yuerong, who was pregnant, Li Wenguo only symbolically patted her buttocks a few times, then rolled over with her in his arms, thus turning the tables.

Seeing Yang Yuerong's flushed cheeks and her bright, piercing eyes, clearly still defiant, Li Wenguo sneered inwardly: Once you safely give birth to your child, there will be plenty of time to deal with you!

To keep his job, Mikuryu Tokuma turned the capital upside down—his investigations were even more ruthless than those of Akagi Toshio back then, almost to the point of hysteria. He traced every household back two generations, and anyone who had worked for the Nationalist government was taken away for interrogation, tortured, and forced to confess as a matter of course.

Li Wenguo simply ordered all secret agents to immediately withdraw from the capital to avoid trouble; the local party also advised them to temporarily leave the place of trouble, but he couldn't care less whether they listened or not.

Intelligence gathering was handled by Niu Dali alone, while other matters such as assassination, arson, and demolition were all put on hold, waiting for Yu Kongdejian, that mad dog, to tire himself out and catch his breath before proceeding.

Who would willingly walk into the line of fire and lose their life in vain?

While Yu Kong was rampaging through the air, Li Wenguo wasn't idle either—he was spoiling Nanako with tender moments every night. A month later, good news arrived: Nanako was three weeks pregnant. The grand villa that originally belonged to the Kuang family was now renamed "Saiguo Mansion" and was under the ownership of Saiguo Foreign Trade Company.

Even after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the house remained firmly registered under the name of the American Foreign Trade Company—it was a foregone conclusion that it would forever be Li Wenguo's territory.

"Renqi-jun... I'm pregnant, what... what should I do?"

Nanako's voice was strained, and her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes.

If her husband finds out, she'll probably get a beating on the spot.

"When was the last time you had sex with your husband?" he asked.

"Hmm... about a month ago," she replied softly after a moment's thought.

"Haha, don't worry. It's only a two-week difference, he won't even notice. Just treat this child as his own and raise him naturally."

People often say that pregnancy lasts ten months, but most women give birth after nine months, while some don't give birth until the full ten months. Even if Nanako had given birth at full term, it wouldn't have seemed abrupt at all.

"Really...really?"

Her tone softened noticeably.

As long as the husband doesn't suspect anything, everything will be fine!

After three years of marriage without any sign of pregnancy, he's probably overjoyed to the point of losing his mind!

At this moment, she no longer cared about the authenticity of the bloodline—having a child was the greatest joy!

"Of course it's true."

He then proceeded to explain to her the key points of pregnancy care and prenatal education, even going into detail about postpartum breastfeeding and infant massage. Nanako listened intently, her eyes fixed on him. After all, she was carrying a little life inside her, and this knowledge was more precious to her than gold.

As he was talking, Li Wenguo suddenly paused: Oh no! Raising a child is such a simple matter, why not just hire an experienced nanny or a decent maid? It's not like I'm short of money, why am I worrying about this?

"Hiss!!!"

Nanako's eyes lit up. "Ninki-kun is amazing! He knows so much!"

A typical island nation woman, she believes in the supremacy of the strong.

"Oh, these are just basic common sense, nothing to mention."

"Renqi-kun is too modest!"

"By the way, Nanako, you are pregnant now and you can't have sex with your husband anymore, otherwise you are very likely to miscarry."

He gave serious instructions.

"Ah? Then... Renqi-kun, you..."

Her heart skipped a beat: Could it be that she could temporarily avoid this matter?

He felt both secretly pleased and subtly disappointed.

Renqi Jun's vigorous and enduring performance made her unable to resist; when she looked back at her husband's pitiful three minutes, it was utterly tasteless!

"Heh...you have more than just a mouth to use, right?"

He smiled, his eyes narrowed, with a hint of mischief in them.

"Ugh! Renqi-kun is so mean..."

She blushed instantly, her ears turning bright red.

"If a man isn't a little bad, you wouldn't even want him—tell me, aren't you madly in love with me now?"

"Hmm... Ugh, Renqi-kun, you're just asking a question you already know the answer to~"

She spoke softly and coquettishly, her eyes slightly upturned.

She hadn't been this charming and innocent in the three years since she got married, but she was completely unaware of it at the moment, feeling it all very naturally.

The two cuddled and lingered for a long time before Haozi drove her home.

Now that he has not only cuckolded Mikuryuu, but also made him a father, Li Wenguo is in a good mood. For once, he did not get into the car, but instead strolled into the garden and took a leisurely walk.

Unconsciously, I walked to the courtyard gate and casually looked around at the street scene and tree shadows.

A chance glance revealed a tall, slender, and alluring mature woman wearing a short off-the-shoulder dress, with a light, wispy black veil draped over her shoulders, partially concealing her allure. Two matte black gloves, reaching her elbows, covered her slender arms, and a thin, filter-tipped cigarette was held between her fingers. As she exhaled, her eyes were lowered, exuding a graceful charm.

She was leaning lazily against the gray wall of the villa next door, her silhouette slightly tilted amidst the swirling smoke, like an unsigned old painting, making one wonder how many unopened stories lay hidden behind her.

Li Wenguo's heart stirred slightly, and his feet unconsciously led him towards her, a warm and polite smile appearing on his face: "Miss, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Li Wenguo, and I just took over this villa, so I'm your new neighbor—may I ask your name? Are you a regular resident here?"

His demeanor and tone were exactly like how Kwong Sing-wan flirted with Winnie Wan back then.

"Oh? You actually bought that old house of the Kuang family?" She raised the corners of her lips slightly, her voice as deep and mellow as aged amber. "You've got some nerve—several people have died here, and you actually dared to move in."

"Heh, what's there to be afraid of?" Li Wenguo laughed loudly, his back straight and his eyes bright. "I'm a person who doesn't believe in ghosts by nature. Even if the King of Hell were to hold a banquet, I would still go and freeload."

The woman before me possessed a steadfastness and sharpness honed by the years, a quality no ordinary lady could possess. To catch her eye, one had to demonstrate their true strength—not soft words, but unwavering resolve.

"Oh? I heard the ones who wiped out the Kuang family were a bunch of ruthless bandits..." She flicked her cigarette ash with her fingertips, her eyes holding a half-smile. "Aren't you afraid that one night you'll be targeted by someone?"

"Staring?" Li Wenguo scoffed, gesturing towards the car. "Big Eyes! Haozi! Show Miss Lou what real confidence looks like!"

The two men jumped off the car and deftly swung out two dark submachine guns. With two "clicks," they loaded the guns, a flash of cold metal, and a murderous aura emanated from them.

Lou Meie's eyelids twitched slightly, and the corners of her mouth tightened slightly—was this the underworld boss going out for a stroll? With weapons on his person?

"How about it? Is that enough courage to ward off evil spirits?"

He paused briefly, then resumed his polite tone: "By the way, may I ask your name, Miss?"

"Lou Meie," she uttered three words, calmly and deliberately.

"The Lou Mansion... Chairman Lou Shiqin, is he your father?" Li Wenguo's gaze swept over the gilded plaque above the door, and he understood immediately.

"Exactly." She nodded.

"So you're Chairman Lou's daughter." His smile deepened. "Would I have the honor of inviting you to dinner?"

This is a test – if she is married, she will definitely decline, perhaps even mentioning "my husband"; if she agrees, it means she has left a crack in the door.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, a young woman suddenly emerged from inside the courtyard gate. She was dressed in plain clothes and light makeup, carrying a swaddled baby in her arms, and her steps were light and graceful.