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

"Let's just go. It'll only take about a month."

Right now, with his wife and daughter both pregnant, and the Japanese puppet troops in Beijing keeping a tight grip on things like an iron barrel, he can't accomplish anything significant. Going on a long trip at this time would actually be much quieter.

He nodded, and Lou Meie immediately stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

With Li Wenguo traveling with them, the Lou family was completely at ease—they weren't afraid of being scammed, nor were they worried about their son encountering any problems on the road.

After settling into their home, twelve days later, the ship sailed westward, and Li Wenguo, with Lou Zhenhua in tow, set foot on the rising, soon-to-be-leading land of freedom—the United States.

Selena personally drove to pick him up, followed by a full ten gleaming cars, making quite a grand entrance.

"They've arrived."

Li Wenguo spotted Selena walking gracefully towards him in high heels, turned around and patted Lou Zhenhua on the shoulder.

"oh oh!!!"

This display of power left Lou Zhenhua stunned on the spot—it turned out that his future brother-in-law was not just making a living in the United States, but was someone who truly held sway!

The moment they met, Selena, lovesick, pounced on Li Wenguo and kissed him fiercely without any restraint.

Li Wenguo returned the embrace openly, kissing him passionately.

The United States has a very open-minded culture, and kissing in the street is commonplace.

Lou Zhenhua and Haozi and the others behind him seemed a little awkward, turning their faces away and pretending to admire the scenery.

Just then, a few daringly dressed foreign women walked by on the roadside, causing them to glance at them out of the corner of their eyes, only to quickly look away, their hearts pounding with a mixture of curiosity and embarrassment.

"Daddy!!!"

"Daddy!!!"

Before he finished speaking, the car door opened, and Alex and Alice jumped out like two little birds—they had grown a lot taller in the two years since they last met.

"Haha, my little prince and princess, do you miss Daddy?"

Li Wenguo lifted the two children up and kissed each of their tender cheeks twice.

The two children grew rapidly, quickly surpassing their older sister Li Jinghan and older brother Li Guohua in height.

As expected of someone of mixed race, he exudes a strong and upright spirit.

"Alice misses you so much, Daddy!"

"Yeah, yeah! Other kids have dads picking them up and dropping them off every day, but we don't... Alex is so lonely."

Hearing this, Li Wenguo felt a surge of warmth in his heart—these two little foreigners always cherished him, their yellow-skinned Chinese father.

"Didn't I come here to see you all?"

"Hahaha!!!"

The family was laughing together when

Lou Zhenhua, standing to the side, seemed rooted to the spot, his mouth slightly agape, unable to close it for a long time—he had originally thought Selena was just Li Wenguo's mistress, but who would have thought she was his lawfully wedded wife, with a son and a daughter who were already so grown up…

……

"Look, this is the largest city in the United States—New York."

"How was it? Did it make your heart tremble?"

Li Wenguo pointed out the window and laughed.

The convoy sped along, flanked by towering skyscrapers. Dozens of stories high glass curtain wall buildings stood side by side, reaching straight into the clouds, inspiring awe when one looked up and longing when one looked up.

"Hmm... No wonder Europe and America are so arrogant. Just look at this city, and you'll understand where the difference lies. Beijing? No, the whole country right now, can't compare."

Lou Zhenhua's breath hitched, and he became even more certain: investing in the United States was incredibly lucky! This wasn't just a foreign land; it was a treasure trove overflowing with gold and silver. The money invested would probably skyrocket!

"We are strong now, but decades from now, our city will be in no way inferior to it."

Unfortunately, Lou Zhenhua's ears were filled with the sounds of engines and his own heartbeat, so he couldn't hear anything else. His eyes shone brightly as he stared intently at the international metropolis, his heart surging with ambition—he was determined to carve out his own niche on this golden land!

Before long, Selena led the group into a vast estate. This was also one of Li Wenguo's properties.

It is far superior to that small villa in the embassy district—in terms of area alone, this estate is worth ten of it.

"See that? This is one of the estates under my name. Isn't it impressive?"

Li Wenguo put his arm around Selena's waist, grinned at Lou Zhenhua, and couldn't hide his smugness.

"This estate...it must have cost hundreds of thousands of US dollars, right?"

Lou Zhenhua gazed at the magnificent and luxurious mansion before him and murmured to himself.

My heart has already flown in!

Haozi and the others also quietly swallowed – no one expected that Master Li had such a gold mine hidden abroad.

Later, Li Wenguo met another pair of twins—a boy and a girl, just over a year old, exquisitely beautiful and lovable.

Since it was their first meeting, the two children burst into tears as soon as he picked them up, causing chaos throughout the room. But in just two days, Li Wenguo personally fed them, changed their diapers, bathed them, and played with them. The little ones then nestled obediently in his arms, their wet eyes wide open, recognizing this Chinese daddy who had come from afar.

That night, I inevitably had a passionate and unforgettable time with Selena.

Haozi and his friends went out with Lou Zhenhua to conduct on-site visits, broadening their horizons and gaining experience along the way.

Now that he had set foot on American soil, Li Wenguo casually flipped through the list of renowned tech upstarts from later generations, picked out a few promising startups, and had Selena quietly invest in them—after two or three decades, they would definitely own a global business empire.

Five days later, Li Wenguo, along with Haozi and others, set off back to China. His foundation and main battlefield remained firmly rooted in the country.

Lou Zhenhua, however, insisted on staying and continued to travel around the United States to conduct research, determined not to give up until he had poured all his funds into the project.

After being away from home for a whole month, his wives had been anxiously awaiting his return. Only when he stepped through the door did their hearts finally settle down – after all, they were all pregnant, and without their pillar of support, they felt less confident even in their breathing.

At this time, Wen Keren and Yang Yuerong were more than three months pregnant, with their lower abdomens slightly protruding; He Shuting was just over a month pregnant, and Wen Keyi was only two months pregnant, with no obvious changes in their figures.

Li Wenguo did some quick calculations: the wives on Qingzhong's side have had their babies for almost three months now. In another two months, they can go over to visit them and "sow the seed" at the same time—they're busy taking care of newborns, so they need to rest their bodies and it's safer to space out their pregnancies.

During this month, because the secret agents and local party members remained inactive according to Li Wenguo's secret orders, the military police and secret service agencies repeatedly searched but found nothing, and the pace of the search gradually slowed down.

Ultimately, the Japanese soldiers were also made of flesh and blood; they needed to eat and sleep. Constantly keeping a high level of vigilance while on high alert would eventually take its toll, forcing them to quietly withdraw and catch their breath.

Li Wenguo sensed an opportune moment to act, but before taking action, he first needed to prepare his own backyard.

"Nanako, your husband knows you're pregnant, right?"

As he asked, he adjusted the angle and snapped a picture of the tempting scene of two golden poached eggs wrapped around fried sausages that she had just placed on the table.

"I knew it already! He was jumping for joy, like a little boy, and kept thanking Lord Renqi!"

Nanako's eyes crinkled into crescents, her face radiating sweetness she couldn't hide.

"It's just a small favor—I'm always happy to help others, especially with something as good as adding a new member to the family."

Li Wenguo grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Cai Cai Zi, let me lend you my services so you can have a few more little brats for your man, how about it?"

"Alright, alright, then we'll all have to rely on Renqi-kun!"

She giggled, her cheeks flushed, and she was in high spirits.

"Come on over here, let's make 'Small Intestine Wrapped in Large Intestine' together—it's all about the layers and it's piping hot!"

"Ugh, how annoying!"

After seeing Nanako off, Li Wenguo went straight to the Lou Mansion.

"Wen Guo is back? Come, come, please have a seat!"

Lou Shiqin came up to him with a warm smile, as bright as a blazing stove.

It seems that Lou Zhenhua had long ago exaggerated his supposed shrewdness and extensive connections in the United States.

In capitalist countries, money is hard currency; whoever has the most money in their pockets has the most influence!

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you to bring Zhenhua all this way! Dinner is about to start, please stay tonight, I must toast you three times!"

"Uncle Lou, you're too kind. There's no need to thank Brother Zhenhua for his help."

Li Wenguo waved his hand, then changed the subject, "By the way, where's Sister Mei'e? I haven't seen her anywhere."

He came here specifically to see Lou Meie.

"She's probably upstairs coaxing Xiao'e—don't worry, she'll come down before dinner."

Afterwards, Lou Shiqin pulled Li Wenguo aside and asked him in detail about the business practices, rules, and taboos in the United States. They chatted so enthusiastically that they didn't realize it was time to eat.

Li Wenguo indeed met Lou Meie as he had hoped.

As if she had been given advance notice, she had made a special effort to dress up: a bright red low-cut evening gown that accentuated her long neck and prominent collarbones; her hands were covered with elbow-length white gloves, with gold glitter shimmering faintly; her curly hair was loose and fell to her shoulders, her features were bright and sharp, and her aura of a mature woman was overwhelming, making people hold their breath.

Li Wenguo's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he quietly swallowed.

However, in front of his elders, he remained impeccably composed, displaying humility and elegance.

After dinner, he took the opportunity to invite Lou Meie to the dance hall for drinks and dancing.

He had kept in mind her promise to "go further."

How far have we progressed?

No rush, try it slowly later.

The dance hall booths are quiet and private, with curtains drawn, creating a sense of being separated from the world.

As soon as the waiter brought the wine, Li Wenguo raised his hand and hooked the curtain shut.

His gaze was intense, and his words were scalding: "Meie, it's been a month since we last met, and I've been missing you so much I can't sleep."

"Slap, slap!"

He patted his thigh lightly, gesturing for her to sit down.

Lou Meie hesitated for a moment, then got up and walked closer, but only sat down beside him and did not follow his instructions to embrace him.

The meaning couldn't be clearer—it's not ready yet and needs to be simmered longer.

Undeterred, Li Wenguo pulled her into his arms and said with a smile, "Meie, you promised last time that if you took Zhenhua to the United States, our relationship would take another big step forward. Now, how exactly should we take that step? Give me a straight answer."

"Didn't we already overcome that? Look, we're heart to heart, breathing side by side, how much closer could we get?"

Lou Meie's eyes sparkled, her lips curved slightly, and her smile was both soft and charming.

Anyone else would have been completely captivated by this charm, feeling that it was enough, worthwhile, and perfectly satisfying.

But Li Wenguo wouldn't have it—he had big ambitions and wanted real progress, not vague, ambiguous talk.

"Mei'e, stop beating around the bush. I'm a legitimate businessman, after all. I spent so much time and effort accompanying Zhenhua across the ocean, and all I get in return is you sitting next to me having a drink? We might as well hold hands and dance—don't you think that makes sense?"

"If you don't keep your word, don't expect me to run errands for you, act as a go-between, or relay messages for you in the future!"

First, strike a light gong, not heavy, but deafening.

He didn't say it explicitly, but Lou Zhenhua was still waiting in the United States—one phone call was made, and the other end immediately lost contact, without even a reply.

"Oh, come on, Wenguo! I was just teasing you, why did you take it so seriously?"

Lou Meie blinked, her voice softened, and she immediately let down her guard, switching to a coquettish tone.

She was a woman with experience; with just a few words, she dispelled the initial awkwardness.