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

"Ha, kowtowing to me? Is it a curse wishing me an early death, or is it that after being beaten, you secretly hope I'll lie dead in the street?"

Li Wenguo sneered.

Kowtowing? It's the children's turn to kowtow.

"No, no, no! I'm innocent! I'm truly innocent! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"

Hongyu was so frightened that she shrank back, closed her eyes, turned her head away, and shrugged her shoulders, instinctively dodging the slap that was about to fall.

Seeing her trembling like a withered leaf in the autumn wind, Li Wenguo's heart sank—a pitiful person is not necessarily innocent; but this pitifulness was something she brought upon herself, inch by inch.

This beating should be a lesson etched into my bones.

"Listen carefully: if there's a next time, you might as well slit your own throat first. Otherwise..." He paused, his eyes so sinister they could drip water, "you'll hate yourself for still being alive."

……

"I've remembered it! I've memorized it all! I'll never do it again! I'll never do it again!"

Hongyu nodded hurriedly, her forehead still covered in dust.

"Let's go back inside."

He waved to her, his tone as indifferent as if he were ordering her to bring him tea or water.

That was the end of it.

"Waaah..."

She sobbed as she shakily got up, supporting herself on her knees.

"Shut up!"

Li Wenguo frowned, his voice not loud, but it sounded like an ice pick piercing the ear.

Hongyu immediately bit her lower lip, not daring to even gasp loudly, her calves wobbling as she moved.

Her heart was still pounding, and her fear of her husband was ten times deeper than before; her face was burning hot as if a red-hot iron plate had been stuck on it, her scalp was twitching, and her steps were unsteady, her body swaying from side to side.

The basement stairs were steep and narrow; she slipped and simply crawled up on her knees. Li Wenguo followed behind, his gaze sweeping over her taut waist and trembling hips. A surge of heat rose in his heart, and he raised his hand to deliver another crisp slap—

"what!"

"Shut up."

She immediately pursed her lips tightly.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

She followed him with her head down, staggering, until they entered the room.

"You think that's all?"

"You shameless bastard, how dare you go out and flaunt yourself? Today I'll show you what 'entertaining guests' really means!"

Li Wenguo stared at Hongyu, who stood before him with her head bowed, his anger rising to the top of his head.

"I...I didn't want to go!"

Hongyu's voice was barely audible, and she lowered her head even further.

"I'm talking to you! Go and clean it up right now!"

He glared at her, and Hongyu trembled all over, turning around and running towards the washroom.

This time, he was ruthless and quick, tossing Hongyu around like a broken rag doll.

The next morning.

Seven-year-old Li Guofu and six-year-old Li Jingmi, dressed in their crisply starched elementary school uniforms with small schoolbags slung over their shoulders, came to their mother's room to greet her as usual before leaving home. Upon entering, they were stunned to see Hongyu's face swollen high on one side, covered in bruises. They looked up and asked, "Mother, what happened to your face?"

"Yes, Mom, why is your face so swollen?"

"Ah? This...this..." Hongyu was at a loss, her tongue tied, unable to answer for a moment.

Li Wenguo, who had just finished brushing his teeth and washing his face in the bathroom, grinned at his third son and seventh daughter: "Your mother did something wrong yesterday, and she was unsteady on her feet, so she bumped her head on the door frame—that's why her face is so swollen."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two children, his tone turning serious: "Remember this, be an upright person. If you're timid and cowardly, you'll end up bruised and battered like your mother, so swollen that even her own father can barely recognize her!"

The words were meant for her children, but the knife was being stabbed into Hongyu's heart.

"Oh... I understand, Dad!"

The two children nodded, looking bewildered.

Hongyu stood to the side, her face burning hot, wishing she could disappear into the ground.

"Alright, go to school."

Li Wenguo waved.

Goodbye, Father! Goodbye, Mother!

Once the child's footsteps had faded into the distance, he turned around and said coldly, "Come on, let's go downstairs for dinner."

"Can...can I not go?" Hongyu bit her lip, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

My face was burning with pain, and my neck was still throbbing. If I went out looking like this, wouldn't I become a laughingstock in front of everyone in the room?

"no."

Li Wenguo raised his voice, his tone resolute.

In the dining room, everyone was already seated. As soon as Li Wenguo entered, all the concubines' eyes were immediately fixed on Hongyu behind him.

He kept wondering to himself: What a huge mess I've made!

How could I have been so thoroughly humiliated by you, Master?

Her once meticulously painted face was now swollen and distorted, with a bloody gash at the corner of her mouth and several deep, dark finger marks on her neck, clearly indicating that she had been strangled.

After taking her seat, Xu Wanqing slowly glanced at Hongyu, then looked up at Li Wenguo, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Master, this man always dresses so seductively, could it be that he's secretly flirting with someone outside?"

"I told you, this face has a foxy look, it's naturally restless."

She had been holding back her anger for a long time, and now that she had a chance, she was not about to let it go easily. Every word she uttered was aimed straight at Hongyu's heart.

Hongyu dared not raise her head, her shoulders trembled slightly, and her chin almost touched her chest.

Her cheek stung terribly at the slightest touch, so she didn't even dare to touch her chopsticks. She simply poured herself a glass of milk and sipped it slowly.

Upon hearing the lady speak, the other concubines immediately pricked up their ears and held their breath, waiting to see what would happen.

"Hmph! If she really was cheating on her husband—she should be lying in a mass grave this morning."

Li Wenguo sneered, his voice not loud, but it sent a chill down the spines of everyone at the table.

They all knew what the master hated most, but hearing those words come out of his mouth again still made their legs tremble.

"Oh? So... you lost the bet?"

Xu Wanqing's eyes flickered, and she immediately continued.

Born into a prestigious family, she knew all too well what these women did for fun—Hongyu was always out playing mahjong.

"Give her 50,000 silver dollars later to pay off her debts."

Li Wenguo gave Xu Wanqing instructions in a calm tone, but his words carried a hidden threat.

He will repay debts, but he will not let anyone who sets a trap for others get away with it.

"Fifty thousand? Ha... they really think my money's worthless!"

Xu Wanqing sneered, her gaze sweeping over Hongyu like a knife.

If Li Wenguo hadn't been sitting here, she would have called Dafei in and broken one of her legs long ago.

The other concubines gasped when they heard "fifty thousand silver dollars".

Good heavens, 50,000 silver dollars!

In Beijing, that's enough to buy ten courtyard houses!

Where did she get the guts?!

No wonder he was beaten so badly he couldn't get out of bed!

In an instant, the gazes at the table changed—contempt, ridicule, and schadenfreude were all directed at Hongyu.

"Sir, in my opinion, you're still too kind. If she lost 50,000, I'd break her legs first, and then deal with the rest later."

Xu Wanqing narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed menacingly on Hongyu.

Hongyu froze, instinctively pressing her legs together.

With a broken leg, she'd be ruined for life. Her fingertips turned white as she gripped Li Wenguo's arm tightly, her nails almost digging into his flesh.

"You worthless wretch, are you scared now?"

"Afraid? Afraid that you'd still dare to gamble away my entire fortune? If there's a next time, I'll send you straight to Wanqing to receive your punishment!"

Li Wenguo suddenly shouted, making the bowls and plates vibrate.

"I...I'll never do it again!"

Hongyu trembled all over, her voice was weak, and she hunched her shoulders like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

If I really fall into that woman's hands, I'm afraid I'll be skinned alive.

"Hmph, I want to—"

"Alright, alright, let's put this behind us! From now on, if anyone utters another word about it, I'll tear their mouth off with my own hands!"

Seeing that Xu Wanqing still had a tense face and her fingertips were almost digging into her palms, Li Wenguo simply waved his hand, his voice steady but not disapproving.

Xu Wanqing glanced at the profile of the person in charge, her Adam's apple bobbed, but she ultimately didn't speak again.

"Haitang, go and investigate the background of Dexian Association."

"Alright, sir."

In the blink of an eye—

After breakfast was cleared away, Li Wenguo took Xu Wanqing's hand and led four-year-old Li Jingxiang, three-year-old Li Guowen, and his youngest son Li Guoan, who was just over eight months old and wrapped in a pale yellow blanket in his stroller, slowly into the back garden.

A loving husband, children around her, life was dazzlingly bright. Xu Wanqing looked down at the dappled sunlight dancing on the grass, a smile unconsciously spreading across her lips—only her heart sank slightly: she could hardly see that person more than a few times a year…

At the same time, Dafei led several capable men, protecting Hongyu, straight to Dexian Guild Hall, determined to settle the 50,000 silver dollars completely.

"Here's the 50,000 yuan I'm returning to you, not a penny less. IOU, give it back to me."

In the manager's office, a dozen or so bags of silver dollars were piled up in the corner, jingling. Hongyu pointed a finger at them, her voice cold and hard, but her eyes subtly relaxed—the stone that had been weighing on her heart for two years was finally about to be lifted!

Xue Yong glanced up and his heart skipped a beat: This delicate flower with thorns had actually managed to raise the money? He had originally intended to use the debt to develop feelings for her and go with the flow, but now it had all come to nothing, and a surge of anger rose to his head.

Oh shit!

She should have been locked up in the back room yesterday!

Of course, these thoughts only churned in my head for a moment.

He knew very well that every time Hongyu came to his door, she was always followed by a towering bodyguard; if anyone dared to lay a hand on her, they would probably be left with nothing but bones.

Then, glancing at the crisscrossing bruises on her face, he cursed inwardly: What kind of heartless bastard did this? Such a beautiful face, ruined into a pig's head, what a waste!

"Oh dear, Madam Yang, your husband... has returned home?"

He forced a smile, but his eyes darted to the waists of the men in black at the door—there were bulging bulges there, clearly indicating that they were carrying weapons.

"What does this have to do with you? Where's the IOU? While everyone's here, let's count it in front of you!"

Hongyu spoke very quickly, her hands under her sleeves were already sweating – she didn't want to stay in this snake pit for another second.

I had heard Li Wenguo mention before that this place was ostensibly a teahouse and club, but in reality, it was all about pimping.

"Hehe, Aunt Yang, there's no need to count."

Xue Yong smiled and opened the drawer, pulling out a stack of papers—all IOUs signed by Hongyu herself: one thousand, two thousand, five thousand, ten thousand… densely packed, adding up to a total of fifty thousand.

Hongyu examined each sheet carefully, confirmed that there were no errors, and nodded slightly to Dafei.

"Give me."

Dafei reached out and took it, pulled out a lighter, and with a crisp "snap," a blue flame shot up, the paper curled, turned black, and turned to ash.

"Walk!"

Hongyu didn't even lift her eyelids before turning around and walking away, her high heels clicking crisply on the marble floor.

"Yes, Aunt Yang!"

Dafei and the others responded in unison, walking swiftly and closely following behind.

The moment the door closed, Xue Yong's smile froze, and his face turned so dark it seemed to drip water.