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

She was the one who took the initiative to be submissive and catered to him last night, so how did she become a "dead body"?

Pooh!

He is clearly stingy, mean, ruthless, and untrustworthy!

This day is October 25th.

It is auspicious for moving, getting married, traveling, and grooming.

So, Lou Meie entered the room.

The Lou family and the Li family officially became husband and wife; the future Lou Bancheng became Li Wenguo's brother-in-law; Lou Xiao'e became his niece, and might even have to call him "father-in-law" in the future.

A car, adorned with red decorations and a large red silk flower on its hood, exuding joy, drove Lou Meie toward the small villa.

Previously, Li Wenguo had asked her what she wanted: to move into Sai Guohao Mansion and enjoy a life together, but only be able to spend three days a week with him; or to move into the small villa and live with several concubines.

Lou Meie pondered for a whole day and finally chose the latter—she just wanted to see him every day and stay by his side all the time.

She was also certain that with her looks and figure, she would not lose to anyone else.

This confidence wasn't unfounded: she could clearly feel that her husband was obsessed with her body, and whenever they met, his eyes burned with desire, and he couldn't stop himself from looking at her.

Therefore, she was convinced that the other wives were destined to pale in comparison to her; her husband's feet would step into her room every night.

Unfortunately, that proud confidence shattered instantly when he actually met the other concubines.

Especially He Shuting—every gesture exuded the refinement of a noble family, her temperament as elegant as an orchid; her figure was no less impressive, only less voluptuous, but more dignified. In terms of charm, Lou Meie might be slightly better; but that innate composure was something Lou Meie could never learn.

The other wives each had their own merits; their figures were all flawless, and in terms of charm, each one was unique and distinct.

Lou Meie's heart suddenly tightened, and her confidence unknowingly waned by half.

What surprised her even more was—where did this man find so many beautiful women with slim waists, long legs, and perky breasts and buttocks?

But what truly suffocated her was the presence of her four pregnant wives. It turned out that her husband was being unusually clingy with her now partly because it was inconvenient for them to be close to him, so he was focusing all his attention on her.

If they weren't pregnant...

Lou Meie felt a chill on her fingertips, and a sense of crisis rushed up the back of her neck. She gritted her teeth and thought to herself: From now on, I must do my best to serve the master well, so that he will think of her as soon as he opens his eyes, reach out to her as soon as he reaches out, and be unable to be separated from her for a moment.

He appeared poised and elegant, but inwardly he was feeling choked up. He insisted on holding the teacup and respectfully kowtowing to the wife, He Shuting, before he could truly step into the Li family's doorstep.

She knew perfectly well that as a widow who had remarried, becoming the principal wife was an impossible dream. Though she didn't say it aloud, she harbored resentment and felt utterly helpless.

Fortunately, her dowry was surprisingly generous. The silver notes and land deeds alone were enough for her to stand tall and no one would dare to underestimate her.

into the night.

Inside, red candles burned brightly, and the character for "double happiness" was gilded, filling the room with a warm and joyful atmosphere.

"Mei'e, now that you've entered the Li family, live a peaceful life from now on. Our family doesn't care for those formalities. Just live your life as you always have. I'll love you, pamper you, and protect you. I'll make sure you can laugh, sleep soundly, and live comfortably. I'll never neglect you or leave you feeling cold."

"That's right—there are four pregnant wives at home, and I can't be with you every day, can I?"

After a passionate encounter, Li Wenguo lazily embraced her, his voice still a little hoarse.

"Hmm... I understand. As long as you have me in your heart, I'll be content. I don't dare to expect to stay by your side every night, but if you come a few more times, I'll do my best to make you reluctant to leave."

Lou Meie's eyes sparkled, her voice was as soft as honey, and before she finished speaking, her slender fingers had already quietly slid down and gently grasped her hand.

"Don't worry, I promise you, I'll stay here at least three nights a week. If you can bewitch me so much that I'll stay in your room all night without moving, that's not impossible."

The advantage of getting something for free is that you might as well take it; it's a promise made without spending any money.

"Yes, sir, I will certainly serve you with all my heart."

As soon as she finished speaking, she burrowed into the quilt, revealing only her eyes, which were filled with spring-like longing.

Since they were newlyweds, Li Wenguo stayed in Lou Meie's room for seven days straight.

She was exhausted and her back and legs ached, but she gradually realized that three nights a week was just right.

There's no way around it, my husband is just too vigorous, it's not something an ordinary person can handle.

That night, as the storm subsided, Li Wenguo suddenly spoke up: "Mei'e, the Lou family and the Li family have become in-laws. Would you like to—stretch the relationship even further?"

He planned to marry his niece to his son, Li Guozhi, so that Xu Damao would give up on the idea completely.

"A marriage between close relatives?"

"How do you kiss?"

Lou Meie was so tired that her eyelids were drooping, and she was completely confused by what she heard.

Among my own relatives, there isn't a single younger relative I could marry; as for distant cousins, I've never even met my husband, so how could we be considered "close relatives"?

"Hehe! Mei'e, don't you have a niece?"

The husband smiled meaningfully.

"Oh? You want to arrange a marriage for her when she's a child?"

Lou Meie suddenly realized—the child was only one year old, and hadn't even grown all his milk teeth yet!

"That's right! We have many sons, and after much deliberation, we've chosen Shuting's third son, Guozhi. He's five years old this year, with bright eyes and clear features, and a handsome and dashing future. Xiao'e won't suffer any loss or be wronged marrying him. What do you say?"

Li Wenguo spoke with certainty.

She had seen Guozhi from the eldest son's side; he was exquisitely beautiful and endearing. In fact, all the children in the Li family were bright and intelligent; they would surely grow up to be outstanding individuals, like orchids and jade trees, or fragrant peach and plum blossoms…

Thinking about it this way, it's not really a case of my niece marrying Li Guozhi.

"How about this, I'll go back to my parents' home tomorrow and ask my father and brother what they think."

Lou Meie dared not make decisions on her own.

Although she estimated that her father and brother would most likely agree, after all, a married woman follows her husband, and it was not up to her to make decisions about her own family.

"Alright, I'll go with you tomorrow."

Li Wenguo readily agreed.

"Sir, why are you so concerned about this matter?"

Lou Meie couldn't help but ask.

The two families are already related by marriage, why add another layer of entanglement?

"Oh, well—didn't I say that with so many sons, we should pick one we like as soon as possible and settle down on a good wife first?"

He answered easily.

"Hmm...that's quite a lot."

Before her eyes appeared He Shuting's three sons, Wen Keren's Li Guoyu, and Li Guoli, who was away from home for many years—there were five of them just from birth.

Those four babies in their bellies haven't been included yet.

Upon reflection, she suddenly realized that the Li family was incredibly prosperous, with five sons around their knees, and soon they would have a large family of children and grandchildren.

Of course, she didn't know that her husband had another family in Qingzhong, where he had nearly twenty children, not counting the ones he was pregnant with.

If she found out, she'd jump up in shock.

But when she thought of children, Lou Meie's heart suddenly warmed, and she was tempted to have children. Her father had said years ago that a marriage without children is like a bird with one wing missing, unable to fly steadily or land.

"Sir, let's have a baby!"

Lou Meie's cheeks flushed a light pink, and her voice was soft.

"Of course! I love little babies the most! Don't just have one, you have to bring me back at least three."

Before her husband could finish speaking, his hand had already gently wrapped around her waist.

"Hmm... You're so naughty!"

The next morning, Li Wenguo and Lou Meie visited the Lou family to formally propose marriage between their children. After a brief discussion, the Lou father and son agreed on the spot.

Firstly, they were counting on Li Wenguo to establish connections and pave the way in the United States; secondly, all the deals they made this quarter were profitable—though not much, but they were still initial trials, and the current losses on their books further confirmed that they hadn't gone astray on the "going abroad" path. Further investment would only lead to exponentially higher profits. Clinging to Li Wenguo was a sure-fire way to make money.

"Captain Yu Kong, this time you're being assigned ten military police squads. If you fail to apprehend the anti-Japanese elements in the city, or if you fail to defend key supply depots and ammunition depots—you'll have to commit seppuku in front of me!"

General Nobuda's face was ashen, and he spoke slowly and deliberately.

After three months of stumbling and struggling, the puppet army finally managed to assemble its basic structure. The Japanese army then had the time to spare, so they mobilized two companies and managed to form ten military police squads.

The anti-Japanese elements in Beijing are too cunning and resourceful. Recently, they've taken down a lieutenant colonel and dealt with several Japanese merchants who ran errands for the Japanese army. Without reinforcements, they probably won't be able to sleep soundly.

Fortunately, several key points were not destroyed, so Nobuda did not consider replacing Mikuriya Tomoma for the time being; besides, he had seen how desperate this man was, so he decided to give him another chance.

"Hai!!!"

"Thank you for your guidance, General Nobuda!"

Yu Kongdejian led ten military police squads. Overwhelmed with emotion, he immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed, expressing his loyalty in a swift and decisive manner.

"In a few days, the Northeast Army will send several top researchers to specialize in biological weapons. You must immediately find an absolutely secluded location for them to conduct experiments behind closed doors—no word must leak out, especially not to let any anti-Japanese elements catch a whiff of it, understand?"

General Shinoda lowered his voice, his eyes sharp as knives.

This group of people are all elites carefully cultivated by the empire, all of them top students who have returned from studying abroad, specializing in the research and development of poison gas. Don't underestimate this stuff. Inhaling just a few breaths will cause them to collapse instantly, bleeding from all seven orifices. On the battlefield, a gust of wind can take down an entire platoon of enemy soldiers.

We are currently in the final stage of the battle, but once it is completed, the Japanese army will be able to sweep across the land in no time.

"Hai!!!"

"Please rest assured, General, I guarantee with my life that nothing will go wrong!"

He straightened his back as he soared through the air, and answered with unwavering resolve.

"Okay, go ahead!"

Shinoda waved his hand, signaling him to step back.

As soon as he stepped out of the office, Yu Kongde's brows furrowed into a knot.

Finding a safe and secluded testing site would likely take the Japanese army over a month to figure out on their own; however, entrusting it to local traitors risked having anti-Japanese spies mixed in—a slight misstep could lead to total defeat.

It's difficult...

After much deliberation, he gritted his teeth and decided to lead a search party for three days himself. If there were still no leads, he would then pass the hot potato to the local bullies.

A week later.

In that small Western-style building in the embassy district.

"Sir, why did you arrange Guozhi's marriage without saying a word?"

He Shuting had just finished translating a secret report when she looked up and glanced at her husband with a hint of reproach.

"What? You don't like this marriage?"

Li Wenguo raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just that it's such a big deal, why didn't you tell me? Guozhi is my own flesh and blood, as his mother, shouldn't you know?"

Before she finished speaking, she lowered her head and continued translating the report, but her tone became colder.

This dissatisfaction stemmed partly from his unilateral decision-making and partly from the anger at the newly arrived Concubine Lou for interfering in her son's marriage—as if she, the mistress, had become an outsider.