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

She was known for her strong personality; if forced to become a concubine, she would hang herself immediately. Xu Wanqing had six children, and Song Caidie, being soft-hearted and easily swayed, would never allow her former sister to hang herself.

Unexpectedly, just as Li Wenguo finished speaking, Song Caidie blinked and whispered, "I'm willing to be a concubine."

Li Wenguo was stunned on the spot.

"Cai Die, you'd better think this through—your Song family is a prestigious and renowned clan. If you were to become a concubine, where would the entire family's reputation be?"

Afterwards, he put his arm around her warm shoulder, his voice low and sincere: "It's not that I don't want to marry you, it's that I feel sorry for you. I'm afraid you'll ruin your relationship because of me, afraid your uncle and aunt will get sick from the stress, and even more afraid that the Song family's century-old reputation will be tarnished because of me—do you understand?"

Song Caidie lowered her eyes, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, her voice as soft as a whisper:

"Then... what should I do?"

"Butterfly, is a formal title really that important to you?"

Li Wenguo spoke slowly, his tone perfectly measured.

What he was planning wasn't the formal title of husband and wife at all—he wanted Song Caidie to be his mistress, like Wen Keren before her, not to be registered in the family genealogy or the ancestral hall, but to live a quiet life in his house. In this way, the Song family would have nothing to do with him, which would save him trouble and keep her out of sight.

Song Caidie lowered her eyes and remained silent. She was gentle by nature, but not stupid. As soon as the words left her mouth, she understood: living under the same roof, yet not even having a proper name.

To put it bluntly, it's about being subservient and inferior.

She's already conceded to the point of being willing to be a concubine, so why should she go even further and become a mistress who can't be seen in public?

"There's no rush. Just like I told you a few years ago—we're still young, we have plenty of time to figure things out."

Seeing her face darken, Li Wenguo quickly switched to gentle words and even leaned closer to pat the back of her hand.

Let's stabilize the situation first, no matter what.

This delay lasted for a whole year.

That year, Song Caidie gave birth to another daughter for him.

The turning point came suddenly.

Under the leadership of General Fu, the capital city was transformed without bloodshed.

Li Wenguo also readily joined the organization, his actions swift and decisive.

Before surrendering, he released all the hundred or so local thugs imprisoned in the government office—consider it a "pledge of allegiance."

But the organization had already thoroughly investigated his background. They originally planned to appoint him as the director of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, but after checking his file, they discovered that he had a large number of wives and concubines, which had a very bad influence. So they sent an official to talk to him: if you want to be an official, you have to give up all your family members and keep only one person.

Li Wenguo refused to budge, and in the end, he never got the official hat he was promised.

"You traitor! How dare you betray the Party and the country?!"

When Dong Haitang heard that her husband had defected and even personally visited to persuade him to surrender, she was so angry that she smashed her teacup and poked her finger right into his nose.

"Even a fence-sitter is more principled than you! The Party and the State have treated you well, entrusting you with important responsibilities, and yet you turn around and crawl on your knees to serve them!"

"Now you want to drag me down with you? That really disheartens me!"

Li Wenguo's temper flared up: "Dong Haitang! Open your eyes and see clearly—the Party and the State have long been cornered, and their forces are almost spread across the entire country! Anyone with eyes can see that it won't last much longer! You're still clinging to the old banner, do you have a death wish?"

"Even so, I will never bow my head." She gritted her teeth, her voice trembling. "My loyalty to the Party and the country has never wavered."

"Are you crazy?!" Li Wenguo slammed his hand on the table. "Is your brain filled with molten metal? The whole country has been taken over by the organization, and you're still clinging to an empty shell and stubbornly holding on?"

"If you don't think about yourself, at least think about Guoping, Guoxiang, and Jingshi, those three children?!"

"I just got word that the Kuomintang is packing its bags and retreating to Taiwan! If you really take them there, are you going to let them live their whole lives labeled as 'enemy dependents,' or are you going to let them be scorned behind their backs from a young age?"

He practically forced out that last sentence.

When the topic of children came up, Dong Haitang's lips moved, but she ultimately remained silent.

She could risk her life for loyalty, but she dared not gamble with the lives of her three children.

That was flesh and blood of hers; even if not for Li Wenguo, she had to find a way for them to survive.

"Come with me to register tomorrow."

Li Wenguo walked over and pulled her into his arms.

"I... I really can't swallow this."

"You have to swallow it whether you like it or not!" His voice deepened. "You think you can fight city hall? You think you can stop the tide of history all by yourself?"

"Why don't you just become a queen and start your own power base?"

As he spoke, his hand slid down to her waist, his palm slightly warm.

Dong Haitang was speechless for a moment. She knew in her heart that the Party and the country were indeed on their last legs, beyond saving. But what made it even more humiliating was that her twenty years of faith had collapsed overnight, and she had lost to He Shuting—the former wife who had long been abandoned.

The long-awaited embrace made her feel a slight sense of relief, and she didn't push the hand away.

But the next second, those hands reached up along the hem of her clothes.

"What time is it? Why are you still thinking about this?"

"Don't forget, you're already forty-four! If you continue like this, you'll be stuck with women forever!"

She glared at him angrily, but her ears secretly turned red.

It is 1949. Although Li Wenguo looks as handsome as someone in his thirties, the weariness in his body cannot be hidden—middle age has arrived, and his prime is quietly slipping away.

"Heh, I'm full of energy, I don't even break a sweat no matter how much I do it—if you're afraid I'll fall for you, why don't you touch your belly first and see if it dares to swell up." His whole body was as strong as iron, his blood and qi surged like a river, and there wasn't a trace of fatigue to be found.

"I'm already thirty-eight, how easy is it for me to get pregnant?"

"If you really want to have a baby, go find Xiaoxue, Jinhua, or Xiuxiu. They're young and healthy."

She said these words with a hint of bitterness, but her heart was warmed—after all, she was nearing forty, and fine lines were creeping up around her eyes, but her husband still often came to her room, his hands warm and his eyes bright, never treating her like a decoration.

The concubines of other people's families have long been left to gather dust in the side courtyards, their tea already cold.

Actually, she underestimated herself.

Li Wenguo's business, worth hundreds of millions, after being refined by the system, transformed into a gentle, nourishing force that replenishes qi and blood, nourishes the skin, and keeps the years at bay. Now, Dong Haitang has a face like a peach blossom and skin like jade, looking every bit the charming lady in her early thirties; the other wives are also radiant and show no signs of aging.

"Stop talking nonsense and lift your foot!"

Li Wenguo scooped her up and strode onto the ship's side.

The next day.

He personally led her to the organization to surrender.

Dong Haitang confessed for a whole day. Because she had been keeping an eye on Japanese spies and had never harmed the local party members or the common people, and with He Shuting's strong support, she was released that same day.

"Shuting, you go ahead and do your work."

He Shuting has made outstanding contributions and has been promoted to vice mayor of Beijing. The documents on her desk are piled up higher than a person.

"Wen Guo, are you coming back tonight?"

She asked.

After liberation, the new society emphasized equality, but at home, she still called him "Grandpa"; outside, with many people talking, she could only call him by his name.

We'll see.

He did not agree.

He now has two homes: one in the embassy district, quiet and respectable; the other in an old courtyard house, full of life and warmth.

He Shuting nodded, glanced at Dong Haitang, and turned to leave.

"Hmph, what's with the airs!"

Dong Haitang scoffed.

She and He Shuting have never gotten along, not in the past, but now it's even worse.

After getting into the car, she turned to the side and lowered her voice: "Sir, with my criminal record, what will happen to Guoping and Guoxiang in the future?"

That's right—the mother has surrendered, and her son will probably be branded with that label for the rest of his life.

"Once the Kuomintang has completely retreated to Taiwan, I will send them to Hong Kong to make their fortune. First, they can become wealthy businessmen. When the country needs to carry out economic construction in the future, they can return with their capital and be treated as honored guests."

Hong Kong is still in the hands of the British, who believe in the power of money. With money, you have a wide road; with power, your words carry weight.

Li Wenguo had already laid out his plan there.

Wen San, Wu Xiaogou, and Xiao Jie were also arranged to go there to establish a gang—the underworld was rampant there, and without some connections in the underworld, it was difficult to do business.

When her sons went off to marry into wealthy, newly rich families, Mavis Hee had to take the children with her. She had worked in a foreign firm and was very familiar with running a company; she was also fluent in English.

The legend of Hong Kong's future richest man with the surname Li has only just begun; but once Li Wenguo arrives, he will at most rank second, or even third or fourth.

"Sir, since the children are going to Hong Kong, I have to go with them. I can't rest easy until I see them with my own eyes."

Dong Haitang spoke with certainty.

"Alright, we'll go together then. But—once we get there, seeing you again won't be so easy."

He reminded him.

It's more than 2,000 miles from Beijing to Hong Kong. Ships are shaky and trains don't run, so you have to count down the days to see each other.

"Then... I'll go for three years. Once the three years are up, I'll come back immediately and stay by your side."

Following one's husband after marriage is fate, and it's also something one willingly accepts.

Time flows like a tide, pushing people forward.

A year has passed in the blink of an eye.

The remnants of the Kuomintang forces retreated to Taiwan, only sending a few spies to cause trouble every now and then, which did not amount to anything.

The time has come.

Li Wenguo made the decision to take Dong Haitang, Xu Meijing, and their children to Hong Kong to expand their territory.

After giving them some final instructions before their departure, the group boarded the American passenger ship.

Besides Dong Haitang and her two children, Xu Meijing gave birth to five sons and two daughters (three boys and two girls) for Li Wenguo, plus Haozi and Dayan, making a total of about ten people.

The sea breeze in October is refreshing yet gentle, like an invisible hand gently caressing your forehead, neck, and the back of your hands.

In my ears, the sound of the waves rises and falls evenly, one after another, steadily supporting the entire boat and the path that everyone on board came from and went to.

"Guoping, you're the eldest, the big brother of your younger siblings. Now that you're in Hong Kong, you have to shoulder this responsibility—put Mom and Aunt Xu first in everything, be down-to-earth, stay calm, and do things thoroughly one by one. Those red-line and minefield dealings are for others to handle; you absolutely mustn't get involved, understand?"

Li Wenguo patted his second son, who had just turned eighteen, on the shoulder, his tone deep and forceful.

The eldest son, born to He Shuting, is nineteen years old. He was helped into Peking University by his mother and has now established himself in the city hall.

Li Wenguo had already planned ahead for the children of He Shuting, Yang Yuerong, and Sai Honglian: to send them all to the political system or the military, leaving none behind.

"Don't worry, Dad. Guoping will definitely set a good example and protect Mom and Aunt Xu."

Li Guoping answered crisply, his voice not loud, but every word carried weight.

He inherited his mother's appearance, with clear and bright eyes, a tall and straight figure, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and a well-proportioned and strong physique. Standing there, he was a handsome young man who would catch people's eye.

With dozens of younger siblings in his family, he has been influenced by them since childhood, helping to take care of them, mediate disputes, and handle responsibilities. His personality has been tempered and he has become quite mature. He acts much more steadily than his peers, just like his eldest brother, who doesn't talk much but is reliable.

"Okay, I feel relieved to hear that."

Li Wenguo smiled and nodded, pressing his hand heavily on his shoulder, his eyes full of approval.

He then explained to his son, in detail, the wisdom he had accumulated over the years on how to conduct himself in society and how to handle things properly.

As dinnertime approached, Li Wenguo inadvertently caught a glimpse of Xu Meijing leaning over to talk to her youngest son. Her collar was slightly open, revealing a section of her snow-white neck. He immediately stopped talking and asked Li Guoping to look after the child while he pulled Xu Meijing back to their room to give her some important instructions.

"Hmph, I knew that'd be on your mind! The food's getting cold, hurry up!"

As soon as Xu Meijing entered the house, she saw her husband lock the door behind him and reach for his belt buckle. She rolled her eyes and complained, but her hands were already unbuttoning his clothes.