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

"Director Li... those five rooms in the east courtyard, are they yours?"

Yi Zhonghai spoke up quickly, his voice a beat louder than usual, his fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of his clothes.

He was anxious—Jia Dongxu was his apprentice whom he had personally trained, and the person he would entrust with his old age in the future. How could he not be worried when something went wrong at this critical juncture?

"Heh, you probably don't know yet, do you? Not to mention those five rooms, the land deeds for the entire courtyard are all in my drawer."

"I entrusted the subdistrict office to manage these properties on my behalf—to put it bluntly, the houses you live in are all mine."

The so-called "rent" was just a symbolic collection of a few cents back then; the neighborhood committee was basically giving away housing to urban workers for free, so how could it be considered a real rent?

—The plot took a subtle turn: the courtyard house originally didn't belong to the Li family, but he managed to buy it out of the family.

These words were like a thunderbolt striking everyone's eardrums, leaving their minds buzzing.

What? The owner of this courtyard is actually Factory Director Li?

My God, Factory Director Li is so rich!

Good heavens! This courtyard house is his?! I can't believe it!

With Director Li's wealth, he could probably buy half an alley!

No one questioned whether it was true or false.

He's a real shareholder of the steel rolling mill; I heard he put up 100,000 silver dollars when he first invested!

That's 100,000 yuan! Even if you sold everyone in the courtyard, including their pots and pans, you still wouldn't be able to scrape together a fraction of it!

A courtyard house? That's just a drop in the ocean.

"Being able to live in Director Li's house is truly a blessing I've received for eight lifetimes!"

He was the first to rush forward, his face full of sincerity.

"That's right! Director Li is incredibly kind; he gave us some of the best houses to live in. We'll remember this kindness for the rest of our lives!"

He Daqing followed up immediately, his voice booming like a gong.

Only Yi Zhonghai remained frozen in place, his brows furrowed and beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

What if Director Li happens to find that the five rooms have been completely ransacked by the Jia family? How will he explain himself then?

No wonder those rooms were decorated so nicely—each one had running water and a private bathroom!

It turns out that Director Li had personally arranged for people to tidy it up long ago!

"Director Li, hello! I'm Yan Bugui, the third manager of the compound, and also one of your tenants—thanks to you for vacating this compound, we're not homeless!"

Yan Bugui, quick-witted and agile, seized the opportunity, revealing his identity and expressing gratitude, while also hinting that if they became acquainted, he might be able to gain some benefits.

After all, they are truly influential.

"Hello, Mr. Yan."

Li Wenguo nodded with a smile, his attitude calm.

With the prestigious title of shareholder in the steel mill and the status of a homeowner, he was certain that no one in the courtyard would dare to slight him.

Even the usually slippery Yan Bugui was eager to curry favor, but the old man Yi Zhonghai was still standing there, his face wrinkled like crumpled paper.

"Old Yi, what's wrong?"

"Why do you look so pale?"

Li Wenguo stared at him, his tone light, but his eyes held a hint of understanding.

Yi Zhonghai, your biggest weakness in this life is having no children and no one to see you off in your old age—you're so focused on relying on your descendants for your old age, and you even turn a blind eye to the Jia family forcibly taking over five rooms of someone else's house. No wonder you're anxious!

"That's right! Old Yi, everyone's been praising Director Li! He gave us this huge courtyard house for free so we could all have a place to stay and avoid sleeping on the streets, freezing and starving. Why are you just standing here with a long face, lost in thought?"

Second Uncle Liu Haizhong immediately chimed in, a smirk playing on his lips, his words laced with barbs, aimed straight at Yi Zhonghai's heart.

He had long coveted the position of the eldest brother, his ambition for officialdom was burning, and he would seize any opportunity to climb up the ranks. He was unwilling to let go of such a ready-made handle.

"Oh dear, we are so ashamed! Thank you so much, Director Li, for your noble character and generosity in giving up this precious land for us to take shelter—you are truly our benefactor!"

Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath, quickly put on a sincere expression, bowed deeply to Li Wenguo, and smiled in a way that was more like a forced smile than a forced one.

"It's just a small favor. The country has just been established and stabilized. For us business people, it's our duty to lend a hand and do our part for the people."

At that time, the country was warmly welcoming patriotic businessmen—the newly established People's Republic of China had invited many industrialists who had donated generously to the capital to stand on the viewing platform for the founding ceremony. Li Wenguo donated the most, and his name was already remembered by several leaders. With this solid foundation protecting him, he has been able to live calmly and without fear of storms to this day.

"Alright, I'll go in and take a look at the five rooms that were originally left."

"Everyone's busy, please excuse me!"

Li Wenguo gave a slight bow, then turned and stepped into the doorway.

"Hey—wait a minute! Director Li, just a moment!"

Yi Zhonghai suddenly reached out and stopped him, his voice cracking.

"Hmm? Is there something else, Lao Yi?"

Li Wenguo stopped in response, turned to the side, his gaze calm, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; he looked more like a cat eyeing a mouse.

"Um... um... right!" He slapped his forehead, speaking rapidly, "It snowed heavily all night last night, and the snow in the yard hasn't been cleared yet. The ground is slippery and greasy. If you lose your footing and slip, we can't afford the consequences!"

"How about this—you go back first and come back this afternoon? We'll get right to it, shoveling snow, sweeping the eaves, and clearing the steps. We'll make sure everything is spotless so you can view the property comfortably and with peace of mind!"

As he spoke, he blinked rapidly around and subtly pointed his finger toward the tightly closed doors of the Jia family's house—the meaning was crystal clear: stall Li Wenguo and take the opportunity to quietly move the Jia family away!

But the Jia family had long since incurred the wrath of both heaven and man. Though no one said it aloud, everyone had already secretly placed those five rooms under Li Wenguo's name. Who would be willing to cover for him?

Unfortunately, his bangs didn't suit his wishes at all.

He slowly pulled out his pipe, took a puff, and smiled with narrowed eyes: "Old Yi, your memory really isn't what it used to be—snow? Long ago! Before you left, I checked with you and praised everyone for being so efficient!"

Yi Zhonghai's face twitched, and he wished he could pounce on him and snap his pipe in two.

If Li Wenguo had caught the Jia family occupying the house and refusing to move, his precious apprentice and his only hope for retirement would probably have to pack his bags and be kicked out of the steel mill tomorrow—decades of hard work gone in an instant!

Sweat beaded on his forehead, his mind racing, and he blurted out, "Oh? Really finished sweeping? But when I left, the blue brick path was still covered in frost!"

"You must have missed something—you're young, you're impulsive, always rushing things, you don't pay attention to the details!"

"Director Li, why don't you come back this afternoon? We can also tidy up the clutter in the yard, move the chicken coop, and organize the woodpile, so that when you come in, it will be bright and clean, and you'll feel comfortable. What do you say?"

Right now, delaying for as long as possible is the only way to save the Jia family.

This time, Liu Haizhong didn't say anything.

After all, there were indeed several bundles of wet firewood piled up in the corner of the yard, and a bamboo chicken coop was squatting by the wall, with several speckled chickens peeking out from behind the fence—it would be really embarrassing for Li Wenguo to see that.

Just because no one spoke up doesn't mean no one opened their mouths.

Upon hearing the words "rash" and "clumsy," a straightforward young man's temper flared. He stepped forward and shouted, "Uncle, I don't like hearing that! We cleared the snow ourselves, shovel by shovel, making it brighter than our own stove! You and Uncle were watching from the porch, nodding and praising how 'clean and efficient,' so why are you denying it now? You stopped Director Li from entering because you were afraid he'd see the Jia family occupying those five rooms, weren't you?!"

wow——

The words fell silent.

Yi Zhonghai choked up, his face turning ashen.

His eyes were wide open, his gaze sharp as knives, fixed on the young man with a youthful face but reckless behavior.

You silly Zhu, you're really outrageous!

This has pushed the Jia family to the brink of ruin!

You have absolutely no sense of propriety!

That's right, it was Sha Zhu who jumped out and spoke—before he could finish speaking, even his own father, He Daqing, couldn't reach out and grab him.

At this moment, He Daqing had already planned to elope with the widow, but he couldn't bear to leave behind his two motherless children, Shazhu and He Yushui. He deliberately tried to curry favor with the three old men in the courtyard, serving them tea and water and showing them concern, hoping that once he left, the three of them would take care of them and prevent the two children from living a life of misery.

Now that Sha Zhu has publicly exposed this secret, it's like giving Uncle Yi Zhonghai a resounding slap in the face—from now on, he'll probably have a hard time getting by!

He Daqing's palms were sweating, his throat was tight, and his heart felt like it was being pressed down by a brick.

"Silly Zhu, are you serious?"

"My five rooms have really been occupied?"

Li Wenguo's face was so dark it could be wrung out, his gaze fixed on Sha Zhu, his voice low and harsh.

Even if Sha Zhu hadn't spoken, he would have definitely gone into this courtyard today—he had long wanted to see those five rooms with his own eyes.

"Absolutely true! Your house is bright and well-maintained, with running water and electricity. Who wouldn't be envious? But the Jia family is too arrogant. The house had been vacant for several years, but they moved in without a word and have been living there for two years!"

Sha Zhu's voice was loud and clear, each word hitting the ground with force.

"Old Yi, Old Liu, is what he said true or not?"

Li Wenguo turned his head, his brows furrowed, and stared at his two uncles, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong.

"Director Li, here's the thing... but please don't get upset—the Jia family's husband passed away long ago, leaving the widow and her child to struggle for years. Their original house was dilapidated and leaky; on rainy or snowy days, they couldn't even catch all the basins inside, and at night they were shivering from the cold. They couldn't bear it any longer, so they moved in temporarily. We felt sorry for them, so we just turned a blind eye..."

Seeing that the truth could not be hidden any longer, Yi Zhonghai immediately revealed the Jia family's plight, hoping to soften Li Wenguo's heart with his pitiful act.

Liu Haizhong simply nodded slightly, without responding.

Living in the same courtyard, they would see each other all the time, and he didn't want to kick someone when they were down—but what Director Li needed to know was already clearly laid out before him.

"Occupying someone else's property and trespassing on private property are violations of national law. They should be handed over to the police for arrest, imprisoned, and detained!"

"Don't the Jia family even understand this basic etiquette?"

"If everyone did this, what would become of the country's reputation?"

Li Wenguo spoke each word slowly and deliberately, his voice like an anvil striking the ground.

Yi Zhonghai's attempt to play the victim card completely failed with him.

He had emerged from the turbulent years of the Republic of China, his hands stained with countless trials and tribulations. How could such minor hardships possibly sway his iron-willed nature?

Gasps of shock rose and fell in waves—

The fact that they even used the word "sentencing" shows that Director Li is truly enraged this time!

The chilling aura pressed down on everyone, making their backs stiffen, and they didn't even dare to cough loudly.

No one expected that the usually smiling Factory Director Li would be more terrifying than thunder once he turned on someone!