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

"Let's go in and see! I want to see who dares to disregard the law and trample on the rules, committing such illegal and disorderly acts!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Wenguo strode off, with Haozi and Dayan following closely behind, their footsteps making the blue bricks seem to tremble.

"well……"

"Dongxu, this time, even your master can't save you!"

"Who told you to have such bad luck, running into a property registered under Factory Director Li's name?"

Yi Zhonghai let out a long sigh, his teeth itching.

Oh shit!

It's all Sha Zhu's fault!

Stupid as a piece of firewood that can't be burned through!

He glared at Sha Zhu fiercely before quickly taking off after him.

They could only hope to say a few kind words before things turned sour, urging the Jia family to apologize immediately and move out overnight, so as to put the fire out before it even started.

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with anxiety, and then quickly turned and followed.

The courtyard house, which had just been recognized as an "advanced" property, is likely to have its hopes dashed at this point.

The remaining young people, unable to contain themselves any longer, surged over to watch the spectacle, their faces beaming with eagerness.

"Silly Zhu! What am I supposed to say to you? Talking back to an old man in front of the whole yard—do you know that one sentence can offend someone to the point of death?"

Once most of the people had left, He Daqing grabbed Sha Zhu's arm and scolded him in a low voice—

Sha Zhu, however, was excited and was standing on tiptoe, peering into the courtyard gate, eager to rush in and see what was going on.

"Dad, are you still protecting him? Uncle Yi is completely biased! Last year, it was clearly his son Jia Dongxu who hit me first. When I retaliated and pinned him to the ground, half the people in the yard saw it. But what was Uncle Yi's verdict?"

"You easily absolved Jia Dongxu of all responsibility with just a few words, but what about me? I was clearly acting in self-defense, yet I was forced to copy a guarantee three times—tell me, how much justice do you have left in my heart?" Sha Zhu retorted, his words laced with barbs.

Ugh!

Sha Zhu, how could you know that Yi Zhonghai has been raising Jia Dongxu like his own son for a long time!

What father in the world wouldn't protect his child?

He Daqing knew perfectly well what was going on, but could only sigh silently.

In the blink of an eye, her son grabbed her arm and dragged her inside to watch the commotion.

When Li Wenguo strode into the Intermediate People's Court, he bumped into Xu Damao, who had just finished wiping his face and was swaying out with an enamel mug, intending to take a quick look around to pass the hygiene inspection.

"Director Li... Director Li? What brings you to our humble courtyard today!"

"No wonder the magpies on the tree branches were chirping incessantly this morning—it turns out we have a distinguished guest arriving!"

Xu Damao's mouth is so greasy it could fry three pots of vegetables; he smiles at everyone and even offers cigarettes to ghosts.

With his silver tongue, when he went to the countryside to show movies, he would either take eggs and fruits from the villagers for free or sneak into the door of a widow's house to get a hot meal, and he was too lazy to even wash the dishes.

"Um."

Li Wenguo snorted through his nose, without even fully lifting his eyelids.

In my mind, I had already categorized this slippery guy as someone I "disliked".

Otherwise, they wouldn't have snatched Lou Meie away so early—although she's only fifteen and things are still far from settled, the Li family has already made up their minds: once she comes of age, they'll bring her into the Li family; at that time, they'll clear out a few rooms on the east side of the courtyard to give their son and daughter-in-law a small home, which would be respectable.

……

"Director Li, where are you going? Let me show you the way!"

Xu Damao bent his back lower than a broom, his feet seemed to be greased, and he rushed forward to lead the way.

Before the liberation, his mother worked as a maid in the Lou family and witnessed the eldest daughter of the Lou family marry into the Li family as a concubine. Back then, she called him "son-in-law" repeatedly. Therefore, Xu Damao knew from a young age that Li Wenguo was not just an ordinary rich man, but someone with real connections, influence, and powerful backing.

His mother kept nagging him, and he remembered it well. Over the years, he's been trying to figure out how to get in touch with her.

But he also knew in his heart that he was just a radio repairman, and in other people's eyes he was probably not even worth a sesame seed.

But he refused to accept his fate and simply went all out to lick the boots—licking diligently, steadily, and discreetly.

He believed that one day, Director Li would glance at him, see his unwavering loyalty, and with a wave of his hand, he would rise to the top.

Li Wenguo paused, suddenly remembering that Qin Huairu had just been transferred here and would inevitably have to deal with people in the courtyard in the future; he also noticed Xu Damao's eagerness to give his heart, and a thought flashed through his mind: raising an obedient dog would save trouble if it bit people.

He then said in a deep voice, "Da Mao, to tell you the truth—this courtyard house is originally my property. Years ago, to alleviate the housing shortage in Beijing, I entrusted it to the street office for management. But I specifically reserved five rooms in the eastern courtyard, intending to arrange for people to move in soon. I heard… someone has occupied them? I want to see who has the audacity to climb over the rules!"

So this courtyard really belongs to Director Li!

Xu Damao was startled, but not because he was surprised that Li Wenguo actually owned a courtyard house—he had long heard that the other party also had a Western-style house with a garden in the embassy district, and this courtyard was nothing more than a scrap in the eyes of the other party.

What truly shocked him was that the place he had lived for half his life was actually built on someone else's land deed!

Despite his shock, he didn't dare hesitate and immediately spilled the beans, revealing everything about the five rooms.

Then he proceeded to rant about the Jia family: domineering, mean-spirited, crooked-hearted and treacherous... Just as he was talking about how Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai were inseparable, he suddenly caught sight of Yi Zhonghai standing behind him with a livid face and eyes that pierced him like knives.

Xu Damao stumbled over his words, swallowing the rest of his sentence.

The group soon arrived at the five rooms on the east side.

When the house was being renovated, Li Wenguo specially added brick walls to enclose the five rooms, creating a separate courtyard.

This house was rebuilt five years ago, when Beiping had just changed its flag.

The residents only signed leases with the neighborhood committee; they could move in, but they couldn't sell, transfer, or rent out the property.

Everyone had long noticed that these five rooms were brightly painted and spaciously furnished, probably reserved for some leader. But no one came, and after waiting and waiting, they all speculated that the person in charge was particular about social standing and probably thought our courtyard was too cluttered and noisy, preferring to leave it empty rather than make do.

Many people in the courtyard had considered moving in quietly—since no one lived there anyway, it would be pointless to occupy the space.

But since they were just tenants, without a deed or certificate, they had the desire to steal but lacked the courage. They dragged their feet for several years, and no one dared to make the first move.

It wasn't until Jia Zhangshi became a widow and decided that she deserved a bigger share of the spoils; and because her son had become Yi Zhonghai's apprentice and was even called "half a son," that she mustered up the courage to take over all five rooms.

twenty two

However, under the guise of "reasoning" and "considering the overall situation," Uncle Yi Zhonghai managed to force the Jia family to accept the five rooms.

Five rooms! Who wouldn't think twice about that? Yi Zhonghai spoke so eloquently, but did he truly never even entertain the thought? Probably not. It's just that he knew better than anyone else—the widow's courtyard was a dangerous place, and getting even slightly involved would cause him a lot of trouble, which is why he refrained from making a move.

"Jia Dongxu! Jia Zhangshi! Open the door quickly! The person in question has arrived!"

"What are you dawdling about? Did you stuff donkey hair in your ears?"

Xu Damao seized the opportunity and pounced on it. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Sha Zhu, who was standing nearby, had also been holding back his anger for a long time—Jia Zhangshi was always so competitive and demanding, and Jia Dongxu always pretended to be deaf and dumb, finding fault with everything. How could he stand idly by now? He immediately shouted, "Jia Dongxu! Jia Zhangshi! If you don't come out, we'll kick the door down!"

A large group of people surged in, making such a commotion that it alerted the entire neighborhood. People crowded around the windows, behind walls, and along doorways, peeking and looking around.

Hearing the shout, the brightly painted wooden door, its red paint still fresh, creaked open slowly.

A burly, middle-aged woman walked out.

These days, being able to gain weight is quite an achievement—it means you won't starve and can still make a living off the good food.

Li Wenguo took one look and felt a wave of disgust wash over him: the face was round, but the eyebrows and eyes looked as if they had been carved with a knife, the corners of the mouth turned down, and the way the eyes swept over people made him look exactly like a mother wolf guarding her food.

"Idiot Zhu! Little Mao! Are you wailing like you're at a funeral? You have no manners at all, you're a disgrace to our compound! From now on, don't even mention living here!"

Before Jia Zhangshi had even stepped out the door, her voice came crashing down on her. She showed no fear of the group before her; it was as if she were there to check up on them.

In her younger days, when she got into arguments, she never admitted defeat when she was in the wrong—she would lie down on the ground, kick her legs, and wail and roll around three times. Others, afraid of getting their hands dirty or getting into trouble, would have no choice but to back down. Over time, she became convinced that as long as she could throw a tantrum, no one would dare to really hurt her.

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were scolded until their ears turned red, but Xu Damao knew perfectly well that she couldn't escape this beating today.

He immediately retorted, "You fat old woman! Who's your brat? Can't you watch your mouth?"

"Let me tell you, your stay at this room is over for today!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's anger flared up instantly. Ignoring Yi Zhonghai's frantic blinking beside her, she blurted out, "Oh my god—you wild dog, born of a mother but raised without a father! Scum of society! A vermin! How dare you bark at my door? Where's your mother? Get this mad dog out of here right now!"

"How...how dare you speak to me like that?! What right do you have to insult my son like that?"

Xu Damao's mother couldn't bear to listen any longer, so she stepped forward, her voice trembling but her back straight.

"Whose door latch is so loose it's like a sieve, letting their dogs roam around biting people every day?" Jia Zhangshi didn't even lift her eyelids, every word piercing to the bone.

If you provoke her to scold you, you'll get thoroughly scolded.

When it comes to cursing, if she ranks second in the courtyard, no one dares to challenge her for first place.

Li Wenguo has truly had his eyes opened today.

Seeing that he couldn't out-argue this seasoned veteran, Xu Damao simply suppressed his anger and changed the subject, deliberately avoiding the key point, "Jia Zhangshi, the rightful owner of these five rooms you've been occupying has arrived—they belong to Uncle Li."

His mother was familiar with Li Wenguo, so it was only natural for her to call him "Uncle Li".

Li Wenguo knew perfectly well that this kid was deliberately trying to pique people's interest, so he just smiled faintly and didn't expose him.

Yi Zhonghai naturally understood this as well, but how could he dare to remind him? He was afraid that Li Wenguo would think that he had been in cahoots with the Jia family—if Jia Zhangshi offended someone, he, as the "elder," would also suffer the consequences.

So he lowered his eyes and became mute.

Those who recognized Li Wenguo among the bystanders kept their mouths shut, happy to see Jia Zhangshi hit a wall – she had made enemies all the time, so who would be willing to lend a helping hand now?

Xu Damao's mother glanced at Li Wenguo furtively and nodded somewhat awkwardly in acknowledgment...

Li Wenguo recognized her; she was an old neighbor of the Lou family. He simply nodded slightly in response.

"Ha, you little pup, you think just because you say it's his, it's his? Show me the deed!"

Although Jia Zhangshi spoke toughly, her eyes darted to Li Wenguo's face several times—this man was composed and didn't seem easily fooled; his tone softened slightly. Did he expect her to obediently give up her room? Not a chance.