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

"Why are you rushing me?"

"Is this how you open a shop?"

The young man's voice turned cold, and his knuckles turned slightly white—this was the first time in his life he had ever picked out something for his sweetheart, only to be blocked again and again, and his anger had long since reached his throat.

Just as Li Jinghan had settled herself in the chair and reached to unbutton her shoes—

A deep, steady male voice rang out:

"Wait a minute, my partner has taken a liking to these, don't try them on. Boss, pack them up."

Li Wenguo, holding Qin Huairu's hand, strode closer.

Her face burned, not because of the word "partner," but because of the feel of that large, warm hand enveloping her fingers—

In her entire life, no one but her father had ever held her hand like this.

"ah?!"

Li Jinghan was so startled that she looked up, her tongue just touching the word "Dad" when her father's sharp gaze pinned her back in her throat.

"What do you mean? My girlfriend likes these shoes. If you try them on, her sweat will get on them. How is she supposed to wear them then?"

He deliberately lowered his voice and glared at his daughter: Shut up, don't give yourself away!

Li Jinghan quickly glanced at the pretty girl behind her father—two years younger than herself, with bright, sparkling eyes that looked like they could be pinched to release juice.

My heart skipped a beat: Was he afraid that this woman would find out I was his daughter?

But that's not right... If I really don't want her to know, wouldn't it be better to just avoid her?

Why did they have to come up to us and put on this show?

As she was pondering this, the young man beside her frowned and turned to Li Wenguo: "Sir, business is about first come, first served. We were the ones who set our sights on the shoes first, so naturally we should place our order first. Only if we don't want them can it be your turn."

His words were neither humble nor arrogant, and his reasoning was clear; he sounded like a reasonable person.

Li Wenguo observed him discreetly: his skin was a healthy wheat color, his eyes were bright as if they had been tempered with light, his nose was straight, his shoulders were neat, and his clothes were neatly ironed, even the cuffs were clean.

His appearance is passable, but it's hard to tell whether he's genuinely honest or just superficial.

To gauge the man's temperament, he deliberately glared and shouted, "What do you mean by first come, first served? That doesn't count here! My girlfriend likes these shoes, so they're mine—if you know what's good for you, move over!"

"Are you even being reasonable? Don't you know the most basic rules?" Jian Dong frowned, his voice simmering with anger.

"Rules? How much are they worth?"

Li Wenguo sneered, his lips curling into a sneer, his face full of contempt.

He immediately turned to the female boss and threw out a curt remark: "Boss, I already said, all size 37 shoes are included! How come there's still this pair left unpacked? Do you think I can't afford it, or do you just not value me at all?"

"No, no, no, it's not that... it's that they... won't let go!"

The female boss didn't dare to provoke Li Wenguo, and her voice trembled as she pushed all the blame onto Li Jinghan and Jiandong.

"Boss, the shoes are yours, just take them back. Who cares if they agree or not?"

Li Wenguo glanced sideways and seized the opportunity to fan the flames.

"I'm so sorry, gentlemen... I won't sell these shoes anymore. Please return them to me."

Forced into a corner, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and reach out to the two of them.

"you--!"

Jian Dong's Adam's apple bobbed, and his ears instantly flushed red.

"Jiandong, let's not try it on anymore, give it back to them. Let's go to another store."

Li Jinghan knew perfectly well: her father wasn't picking out shoes at all; he was clearly looking for trouble with his old classmate...

Yes, the person in front of her was her classmate from Peking University, who had been pursuing her ever since graduation. She didn't dislike him; she was willing to walk with him occasionally and see how things went.

"Hmph! You're good at knowing what's good for you!"

Li Wenguo raised his chin, glanced at his daughter sideways, and looked smug, as if to say: Does he even deserve to compete with me?

Li Jinghan secretly rolled her eyes—this old man is such a drama queen!

However, Li Wenguo's arrogant attitude completely enraged Jian Dong.

"Jinghan, don't take it to heart. If you really like these shoes, just try them on. We won't cause trouble, but we won't back down either. We were the ones who set our sights on these shoes first, so why should we just give them up? If we back down today, they'll trample on us tomorrow—we absolutely cannot allow this kind of unhealthy trend to begin here! The new society is about fairness, not whoever shouts the loudest or has the biggest pockets gets to call the shots!"

The first half of the sentence was a gentle attempt to comfort Li Jinghan, but the second half was like nails, piercing Li Wenguo's heart.

As soon as the words were spoken, the female boss froze, her face flushed, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her apron; even Qin Huairu's eyes widened, her heart felt as if it had been struck by a bell—so these words could be spoken so solemnly and so earnestly!

"Brother Wenguo... how about we give these shoes to them? You've already bought the whole shelf, so one more pair won't make a difference."

Qin Huairu didn't want to cause a scene, and was even more afraid of attracting attention by making a fuss, so she gently advised, trying to calm things down.

"No way!" Li Wenguo said decisively, pointing to his smooth face. "This isn't about the shoes, it's about this face—my reputation!"

He raised his left hand and said, "Haozi."

The man behind him immediately understood and quickly handed over a bundle of brand-new ten-yuan notes—a full thousand yuan.

Li Wenguo strode forward, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing Jian Dong's eyes. He slapped the stack of banknotes onto Jian Dong's chest: "Kid, give me the shoes, and leave right now. This thousand is yours."

hiss--

Two gasps of cold air rang out almost simultaneously.

Qin Huairu felt a chill on her fingertips, while the female boss's palms were sweating.

A thousand dollars! Just for a pair of shoes?

That's terrifying!

Li Wenguo's actions were exactly like those of the wealthy young men of later years—spending exorbitant prices without batting an eye just to prove a point, instantly stunning everyone present.

Unfortunately, there were only three or four people watching, which wasn't enough to create a proper scene and diminish the overall atmosphere.

Jian Dong's face turned bright red, not from being moved, but from feeling so humiliated that blood rushed to his head.

He took a deep breath, his shoulders slightly slumped, and his voice was low but steady: "Sir, most things in this world have a price tag. But a person's backbone, integrity, and dignity—these things cannot be bought with mountains of gold and silver. Let alone using this little money to trample on someone else's dignity. Your outburst today has not only hurt the two of us, but also the righteous spirit that has just been established in this new society."

He neither accepted the money nor backed down an inch; his attitude was as firm as iron.

Qin Huairu and the female boss exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with respect.

Li Jinghan frowned, her slender eyebrows furrowed, her gaze calm, as if she were deep in thought.

"Ha, well said! You have real backbone—you value dignity like gold and pride like your lifeblood, but to me..."

Before Li Wenguo could finish speaking, he opened his palm and said, "Everything has a price tag from the moment it's born. You say it's priceless? It's just that the price hasn't hit you right in the heart yet."

As soon as he finished speaking, Haozi handed over the second bundle of brand-new ten-yuan bills and steadily placed it into Li Wenguo's palm.

"Two thousand dollars, same old rules: give up your shoes, and you can take your friend with you."

hiss--!

two thousand?!

Qin Huairu and the female boss both gasped in shock.

The female shop owner's throat tightened, her heart pounding: Give it to me! I'll give away all the shoes in the store for free, and even the shop itself!

The young man's temple throbbed as he was shoved with banknotes for the second time.

"Snapped!"

He abruptly shoved away Li Wenguo's hand that was pressing against his chest, his eyes piercing like ice picks. "I'm warning you, if you play these despicable tricks again, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Fine, fine, you're tough, you're aloof. But your friend... probably isn't as stubborn as you, is he?"

Li Wenguo didn't mind losing the money; if the other party actually accepted it, he would have to make his daughter completely cut off all ties with this person.

A greedy person has long since lost their backbone.

Qin Huairu had already squatted down and picked up the two bundles of banknotes from the ground, clutching them tightly in her hands—from childhood to adulthood, she had never even touched a ten-yuan note, but now she was holding two whole bundles, so heavy that her fingertips went numb.

"Haozi!!"

Li Wenguo reached out his hand again.

Haozi responded by pulling out the third bundle of ten-yuan notes and neatly placing it in his hand.

Depend on! !

besides?!

Qin Huairu and the female boss's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as they subconsciously stared at Haozi's suit jacket—

The left pocket flattens out, while the right pocket bulges slightly, with a distinct outline.

My goodness!

There really are more?!

Just how much is this guy carrying?!

The last sentence was the female boss's gasp of surprise as her stomach churned inside her.

Li Wenguo, clutching the bundle of money, slowly walked towards Li Jinghan: "Hanhan, take this, and give him the shoes."

"Heh, you probably don't know yet, do you? Jinghan, like me, has never..."

The young man, seeing his goddess being surrounded by the same tactics, immediately sneered. But the words caught in his throat—

His pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with disbelief:

That girl, who was usually aloof and intolerant of even the slightest imperfection, actually reached out and accepted the thousand yuan!

What?! That's impossible!!

His mind exploded.

Qin Huairu's heart clenched, and her delicate brows furrowed.

The female boss found it so sour it made her teeth itch.

Why shouldn't it be for me?!

What left the three of them even more dumbfounded was yet to come—

Just moments ago, Li Jinghan had been indifferent, but suddenly she seemed like a different person. Her cheeks flushed slightly, she tiptoed closer, and affectionately took Li Wenguo's arm with her two small hands, her voice soft and sweet: "Dad, stop it! Look how anxious my classmate is~"

Then she turned to Haozi and scolded him, "Uncle Haozi, you're just joining in the commotion too."

Haozi scratched his head and grinned sheepishly.

What? ? ?

dad??

This angelic girl is his daughter?!

The young man, Qin Huairu, and the female boss froze instantly, their mouths slightly open, as if they had been silenced.

Haozi, however, remained calm. He knew that Li Jinghan was the apple of Master Li's eye, and this was just a test of the boy's abilities.

"Haha, young man, I'm so sorry! Hanhan is my own daughter, I spoil her rotten. I just happened to be passing by today and was worried she might get taken advantage of, so I just wanted to gauge your character—don't take it to heart, okay?"

Li Wenguo looked at the young man with a warm smile, as gentle as the spring sun.

"Ah? Oh! No, no, no! Uncle Li, you're right! Jinghan is your daughter, it's only natural that you care! I was impulsive and rude, I shouldn't have lost my temper with you, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

The surprise came so suddenly that his mind went blank, his tongue got tied, and he instinctively straightened his back, convinced that he had passed the test and was one step closer to his beloved. Joy surged to the top of his head.

"Young man, you're of decent character, but want to marry my daughter? That bit of backbone isn't enough." Li Wenguo waved his hand, his tone calm but his words firm. "She has high standards, and your family background has to match. Otherwise, there's no way."

"Don't worry, Uncle Li, three generations of my family have served the country. My grandfather was a division commander in the field army, my father was in charge of the lifeline of the entire railway system, my mother was a prominent director in the bureau, and I myself worked in the railway for five years. We have a solid foundation and a good background."

He was stunned for a moment when he said this—he never easily revealed his family's wealth, but he blurted it out now, obviously because he was anxious and afraid that the other party would look down on him.