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

"Jiandong, it's not that your parents are criticizing you—our family has impeccable credentials in Beijing: your grandfather was a division commander in the army, your father manages the railway bureau, and your mother is the office director. The whole family holds important positions; and you yourself are handsome and capable, working steadily and reliably in the railway industry. With such excellent qualities, how come you're so subservient to a rich merchant's daughter?"

Seeing her son's infatuated and obsequious behavior, Hu's mother was furious.

How outstanding is her son? Thick eyebrows, bright eyes, and a tall, straight figure—he stands out in a crowd. Matchmakers practically wear out her door; beautiful girls from all around are lining up to choose him. Yet, he's head over heels for a female classmate from his school days, determined to marry no one but her. As his mother, she sees this with a heavy heart, wishing she could crack open his skull and expose his stubbornness!

"Mom, please don't worry about this! I've already made it clear that Jinghan is the one I've chosen, it's a done deal. Please, when she comes over this afternoon, greet her with a smile and treat her to good tea. Please don't be cold to her, okay?"

As Hu Jiandong finished speaking, his tone softened considerably, as if he were holding a fragile glass cup.

That concern was obvious to anyone with eyes.

"Oh dear! You child, why are you so stubborn..."

"Alright, alright, Jian Dong's mother, stop nagging. It's rare for him to genuinely like someone, so let's relax. When he meets her this afternoon, be natural and friendly. Don't let him go to her house with something on his mind, or he'll lose his composure."

The old man in the rocking chair spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but steadily suppressing his words.

"Sigh... alright then!"

Once her father-in-law spoke, no matter how unwilling she was, she had no choice but to swallow her grievances.

"Thank you for your understanding, Grandpa. Thank you, Mom!"

Hu Jiandong's face immediately brightened, and his smile almost overflowed.

"Brother, is my sister-in-law, who's not even married yet, really that alluring? Is she even more eye-catching than me?"

The speaker was a young woman sitting to the side, her tone languid, her eyes slightly upturned. She had an oval face, fair skin, clear and bright eyes, a high and elegant nose, and stood at 1.6 meters tall, making her stand out from the crowd these days. She was Hu Jiandong's younger sister, Hu Ke'er.

"Yes, yes, big brother, second sister is one of the most beautiful women in our compound. Could that future sister-in-law possibly be more outstanding than second sister?"

A younger man sitting next to him chimed in, his voice still carrying a youthful air. He was Hu Jianhua, the youngest son of the Hu family.

Hu Jiandong didn't reply. He just straightened his collar in front of the old mirror on the corner of the table and smiled slightly: "What I cherish is not her face, but the light in her bones."

Before the words were even finished, the person had already stepped out the door.

"Tch—to put it bluntly, she was still outdone by her second sister."

Hu Jianhua pouted, looking unconvinced.

"I've never seen a girl more beautiful than my sister in all my life! Did a fairy fall from the sky?"

He was an average student and didn't get into university. Now he works as a sledgehammerer in a steel rolling mill, surrounded by dusty work clothes and the smell of machine oil. The number of pretty girls he sees can be counted on one hand—and his sister is the brightest star in his eyes.

Of course, there was indeed a woman at the steel mill, even more dazzling than her sister, but unfortunately she was already married and her belly was showing, so he didn't even dare to speak to her. That was Qin Huairu.

"Dad, look at Jiandong's behavior! She's not even married into the family yet, and we're already treating her like royalty. Once she's married, won't our whole family have to stand on tiptoe to serve her?"

After listening to her children's discussion, saying that the woman was not even as good as Hu Ke'er, Hu's mother couldn't sit still and turned to her father-in-law to complain.

"I trust Jian Dong. He stands tall, walks upright, doesn't fawn over factory leaders, and doesn't panic when faced with difficulties. The people he chooses can't be too bad in temperament and character."

The old man didn't even lift his eyelids, but every word he spoke landed firmly on the ground.

"But look at how distracted he is! Once he walks in the door, won't he be completely led by the nose? From now on, will he even respect me as his own mother?"

She turned her head and winked at her husband, "Chongde, say something!"

"Why the rush? We haven't even met the person yet. We can talk about it after we meet."

Mr. Hu was a man of few words and rarely expressed his opinion.

"Exactly! Why are you speculating about things that have nothing to do with anything?"

The old man readily agreed.

"But we have to weigh her family background, right?"

"Jiandong said that they're big business owners, their pockets are bulging, legitimate bosses, but they're using capitalist methods, exploiting workers, and their ways are completely incompatible with the organization!"

"Marrying a girl from such a family wouldn't be of any help to us at all!"

Seeing that her father-in-law and husband both looked nonchalant, Hu's mother simply pressed on to Li Jinghan's background.

Actually, she didn't have any prejudice against Li Jinghan herself—after all, they had never met and there was no question of liking or disliking her. But her eldest son just praised her too much, too infatuated, too spineless, which annoyed Hu's mother and made her feel a little sour. That's why she became more and more displeased and conflicted the more she thought about it.

"Mother, what's wrong with being a wealthy merchant?"

"If I had that ability, I would have rolled up my sleeves and gotten to work long ago!"

Hu Jianhua, the younger brother, didn't care at all. The steel rolling mill where he worked was privately owned, and the boss and deputy factory director, Li Wenguo, lived a very comfortable life—always impeccably dressed in a suit and shiny leather shoes, his car would pull right up to the factory gate every day, and even the factory director would rush to greet him. Hu Jianhua had been watching this closely and was already itching to get a piece of his dream.

"What are you yelling about!"

Mr. Hu frowned, and his tone turned serious.

Although he didn't show his anger on his face, his disapproval was clearly written in the corners of his eyes and brows.

The path paved by the organization was never built by capital; although they deal with businessmen more often now, the Hu family is, at its core, deeply rooted in the organization. The youngest son's constant talk of wanting to be a boss is jarring to hear.

"I'm not exaggerating! Dad, you remember our factory, right? That private steel rolling mill. Li Wenguo was both the boss and the deputy factory director. He was always very respectable, both in public and in private—his hair was always perfectly combed, his tie always neatly tied, and he had a car to take him to and from get off work. When we workers saw him, we not only had to stand at attention and greet him, but we also had to smile and bow. You tell me, how impressive was that!"

Hu Jianhua's eyes lit up, and he almost slapped his thigh with his palms.

"Jianhua, you don't understand—those bosses take a different path, but our family's path is firmly tied to the organization. Stop thinking about those superficial things, focus on working hard, being a good person, and finding a virtuous girl to settle down with is the real deal."

Hu Niang gently advised, her tone mild yet carrying an undeniable weight.

The current trend of "workers are the most glorious" is not just empty talk.

"What's the rush to find a wife? My second sister hasn't even settled down yet, why should I be in such a hurry?"

Hu Jianhua immediately curled his lip, pushing Hu Ke'er forward as a shield, his tone full of evasion.

Mother Hu turned to look at her daughter, her brow furrowing slightly: "Ke'er, I'm not pressuring you, but you're already twenty-three, and you've been on seven or eight blind dates, but nothing's come of it each time?"

"That young man from the Zheng family seems quite steady to me."

"That guy who's only a little over 1.6 meters tall? Not only is he short, but his face is also dark. Mom, your standards are way too down-to-earth!"

Hu Ke'er tilted her nose up, her face full of disdain.

She was praised as a "little beauty" since childhood and had studied for a few years. She was as proud as a roof tile and only had a tall, handsome, and knowledgeable man to be worthy of her attention.

"You think this one is too short, and that one is too dark-skinned, so what kind do you want?"

Hu Niang's voice tightened, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her apron.

Her neighbors' daughters of the same age are all old enough to run errands, how could she not be anxious?

"I need someone tall, handsome, and smart—someone who, when standing together, makes you think they're a match made in heaven."

In today's terms, this is simply a new twist on the phrase "tall, rich, and handsome."

But in these days, it's like panning for gold in the sand.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Hu Jianhua suddenly slapped his forehead, his eyes lighting up: "Second Sister, I really know someone like that! Everything matches!"

"Oh? Really? You're not kidding."

Hu Ke'er glanced at him sideways, half believing and half doubting.

This younger brother is usually carefree and irresponsible, how could he possibly be recognized?

Aunt Hu, however, perked up and leaned forward: "Xiao Hua, tell me quickly, whose child is this? What's their name?"

"Li Guotai from the Li family. He's the head of the personnel department at our factory. A graduate of Peking University, he's 1.83 meters tall, with fair skin, clear eyes, and speaks slowly and methodically, but he's very efficient in his work. As for his family's financial situation... well, he drives to work every day, so how bad could they be?"

Hu Jianhua spoke with certainty, and at the end he even smacked his lips, looking on with envy.

If my second sister really becomes a member of the Li family, the days of me hitching rides around in their cars won't be far off.

Young people love touching the steering wheel; it's the same in every era.

Mr. and Mrs. Hu exchanged a glance, their brows furrowing slightly.

These days, nine out of ten people who can afford to drive to get off work are not from ordinary families.

The two remained silent, but Hu Ke'er couldn't sit still any longer and leaned forward: "Xiao Hua, is Li Guotai... really as outstanding as you say?"

"How could it be fake? He's as gentle and refined as jade, and a handsome man! You don't know how many girls in the factory send him notes and snacks through connections, but he doesn't even glance at them—he's got high standards!"

He paused, then added with a grin, "Tsk, to be honest, Second Sister, you are as beautiful as a flower, and he is handsome and refined. The two of you standing together are like a Spring Festival couplet on red paper, a match made in heaven, not too early, not too late, just right."

"Hey, Xiaohua..." Hu Ke'er twirled the end of her braid with her fingertips, her voice becoming lighter, "Could you ask him out so I can... sneak a peek?"

After all, she was getting on in years, and all the girls her age around her had already gotten married. She was the only one still single, which made her a little anxious. As soon as she heard that there was someone who was a good match for her, she immediately took a liking to him.

"Ke'er, Xiaohua, you two better not mess around!"

Mrs. Hu scolded her with a stern face.

Who goes on a blind date like this? It's so undignified, it's ridiculous!

"What era are we living in? It's perfectly normal for men and women to meet, so why is it considered nonsense?"

Hu Jianhua frowned and retorted, then turned to his sister and said, "Sister, it's probably difficult to get him to come out. I don't know him well, and he might not even bother with me. But come directly to the steel rolling mill before you get off work, and I'll point it out to you. I guarantee you won't go wrong."

"Okay! It's settled then!"

Hu Ke'er's eyes lit up, and she readily agreed.

Seeing that they were only glancing at each other secretly and it wasn't a formal matchmaking, and that the other party was completely unaware of the situation, Mr. and Mrs. Hu didn't stop them anymore—they just thought it was the children playing around.

Later, Hu's mother brought up Jiandong and Li Jinghan again, expressing her dissatisfaction and finding fault with everything...