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

His voice deepened, and he straightened up, propping himself up on his arms. "Guowen is only seventeen, and Guoan is only sixteen. They're barely out of school, and you dare to send one across the ocean and the other offshore? As their father, I'd be heartbroken, but you just sit there without even blinking an eye!"

"Nonsense! Pure nonsense!"

"When you were seventeen, didn't you already pack your bags and sail abroad?"

Xu Wanqing lazily lifted her eyelids, her tone light and airy.

This was something Li Wenguo made up on the spot years ago; otherwise, there's no way to explain where his fluent English came from.

"Can they be the same?"

He scoffed, tapping his chest with his finger. "Back in my day, it was a chaotic era. I was forced out of my home at sixteen, enduring wind and rain all by myself. Look at those two—wrapped in brocade blankets since childhood, fed delicacies from the mountains, even having someone kneel and blow on their knees when they bump their knees! What makes them compare to me?"

"In these peaceful times, what risks could there possibly be?"

The war had been over for several years, and Xu Wanqing didn't take it seriously at all.

"Peace? People's hearts are the most unpredictable thing!"

He frowned. "Just the scheming, framing, and setting traps are enough to give them a run for their money. I disagree! If things really go wrong, can you handle it?"

"Even if we can't hold it in, we'll still hold it in!"

She tilted her head back, chin raised, and said, "He's my own child. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility! At worst—"

Before she could finish speaking, her hand had already slipped under the hem of her bathrobe and was now firmly clenched in her hand.

"If you're going to have children, have them now. Not a single one of them can leave."

"So when exactly can we set off?"

Realizing her husband was determined to kill her, Xu Wanqing loosened her grip, not caring that the blanket had slipped down to her waist, revealing a glimpse of her bare skin.

"Let's talk about it after I graduate with my bachelor's degree."

As soon as he finished speaking, he threw off the covers, got up, grabbed the bathrobe draped over the back of the chair, wrapped it around himself, and made as if to leave.

Where are you going?

She sat up abruptly, her chest heaving, but her voice was tense.

"Someone's stirred things up and then left. My old bones are still burning brightly. I'm going to find Xiuxiu, Jinhua, and Xiaoxue to play a few rounds of mahjong."

"Are you crazy? Those three are in their early thirties, like hungry wolves. If they played cards all night, you'd probably die at the card table!"

Xu Wanqing grabbed his wrist.

Xiuxiu, Jinhua, and Xiaoxue were indeed young and vigorous, at the prime of their lives. She was truly afraid that her husband would stay up until dawn and collapse right next to the mahjong table.

"Tsk, all of you call me 'Master,' but do you really think I'm made of paper?"

He rolled his eyes. "My stamina at thirty back then is still just as good now!"

"But thirty is thirty, and fifty is fifty!"

She was so anxious she was stamping her feet. "You're almost fifty by the New Year, and you still dare to fight three vixens all night? I'm afraid I'll have to put you in a coffin by tomorrow morning!"

"Pah! Cursing your own man, how shameless!"

A vein throbbed on his forehead, and his anger surged.

"Take it! I'll take you now!"

Before she finished speaking, he had already turned back and pounced on the bed, grabbing her by the back of the neck and pressing her down.

An hour later, Xu Wanqing, having caught her breath with her head on his shoulder, her cheeks flushed a peachy red, her eyes glistening with tears, said, "Master, how about letting Guowen study in the US and Guoan study in Hong Kong?"

"You're still up to your old tricks!"

"Now that you're really studying, you should be able to back down, right?"

With a quick thought, she subtly changed "managing affairs" to "going to school".

"this……"

To be honest, Li Wenguo didn't have any objection to sending his child away for further studies.

He has connections in the US and old relationships in Hong Kong to back him up. As long as he doesn't get involved in business or accounting, and just studies—he can agree to that.

Besides, it might not be a bad thing for the two brothers to gain experience outside for a few years, learning how to conduct business, follow the rules, and avoid being tripped up.

He lowered his eyes and saw his wife's flushed face pressed against his neck, her eyelashes trembling slightly, like a kitten that had just eaten its fill.

He finally sighed, raised his hand and rubbed her earlobe: "Alright, alright... considering how hard you served me just now, go ahead."

The power of pillow talk is still as unpredictable as ever.

……

Otherwise, this word would not have been used to this day, enduring the vicissitudes of time without fading.

Xu Wanqing's haste in sending her two sons abroad was not an impulsive decision, but a decision made after careful consideration.

The first reason is that her identity is too conspicuous—she comes from a top family in the Kuomintang military, and her bloodline is marked by the old era. Under the new policies, her children are naturally relegated to the margins.

Domestically, with no hope of entering politics and limited opportunities in the military, the only remaining path is business. However, in terms of capital strength, market maturity, and resource circulation, the domestic business community lags far behind that of the United States and Hong Kong. Establishing a presence overseas early not only ensures a stable future but also paves the way for future industrial development—a strategy that kills three birds with one stone.

In the end, Xu Wanqing is still the same Xu Wanqing—her eyes are sharp as knives, and her calculations are extremely accurate.

Just after eight o'clock tomorrow night, she summoned Li Guowen and Li Guoan.

"Father, Mother!"

The two brothers, one seventeen and the other sixteen, had already grown tall and strong, with broad shoulders, long legs, and clear features—their mother's bright features and their father's robust frame were naturally embodied in them, making them look like two promising young talents just beginning to blossom.

……

"Your mother wants Guowen to study in the US and Guoan to study in Hong Kong. What do you think about that?"

Li Wenguo sat upright in the main seat, his voice steady and calm.

The two brothers quickly exchanged a glance and replied in unison, "We're willing!"

The answer was so crisp and clear that Li Wenguo knew perfectly well that this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision; Xu Wanqing had clearly already whispered the words in their ears.

"Then let me give you one more piece of advice—when you're out and about, always prioritize stability. What you can't guard against most isn't knives or guns, but the scheming hidden beneath a smiling face. Keep your eyes wide open, cover your mouth tightly, and don't easily open your heart."

Did you hear me?

"Understood, Father!"

The two responded immediately.

"Guo'an is doing better, Hong Kong is nearby, and he has Aunt Xu and Aunt Dong to look after him; Guowen, you're different, with blond hair and blue eyes, you don't speak the language, and you're not familiar with the rules, so you have to be extra careful. I've already asked someone to contact people in the US, so if you run into any difficulties, immediately contact Aunt Selena, or your two older siblings—understand?"

"Don't worry, Dad, I'll contact them immediately if anything happens."

Li Guowen nodded, his tone resolute.

Li Wenguo only needed to say a few more words, but he understood in his heart that Xu Wanqing had already arranged every step perfectly, and even the Xu family in the United States had been taken care of in advance, so the landing of Guowen would be smooth sailing.

But no matter how close they are, they are still his maternal family. Ultimately, one's own flesh and blood needs the support of one's own family to feel secure—he had to ensure that the Li family's connections and trustworthy eyes were always by his son's side.

Two days later, after seeing his son off, Li Wenguo stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching the car disappear into the distance, his chest sinking slightly. After all, he was his own son; how could he not worry about him, flying off to distant lands before even reaching adulthood?

Needless to say, Xu Wanqing's eyes were red-rimmed as she saw him off, her fingers clutching her handkerchief, tears welling in her eyes. The saying "A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles" has been true since ancient times.

But Li Wenguo immediately put the matter aside—he had too many sons to worry about; besides, he was currently busy with three marriages waiting for him to arrange, which was busier than sending people abroad.

The first one was Li Guotai's girlfriend, Hu Ke'er.

A few days later, on Sunday afternoon, Li Guotai led her through the door.

Just like Jiang Yue and her brother Hu Jiandong before, they were even more bewildered—as soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they were stunned to see more than a dozen luxury cars parked in the open space. For ordinary families, having a car for transportation is already considered respectable, but their family had a whole row of them, their silver lights dazzling, like a small car show.

"Cathay, how come your family has so many cars? Do you really drive them all in different cars every day?"

Because Li Guotai had only mentioned his mother's branch of the family, Hu Ke'er subconsciously assumed that there were only about ten people in her family.

"Heh... There are many people in my family, so we need to use the car a lot."

Li Guotai chuckled twice, looking a little guilty.

What he didn't say was that in a few days, six more cars would be added—three for his wedding and the other three for his three younger brothers who were about to graduate.

"Even with a large number of people, this many aren't necessary, are they?"

Hu Ke'er's eyes widened.

At that moment, the archway of the central courtyard was lifted, and two women walked out.

One was in her early thirties, exuding an air of nobility, with features as delicate as a fine brushstroke, and a voluptuous figure that almost burst out of her cheongsam; the other was eighteen or nineteen, with eyes and brows exactly like hers, equally bright and dazzling, and a similarly exquisite and full figure. Standing together, it was impossible to tell who was the older sister and who was the younger sister.

Hu Ke'er was speechless for a moment, her heart pounding: Could this be her future mother-in-law and sister-in-law?

How come my mother-in-law looks so young, like she just graduated?

If I hadn't heard about it beforehand, I probably would have called out "sister" on the spot!

She was still in a daze when Li Guotai spoke with a smile:

"Hello, Aunt Xu!"

"Shizuka!"

Aunt Xu?

Could this be Guotai's legal mother?

Hu Ke'er was stunned on the spot, and the words got stuck in her throat.

"Brother Guotai!"

Li Jingxiang is Xu Wanqing's eldest daughter, and she has just turned eighteen.

She has now blossomed into a stunning beauty, and in a few years, she will undoubtedly become a national beauty of unparalleled charm.

"Oh, is this the future sister-in-law?"

She tilted her head and looked Hu Ke'er up and down, her eyes flashing with a playful yet sharp light.

"right."

"Ke'er, this is Aunt Xu, and this is my younger sister, Jingxiang."

Li Guotai quickly offered to introduce them.

Like his half-brothers, he felt a vague sense of dread towards his father's legal wife—not only because of her imposing status, but also because she was always cold, taciturn, and authoritative without being angry.

"Ah, Aunt Xu! Shizuka!"

Hu Ke'er quickly bowed and greeted him.

Xu Wanqing glanced at her sideways, her chin lifting almost imperceptibly. If one wasn't staring at her, one would almost think she hadn't nodded at all.

If it weren't for today being a formal meeting, she wouldn't have shown up at all—look, she didn't even stop walking, as she reached out and took her daughter's arm.

The only ones who were actually present were He Shuting's children and the babies she was carrying.

In her eyes, children like Li Guotai from other rooms were always "outsiders." Last time Li Jinghan brought Hu Jiandong to visit, she didn't even show her face.

"Hello, sister-in-law!"

On the contrary, Li Jingxiang had a clear voice, a proper smile, and even gave a slight curtsy.

But Xu Wanqing didn't stop walking, so she could only turn around and smile, "Brother Guotai, my mother and I have to go out for a bit."

Before the words were even finished, the mother and daughter had already reached the door. Big Eyes, who had been waiting nearby, immediately ran forward, quickly jumped into the first black sedan, started the engine, drove up, braked, and opened the door—the movements were all done in one smooth motion, as if they had rehearsed it a hundred times.

A true aristocratic family style.

Hu Ke'er's eyelids twitched as she watched.