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

As it was nearing the end of the workday, Kong Liuting had barely finished counting the first three bags.

Fortunately, the bank manager quickly mobilized all the bank's tellers to provide support. Ten people surrounded the counter, their fingers flying across the screen, and they managed to complete the entire process of verifying the banknotes, sealing the package, and depositing the money into the account within an hour.

"Comrade Kong, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting so long. It's already completely dark. How about I treat you to a meal at the state-run restaurant next door?"

Li Guobin smiled and handed her a handkerchief—her knuckles were red, and there were still some scraps of paper stuck to her fingertips.

"Well..."

She wanted to decline, but her stomach was rumbling loudly and her fingers were trembling with soreness. Then she thought again, this guy had millions in his pocket, eating a meal would be like drinking water for him. She might as well treat herself to a meal!

"Alright, then I'll respectfully comply."

Over the course of the meal, Li Guobin, with his witty and unpretentious manner, engaged in a lively conversation with the other. Two months later, they were so familiar with each other that they could banter and joke, and even bring each other breakfast. They both knew perfectly well that they were steadily moving towards becoming a couple.

That evening, Li Wenguo carried a bamboo food box, walked through the old gray-walled office building in Chongwen District, and stepped onto the creaking cement stairs.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Three short, forceful knocks on the door.

The door opened.

Sai Honglian leaned against the door frame, her plain nightgown loosely covering her body. The waistline was tight, her chest was full, her legs were long and her shoulders were narrow. Her whole body seemed to say: Keep out of reach of strangers.

"You're here, why bring any food? Do you think my cooking is bad?" She lifted her eyelids, her tone lazy.

"How dare I!" Li Wenguo's eyes gleamed, his smile roguish. "I'm just worried you've lost weight, so I specially brought you some oily food to help you regain those few ounces of fat."

"Bang!"

The moment the door closed, there was silence inside.

"Why?!"

"Wait—what are you doing?!"

"I haven't eaten yet?!"

Sai Honglian was caught off guard and pulled into an embrace, her lips were fiercely sealed, and the sound of her exclamation was stuck in her throat, leaving only rapid panting.

"Damn, I'm full just from eating you, why would I need to eat anything else?"

An hour later, the two finally sat down at the dining table.

"snort!"

She poked at the cold soup bowl with the tips of her chopsticks, her ears turning red. "It's all your fault! You had to make such a fuss; the soup's gone completely cold!"

Sai Honglian's cheeks flushed like rouge, her brows furrowed, and her tone was both angry and annoyed.

"My fault? I hadn't even gotten my footing yet, and you, wrapped in a bathrobe, strolled out—isn't that blatant flirting?"

Li Wenguo chuckled and casually picked up the food box and shook it.

"Eat it while it's hot. I specially simmered it; the soup is still boiling."

The box was overflowing with meat—in those days, meat ration coupons were scarce and oil was scarce, so it was quite rare to be able to bring out such a whole box.

"You're already twenty-five, it's about time you settled down. Do you have someone in mind?"

As he picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork—golden red and crispy, with a tantalizingly sour aroma—he casually asked.

"The Kong family is quite suitable." Sai Honglian didn't even lift her eyelids, took the food and took a big bite. "The old man is a retired commander, and several members of his family served in the army. They have a strong family tradition and a solid foundation."

"Oh, you mean the Kong family, the ones who used to be teachers?"

"Yes, his daughter, Kong Liuting, is twenty-three and still unmarried."

"Okay, then it'll be her."

Li Wenguo stayed there that night, tossing and turning twice before finally falling into a deep sleep.

No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

In the courtyard made of blue bricks, a fair-skinned, round-faced, pouty-lipped six-year-old boy clutched a paper windmill and ran wildly around the yard. The wind whistled through the paper wheel, and he ran with increasing joy, his laughter as clear as a string of silver bells.

At this moment, a thin, dark-skinned boy emerged from behind the screen wall. He had dark skin, narrow eyebrows and eyes, and slender arms and legs. It was six-year-old Jia Banggeng.

"Li Guoxuan! Can I borrow your windmill for a bit?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Guoxuan immediately stopped, hid the windmill behind his back, and straightened his little body: "No way! Last time I borrowed your marbles, I lost them; the time before that, I borrowed your tin frog, and it broke—you're always ruining things!"

Actually, he had secretly slipped the marble into his pocket and played with it for half the night when he got home.

From a young age, Banggeng has been good at stealing things.

"Hmph! Stingy! Miser! Nya ya ya—"

He suddenly pulled down his left eyelid, stuck out and retracted his tongue, and grinned, making a funny face that was both comical and infuriating.

"Stop pretending! I saw you steal my marbles! Yesterday, when I passed by your door, you were squatting there rolling my steel balls!" Li Guoxuan said, hands on his hips, his voice crisp and clear.

"Nonsense! I didn't take it! You're seeing things!"

Banggeng shook his head like a rattle-drum—he wouldn't admit it, he absolutely wouldn't. If he handed over that marble, there would be no more games.

"I saw it with my own eyes! What you're rolling in your hand is clearly mine!"

Xiao Guoxuan stood on tiptoe, his face flushed red, refusing to budge an inch.

No! Really not! Absolutely not!

As Banggeng shouted, he moved forward, but his feet had already moved quietly.

"Oh? Aunt Qin is here!"

He suddenly pointed behind Li Guoxuan, his voice sharp and bright.

Guoxuan instinctively turned his head—but there was nothing behind him, not even a single fallen leaf.

Realizing he had fallen into a trap, he turned around abruptly, only to find his hands already empty!

Oh no! The windmill is gone!

Sure enough, Banggeng had already grabbed the spinning windmill and started running.

"Give it back!"

Xiao Guoxuan took off chasing after them, the two little ones one after the other, creating a gust of wind on the blue brick ground.

"This little rascal, only six years old, is more cunning than a honeycomb!"

The three women rubbed their collars, glanced at it, shook their heads and sighed, then pressed the washboard in their hands back into the soapy water.

Seeing that he was about to be caught up, Bang Geng suddenly pushed off the ground to accelerate, but his foot slipped and he fell forward with a thud, hitting the ground solidly.

"Whoa—!!!"

The cries were shrill and piercing, tearing through the entire courtyard.

Residents pushed open their doors and peeked out—Yi Zhonghai and his wife, Liu Haizhong and his wife, and Jia Dongxu all crowded into the center of the courtyard.

"Bang geez! What's wrong?!"

When Jia Dongxu saw his son lying on the ground howling, his heart clenched, and he quickly squatted down, picked him up, and patted him all over.

"Dad! It was him! Li Guoxuan pushed me and made me fall!"

Bang Geng's face was covered in tears and snot, but he spoke very quickly, his little finger poking Li Guoxuan's chest.

A six-year-old child can lie without stuttering and frame others more skillfully than an adult.

"You—you little rascal, how dare you push someone?!"

Jia Dongxu was so angry that he blurted out a scolding, but he swallowed the rest of the words he was about to say—in the end, he didn't say anything more offensive.

After all, Li Guoxuan's father is Li Wenguo, and his third uncle, Li Guotai, is the deputy director of the factory. If things really fall apart, the Jia family won't be able to handle it.

This is what happens when someone has connections behind you; you have to think twice before even insulting someone.

"Ouch, Xiao Guoxuan, you're so young, how could you resort to violence? Look how much that stick hurts! You can't do that again..."

The old man, Yi Zhonghai, was definitely biased towards this half-grandson, and immediately put on a stern face and gave him a lecture.

"No! I didn't push him! He snatched my windmill and ran away. I chased after him, but my foot slipped, and I fell flat on my face!"

Li Guoxuan's voice was clear and distinct, with each sentence clearly articulated.

"Still being stubborn? If you hadn't pushed him, how could he have gotten so badly injured? His mouth is covered in blood; it's obvious you did it! Such a young age, and you're already lying. You have a wicked heart!"

Jia Dongxu's anger surged to his head, and he didn't care to listen carefully anymore, so he started yelling at him.

Seeing his booming voice, the second uncle quickly tried to smooth things over: "Dongxu, it's perfectly normal for a child to fall while running around. Don't scare him with that serious face, or you'll frighten the child."

"you do not say!"

The second aunt quickly chimed in.

"Just say a few words to get through to him, Dongxu, calm down and don't get carried away."

An older woman also gently advised him—after all, Li Guoxuan was Li Wenguo's flesh and blood, and she was afraid that if Jia Dongxu made things worse and angered Li Wenguo, he would be in deep trouble later…

The three women were squatting by the well, washing clothes. Their brows were slightly furrowed. They only glanced around before continuing their work, too lazy to come forward and join in.

"Grandpa and Grandma, look at this! Bang Geng's lips are all bruised and bleeding! It's all his doing! A few words won't do! Today he has to bow down and apologize to Bang Geng!"

Jia Dongxu clenched his fists, refusing to budge an inch.

When a father sees his son fall and cut his lip, bleeding, his heart aches. No one can fault this emotion.

Before he could finish speaking, a military green jeep screeched to a halt outside the gate.

Li Guoli jumped out of the car and waved to the driver: "You guys stay put."

"yes!!!"

He strode into the courtyard and saw a large group of people gathered in the middle courtyard from afar. He assumed they were just neighbors chatting and didn't think much of it.

"You! Kneel down and apologize to my son right now!"

Jia Dongxu poked Li Guoxuan's nose directly with his finger.

"Uncle Jia, I really didn't deny it! Even if you don't believe me, you can't make me confess to something I shouldn't have!"

Li Guoxuan tilted his head back, his voice strained.

"Waaah—Daddy! I want that windmill! Waaah—I want the one he's holding!"

Banggeng sat on the ground, kicking his legs and crying.

"Alright, alright, Dad will get it back for you!"

As Jia Dongxu bent down to coax him, the surroundings fell silent for a moment.

This isn't reasoning; it's blatant extortion! That windmill was bought for the child by the father; why should he just ask for it?

The old man's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but when he saw the glaring bloodstain on Bang Geng's face, he swallowed his words.

"Guoxuan, apologize to your brother right now! And hand over the windmill!" he urged in a deep voice.

"I didn't push him! My dad picked out the windmill himself, I'm not giving it to him!"

Li Guoxuan's throat tightened, and his eyes quickly reddened—he had clearly done nothing wrong, yet everyone treated him like a thief, not even his closest uncle believed him…

"Still being stubborn, you brat? If you don't back down, I'll teach you a lesson!"

Jia Dongxu shouted sternly.

"Wow--"

Li Guoxuan finally couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down his face.

"Damn! An adult cornering a ten-year-old child and forcing a confession? Are you out of your mind?!"

Li Guoli pushed through the crowd and rushed in, his eyebrows furrowed like knives under his military cap, staring directly at Jia Dongxu and cursing.

"Damn! An adult cornering a ten-year-old child and forcing a confession? Are you out of your mind?!"

His voice was like iron, startling everyone.

Everyone turned their heads in unison, their eyes meeting that crisp military uniform, and their hearts sank.

Why did he have to come at this time of year?

And you arrived so precisely?

Li Guoli had come to the courtyard with Li Wenguo in his early years, and everyone recognized him—he was Li Wenguo's eldest son, a prominent officer in the army, someone no one dared to mess with.

Let alone Li Guoli, any of Li Wenguo's sons would be stepping on a landmine if they stepped into this courtyard.

Oh no! We've kicked a steel plate this time!

An old man was sweating profusely and rubbing his hands anxiously.