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

Jia Dongxu's face turned pale, and his legs trembled slightly—the military uniform standing there made it hard to breathe.

He stammered, "It was...it was him who pushed my son down, that's why I...that's why I made him admit his mistake..."

"Apologize for what? There's no harm in accusing a child! This is my own brother, do you think I don't know his temperament? Would he push a doll that's half a head shorter than him?"

Li Guoli interrupted with a cold laugh, ignoring the whole story and clearly indicating that his stance was firmly set on his own people.

He turned around, squatted down, and pulled Li Guoxuan into his arms, gently patting his back.

"Guoxuan, don't be afraid, your brother is here. No one will dare to bully you anymore."

"Brother Guoli... I really didn't push it! Uncle Jia insists I stole the windmill and wants me to pay him back..."

Li Guoxuan sobbed, his little hands gripping his brother's sleeve tightly.

"Don't be afraid, Guoxuan. Brother Guoli believes you didn't push that child, and the windmill could never have been taken away by anyone."

Li Guoli's voice was calm and his tone was firm.

Before he finished speaking, his gaze suddenly sharpened, piercing straight into Jia Dongxu's face.

"Did you hear that? My brother said he didn't touch your son—and you're turning around and accusing him! Why are you framing him? Hurry up and apologize!"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word he spoke was like a hammer blow.

If it weren't for the fact that his younger brother was there, and he was afraid of scaring him or corrupting his character, Li Guoli would have slapped him long ago, and wouldn't have allowed him to put on airs here.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Guoxuan, it was my fault for being confused!"

Unlike Sha Zhu, Jia Dongxu was not stubborn at all. He immediately buckled at the knees, sweat beaded on his forehead, and repeatedly admitted his mistake.

Ah!

What a loser!

Li Guoli sneered inwardly.

The eldest uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Yi Zhonghai, the second uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Liu Haizhong, and a few onlookers in the courtyard all sighed silently.

If I were in that position, I'd probably have to bow my head too—who can blame me when the Li family is such a powerful force, making it hard to breathe?

"And your son, he also needs to apologize to your face."

"Great idea! Quickly bow to Guoxuan!"

Jia Dongxu was so anxious that he kept pushing his son's back.

"He bumped into me, that's why I fell! Why should I apologize? That windmill was mine to begin with!"

Banggeng, used to being domineering at home, blushed, stiffened his neck, and reached his hand straight for Li Guoxuan's.

"Oh? You've got quite a temper." Li Guoli narrowed his eyes. "Not going to apologize? Fine, let's settle this matter thoroughly today."

His tone was light and airy, yet it felt like a block of ice hitting the ground.

Jia Dongxu felt a chill run down his spine. He grabbed his hand and slapped his son hard on the bottom—this was the first time he had ever been willing to do so.

The stick shuddered in pain, tears welling in its eyes, but its mouth trembled before it could even shed a tear: "I...I'm sorry..."

The commotion between the children ended so abruptly.

But everyone knew in their hearts: this was no small matter. It was clearly a wedge used by the Li family to establish their authority—they were untouchable and could not be trifled with; to touch them would be to cause serious trouble.

Jia Dongxu's face burned with embarrassment. He had no choice but to swallow his grievances and not dare to utter a single harsh word.

"Sigh, the Li family can't be so protective of their own. If they keep indulging them like this, the child will go astray sooner or later."

After Li Guoli carried Li Guoxian away, the old man Yi Zhonghai shook his head and sighed.

"That's right. Kids need to be taught manners and set a good example from a young age. You can't just intimidate and suppress them."

Those around him echoed his sentiments, frowning and shaking their heads, disapproving that he was abusing his power and had lost his sense of propriety.

A child's mind is like a blank sheet of paper; once a stroke is drawn crooked, it's hard to correct later.

"Hehe, in my opinion, this time the 'bet' was absolutely right."

The three women, who had just finished hanging up the laundry, walked over wiping their hands, their voices clear and bright.

"What? You're siding with him too, girl?"

Yi Zhonghai immediately frowned.

"I watched it from beginning to end—Bang Geng snatched Guo Xuan's windmill, ran away, tripped and fell face-first into the mud, and Guo Xuan didn't even get a touch on his clothes."

After she finished speaking, she turned around, picked up the bamboo pole, and continued drying clothes, leaving the entire courtyard speechless.

Li Guoli carried his younger brother into the small courtyard on the east side.

Only Qin Jingru was in the courtyard, holding the hand of four-year-old Li Jinghua and carrying two-year-old Li Jingxuan; her father was nowhere to be seen.

"Jingru, where's my dad?"

"Oh, I took my cousin to the hospital for a follow-up check-up. I reckon she'll be back soon."

Qin Jingru answered softly.

Nine months have passed, and there are only about twenty days left until my due date. I'll make a few more trips to the hospital to be on the safe side.

If Jia Dongxu hadn't seized the opportunity while Li Wenguo was out, how would he have dared to force Li Guoxuan to back down? He wouldn't have dared even if he had ten times the courage!

"Let's go inside and rest for a while."

Before long, Li Wenguo helped Qin Huairu, who was heavily pregnant, into the courtyard.

"Father, did you need something from me?"

"I've arranged a marriage for you. Go visit the Kong family on the 8th of next month."

As Li Wenguo spoke, he pulled a Cuban cigar from his pocket.

Li Guoli immediately struck a match and lit a cigarette.

"Father, there's no rush for the marriage."

His tone was as indifferent as a glass of cold water.

"Nonsense! You're twenty-five!"

Li Wenguo's eyes widened, and his mustache stood on end.

"The Kong family has many connections, which will greatly benefit you in the future—it was your mother who carefully selected them."

"...Alright then!"

Upon hearing that it was his own mother who made the decision, he relaxed and readily agreed.

The father and son talked about military life again, mostly Li Wenguo talking, breaking it down sentence by sentence, teaching him how to stand firm and how to climb the ranks.

In a few days, things will get chaotic in the courtyard area, and war will break out in the south as the country is providing aid to Vietnam.

His son was determined to go to the front lines, so he had to make sure his words were firmly etched in his mind—the ability to survive was more important than getting promoted.

the other side.

In a private room on the second floor of the state-run hotel.

Li Guoyu had dinner with Kong Liuting.

Although the Li family's businesses in Beijing have been transferred to the public, leaving them only with the right to receive dividends, the family's affairs are too complicated for Li Wenguo to handle, so he has left everything to Wen Keren's eldest son, Li Guoyu.

To put it bluntly, it's all about waiting to get your money, depositing it in the bank, running around getting stamps and signatures, and occasionally attending quarterly meetings—in short, it's all just trivial errands.

However, since he was his own son, Li Wenguo already had a plan in mind: after he had worked his way up for a few years, he would arrange for him to get a job in a government agency. Back in the 1980s, a secure job was a highly coveted prize.

"Tingting, have you mentioned our relationship to your family?"

Li Guoyu asked.

"Not yet, I'll tell you when I get home tonight."

As Kong Liuting answered, she picked up a piece of glistening, crispy roast duck and gently placed it into his bowl.

She paused, then lowered her voice: "My family's situation is a bit special, this matter... I'm afraid it will take some trouble."

Her family came from a proper military compound, and marriage was never something that could be decided by just two people agreeing, so she couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Don't worry, my dad has a lot of connections in Beijing. Our relationship is a done deal."

Upon hearing this, Kong Liuting's brows relaxed slightly, and she nodded gently: "And you? Did you tell your family?"

"I told them, and they didn't stop me."

Li Wenguo was open-minded and never interfered with his son's dating life—after all, these days, girls with high standards and good looks are mostly from cadre families, either in government compounds or military family areas.

Kong Liuting was unaware that her family had just arranged a marriage for her and were planning to discuss it tonight.

Just then, three young men strolled in through the restaurant entrance.

The young man at the front, with his clear features and upright posture, glanced up, saw the two people at the table, paused slightly, and then greeted them with a smile: "Brother Guoyu, what a coincidence, you're eating here too!"

His gaze swept over Kong Liuting, with a hint of scrutiny.

"Guoxian!"

Li Guoyu raised the corners of his mouth and responded familiarly.

Although Li Wenguo had many children who lived in different branches of the family, the old man had established a rule: once a month, starting when a child turned eighteen, the whole family would gather, twelve times a year without fail. Over time, the siblings no longer needed formalities; they could call each other by name and distinguish their generational order even with their eyes closed.

Li Guoyu stepped aside and introduced, "This is Kong Liuting, my girlfriend; this is my third son, Li Guoxian."

"Hello, Sister Liuting!"

Li Guoxian greeted them politely.

At the age of twenty, one's temperament has long been calm and composed. Although one's temper is still a bit impulsive, the sharp edge of youth is long gone—one would no longer utter annoying words like "Tch, not as good as my sister or my younger sister."

"Hello, Guoxian."

Just as Kong Liuting finished responding, another clear voice called out from the side, "Sister Liuting!"

She looked up and smiled: "Youming!"

That's right, it was Li Guoxian, Cao Baowei, and Duan Youming who arrived.

After that initial misunderstanding, the three of them found they got along well and decided to team up and hang out together.

Then came another round of pleasantries and introductions.

It turns out that Duan Youming's eldest sister married Kong Liuting's second brother, and the two families had long been related by marriage. Kong Liuting then learned that Li Guoyu's sister married Duan Youming's eldest brother, and the brother married Cao Baowei's sister—it was all a series of relatives within relatives.

Marriages between children of high-ranking officials and their families were quite common.

Kong Liuting was slightly taken aback: she had only heard that Li Guoyu had a younger brother and a younger sister, but she had never heard him mention having older brothers or sisters. However, with so many people around, she swallowed her question and quietly kept it in mind.

After the meal, Li Guoyu drove her home.

On the way, Kong Liuting couldn't help but press him for details, and he had no choice but to confess: his father had taken a concubine before the liberation, and his older brother and sister were born to another wife.

After listening, she suddenly realized that she was also born during the Republican era and knew that old story all too well, which made her feel relieved.

What reassured her even more was that Li Guoyu was related to both the Cao and Duan families—which meant that the Li family's foundation in the capital was even stronger than she had originally thought.

The car was parked at the entrance of the compound.

Li Guoyu got out of the car nimbly, walked around to the passenger side, steadily supported the roof with one hand, and naturally reached out with the other to gently take her hand.

"Alright, I'm going in now. Drive carefully on the road."

She smiled and waved, her two dimples sinking deep into her mouth, making her look charming and lively.

"Okay!!!"

As soon as Li Guoyu grinned in response, a family of four came out of the courtyard gate and called out to him in unison.

"Guoyu? What brings you here?"

He turned his head and saw Hu Jiandong and Li Jinghan, each holding the hand of a little boy and a little girl who looked like little pink dumplings.

That's right, Kong Liuting lives in this military compound, and she enters and exits through the same gate as the Hu family.

The two old men were not only old comrades-in-arms, but they also fought side by side with guns back then.

I just happened to come over today for a home-cooked meal.

"Big sister, what a coincidence, I was just giving Tingting a ride back."

"Brother-in-law Jiandong".

Li Guoyu greeted him with a smile.

"Oh, it's Guoyu."

Hu Jiandong laughed heartily, turned his head and nodded to Kong Liuting, "Liuting, my dear sister."

Kong Liuting was taken aback when she saw that Li Guoyu was also related to the Hu family. She only snapped out of her daze when Hu Jiandong greeted her with a smile and a nod, and called out crisply, "Brother Jiandong!"

"Egg, Round, quickly call Guoyu Uncle!"

The moment the children's nicknames were uttered, the whole room lit up.

As soon as Li Jinghan gently nudged the child's shoulder, Hu Jiandong asked with a smile, "You two, are you dating right now?"

Li Guoyu and Kong Liuting looked at each other and smiled, then nodded in unison.

"Alright! From now on, we'll be a family, even if our bones are broken, our tendons will still connect!"

After he finished speaking loudly, he turned to his head and said, "Sister, brother-in-law, I'll take you back."

"What a coincidence, I was just about to leave too," Li Guoyu replied readily.

In the early years, the Hu family refused to accept cars, so the whole family could only squeeze onto the bus to come over, braving wind and rain, but they were quite comfortable.