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

Indeed, standing there, she looked every bit the charming young woman in her prime. No one would guess that fine lines had already crept into her temples, and that she was quietly approaching the age of fifty.

"Let me make this clear in advance: I will come to Hong Kong every year. If you want to benefit from my fame, then come on time; if you wait until you're old and faded, there won't even be room for you to stand by my bedside."

Li Wenguo glanced at him sideways, his expression a half-smile.

Mitsui Miri immediately exploded: "Baka! You arrogant bastard! Who wants to sleep with you? I'm not putting up with this anymore!"

Before she finished speaking, she rolled out of bed, grabbed her bathrobe and wrapped it around herself, then picked up her bag and headed back to her notebook.

Pooh!

You bastard!

What do you think I am?

Unfortunately, he had only taken two steps when his wrist was grabbed and he was pulled back into someone's arms: "I think you're asking for a beating."

Three hours later—

"I...I admit my mistake! I was really wrong!"

"Spare me! I swear, I'll listen to you from now on!"

Mitsui Miri lay sprawled on the pillow, her voice trembling and out of tune.

"Hmph! They won't shed a tear until they see the coffin!"

Li Wenguo raised his eyebrows and sneered, his smugness written all over his face.

For the next month, he stayed by the four women's side every step of the way: strolling through night markets, walking along the streets, and lounging on the wooden platform. He practically squeezed out all the tenderness of the past year in those thirty days, leaving the four women exhausted and begging for mercy.

That morning.

Li Wenguo led Xu Meijing's second son, Li Guoming, into an inconspicuous little company.

This company is based in mainland China and specializes in procuring scarce supplies for the domestic market.

His purpose for this trip was clear—to establish a connection with the country and do his part. That businessman surnamed Huo, who was involved in patriotic activities, had also secretly supported the motherland through this company years ago.

Once the relationship was established, all subsequent funding matters were handed over to Li Guoming.

Days passed by one by one.

Four years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Time has quietly slipped into forty-six years.

In the four years since then, Qin Huairu has given birth to a son and a daughter for Li Wenguo, bringing his total to five children: three sons and two daughters.

The eldest son, Li Guoxuan, was born in 1955 and is now ten years old;

My eldest daughter, Li Jing, was born at the end of 1956 and is eight years old this year.

The second daughter, Li Jingxuan, was born in 1958 and is six years old.

The second son, Li Guoman, was born in 1960 and was four years old.

His youngest son, Li Guoqian, was born in 1962 and had just turned two years old.

One roughly every two years, steadily and surely.

"Sir, you...would you like another one?"

Qin Huairu, wearing an ice silk camisole nightgown, was lifted onto the bow of the boat by Li Wenguo. Her eyes sparkled, and her voice was soft and seductive.

She wasn't sure if today was her fertile period, but she casually mentioned it anyway.

Whether she was pregnant or not, she didn't really care—her husband was rich and powerful, raising ten children wouldn't be a problem for him; the steel mill had everything from a primary school to a daycare center, so she could send her two younger children there to look after them while she was at work, and pick them up after get off work, making her life very easy.

"If you get pregnant, just have the baby. What's there to be afraid of not being able to afford to raise it?"

Before Li Wenguo could finish speaking, he had already leaned down and pressed down on her.

At thirty-two, Qin Huairu is at her most vibrant and full-bodied—like a ripe peach, exuding sweet fragrance and brimming with juice.

Having lived a life of luxury for the past few years, spending her days in a leisurely office, Qin Huairu's features have become increasingly beautiful and charming. Even her skin is as smooth and radiant as freshly peeled lychee flesh. Her every move exudes an air of elegance and grace. Whenever Li Wenguo pulls her into his arms, he can't bear to let go of her for even a moment.

The next morning.

"Good morning, Mr. Li!"

"Mr. Li, did you drive out again today?"

"Mr. Li, have a safe journey!"

"..."

Li Wenguo, accompanied by the graceful and elegant Qin Huairu, led five children out of the courtyard. Residents along the way greeted them with smiles, bowing and scraping, their respect tinged with flattery.

He smiled gently and nodded in response to each question.

Although he lost his secure job at the steel mill long ago, his son, Li Guotai, is now the factory's top leader—the factory director. Anyone who dares to act recklessly under his nose will certainly not have a good ending.

Li Guotai secured his position as factory director precisely because of He Shuting's political connections.

As a result, Qin Huairu became the "factory director's mother" whom no one dared to provoke in the steel rolling mill. Even the workshop director would offer her a seat and pour her tea when he saw her.

Before long, everyone looked up at the gleaming car as it sped away, their eyes filled with envy.

"Great idea! If you dawdle any longer, the lesson will be halfway through!"

Sha Zhu stood at the gate of the courtyard, carrying an old bicycle in one hand and shouting at the top of his lungs.

Jia Dongxu is gone, as usual.

The widow Lin Meili not only took over his job position, but also raised three children on her own. More subtly, she climbed onto Sha Zhu like a vine clinging to a tree—not through affection, but through manipulation.

Lin Meili was a vibrant and alluring young woman with bright eyes and a voluptuous figure. Her three children did not diminish her charm; on the contrary, they made her appear even more mature and seductive. Sha Zhu, a reckless young man who had never been with a woman in years, felt his heart burn and his bones go weak at the sight of her, willingly letting her drain all his strength.

Where is the old man? With Jia Dongxu gone, the hope for retirement immediately shifts to Sha Zhu.

He was afraid that once Sha Zhu got married, he would turn his back on her because of her influence, so he simply turned a blind eye to Lin Meili's clinging to Sha Zhu. He even secretly planned to let Sha Zhu marry Lin Meili.

After all, he was the one who introduced Lin Meili to Jia Dongxu. This "matchmaker's favor" is there for her to remember. Lin Meili should always be grateful to him. If Sha Zhu really takes care of her in her old age, she will not stop him.

"Hey, your silly uncle's calling you. Did you stuff cotton in your ears?"

Lin Meili leaned against the door frame and called softly, her voice gentle and sweet, with a slight upward slant at the end.

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu felt a rush of blood to his head, and he immediately straightened his back, his spirits lifted.

A moment later, Banggeng sauntered out, glanced sideways at Shazhu, hopped onto the back seat, and said lazily, "Let's go, Uncle Sha, hurry up!"

"Hehe! Buckle up—Uncle Silly will take you flying!"

Sha Zhu tried his best to make him happy.

snort!

What a dimwit!

Banggeng rolled his eyes inwardly, but didn't bother to say it aloud.

"Lin Meili! I'm warning you, you better give up on the idea of ​​remarrying! If you dare to betray Dongxu, I'll make you regret it!"

With her hands on her hips, Jia Zhangshi's sharp tongue lashed out like a knife.

That's right.

She had just been released from prison at the end of November, and then she went back to the courtyard house.

The gears of the plot are meshing tightly and starting to turn.

"Don't worry, Mom, the child is still young, and I really don't have that thought right now."

Lin Meili glanced at her indifferently, then deftly strapped her youngest daughter, Huaihua, onto her back while packing her cloth bag to prepare for work at the steel mill.

In less than a month, she had figured out what this mother-in-law was like: sharp-tongued, domineering, and unreasonable; she was unapproachable and impossible to reason with. She neither confronted her directly nor fawned over her; her attitude was aloof yet considerate, neither bowing her head nor provoking her.

It wasn't that I was afraid of her, but I was already exhausted from raising three kids all by myself, and I really didn't have time to argue with a crazy woman.

But when Madam Jia heard the word "temporarily," her eyelids twitched violently, and she immediately exploded: "What? Temporarily? You shameless wretch, you're still thinking about climbing the social ladder? Aren't you ashamed?"

……

"If my son hadn't brought you from the countryside to the city, would you be able to wear polyester, eat refined grains, and live in public housing?"

"You ungrateful wretch! You can't tame a dog! Let me tell you, you want to remarry? No way!"

"As long as I'm alive, you'll never escape the name 'Jia'!"

Eleven years behind bars did not dull her rage; instead, it made her more like a snarling old she-wolf.

"Wow--!!!"

Xiao Dang and Huaihua were so frightened by her hideous face that they burst into tears.

Lin Meili had no choice but to quickly hug the two children and gently pat their backs to comfort them.

"Crying, crying, crying! You two good-for-nothings, what are you wailing about?"

Jia Zhangshi waved her hand impatiently and scolded.

"Don't cry, Xiaodang and Huaihua, Mommy will take you to the factory..."

She scooped them up securely in each arm and turned to leave. Just before she stepped out the door, she suddenly stopped, turned her head, and glared at Madam Jia with eyes like ice picks: "Now I finally understand how you got in there back then."

After saying that, he turned and left.

"You bitch! Who are you calling names? Who gave you the guts? You..."

The sound stopped abruptly—Lin Meili had already vanished without a trace.

Some neighbors passing by their courtyard gate couldn't help but turn away and shake their heads, their eyes full of pity.

Having such a difficult and mean mother-in-law is truly the worst luck imaginable!

At the same moment, the iron gate to the backyard creaked open, and Li Guoxian straddled a gleaming old-fashioned bicycle, waving and shouting to Qin Jingru, whose round belly was sticking out, "I'm off, off to work!"

"Okay, ride slowly and watch the road!"

Qin Jingru supported her waist with one hand and raised the other high, her voice clear and gentle.

The couple had just tied the knot in March, and now it's the end of November, and the little one in her belly is already eight months old.

After getting married, Li Guoxian was like a different person—he became calm, steady, and no longer as impulsive as before. His father put him on duty in the security department of the textile factory, where he spent his days behind the glass window drinking tea and reading newspapers; the work was so light that it was almost invisible.

Not to mention that the deputy factory director was Li Guowei, Xiao Cui's eldest son, her own uncle. They turned a blind eye and didn't even bother to utter a sound when he took a nap.

After Li Guozhi married Lou Xiao'e, he also moved into the courtyard house. This was a requirement of the plot—Lou Xiao'e had to move in, so he naturally had to follow suit. Fortunately, he was able to leave after 1966, so it wasn't too difficult.

"Guotao, you're here today too?"

"Hey, Guoxian-ge!"

As soon as Li Guoxian stepped into the factory gate, he bumped into Li Guotao, who was carrying an enamel mug.

This young man is Xiaoju's third son. Not long after graduating, his father asked Li Guowei to arrange for him to work as a machine operator in the factory.

There was no other way. Nowadays, workers' hats were shinier than gold, while capitalists' hats were getting hotter and hotter. How could Li Wenguo dare to let his children jump into the fire? They all had to secure their jobs no matter what.

Only He Shuting, Yang Yuerong, and Sai Honglian, a few girls with impeccable family backgrounds and whose ancestors had made great contributions, were promoted to cadres through exceptional means.

In the early days, Li Guotai, Li Guofu, and Li Guohe were able to rise to the positions of section chief and factory director in one fell swoop because there was a shortage of manpower in the early days after liberation, and they took advantage of the loopholes. Now, want to take shortcuts again? No way. To climb up, you have to take it one step at a time.

"Is Sister-in-law Jingru about to give birth? Probably around the end of the year?"

Li Guotao recalled that Li Guoxian had mentioned it briefly during the last family gathering.

"Yeah, pretty much, around the end of the year, I guess. I can't get out of this month."

"Sigh... I'm so envious of Guoxian-ge, he'll be holding a baby soon!"

His tone was full of undisguised longing.