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

If she agreed to Li Wenguo's request and completely severed ties with Sha Zhu, she would likely have to be mindful of others' feelings even when breathing in the courtyard. She would have to swallow the word "ungrateful wretch" and duck her head when someone glanced at her.

For a girl who is sensitive and thin-skinned, these days of being cut by a cold knife could really push her to the edge of a cliff—whether she jumps or not is just a matter of a single thought.

If Li Wenguo hadn't brought this up earlier, she would have stood up straight, turned around and left, never even considering the idea of ​​marrying into the Li family.

Now, pregnant, she has no way out. Take a step back? The words "pregnant before marriage" alone are enough to drown people in scorn, and the fingers of her neighbors could break their backs.

"Uncle Li... please don't force me like this, okay?"

"Don't worry, once I'm married into the Li family, I'll take excellent care of Guotao, serving you both tea and water, showing you warmth and concern, and being a truly good daughter-in-law!"

Her voice was very low, pleading, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

too difficult.

Both roads are dead ends paved with thorns.

No matter which path you choose, you can't escape being spat on to your face and talked about behind your back.

"No way." Li Wenguo put down his chopsticks, his tone as cold as well water. "If you want to enter the Li family, you have to break off all ties with Sha Zhu. Otherwise—abort the child, and I'll give you some money to settle down."

"Don't worry, my daughter is the vice president of the hospital. After the medical abortion, the medical records were burned to ashes, and no one knows you were ever pregnant."

His face remained expressionless, as if he were discussing a routine business transaction.

At this moment, he held all the initiative. He had He Yushui's Achilles' heel, and with a gentle twist, she would be forced to kneel and gasp for breath.

As long as she is willing to sever her blood ties with Sha Zhu and completely separate herself from the group of opportunistic residents in the courtyard, Li Wenguo will not mind if she comes into the family as his daughter-in-law.

In the original story, aside from constantly bickering and tripping up Sha Zhu, He Yushui never did anything outrageous; on the contrary, she was quick and efficient, keeping the police officer's house spotless and clean.

Hearing these words, He Yushui felt a tightness in her throat, sinking into a quagmire once again.

She knew perfectly well that Li Wenguo's insistence on severing their sibling relationship was precisely to stop those with ulterior motives in the courtyard.

"They're all relatives, why are they making such a fuss over such a small favor?"

Bah! What kind of relatives are these? Do they think I'm some pushover they can just bully?

The only sound in the private room was Li Wenguo's slow, deliberate chewing; the chopsticks lightly tapped the porcelain bowl, each sound resonating deep within one's heart.

He's not in a hurry. Anyone in his situation would have to suffer greatly before daring to agree.

What if his son came and yelled that he wanted to sever his father-son relationship with him?

He first grabbed a stool and swung it at him, beating him until he was crawling on the ground looking for his teeth!

You've been eating and drinking my food for so many years, and now you're turning your back on me over such a trivial matter? You might as well get lost!

Therefore, he knew better than anyone that He Yushui's mind was in turmoil at this moment.

"He Yushui, I'll only give you the time it takes to eat one meal." He looked up, his gaze like a nail. "My bowl is empty, and you haven't even nodded yet—so I'll order for you."

Halfway through the meal, he deliberately dropped this remark, adding fuel to the fire.

He's not someone to be easily fooled. Anyone who dares to scheme against his son should be prepared to get hurt.

If it weren't for the fact that she was carrying his Li family's child in her belly? Humph! He wouldn't even lift an eyelid.

He Yushui's heart sank suddenly.

She glanced at the table subconsciously—abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw were neatly arranged, but her stomach felt like it was stuffed with a wad of waterlogged cotton, and she couldn't taste a thing.

She had barely touched any of the ten dishes, and half an hour had passed since they were served. That meant she only had thirty minutes left.

My mind is racing, it's so fast it's burning.

Choosing Sha Zhu? He'll continue to live in the machinations of the courtyard house, being dragged, gnawed, and squeezed, with not a single day of comfort.

Marrying into the Li family? Life would be stable, with no worries about food or clothing, but the infamy would follow like a shadow, impossible to shake off.

Infamy! Infamy! Infamy!

These three words, like red-hot iron chains, coiled around her heart, suffocating her and making her dare not let go.

As expected...

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

If you want to take one thing, you have to throw one thing away.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips, a smile so bitter it was astringent, so bitter it was so sour.

In the end, however, she gripped the hem of her skirt tightly and lowered her eyes.

She had nowhere to retreat.

Even if she were to have abortion, her body would never be the same again. If she were to remarry in the future and it was discovered that this wasn't her first marriage, the man would be more than just rude; he could divorce her, expose her shame, and reveal her past misdeeds, making her suffer the same fate all over again.

That "broken shoe" label was still firmly pinned on her.

It must be said that He Yushui is a girl with a keen eye, a long-term vision, and accurate calculations.

"Uncle Li... I promise you."

He Yushui's lips were stiff, her eyes were slightly red, and she spoke in a dry voice:

"Fine, the day you sever this blood relation with Sha Zhu, I'll wear my wedding dress and enter the Li family."

Li Wenguo nodded in agreement.

From the moment He Yushui set her sights on his son, he knew she would eventually take this step—

Climbing up to the Li family, this powerful family, is far more worthwhile than tearing apart relations and driving away a poor older brother.

With the Li family backing her up, she would have no worries about food and clothing for the next few decades, living a dignified and stable life, and even able to stand tall with her back straight.

Before we knew it, the next holiday had arrived.

A sudden and dramatic change occurred in the courtyard house.

At the general meeting of the entire institute, in front of the three stewards, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui, He Yushui announced, word by word: From this day forward, she would sever all ties with He Yuzhu, cut off all brotherly and sisterly affections, and never acknowledge him in life or death.

boom--!

These words were like a red-hot iron ingot being smashed into a cold water tank, causing everyone in the courtyard to feel their ears ring and their hearts tremble, unable to recover for a long time.

The one who was most confused on the spot was none other than Sha Zhu.

His head was buzzing, and his vision was going black.

What kind of show is this?

Who did this?

What did I do to offend her?

……

He never hit her, never withheld a penny from her, and even when she instigated others to insult him, he gritted his teeth and swallowed it—but she, on the other hand, turned around and threw him away like a rag.

The news spread like wildfire, and the compound was instantly in an uproar.

Few cursed Sha Zhu, but many spat at He Yushui: ungrateful, an ingrate, a heart blacker than ink...

But just two days later, Li Wenguo personally took the stage to speak.

"The advanced courtyard house competition is about to begin!" His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire room. "If anyone is careless and spills the beans about the He siblings, ruining the competition, then don't blame me for making sure they lose their footing at the steel mill."

This wasn't meant to scare anyone—his son, Li Guotai, was the head of the steel rolling mill. He could easily transfer someone, deduct their bonus, or even suspend them with a single word.

Everyone immediately fell silent. Even Jia Zhangshi, the most talkative and unruly woman, shrank back and dared not utter a sound—she didn't want to be in jail again.

Now that He Yushui is going to marry into the family, Li Wenguo can't let the Li family be known as "having taken in a heartless daughter-in-law." Silencing the gossip is the top priority.

He kept his word and immediately began arranging the wedding the very next day.

Because he was disgusted by He Yushui's scheming against his son, the wedding was kept extremely simple: only a few of Li Guotao's coworkers were invited, and all the workers from the textile factory were seated at the banquet. Few of his own brothers came.

Li Guoxian, Li Guotai, Li Guofu, Li Guozhi, Li Guohe, Li Guoyu, and Li Guowei—seven cousins—all came to show their support.

In Li Wenguo's eyes, this was just an ordinary wedding banquet;

But in He Yushui's eyes, it was already a glorious achievement—

All the factory workers came, and several leaders from the steel rolling mill and textile mill also arrived with wine glasses in hand. Isn't that respectable?

Absolutely impeccable!

What warmed her heart even more was that Li Guowei, the deputy director of the textile factory, was actually Li Guotao's older brother!

No wonder the cafeteria staff always secretly added a spoonful of meat to his plate—this relationship had been secretly cultivated all along.

Whether or not she gets a spoonful, she doesn't care at all.

What she cared about was that, with Li Guowei as her protector in the textile factory, she could walk with a swagger.

She even considered asking this "Uncle Guowei" to help her get a promotion.

That evening, she stepped into the spacious and bright new house in her high heels. After washing up, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Li Guotao with a smile: "Guotao, our workshop deputy team leader is retiring at the end of the year. Go talk to your brother tomorrow and ask him to save this position for me."

"Well... my brother is the deputy factory director, but that's precisely why it's difficult for me to speak up," Li Guotao said, scratching his head and avoiding eye contact.

What a blockhead!

Having such a powerful backer and not using it, he deserves to be trampled underfoot!

He Yushui was so angry that her teeth itched.

This deputy team leader position doesn't require any written exams or technical qualifications; it's all based on who's close to the leader and whose words carry weight.

Not using your own brother isn't stupid, it's downright foolish!

"Guotao, I'm asking you—have I been slacking off at work?"

"No!" he blurted out.

"So, did I slack off at my work?"

"No!" He nodded vigorously.

"Is that settled? You go tomorrow and have your brother help me get this deputy team leader removed!"

Li Guotao frowned: "But everyone competed for their positions based on merit... Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to use connections like this?"

Upon hearing this, He Yushui raised her hand to her forehead, took a deep breath, and patiently said, "Guotao, do the math—if the deputy team leader gets an extra ten yuan a month, my salary will be over thirty yuan. That's enough for us to buy meat, make new clothes, and even save some money!"

"Rainwater, are you really short of money?"

"My mom just gave me a thousand yuan. If you want it, I'll take it out for you right now."

Before he finished speaking, he had already pulled out a stack of brand-new ten-yuan bills from the bedside table, the corners of the paper still smelling of ink.

He Yushui stared at the stack of money, her eyelids twitched, and her throat tightened slightly—she was both angry and bewildered.

……

Is she after money?

He's after the position of deputy workshop foreman!

Even plastering walls with mud is more energetic than him!

Fine, I'll go talk to this uncle myself tomorrow!

He Yushui was determined: if this honest man didn't dare to speak up, then she would have to take the lead herself.

He casually rolled the wad of money into his palm—he'd keep it for now; every penny in the household from now on had to be in her hands. Otherwise, given his personality, he'd probably borrow two-thirds of the money he could even use to buy soy sauce.

"sleep!!!"

She was pregnant, and the two turned off the lights early.

She got up as soon as it was light.

As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of the workday, He Yushui took Li Guowei's arm and invited him to her home for dinner with a smile.

She knew perfectly well: there were too many people and too many eyes in the factory, how could she talk about this in public? She had to keep it behind closed doors to get to the point.

Li Guowei naturally agreed, giving him ample face.

Before long, he followed his younger brother Li Guotao and his sister-in-law He Yushui into the third floor of the old apartment building in Houhai.

Earlier, Li Wenguo let his son choose: a 150-square-meter apartment or a courtyard house with seven rooms.

Li Guotao said, "I'll think about it some more," but then turned around and asked He Yushui, "Where do you want to stay?"—he claimed to be loving his wife, but in reality, he was indecisive and had no backbone.

After a moment's thought, He Yushui remembered her brother He Yuzhu's predicament of being squeezed into a courtyard house, and immediately made the decision: she wanted an apartment building!

She was too shrewd in her calculations, but she didn't expect that leaving those uncles and elders would mean severing her social connections and losing a layer of protection.