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

"It's almost lunchtime, shall we go to a state-run restaurant for a meal?"

She glanced down at the Seiko watch made in Hong Kong on her wrist; the dial gleamed in the winter sun.

"Did you bring the tickets?"

Li Guotao asked casually.

She managed all the money in the house, including grain coupons, cloth coupons, meat coupons, and so on, all kept in her small blue cloth bag.

But he didn't really care—life was simple: enough to eat and wear, a pretty wife, and a chubby son—that would be perfect.

Right now, only this last wish remains unfulfilled.

That's right, he's a laid-back but down-to-earth salted fish.

"Tickets? I already have them!"

She had already planned it out: she would finish her business around evening and then have a nice meal out.

Furthermore, on the two previous visits to state-run restaurants, she had been too shy to touch her chopsticks because her father-in-law, Li Wenguo, was present; she had been craving food for a long time.

This time, we must make up for it!

As for where the tickets came from? No need to ask—Dad gave them to us, and Mom Xiaoju slipped them to us, sending them home in stacks.

He Yushui, who used to lack everything, has never lacked anything since marrying into the Li family.

Before we knew it, the end of the year was upon us.

Under Li Guowei's secret arrangement, He Yushui was named an "Advanced Producer" for the quarter, receiving a gold-embossed certificate and a bonus of ten yuan.

This is paving the way for her promotion to workshop team leader next year.

"Congratulations, Rainwater Sister-in-law! You're definitely the most outstanding worker in our factory!"

When we met after get off work, Li Guoxian from the security department stood at the door and greeted us with a smile.

"Thank you, Uncle Guoxian! I heard that Sister-in-law Jingru had a healthy baby boy, so I'd like to congratulate you as well!"

He Yushui smiled broadly, her voice clear and bright.

"Brother Guoxian, I predicted long ago that your wife's first child would definitely be a boy, and look, it came true!"

Li Guotao grinned, his words carrying a hint of pride and a touch of warmth.

"May my younger brother and sister-in-law have a healthy, robust baby boy next year!"

"Haha, we'll remember Brother Tuoguo's auspicious words!"

After a few pleasantries, Li Guotao and He Yushui walked out of the courtyard gate side by side.

As night fell, a dim yellow light bulb illuminated the house of Shazhu in the central courtyard of the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house).

On the table sat a half-empty bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), and two small dishes—one of salted peanuts and the other of roasted sunflower seeds. He sat alone, his brow furrowed, chugging down one glass after another.

"Rain, oh rain, what evil spirit have you encountered? Have you been bewitched, or has your brain suddenly gone mad?"

"Why are you suddenly turning your back on me and cutting ties with me all of a sudden?"

"I fed you, clothed you, sheltered you, sent you to school, and found you jobs... and you just clapped your hands and treated me like an outsider?"

Gudong!

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he tilted his head back to down the wine in his glass, his brows furrowing in bitterness.

More than twenty years of brotherhood, how can it be severed with a knife?

Some people raise a dog for five years, and when the dog dies, they can cry until they can't breathe. How much more so a younger sister who has been held in their arms and held hands since childhood?

He shook the nearly empty bottle and then poured the last glass full.

"No, we have to get to the bottom of this!"

Sha Zhu gritted his teeth, swallowed the glass of strong liquor in one gulp, slumped onto the table, and soon began to snore.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, he hopped on his old Forever bicycle and headed straight for the textile factory.

They came up empty-handed—I was so drunk yesterday that I forgot all the factories in town were closed and shut down starting today, and all the workers had gone back to their hometowns for the New Year. The iron gates were tightly shut, and a cold wind swirled with withered leaves.

"Ouch!"

"Look at my pig-brain!"

"It's gotten to the point where people are calling him 'Silly Pillar' so often that it's driving them crazy!"

He slapped his forehead, feeling both regretful and annoyed.

After standing at the factory gate for a moment and pondering, he turned his car around and drove into the adjacent residential area—the place where the factory workers lived together.

"Auntie, what did you just say?"

"My sister... He Yushui got married?"

Sha Zhu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his voice cracked.

He hurriedly asked about the date, only to find out it was the day after they broke off relations.

What a coincidence?

This is probably what caused the trouble!

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. His mind was in turmoil: Could it be that the rain was forced?

He immediately made inquiries, just to find out where his sister was staying.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Sha Zhu rode his bicycle to a staff housing building for government employees in Wangfujing, Dongcheng District.

Rows of eight-story gray brick buildings stand neatly, their bodies clean and their window frames brand new; below, flower beds are paved with blue bricks, holly bushes are neatly trimmed, and wintersweet branches are still adorned with unmelted snowflakes.

The festive atmosphere is strong, and a group of children are setting off firecrackers in an open space, with "crackling" sounds rising and falling.

"Building 19, Room 302."

He counted as he recited, his steps never faltering, and soon he was standing in front of a building.

"This is it."

Looking up at the narrow and steep single-sided staircase, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The previous buildings all had double staircases with four units per floor; this building is unique in that it has a single staircase with only two units per floor.

With the area of ​​two households equivalent to four, the rent will likely skyrocket.

"Looks like the rainy season is going well," he muttered to himself.

Downstairs, the noise was deafening, but as soon as you stepped into the stairwell, the commotion vanished, and it became so quiet you could hear your own footsteps echoing.

The doors of the two apartments on the second floor are mottled, and there are no Spring Festival couplets pasted on them. Thin dust has accumulated in the cracks of the doors—clearly, no one has been in or out for a long time.

That's strange.

He muttered something to himself and shook his head upwards.

On the third floor, the lintel of apartment 302 was bright red, and the brand-new "Fu" character (福, meaning good fortune) reflected the sunlight; the door diagonally opposite, however, was dusty and gray, with even the doorknob covered in shadows, clearly indicating that it had been vacant for a long time.

This building is the "empty nest" that He Yushui originally chose.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

The knock was crisp and decisive.

The door opened a crack, revealing a fair and handsome face—approximately twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with a tall and straight posture and clear, bright eyes.

Although Sha Zhu had never seen this person before, he felt inexplicably familiar with him: his refined air and handsome appearance were exactly like those of Li Guotai, Li Guozhi, and Li Guoxian when they were young.

Li Guotao is the director of the steel rolling mill. The other two wander around the courtyard every day, and he can sketch their outlines with his eyes closed.

"Hello, who are you looking for?"

Li Guotao looked up and asked.

"Oh, excuse me! May I ask... does He Yushui live here?"

Sha Zhu quickly composed himself, speaking in a soft yet urgent tone.

"You need to see her? What's your relationship to her?"

Li Guotao narrowed his eyes warily, his tone tense.

After all, she's his own wife. If a strange man suddenly blocks the door, he can't be any less vigilant.

"My name is He Yuzhu, and I'm her older brother."

"Here, this is my work ID."

Sha Zhu quickly pulled out the blue notebook from the steel rolling mill, his fingertips still smelling of machine oil, and handed it over with a whiff of the freshly baked heat from the workshop.

Li Guotao glanced down at the photo; the stamp was clear and the photo was authentic. A tension in his heart eased instantly, and a smile immediately spread across his face.

"Oh my! Brother-in-law is here? Please come in, please come in!"

He flung open the security door with a swift and enthusiastic motion, ushering the person inside as if welcoming a distinguished guest.

He had long heard that his brother-in-law had refused to agree to his sister marrying him, causing a rift between the siblings and a complete break in their relationship. But now that the deed was done, blood was thicker than water, how could he really hold a grudge for life? His visit now was probably because he was worried about how Yushui was doing.

When it comes to living conditions, Li Guotao knows the answer – not to mention anything else, even the factory director's stove might not be as bright as his.

Sure enough, as soon as I stepped into the house and passed through the bright balcony corridor, my eyes were suddenly opened up: the snow-white walls gleamed with a soft light, the tiled floor reflected my image, a wide and brand-new fabric sofa occupied the center of the living room, and the chandelier above hung with a warm yellow glow.

The left wall is lined with a wooden display shelf, with several exquisite and delicate ornaments displayed in glass cases; directly opposite the sofa, on a low and solid walnut cabinet, a 14-inch black and white television is crackling, broadcasting CCTV's evening news.

Obediently boom!

These days are so comfortable, they're practically a dream come true!

"Brother-in-law, please have a seat!"

Seeing Sha Zhu standing there blinking, Li Guotao felt a surge of warmth in his heart and straightened his back a bit more—he hadn't mistreated the rainwater; that was clear enough to be seen at a glance.

"Okay... okay!"

Sha Zhu was gently pushed and sat down in the soft sofa. The cushions were thick and warm to the touch, and they didn't hurt him at all.

"Have some tea! I went out to buy groceries and meat before dawn. We're making dumplings today, so please stay for lunch and have a taste!"

Li Guotao poured water while laughing, his words revealing a sincere sincerity.

After all, they were her family. He secretly resolved to make sure the tea was hot, the words were warm, and the heart was sincere, so as to break down and dissolve this barrier.

"Um... how did you and Yushui meet?"

Sha Zhu's throat was a little dry, and he asked the question cautiously.

This kid in front of me lives in a place even more luxurious than the factory leaders. In his eyes, the rain must be on tiptoe to even reach the threshold of his house. As his older brother, I unconsciously feel inferior when I speak.

"Oh dear, my bad! I was so happy I forgot to introduce myself!"

"Li Guotao, a native of Beijing, is a technician in a textile factory. He and Yu Shui worked in the same workshop and met through dating. They just got their marriage certificate half a month ago."

He spoke quickly and his smile was genuine, as if he wanted to show everyone all the good days he had steadily accumulated over the years.

Upon hearing the name "Li Guotao," Sha Zhu's brow twitched.

The name sounded familiar, like he'd heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it. Then, Li Guotao's next sentence struck him like a stone thrown into a still lake—

"Brother-in-law, I heard you and Yushui had a pretty big fight before, but since it's all settled, please don't hold a grudge anymore. Siblings shouldn't hold grudges overnight. The fact that you're here today means that the anger in your heart has mostly subsided. When Yushui gets back, the three of us can sit down and talk it over calmly. What grudge can't be resolved?"

He definitely knows the inside story!

Sha Zhu felt a surge of emotion and blurted out, "Guo Tao, why did Yu Shui have to cut ties with me so completely? I'm still totally confused, tell me!"

Upon hearing this, Li Guotao's smile faltered slightly, and his brows furrowed subtly.

The version of what Yu Shui told him was: She excitedly went to tell her brother the good news, but Sha Zhu objected on the spot, and the two had a falling out, which led to their breakup.

But the person in front of him had a dazed look in his eyes and an anxious expression, and did not look like a "roadblock" who would glare at him.

He tentatively began, "Yu Shui said... she brought up our relationship with you, but you absolutely refused. In her desperation, she..."

what? !

So that's why?

Wait... no!

She never mentioned dating to me!

Her first words as she walked in were, "Brother, from now on, we'll go our separate ways!"

My head is still spinning!

Besides, with your qualifications, I'd love for her to be all dressed up and married to me tomorrow! What on earth is she up to?

Sha Zhu stood there dumbfounded, but then he thought—his sister was clearly fooling Li Guotao! But what was she after?