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

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

As dawn broke, Li Guotao led He Yushui through the gate of the Li family's courtyard house, preparing to pay respects to his father, Li Wenguo, and his mother, Xiaoju.

"Rain, my father used to run a business during the Republic of China era. He amassed a fortune, married seven or eight concubines, and has a large family with many children. Don't be surprised when you meet your older brothers, sisters, younger brothers, and younger sisters later."

Li Guotao turned to He Yushui, who was sitting behind him, and gave her some instructions.

Let's lay the groundwork first, so she won't be confused when she walks in.

"Oh, I know that! On my wedding day, eight of my brothers came to congratulate me. Add you, my sister, my brothers and sisters, and there are at least twenty, maybe thirty, of my siblings!"

He Yushui had already done the math in her mind: just looking at the eight older brothers present, plus Li Guotao himself, there should be at most three or four younger brothers—after all, Xiaoju and the others are not young and it is unlikely that they will have more children in the near future; if the same number is added to the daughters, there would be twelve; plus Qin Huairu's five, that's twenty-nine, no doubt about it.

This estimate would be incredibly accurate for an ordinary person. Unfortunately, Li Wenguo is not one to play by the rules, so she was destined to be wrong.

"How is it?"

"Am I right or wrong?"

He Yushui raised her eyebrows slightly, with a hint of smugness in her eyes.

"Uh... just a tiny bit off."

In the past five years, Xiaoju has had another son and a daughter; Aunt Cui has given birth to two children; Xiuxiu, Jinhua, and Xiaoxue each have two children; not counting Qin Huairu's side—these ten people alone have brought Li Wenguo's descendants to nearly ninety!

The number was terrifying, almost matching the legendary hundred sons of Ji Chang, the founder of the Western Zhou Dynasty—though they were "adopted sons," they were still considered sons once recognized. Li Guotao was very uneasy, afraid of scaring He Yushui into something bad.

"How many exactly? Thirty-odd?"

He Yushui didn't take it seriously, assuming that he had overestimated by a few.

"nor……"

"Guotao, you guys are here too!"

Before he could finish speaking, two bicycles came jingling from the corner of the alley, one of them stopping abruptly at the gate, cutting him off from the rest of his sentence.

……

"Oh, it's Guoyu-ge."

The visitors were Li Guoyu and Kong Liuting, a married couple, each with a child on the back seat. Li Guoyu had now joined a government agency, and his car was a modern eight-inch model.

"Rain, this is my eldest brother Guoyu, and this is my sister-in-law Liuting."

Li Guotao hurriedly introduced.

Since Guoyu didn't show up at the wedding, this was the first time He Yushui had met this uncle, so she quickly smiled and nodded to greet him.

The greetings had barely begun when a clear voice called out from the right:

"Guotao! Guoyu! You're here!"

Another handsome man approached with his wife and child.

Li Guotao had no choice but to step aside and introduce him again—He Yushui had never met this older brother before.

Before the words could be spoken, another unfamiliar voice drifted from the left front:

"Guotao! Guoyu! Brother Guochao!"

He Yushui was stunned. Another brother she had never met before had appeared!

In less than ten minutes, the entire street was blocked by a group of young people riding bicycles.

A rough count revealed at least twenty or thirty vehicles; an outsider passing by would surely think a street race was taking place.

He Yushui's mind raced: just these brothers and sisters in front of her, plus the ones her husband Li Guotao had mentioned, the number of siblings would probably double—over sixty people! Good heavens!!!

That's terrifying!

Her heart was pounding.

No wonder Li Guotao always hesitates and avoids eye contact whenever he talks about his family—it turns out he's not hiding anything, he simply can't count them all!

If she knew the truth was that there were more than ninety people, she probably would have collapsed on the spot and had to lean against the wall to catch herself...

Shocked! ! !

Even after stepping out of the Li residence in the afternoon, He Yushui's mind was still buzzing.

This time, she was truly enlightened: what does it mean to live in a wealthy and powerful family?

Good heavens! The courtyard was packed with people inside and out, a densely packed mass of voices, shouts, and children crying and playing, all mixed together like a pot of boiling water. Before even entering the courtyard, you'd think you'd stumbled into a morning market!

She wanted to approach him to get to know him and strike up a conversation, but Li Guotao had already shrunk into a corner and become invisible. There was no one around to talk to her, so she couldn't find a reason to start a conversation. She simply sat down next to him.

Anyway, she knew in her heart that being able to climb up to the backing of Deputy Factory Director Li Guowei and Police Station Chief Li Guozhi was enough to give her peace of mind—she had a future and a safety net.

Li Guotao couldn't stand it any longer, so he threw down his rice bowl and dragged her away.

He Yushui understood his temperament: he was taciturn and honest, with a touch of shyness. If she hadn't taken the initiative to chase after him and strike up a conversation back then, he probably wouldn't have even dared to hold her hand.

Night fell in the inner courtyard of the Li residence.

"well--"

Li Wenguo leaned back in the old elm rocking chair and let out a long sigh.

"Having many children is not a blessing, it's a burden! Every year during the Lunar New Year, dozens of mouths have to cook at the same time, and just preparing meals takes half your life."

"Sir, isn't this exactly what you've always wanted?"

Hongyu bent down and massaged his stiff shoulders and neck, her fingertips adorned with vermilion-like nail polish. Her voice was soft and seductive, "Didn't you always say that the more children you have, the greater your blessings?"

"That's true, but too much good fortune can be overwhelming."

"Many children, upon seeing me, only dare to call me 'Dad' before backing away, unable to utter a complete sentence—like Guotao, there are plenty of them who, after calling out, turn around and start shoveling rice into their bowls. They don't get a chance to speak at the table, and even less so after leaving; once they're outside, they don't even touch the hem of my sleeve!"

There were too many people; how could he possibly attend to everyone? Who went first and who went last depended entirely on luck. He knew this was unfair, but it was simply impossible to spread his arms and look after each person individually.

"Sir, this is how it is when there are many people. If you're feeling bored, why don't you let Hongyu cheer you up?"

Before she finished speaking, she had already risen from behind him, nimbly twirled, and straddled his lap.

"Oh? Hongyu—after all these decades, you still know best how to coax me!"

An hour later, the two were lounging lazily in their rocking chairs.

Hongyu nestled against his chest, her voice slightly hoarse: "Master, can I discuss something with you?"

"Tell me! You did a great job today, if you want the stars or the moon, I'll pluck them down for you!"

Li Wenguo turned her body straight and slowly circled her earlobe with his fingers.

"Guolong has graduated, and I want to send him to Hong Kong to try his luck."

She drew small circles on his chest with her fingertips, her voice as light as a feather.

Li Guolong is her youngest son, born in 1943, just after the New Year, and is twenty-two years old.

Going to Hong Kong again?

One after another, they're all eyeing my meager savings?

Li Wenguo's lips twitched, and he almost couldn't laugh.

In recent years, which of Xianglan, Xu Wanqing, Wen Keren, and Lou Meie hasn't sent their children away to run off? Now even Hongyu has revealed her hand—she's brought the dispute over the family property from the shadows to the forefront.

He's only sixty this year, and his body is as strong as a young man's. He could easily live another fifty or forty years. Why are these people acting like he's already nailed to his deathbed and they're in a hurry to divide his inheritance?

"Go! All of you go! Whether one goes or ten go, it's all the same. Let as many as you want leave!"

He waved his hand, revealing a tired and irritable expression.

Seeing his brow furrow, Hongyu immediately pressed herself against him, her warm lips brushing against his earlobe, her voice soft and sweet: "Master, I'll give you..."

Although Hongyu was over fifty, her skin, nourished by years of treatments, was firm and supple like newly emerged spring water, and her eyes and brows radiated the fullness and allure of a ripe peach. Every time Li Wenguo stepped into her room, they would linger for at least three hours before he would stop.

Upon hearing this, Li Wenguo's eyes instantly lit up, and his previous frustration and annoyance vanished in an instant.

He grabbed his sleeve, impatiently saying, "Aren't you going to change?"

Hongyu turned around and took out a set of specially made clothes from deep inside the sandalwood cabinet...

Three days later, as soon as Li Wenguo stepped out of the house, Hongyu immediately summoned her youngest son, Li Guolong.

"Your mother and father have made a decision—you will set off for Hong Kong immediately."

"Okay!!!"

Li Guolong's eyes lit up, and he blurted out.

He inherited Hongyu's bright and beautiful features, and also inherited Li Wenguo's tall and strong physique. His face was chiseled, his lips were as red as cinnabar, and he was nearly 1.85 meters tall with broad shoulders and long legs. When he stood there, he looked like a handsome young man who had stepped out of a painting, and he must have stirred the hearts of countless girls...

From elementary school onwards, Hongyu often told him about the ever-changing business world, portraying Li Wenguo as a legendary businessman who started from scratch and was a master strategist. Under her influence, Li Guolong regarded his father as a guiding light and was determined to make a name for himself.

Therefore, upon hearing that he could go to Hong Kong to expand his territory, a fire had already ignited in his heart, burning hot and reassuring.

"Guolong, this is a business blueprint that your mother begged and pleaded with your father to give you. If you follow it step by step and use Aunt Xu and your brothers' connections to pave the way, you'll be a billionaire in less than five years. Surpassing your brothers in the future might not be just empty talk."

Hongyu's ambition was even greater than that of Xianglan, Xu Wanqing, and Lou Meie. Lately, she had been extremely tender and attentive, serving him tea and meals and whispering sweet nothings in his ear, which made Li Wenguo willing to spend several days at his desk, personally polishing this business plan that was enough to support a business empire—tailor-made for his son.

Li Wenguo agreed to this because Hongyu, unlike the other wives, wasn't eyeing his legacy; instead, she insisted on starting her own business and making her own way in the world. He sincerely admired this kind of vision.

"Mother, rest assured! Your son will live up to Father's example, build an empire that belongs only to me, and never be inferior to my brothers!"

Li Guolong gripped the project proposal, his voice clear and bright, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.

"Guolong, remember—everything is difficult at the beginning, so don't be rash. First, build good relationships with the brothers in Hong Kong. If they genuinely want to help you, your path will be more stable. Once you've established yourself and have solid capital, who will dare to point fingers at you?"

Hongyu's expression was solemn, and every word she spoke struck him deeply.

"Mother, I understand. Father once said: the business world is like a game of chess. A master knows when to be humble when making a move, but also dares to make a comeback. Right now, I am still in the process of setting up my strategy, so it is not a disgrace to be humble for a moment; once my strategy is complete, people will naturally look up to me and watch me make my move."

His gaze was calm, yet sharpness lay hidden within.

"With those words, Mother feels at ease."

Hongyu nodded gently, a relieved smile appearing on her lips.

Secretly, she was already planning: in the days to come, she would have to serve her husband even better and take advantage of the situation to spend more of her own money—the smoother her youngest son's start, the more proud he would be in the future.