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

"Who said the Li family is poor? My father-in-law has long had two connections in Hong Kong—both branches of the family have moved there, and their businesses are thriving. They have a constant supply from Hong Kong, and their lives are not much different from ours."

"Besides, the Ministry of National Defense has already asked his father: if you go to Hong Kong, they will take care of us there."

The phrase "There are people in Hong Kong" was fed to Li Guoxian by Li Guofang, and then passed on to Xu Yaling.

"...Isn't that a bit too assertive?"

As soon as Xu Yaling finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment. The group looked at each other, but no one could say anything.

The person had planned this out so thoroughly; it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.

"Lingling, what's your father-in-law's name?"

Xu Jianwei suddenly spoke.

"Li Wenguo!"

Li Wenguo!!!

Xu Jianwei's eyes nearly popped out.

If there's one person in his life who makes him sleepless at night and afraid to mention his name during the day, Li Wenguo is definitely the first.

Back then, the Flying Eagle Gang disbanded overnight, Young Master Xu died a violent death in the street, and even his own cousin died absurdly in a woman's bed... Behind every single incident, the shadow of Li Wenguo was clearly visible.

But despite searching through all the clues, not a single piece of evidence could be found.

Xu Jianwei privately called him "Living Yama"—he never showed his sword, yet he drew blood everywhere.

No wonder he always manages to escape unscathed.

"Huh? Dad, you recognize him?"

Everyone noticed his expression change and assumed they had actually met.

Of course he recognized them. But those things were buried deeper than the bottom of a well; how could he just blurt them out?

He simply said, "Oh, I've heard of that name."

She paused, then added, "Speaking of which, our family and his are actually related."

"relative?"

Several pairs of eyes turned to stare at them.

"Dad, are you saying that the two families were already connected before my younger sister got married?" the eldest brother asked.

"Yes. I have a cousin named Xu Meijing, who married Li Wenguo and became his concubine."

After Xu Jianwei finished speaking, he gestured with his chin toward his daughter.

"Ouch!" Xu Yaling's hand trembled, and she almost dropped her chopsticks on the table. "The National Defense Department mentioned just a couple of days ago that one of the two branches of the Li family in Hong Kong has the surname Xu! I thought to myself, what a coincidence!"

She stared with her mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time—it turned out that the fire burning by her own stove was the same kind of charcoal as the incense in the Li family ancestral hall.

In the evening, Li Guofang rode his bicycle to the Xu family's door.

The original intention was to bring his wife back home.

"The defense is here? They're already at the door, how can they leave on an empty stomach!"

At the entrance of the compound, his brother-in-law grabbed his bicycle handlebars, speaking in a loud voice.

Li Guofang shrugged slightly and chuckled dryly, "No, no, I'm just here to pick up Lingling."

He had always been somewhat intimidated by the Xu family—he was polite on the surface, but that condescending aloofness could not escape the eyes of someone who also came from an old-fashioned family.

But today... seems a little different.

That enthusiasm didn't seem staged.

"Oh my, brother-in-law, that's too formal of you!"

"Why stand on ceremony between in-laws? The more polite you are, the more distant you seem!"

Before he could finish speaking, the car had already been pulled into the courtyard, leaving him no choice in the matter.

Li Guofang had no choice but to follow him into the house.

"Defense Forces, sit down quickly and eat while it's hot!"

The mother-in-law greeted him with a smile as usual.

Can……

"Come on, National Defense, try the scallion and pepper fish fillets, they're so tender!"

"I had to fry this crispy chicken three times before I got the cooking time right!"

"Add a piece of sweet and sour pork, it'll be so refreshing and appetizing!"

Li Guofang stared blankly at the mountain of food piled up in his bowl.

In the past, everyone was always polite and considerate when they came, but never like today—they chased after people with the tips of their chopsticks, their eyes shining.

For the first time, he felt like he was truly being treated as "family."

What was different about this meal?

After several rounds of drinks, five dishes were served.

Xu Jianwei then slowly put down his chopsticks and said, "Guangdong, my family and I are planning to go to Hong Kong. We heard that your Li family also has a branch there, surnamed Xu. What's the name of that elder?"

"I know, it's Aunt Meijing."

I gasped.

The group exchanged quick glances, their eyes filled with shock.

Li Guofang was engrossed in eating and didn't see it.

There was no suspicion—it was only natural to inquire about a name before my father-in-law moved to Hong Kong.

Then, Xu Jianwei and his two sons took turns asking him how to make a living after landing in Hong Kong and what kind of business he could do to gain a foothold.

Li Guofang had never been to Hong Kong, so how could he possibly know for sure? He could only recount a few fragmented remarks his father, Li Wenguo, had made in casual conversation in the past:

"My dad used to say that the four pillars that support Hong Kong are real estate, film, finance, and manufacturing. As long as one of them stands firm, life can't be broken."

"So, which area does your Li family primarily focus on in Hong Kong?"

"Ahem... I was trying to avoid it, since it's easy to run into someone in the same industry," the brother-in-law interjected with a smile.

"Uh... actually, besides Aunt Meijing's branch and Aunt Dong's branch, the other brothers are also based in Hong Kong, in various industries, basically all of them are in the same boat." Li Guofang scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

All walks of life?

This operation is wider than the sea!

Xu Jianwei and his two sons looked at each other, but no one spoke first.

Not long after, Li Guofang took Xu Yaling home.

"National Defense, while my father and brother are still at home, you should hurry up and ask your father to find a proper way for your brothers to make a living in Hong Kong."

As soon as Xu Yaling entered the room, after washing her face and brushing her teeth, without even wringing out the towel, she said these words directly.

"Didn't we say to go directly to Aunt Xu when we got to Hong Kong?"

Li Guofang frowned, his tone revealing annoyance.

"No way! This is a decision your dad has to make. He's quick-witted and resourceful; he's a hundred times better than us guessing."

Back then, Xu Jianwei was cold and distant towards his concubine Xu Meijing, and he always had doubts in his heart: if he really went to Hong Kong, it was still uncertain whether Xu Meijing would acknowledge him as her cousin. So he had Xu Yaling keep a close eye on this matter early on, and make sure to get some real information out of Li Wenguo.

"My father said it himself—that my father-in-law and his family should go directly to Aunt Xu after they land."

Li Guofang shrank back. Just thinking about his father Li Wenguo's face made his legs go weak; how could he dare to go up and get scolded?

"Are you going or not? If you're not going, don't even think about getting into the master bedroom tonight."

Xu Yaling glared at her and said her words crisply and firmly.

"Then... I'll sleep in the guest room."

Besides the master bedroom, there were three other empty rooms in the house. He preferred to lie on the hard bed rather than run into his father's eyes.

"Sure, give it a try."

"Bang!!!"

Before she could finish speaking, she slammed the door shut with a deafening roar.

"well……"

Minister Li sighed and dragged himself into the next room.

I had just lain down fully clothed for less than ten minutes when the doorknob clicked open.

Xu Yaling came in wearing a thin silk nightgown, and within a few steps she was pressed against him, hooking her fingers behind his waist and sliding her body down—the meaning couldn't be clearer.

"Are you crazy? You're pregnant!"

Li Guofang was startled and immediately put his hands on her shoulders.

"It's gone, it's gone."

She snorted, but her hands didn't stop.

"Okay, okay, okay! I'll go see my dad tomorrow!"

He raised his hands in surrender.

Humph.

now it's right.

Xu Yaling's lips curled up, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Let's go!" She turned and pointed towards the door.

"what?"

"Go back to your room and sleep."

Li Guofang had no choice but to follow her and obediently move back to the master bedroom.

If you slap someone, you have to give them a piece of candy; if you press someone down, you have to loosen your grip a little.

The next day after get off work, he actually went to Li Wenguo's place.

When I returned, I had a few more sheets of paper in my hand, the edges still smelling of ink.

"Here, my dad gave me these. They're recipes for instant noodles and several drinks, with detailed instructions on how to make the broth, mix the powder, and seal the packaging. Once made, they can be sold in Hong Kong stores and exported overseas by foreign trade companies."

This is a genuine item that Li Wenguo obtained from the system store; it's a sure-fire way to make a profit.

Later, Master Kong's market value of tens of billions of yuan stood there, doesn't that speak for itself?

The Li family looked down on this small business, so they sold it to the Xu family.

"This...can it really work?"

Xu Yaling was skeptical.

Li Guofang had asked his father the same question.

Li Wenguo laughed at that moment: "Now that we've opened up the market, selling millions of packs a year is a piece of cake. Earning a million or two is effortless."

—In 1966, they sold millions of packs a year? Do any domestic companies dare to dream of that? Keep dreaming!

He quoted him verbatim.

Xu Yaling immediately folded the papers neatly, stuffed them into the tin box, and locked it.

That evening, she also used her soft, boneless hands to carefully treat Li Guofang.

As for how the Xu family carved out a niche for themselves in the food and beverage industry with just a few pages of paper, becoming a well-known brand in Hong Kong and even Southeast Asia—that's another story.

Not long after, the Xu family set off for Hong Kong with Fangzi.

one year later.

Sha Zhu, looking dejected, made his way to his sister He Yushui's house. The first thing he said was the word "divorce," and he didn't even want to mention Lin Meili's name.

The cause is very simple.

That day, he was teasing the locust flowers in the yard, and asked with a smile, "Locust Flower, do you want a little brother or a little sister? Let Mom have another one."

Before Huaihua could even open her mouth, Banggeng, carrying his schoolbag, walked by, rolled his eyes, and said, "Silly Uncle Zhu, my mother already got an IUD. You still want to have another child? You'd better be reborn early in your next life!"

Sha Zhu froze on the spot, the smile on his face vanishing in the blink of an eye as if blown away by the wind.

IUD insertion?

Lin Meili, do you think I'm really stupid?

You're trying to cut off my family line!

Sure enough, as soon as Lin Meili got home, the pot was overturned.

This time, the pillow talk failed—there wasn't even a chance to try. That night, Sha Zhu packed his bedding and went out.

After wandering the streets for two days, I was so hungry that my eyes were blurry, but my feet involuntarily led me to my sister's house.

Sha Zhu is so foolish it's heartbreaking, and so tragic it's heartbreaking.

She was tricked into marrying Lin Meili, and fearing that Sha Zhu would have a biological child and neglect Bang Geng, Xiao Dang, and Huai Hua in the future, she secretly went to the hospital to get an IUD.

Back then, the words "extinction of the family line" carried such weight that they could crush half a street.

Having no children, one may find it difficult to even get a bowl of hot soup in old age.

An old man spends his whole life scheming, isn't it all just to find someone to take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days? That's the point.

The moment Sha Zhu learned the truth, the raging anger, the piercing pain, and the icy chill in his chest were enough to make anyone else gasp for breath.

After sending her brother back to the courtyard house, He Yushui silently shook her head.

How could a sister not be heartbroken when her own brother is being tricked and deceived like a monkey?

But wasn't he also confused about this matter—his eyelids were half-open, and he let people put ropes on him?