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

He was spoiled by his family as a child, often pinching his younger brother and snatching his sister's candy. As he grew older, his heart began to clench – he realized that the younger brothers he had bullied had always harbored fear and timidity in their eyes. He had suppressed this guilt, never revealing it. Now, seeing Sha Zhu cornered, that old guilt was reignited. Moreover, Sha Zhu was his younger brother Li Guotao's brother-in-law; this relationship made it impossible for him to stand idly by.

Sha Zhu was torn between two options: should he stand his ground or go back inside to comply with the three old men's wishes?

These neighborhood officials were elected by the neighborhood committee and all the residents of the compound, with the rules set in stone—listening to them is their duty. But now that all three of them are on Lin Meili's side, can he possibly turn the tables?

"Shazhu, let's go back. The three gentlemen have already spoken, so let's leave the conversation for tomorrow. It's alright."

Lin Meili immediately pressed herself against him, reaching out to take his arm.

"Hesitation leads to trouble!"

Li Guoxian suddenly interjected.

This sentence was like a needle, piercing the lukewarm air in the room.

If she really dragged me into the house like that, half-coaxing, half-pulling, the initial surge of passion would probably be extinguished in the blink of an eye by the soft fragrance of the blankets. Afterwards, I'm afraid even my bones would be softened by her presence.

Oops!

Why did this kid jump out at this time?

The old man's heart skipped a beat, and he glared at Li Guoxian sideways.

Li Guoxian met that gaze head-on without flinching, glaring back fiercely.

He had long looked down on this "old man"—who spouted righteousness and morality but actually tied the hands and feet of everyone in the courtyard with ropes, and if anyone moved, he would mutter "outrageous."

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu turned his head and glanced at Li Guoxian.

A surge of warmth welled up inside him: This was someone standing up for him! He was Li Guotao's brother; in a way, he was family. If he didn't speak up for him now, whose side would he be on?

"I'm not replying!"

Sha Zhu abruptly shook off Lin Meili's soft, boneless hand. "Until this is all cleared up, it's not over today!"

"It's only a little past nine, it's still light out, why are you ending this event?"

Seeing this, Xu Damao immediately raised his voice and added a sentence.

The old man and Lin Meili's faces drained of all color in an instant.

Sha Zhu's decision to divorce is entirely detrimental to both of them.

An old man, fearing that Sha Zhu would remarry, kicked him off the retirement list.

Lin Meili was even more afraid that if she left Shazhu, her life would immediately fall back into the bitter soup of the past, with no hope of turning things around.

Finally, under the watchful eyes of everyone in the hospital, Lin Meili had no choice but to grit her teeth and agree: she would go to the hospital tomorrow morning to have her IUD removed, and only after she got pregnant could this matter be considered closed.

After the crowd dispersed, Li Guoxian silently shook his head, turned around, and left.

In his eyes, Sha Zhu was truly "stupid"—he would never escape this shackle unless he divorced her. Even if Lin Meili really did have a child with him, so what?

The old man's care must be provided in his old age, not a penny less; Lin Meili and her three children's food, drink, and shelter must be provided for, and one must still bend one's spine like a bow.

this day.

Li Guobiao had taken special care of his appearance: his hair was combed meticulously, his shirt collar was buttoned up to the top, and his trousers were so straight they could cut paper.

He strode into the state-run restaurant, full of energy, ready to go on a blind date with the girl Xu Damao had arranged for him.

After waiting for about half an hour, just as I was starting to furrow my brow, a woman walked over in high heels—

She wore heavy makeup, had thin eyebrows, bright red lips, a tall and slender figure, and walked with a confident stride, exuding a captivating charm.

As for what she looks like without makeup? Who can say for sure?

"Hello, may I ask... are you Comrade Mei Rongrong?"

Li Guobiao immediately smiled, revealing a set of neat white teeth.

Mei Rongrong looked up and was stunned for half a second.

This guy is so handsome!

If I weren't married yet, I would definitely pursue him!

Mei Rongrong is indeed married. Xu Damao paid ten yuan to invite her this time, specifically to embarrass Li Guobiao.

Why humiliate him?

It all started with Xu Damao.

He had been trying his best to get in touch with the Li family for a while, and recently he finally managed to get involved with a young man from the Li family—Li Guobiao.

But what about Li Guobiao? He's like a salted fish lying flat, to put it bluntly, someone who eats what's in his bowl but looks at what's in the pot, doing nothing at all.

The Li family had so many resources, yet he refused to take any, content to stay in the countryside showing movies and working as an ordinary laborer. Xu Damao felt a pang of heartache watching this, thinking it was a complete waste of talent.

That's why they spent money to hire Mei Rongrong, hoping to use some "stimulation" to rouse his ambition.

To be honest, Xu Damao put a lot of thought into it.

Next, it was Mei Rongrong's turn to perform.

"That's right, my name is Mei Rongrong."

"And you? What's your name?"

After she sat down, her tone was polite, but with a hint of distance.

"Li Guobiao, a rural film projectionist at the Third Steel Rolling Mill."

He stood up straight and answered loudly.

Why is it so exciting?

If I had to give a reason, it would be this: Being a worker is an honor!

This saying has long been a common refrain among the neighbors.

"The projectionist?"

Mei Rongrong's politeness vanished instantly; she raised an eyebrow, her eyes filled with disdain.

He then scoffed, "Ha, this is the job? You'll probably only earn a little over thirty yuan a month, right?"

"almost."

Li Guobiao nodded, but his heart skipped a beat—this woman only cared about money.

Do you know what I do?

Before he could even ask, she blurted out the details:

"I work as a purchasing agent in a factory, earning a little over fifty a month, which is almost more than your combined salary."

"Um……"

His throat was a little dry and tight.

Purchasing staff often travel to other places, sometimes even across provinces. It's really tiring, but the pay is indeed high.

This comparison made him feel a sense of unease for the first time.

How many people are in your family?

As she asked the question, she glanced at the menu, her chopsticks already quietly placed beside her.

Since it's a staged blind date, you have to eat your fill and put on a good show.

"My parents are still alive, and I have seven younger siblings."

Ten years ago, Xiaoxue only had four children, and then she had four more in the next ten years.

"So many people?"

"Can your dad support you?"

"By the way, what kind of business does your family run?"

She spoke quickly and bluntly, rattling off two sentences in rapid succession, leaving no room for negotiation.

"My dad retired from a factory."

"The salary is not low, more than enough to support the whole family."

Li Guobiao replied, suppressing his discomfort.

Li Wenguo had long ago instructed his son: Nowadays, business people are sensitive; only tell others that your father is a retired factory worker.

"Ha, how high can it get? Retired people are no longer useful."

She's very quick-witted and doesn't even care about saving face.

"And what about you? How many people are in your family?" he asked in return.

"I only have one older brother."

"Served as the deputy director in the factory."

"Where's your home?"

The dishes were served, and the two ate and chatted.

Mei Rongrong was hired by Xu Damao. She knew Li Guobiao's background very well. She had memorized her lines before coming and spoke them flawlessly.

His words carried a condescending tone, subtly criticizing and mocking, each sentence piercing the heart.

Li Guobiao felt increasingly uncomfortable eating; the food in his mouth tasted like sawdust.

Finally, the meal was over.

Just when everyone thought the matter was off, Mei Rongrong suddenly spoke up: "Comrade Li, if you agree to a few conditions, we can get married."

"You... tell me."

He froze, then instinctively replied.

"First, after marriage, you will have to listen to me in all matters, big and small, at home."

"Secondly, cooking, washing dishes, cleaning, and laundry—all the housework is your responsibility."

"Third, you will not keep a single penny of your monthly salary; you will hand it all over to me to manage."

"Fourth, our future children must take my surname, Mei..."

The first three are looking down on people, and the fourth is slapping someone in the face.

Dignity was trampled into the mud and crushed to pieces.

How is this any different from marrying into a family?

"Why should I?!"

His voice deepened, and his fists clenched under the table.

He is gentle and lazy, but deep down he is not without temper.

"On what grounds?"

Mei Rongrong sneered, her lips curling into a mocking smile.

"My salary is higher than yours. My brother is a junior manager at his workplace, and my dad is the factory director."

She abruptly stood up, her fingertip pointing directly at him, chin slightly raised, her voice cold and hard, "You're just a movie projectionist, what makes you think you can compare to me? Your family isn't as wealthy as mine, your job isn't as stable, your salary isn't as high, and your future is even less promising—you're standing right in front of me, what gives you the right to negotiate with me?"

"If you were a leader, you'd have to say all those things in reverse. Too bad you aren't."

As soon as she finished speaking, she crossed her arms and glanced at Li Guobiao sideways, her eyes looking at him like she was sizing up a sparrow that was trying to climb a branch.

Actually, Mei Rongrong was also feeling uneasy. She was afraid that Li Guobiao would get angry and physically attack her after she had trampled on him so ruthlessly. But she hadn't received the ten yuan Xu Damao had promised, and she had to finish this charade.

"Have you thought it through? Give me a straight answer."

She swallowed hard and raised her voice.

"roll!!!"

Li Guobiao roared out those two words.

Mei Rongrong secretly breathed a sigh of relief—this person could refrain from slamming the table or throwing a tantrum, which meant he could control his temper and wasn't someone who would explode at the slightest provocation.

"Hmph! Someone like you thinks you can get close to me? Dream on!"

She haughtily threw out a remark and turned to walk towards the door.

Just before leaving, he didn't forget to add the lines Xu Damao had taught him: "What's wrong with that bastard Xu Damao? He said he was introducing me to a respectable family with impeccable credentials, and what happened? Bah! He's full of empty talk. Don't associate with him again!"

These words were specifically prepared to sever ties.

Li Guobiao was well aware of his family's solid background: all his older brothers were cadres, especially his eldest, second, third, fourth, and fifth brothers, each of whom sat in an office and managed a region. Xu Damao's statement that "the family has a good background" was not an exaggeration at all.

However, the old father had long established a rule: when his children went on blind dates, they were only allowed to report on their own branch of the family; no matter how powerful the collateral branches were, they could not be brought up to save face.

"Guobiao, how's the matchmaking?"

The next day at work, Xu Damao approached with a grin, feigning ignorance, "Is it just like your brother said? Your family is outstanding in every way?"

"Sigh, don't even mention Brother Xu, he didn't even fancy me."

Li Guobiao's brows furrowed whenever Mei Rongrong was mentioned.

"Oh? What's going on?"

Xu Damao's eyes widened, and his shoulders swayed as if he had just heard that the sky had fallen.

Li Guobiao didn't hold back and told the whole story from yesterday.

"Oh dear! I never expected Mei Rongrong to be this kind of person... This is my fault, my fault for misjudging people!"

Xu Damao slapped his thigh, rubbing his hands in frustration.

"Brother Xu, it's really not your fault. You haven't lived with her before, how could you know what kind of person she is?"

Li Guobiao waved his hand, his tone quite sincere.

"Well... how about I look for some more for you? This time I'll be more careful."

Xu Damao then chimed in.

Li Guobiao nodded. He was in his mid-twenties and it was time for him to settle down. However, his older brothers' marriages were still unresolved, and his grandfather was too busy to take care of them; that's why he asked Xu Damao to help arrange things.

What he didn't know was that every "regret" and every "self-blame" from Xu Damao was a carefully laid fuse, waiting to gradually ignite his resentment.