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

But if they were members of the Lixingshe Society, they wouldn't be so secretive—nowadays, the Communist Party and Japanese spies are all hiding in the shadows, but the members of the Lixingshe Society dress smartly and walk openly, even daring to cast their shadows in the sun.

What he didn't know was that Dong Haitang had already severed ties with her family. If she revealed her identity, Li Wenguo would probably kick her out the moment she turned around. Wouldn't she then have nowhere to stay?

Of course, she may not really have nowhere to go.

It's just about leaving yourself a way out.

By a twist of fate, Li Wenguo guessed the wrong direction.

As for marrying another underground party member? He didn't care at all—since he already had one, it would be an extra layer of insurance after the founding of the country, so why not?

That being said.

Agreeing is one thing, but feeling uncomfortable is another. Dong Haitang's aloof attitude made him seethe with anger, and he had to suppress it in order to establish rules for the family.

"No way!" he said sternly. "If I don't intervene and you find someone else outside, what will I become? The laughingstock of the neighborhood?"

"If I really have someone else outside, shoot me on the spot."

Dong Haitang's eyes were clear and bright, and her words were sharp and precise.

Li Wenguo was taken aback, then gave an awkward laugh: "I believe you, I believe you, okay?"

He's already risked his life, what else can he say?

So, are you going to agree or not?

"Yes, yes! My little darling, give it to me now!"

Before he could finish speaking, he pulled the person into his arms.

"Come on, sir!"

This time, Dong Haitang neither dodged nor stopped him.

All night long, Li Wenguo's soul wandered aimlessly again.

"Shuting, what's wrong? Your face is as stiff as ice. Who upset you?"

As the sun climbed over the eaves, Li Wenguo slowly got up. As soon as he stepped into the main room, he saw He Shuting sitting at the dining table with a sullen face, her chopsticks resting on the rim of her bowl, motionless.

"Who else could it be?"

"Isn't that your 'legally wedded' fourth wife?"

The four words were spoken heavily and coldly.

"He stormed off first thing in the morning, without offering tea or any proper greetings. Where does that leave the wife's dignity? He completely disregards me!"

As she spoke, she slammed her hand heavily on the table.

"Oh my goodness! Your belly is almost touching your chin, you can't let her get angry!" Li Wenguo's heart tightened, and he hurriedly coaxed her, "I swear, tonight! Tonight! Haitang will definitely come back, and properly kowtow to you and offer you tea, not a word less!"

The midwives had timed it perfectly, choosing the next two or three days. How could he dare to anger her?

As for why Dong Haitang didn't even offer tea, he knew perfectly well—besides her inherent arrogance, it was also because the dowry she brought into the house was shockingly thick.

With this confidence, she doesn't need to bow down to anyone except Li Wenguo.

None of He Shuting, Xianglan, or Hongyu possessed this kind of toughness.

"That's right, sir, that Dong Haitang really doesn't know his place."

"That's right. Outsiders would think some wild girl had barged in."

Xianglan and Hongyu, each holding a baby, spoke from either side, their words laced with barbs, yet their faces wore smiles.

It was obvious to everyone that the two of them had already branded Dong Haitang with shame.

Humph! !! !!

Who are you giving me that look so bad first thing in the morning?

It's just a four-bedroom house!

They don't even understand the principle of first come, first served. They really need to be taught a lesson about manners!

Although these words were not spoken aloud, they had already taken root on their tongues.

"Alright, alright, I'll teach her a lesson and show her what's what. You all stop adding fuel to the fire."

Seeing the two of them talking in unison, Li Wenguo frowned, waved his hand, and cut them off.

Seeing the old man's face darken, the two immediately fell silent, lowered their heads to play with the child, and dared not utter another sound.

"Remember this well—if she doesn't serve tea tonight, I'll disown her as the 'fourth wife'!"

He Shuting stood up straight; these words weren't a coquettish remark, but a declaration of her true feelings.

"Okay, okay, I guarantee it! Is that alright now?"

Li Wenguo patted his chest hurriedly, his voice rising a half-octave.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the sky darkened.

At the end of the corridor of the Lixingshe Information Department.

"Haitang, how about we have dinner together tonight and then catch a movie?"

A man in his early thirties approached, dressed in a crisp military uniform, with gleaming boots, his hair neatly combed, a smile playing on his lips, and a warm gaze. He struck up a conversation with Dong Haitang, who was walking toward the changing room.

Upon hearing this, Dong Haitang froze on the spot, turned her head, and her gaze swept across Nie Wei's face like an icy blade. Her voice was as cold as if it were soaked in frost. "Section Chief Nie, I have already paid my respects to heaven and earth and entered the Li family yesterday—from now on, please put away those unrealistic ideas."

Before she finished speaking, she had already turned and left, her skirt billowing as she went, not even sparing a glance.

"You...you're married?"

Nie Wei stood frozen in place, his lips slightly parted. The red rose he had just picked slipped from his hand, its petals scattering and swirling in the wind, but he was completely unaware of it.

In a short while, his face turned from bluish to ashen, and the veins on his forehead throbbed faintly.

"You bastard!"

"Who did this?!"

"Who dares to steal my man?"

"I'll make sure he's childless and has no descendants!"

Dong Haitang was the most aloof and sharp plum blossom in the department. Nie Wei had long been eyeing her with burning desire and itching desire, planning to take her in as his third wife, to savor her slowly and coax her. Who knew that a Cheng Yaojin would suddenly appear and snatch her away—this anger was burning in his very stomach.

We'll leave aside for now how he investigated and what he found out.

the other side.

As Dong Haitang stepped into the house, Li Wenguo reached out and tugged at her sleeve: "Come on, let's serve tea to Shu Ting."

She twisted her wrist, dodging the attack cleanly and decisively. "Why offer me tea? I was brought in as a proper daughter-in-law, carried in on a sedan chair."

He was as arrogant as a sword that hadn't been drawn from its sheath, and he didn't even give He Shuting a second glance.

"That's right, you were married through proper channels." Li Wenguo said calmly, without any haste or annoyance. "But when it comes to etiquette, there's always a proper order—don't you think?"

"First and last?" She scoffed, raising her chin slightly. "My dowry of silver dollars filled three rooms, enough for you to live comfortably for three years. And her? She came in empty-handed, and expects me to kneel before her?"

"She should be the one serving tea and kowtowing."

After saying that, she crossed her arms over her chest, straightened her back, and stood sideways, looking completely unyielding.

Hey!

This is outrageous! Are they treating me like an easy target?

Li Wenguo's brows furrowed, and his voice deepened: "I'll ask you one more time—to go, or not to go?"

"I'm not going."

"Okay." He took half a step forward, his shadow enveloping her. "You said yourself: I won't interfere in things outside; you'll listen to me in things at home—does that still stand?"

"Does it count...or not?"

Seeing her lips move but no sound come out, his voice suddenly became more forceful: "Hmm?"

"...Okay." She lowered her eyes, her voice as soft as a feather falling to the ground.

"Then go and serve tea to Shuting." His tone suddenly softened a little. "She's due to give birth the day after tomorrow. Don't let her be frightened or tired—if a joyous occasion turns into a tragedy, no one can bear the consequences."

After speaking, he took the lead and strode through the main room, his back view steady and resolute.

Dong Haitang gazed at that retreating figure, a slight ripple passing through her eyes, and silently followed.

Oh……

This old fox, he actually has a protective side?

He Shuting breathed a sigh of relief, and her mood improved. Two days later, she successfully gave birth to a son.

That cry seemed to define her importance in the Li family—from then on, her words carried weight, her actions carried weight, and even the threshold for her was three points higher than before.

Xianglan and Hongyu secretly gritted their teeth, their sourness almost overflowing through the window.

Li Wenguo was naturally beaming with joy; the promise of carrying on the family line had finally come true.

The child was named Li Guohua.

……

The bright sun on the horizon was completely obscured by thick clouds, and the entire sky felt heavy and oppressive, just like Li Wenguo's state of mind at that moment.

"Hold!"

"You bitch!"

"You really think you can bully me just because you're carrying a child and have something on me? The day you give birth to that child will be the day you die!"

He had just come out of Charlie's stone villa and was cursing all the way.

Maria somehow got wind of the news that he had taken a new wife. She smashed her silver cup on the spot and threatened him, pointing her finger at him: if he didn't take her away, she would reveal that he had strangled Charlie with his own hands—and have the foreign policeman shoot him in the head.

Show no mercy whatsoever.

Li Wenguo was so angry that his fingertips trembled, and he almost dragged her into the space and crushed her into dust; but when he looked down and saw her bulging belly, he stopped at the last moment.

In the end, he had no choice but to soften his tone and coax her, promising that the whole family would go out to sea as soon as the child was born—Maria then snorted, glanced at him sideways, and reluctantly agreed.

He had already made up his mind: as soon as the baby in Mary's belly was born, he would immediately send her to the Western Paradise.

I'm not putting up with this anymore!

"Master Li!!!"

"The matter is settled!"

Kong Wugang came forward, followed by Wen San and Ding Xiaoqi, whose faces were still covered in wet mud.

"Alright, I trust you to handle things." Li Wenguo's expression had returned to normal. He nodded to the two men, his tone revealing appreciation.

His alter ego, "Yang Zhengde," has recently been targeted again—this time by a high-ranking official's personal secretary, who is as suspicious as an old dog. Li Wenguo then sent Wen San with Ding Xiaoqi to settle the matter.

This is the second person to be talkative.

The first thing I fed was the fish and shrimp at the bottom of the river last month.

"We've been so busy these past few days, everyone will get a bonus of one hundred dollars this month."

"Thank you, Master Li!" the three replied in unison, their faces beaming with smiles.

He thought to himself: "Master Li is really generous!"

Four hundred silver dollars were spent in the blink of an eye.

But that's exactly what he wanted—people's hearts have to be won over with real money.

Follow me, and I guarantee you'll have meat to eat every meal and wine to drink every night.

The "Yang Zhengde" character he was playing was once again being watched by an old acquaintance, whose eyes were full of suspicion—this matter was like a thorn in Li Wenguo's heart, forcing him to devise a countermeasure overnight.

After pondering all night, he decided on a hidden plot: to put the most honest and law-abiding Kong Wu into the police station as a patrolman, and then have "Yang Zhengde" promote him all the way up.

If one day the clone can't hold on any longer and the shell of "Yang Zhengde" suddenly breaks, at least there will still be one reliable person in the police station who can relay messages, get things done, and is trustworthy.

So, Kong Wu went from being a coachman who carried a whip to a uniformed constable overnight, with a police baton attached to his arm.

With a significant shortage of manpower, Li Wenguo immediately felt overwhelmed and decided to bring in four more people.

Who to choose? We'll select from the team led by Liu Erkui, who is disguised as a clone—four people who are tight-lipped, efficient, and can withstand scrutiny.

To be honest, this dual role is no human job: by day he is the imposing bureau chief "Yang Zhengde", by night he transforms into the gruff-voiced Liu Erkui, and in emergencies he has to temporarily fill in for several minor roles - even the leading actors in the opera troupe might not work as many rounds as him.

Fortunately, this guy was created from space and was tireless, becoming more energetic the more he was squeezed, which prevented Li Wenguo from losing his composure.