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

"Why the sudden letter of forgiveness?"

"Something's not right here."

He frowned as he stared at the paper.

"No, I have to ask Dad right away!"

He was impatient and ran home as fast as he could.

When he got home, he saw his father chatting and laughing with Xu Wanqing inside, so he had no choice but to sit in the living room and wait.

Fortunately, Li Wenguo and Xu Wanqing had just finished their work and came out shortly after.

The three of them entered Jin Hua's room together.

"Dad, what do you think Liu Shujuan is up to?"

He spread the letter of understanding on the table.

"What other medicine are you selling?"

"Your employee position has already been taken by her. She doesn't need to marry you, nor does she need to be sent to a lower-level position, so why would she bother with you?"

Li Wenguo's tone was very aggressive.

Jin Hua brought him a cup of ginseng tea and placed it beside him.

"What?!"

"My spot is gone?!"

"No wonder she agreed so readily..."

"Wait! Dad, you didn't use my spot to exchange for this piece of paper, did you?"

Li Guojiang suddenly looked up, his voice changing tone.

He thought his father had really given up his secure job to someone else in exchange for his own freedom. Wouldn't that mean he was definitely going to the countryside?

"Bullshit! I'd have to be out of my mind to give this kind of treasure to an outsider!"

Li Wenguo's voice boomed.

"If it's not you... then who is it?"

"Who else could it be? The Liao family."

"The Liao family? Damn it! It's that bastard Liao Zhihua!"

Li Guojiang clenched his teeth so hard they made a grinding sound.

He was so angry that he felt a tightness in his chest from using such despicable tactics.

"Dad, you have to help me get my spot back!"

"I really don't want to go to the countryside!"

Li Guojiang's voice was strained, and his palms were sweating.

Nothing compares to the comfort of staying in the capital.

"You bastard, are you panicking now?"

"I told you to bury yourself in your studies, not to skip classes, not to drop out, and not to hang out with those idle hooligans—but you just let it go in one ear and out the other!"

"Trying to take your job back now? Let me tell you plainly: you can't!"

"Get out of here!"

After shouting, Li Wenguo turned and left.

These words were uttered in a fit of anger, intended to intimidate this troublesome son, hoping he would learn his lesson and stay away from those street urchins in the future. After hurling the insults, he disappeared.

Jin Hua was indeed pregnant during her fertile period last time; Li Wenguo never touched her again, fearing that she might almost miscarry like Xiu Xiu did last time.

"Mom, what should we do?"

"I really don't want to go to **!"

As soon as his father left, Li Guojiang eagerly went to his mother and stared at her longingly.

"Who told you not to listen to advice? Now you have to bear the consequences yourself."

Jin Hua's face also darkened.

How many scoldings had she endured for this son? Her last pregnancy had disrupted all her plans—this time she'd have to endure several more years of raising a child, her days spent entirely in diapers and bottles, with not a moment of peace. It was all this kid's fault. With anger simmering inside, her words naturally came out harshly.

"Mom, please help me! Please put in a good word for me with Dad and ask him to get my job back. I swear, as soon as I get back to the factory, I'll settle down and never cause trouble, fight, or mess around again!"

He clutched the hem of his clothes and looked up, pleading.

She was his mother after all, and her heart softened immediately upon hearing this. She sighed and said, "Don't worry, your father won't really abandon you. Even if he doesn't get the job, he'll still try to arrange a marriage for you, won't he?"

"But I only have a month left before I have to leave. How can I possibly find a suitable wife?"

Li Guojiang was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands together.

"Then go find it yourself."

"Alright, alright, stop bothering me, I need to take a nap."

Jin Hua let out a long yawn.

I get very sleepy after getting pregnant, and I need to rest for half an hour every afternoon without fail.

Li Guojiang was pushed out of the house and stood in the yard, still in a daze, his brows furrowed.

But then she comforted herself: "It's okay, Dad definitely won't really abandon me. Even if I don't have a job, the wedding still has to happen, right? He can't really make me go away."

But the thought had barely formed when he lost his spirits again.

He knew very well that his father was busy finding partners for his older brothers and had no time to care about him, the last in line.

"Damn it, relying on Dad won't work! I have to use my own legs, mouth, and brain—get moving and find a wife! What if Dad can't get away? Would I really have to pack my bags and go to a brothel?"

"Besides, Dad has so many sons, losing me isn't like losing an arm or a leg."

He knew perfectly well how hard it was to get a job—those hooligans who spent their days squatting at street corners blowing whistles, weren't they all just doing that because they had no other work?

Not to mention there are two younger brothers who will graduate from high school this year. Dad will definitely prioritize arranging employment status for them first. As for any vacant positions? They've already been eyed by my obedient, sensible, and trouble-free brothers.

He took off running and rushed out, heading straight for the courtyard house.

The first person I wanted to ask was Li Guoxian.

In his eyes, although this older brother used to pull his ears and kick his butt when they were kids, he became a different person as they grew up. He took good care of his younger brothers and never refused to help them when they needed it. You can't go wrong by asking him.

It was almost time to leave work when he went out. Instead of turning towards the textile factory, he went straight to the courtyard house—he figured he could just have dinner there.

As he passed by the entrance of the affiliated middle school of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, he suddenly heard someone call his name.

"Li Guojiang!"

The tone was all too familiar. He paused, turned his head, and a face came into view.

His eyes were bright and clear, his temperament gentle and refined. He looked to be around twenty-six, exuding a calm maturity. He had been looking at this face for three whole years.

That's right, it was his former Chinese teacher, Cui Jingjing.

"Oh, it's Teacher Cui!"

"Hello, teacher! Hello, teacher!"

Having just graduated, he still retained a student-like reserve towards his teachers, even unconsciously bending his back slightly, just like when he met Li Wenguo.

"It's almost lunchtime, where is Guojiang going?"

Cui Jingjing asked with a smile, her tone gentle.

Back then, Li Guojiang frequently skipped classes, and she made countless home visits, which led her to see Li Wenguo many times—he arrived in a car. The factory director, Li Guotai, was his son, and the high-ranking official at the courtyard house at No. 96 Nanluoguxiang was also his son. She lived nearby and knew everything about the neighborhood.

She was meticulous and clear-headed, and hadn't originally planned much. But at the beginning of the year, her husband, who was in the army, was killed in action on the southern battlefield, leaving her a widow all alone. She had to make her own decisions about how to live from now on.

She happened to run into Li Guojiang, a student she had taught before. She paused and called out to him. If she didn't, she felt she would miss something—a woman's sense of opportunity is always faster than the wind.

"Oh, I have to go see my brother."

Li Guojiang's tone was a little tense, and his hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the backpack strap.

When Cui Jingjing teaches, she has a stern face, sharp eyes, and doesn't talk much. The students even suppress their coughs because of her, so no one dares to misbehave.

"Is it urgent?"

She asked with a smile, her lips curving naturally, a stark contrast to the cold-faced teacher on the podium.

"Ah...it's nothing serious, it's just...um, want to get some food."

He glossed over it. How could he possibly tell the truth? He had just been scolded by his father, and now he wanted to ask Li Guoxian to help him find a matchmaker. As soon as he said it, he felt ashamed.

……

"Guojiang, since you're not in a rush, how about I treat you to a meal? I should go back and cook something anyway."

Cui Jingjing spoke lightly, as if casually picking a leaf.

"This...isn't that inappropriate?"

He declined verbally, but his heart was pounding – he really didn't want to sit at the same table with this teacher whom he respected but was intimidated by, even though she had delicate features and her clean and neat appearance couldn't be hidden by the faded blue blouse she wore.

"Let's go, first come with me to the Dongmenkou vegetable market to pick out some vegetables, then come home with me and try the teacher's cooking."

Before she finished speaking, she had already turned and walked away, leaving no room for retreat.

Li Guojiang stood there stunned for two seconds, his shoes shuffling on the ground, before finally hurrying after him.

Footsteps sounded behind her. Cui Jingjing looked ahead, and the corners of her lips subtly turned up slightly.

About an hour later, on the small square table in her living room, a steaming dish of four dishes and a soup filled the room with its aroma.

……

She didn't live in a traditional courtyard house, but in a small, detached house. It was quite narrow; the living room was right inside the entrance, and a second old wooden door led to the bedroom. The kitchen was built under the eaves, with a small brick stove, the pot's rim worn smooth, and piles of ashes from firewood still lingering in the corner. It was clear that life wasn't easy for her.

"By the way, Teacher Cui, your spouse..."

Seeing that there were only two sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table full of food, Li Guojiang casually asked.

"Sigh! They were fighting in the south at the beginning of the year and haven't come back."

Cui Jingjing lowered her head, poured herself a glass of baijiu, tilted her head back and drank it down, her throat moving slightly.

"ah?!"

"I'm so sorry, Teacher Cui, I really shouldn't have asked..."

"I'll punish myself with three drinks!"

He slapped his forehead and hurriedly picked up his wine glass.

It turned out her husband was a martyr. His heart sank, and he was filled with deep respect—in those years, those who carried guns for their country and shed their blood on the battlefield were living examples.

Cui Jingjing didn't stop her; she kept offering wine glasses and asked questions in a gentle tone, like spring water flowing over cracks in rocks.

The two chatted as they ate, mostly with her asking questions and him answering. They drank glass after glass of wine, and their conversation became increasingly open. Her gentle voice, like that of an older sister or a friend, gradually lowered his guard, and he poured out his heart, even about his family's pressure to get married and how difficult it was for him to talk about these things.

Upon hearing that he was worried about finding a partner, Cui Jingjing's heart skipped a beat.

She smiled and said, "Guojiang, what a coincidence! I have a cousin who's about the same age and quite pretty. She's looking for a stable marriage. Why don't you come over again tomorrow? Come to my house for dinner and meet me?"

Li Guojiang's eyes lit up, and he agreed on the spot.

The next evening, he made a special effort to get a haircut, changed into his neatest clothes, and came back excitedly.

But at that steaming table, only Cui Jingjing was sitting.

"Teacher Cui, has your cousin not arrived yet?"

He asked with a smile, looking much more relaxed—last night's dinner had already softened the distance between him and the "teacher."

"I'm so sorry, Guojiang, her factory had some extra work, so she can't come. But don't worry, she'll definitely be there tomorrow!"

She lowered her eyes, spoke sincerely, and gently stroked the rim of her wine glass with her fingertips.

"Oh, I see!"

"It's alright, the factory is busy, I understand. You can come tomorrow, I'm not in a hurry."

He grinned, waved his hand, and appeared exceptionally understanding.

"It was my fault that you were wronged. I will punish myself with a drink."

She raised her glass; the wine was a light brown color, clear and translucent, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Really, no need! Teacher, please don't be so polite. Tomorrow is fine, I'll help you!"

He readily raised his glass, tilted his head back, and drank it down.

He had just put down his glass when his brow furrowed slightly—his gaze fell on the bottle of wine.

Not right.

This color isn't from yesterday's liquor.

Brown, translucent, with a faint medicinal fragrance... like wine infused with medicinal herbs.