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

Over the years in officialdom, he had developed a habit: whenever faced with a major event, he would first analyze, deduce, and weigh it carefully, never daring to make a wrong move.

Before long, Li Guoyu stopped thinking about it.

Ultimately, this is a family matter. His younger brother, Li Guojiang, hadn't done anything illegal or immoral; he'd just married a widow, which caused a lot of gossip. In Li Guoyu's view, their father, Li Wenguo, simply couldn't be bothered with his good-for-nothing brother anymore.

He nodded in agreement: "Okay, I'll take care of your wedding."

"Thank you so much, Guoyu!"

Li Guojiang spoke lightly, his eyes lighting up.

He turned around and went to inform Cui Jingjing.

After listening, Cui Jingjing was not as relaxed as him.

Li Wenguo's attitude was already clear—he neither liked her nor recognized her as his daughter-in-law.

She subconsciously pressed her lower abdomen, her heart sinking: she was afraid that without this child, Guojiang's father would never let her step into the Li family!

Although she was turned away by her father-in-law, she was not too discouraged.

Once she becomes Li Guojiang's wife, she will be a legitimate member of the Li family. With just the name "Li family," who would dare to mess with her?

Although Li Wenguo said he wouldn't interfere with Li Guojiang, he still gave him the house and the bride price without fail. After all, Li Guojiang was not like his older brother Li Guoxiong; he had never talked back to his father, let alone dared to disobey him. At most, he could be considered to have "done something wrong."

When choosing a place to live, Li Guojiang wanted an apartment building, but Cui Jingjing insisted on having a courtyard house. She knew in her heart that those who could live in a courtyard house were at least high-ranking cadres. Now that she was increasingly concerned about status and influence, she naturally wanted to gravitate towards higher positions.

Unfortunately, No. 96 Nanluoguxiang was already fully occupied. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and agree to live in a courtyard in Mao'er Hutong with Li Guojiang—coincidentally, she ended up living in the same courtyard as Li Guoyu.

After Li Guojiang introduced the brothers and sisters-in-law, sisters and brothers-in-law of the five families in the courtyard, Cui Jingjing's heart skipped a beat, followed by a burning sensation.

It turns out that the highest-ranking residents here are at the provincial level, and the lowest-ranking are at the division level, making it no less prestigious than Nanluoguxiang.

The Li family... their background is just too powerful!

Li Guojiang and Cui Jingjing have been married for a month.

The two now live in a courtyard house in Mao'er Hutong.

This house also had the old layout of five courtyards and five exits, but it was later transformed into eight independent courtyards. Only the passageways, corridors, and gardens were shared; the rest were privately owned by each household.

Each courtyard has five rooms: one living room/kitchen with a bathroom; the master bedroom is the largest and has its own bathroom; the other three are guest bedrooms, with a small courtyard for drying clothes and bedding; there are also two guest bedrooms next to the courtyard, and another bathroom in the middle—the whole courtyard has three bathrooms, all with running water.

The area is five times the size of Cui Jingjing's former residence.

The day she moved in, she truly understood what "family heritage" and "real confidence" meant.

Secretly, she felt increasingly grateful for that one step she took back then—unhesitatingly stopping Li Guojiang, who had once been her student and was now her husband, and forcibly bringing him home. Without that step, where would she be today?

But she was still not satisfied.

Over the past month, she had intentionally or unintentionally gotten to know the other five relatives in the courtyard, figuring out their positions and ranks. A long-dormant thought in her heart quietly sprouted and grew stronger.

"Guojiang, I don't want to teach anymore."

At night, she knelt down and washed the feet of her husband, Li Guojiang, who was five years younger than her, before speaking.

Cui Jingjing is 24 years old, and Li Guojiang is 19 years old.

She got married three years ago, but less than a month into their marriage, her husband, who was in the army, was sent to the southern front and died earlier this year.

Although it wasn't her first marriage, it was a clean and straightforward affair with no entanglements.

"Oh? You're planning to quit your job and stay home to take care of your family?"

Li Guojiang casually replied, "That works too! My family gives me two thousand yuan a month, and I can earn more than forty yuan a month from my job. That's enough to eat."

"no."

Cui Jingjing straightened up, her voice steady, "I want to change jobs."

She had already planned it out: Uncle Li Guozhi, who lived in courtyard number three, was the captain of the Public Security Bureau, a division-level cadre. She wanted to get into the Public Security Bureau.

She knew perfectly well that government agencies like the police, railways, and transportation departments were far more respectable than factories, offering real power, rapid promotions, and higher career paths. These were the places where she should truly settle down.

Moreover, with Li Guozhi looking out for him, advancing in the ranks would naturally be much smoother.

Unbeknownst to her, Director Duan of the Public Security Bureau was actually related to the Li family by marriage. Otherwise, there would have been no need to "wait for an opportunity"; she would have already enjoyed a smooth path to success.

Of course, this is just the beginning. Once you reach a high position, it's all about seniority—and accumulating seniority is precisely the most grueling and time-consuming process.

"ah??"

"You want to become a police officer?"

Li Guojiang was stunned and didn't react for a moment.

The idea of ​​a schoolteacher suddenly switching careers to become a police officer would leave anyone stunned.

Being a teacher means setting a good example, imparting knowledge and skills, and nurturing students silently.

Being a police officer means facing danger head-on, chasing down criminals and apprehending evildoers, walking on the edge of a knife.

These are two different jobs, one is like still waters running deep, the other is like crashing waves on the shore. They are not even in the same boat. Who would believe that if I told them?

"It's not all about carrying guns and arresting people—they're hiring for clerical positions too. I teach Chinese, so writing documents, compiling reports, and drafting notices are all easy for me."

Cui Jingjing spoke in a flat tone, yet with an air of unquestionable authority.

"This...you really need to think it over again."

Li Guojiang was only nineteen years old and hadn't experienced much, but as soon as he spoke, an image involuntarily surfaced in his mind: Cui Jingjing, heavily pregnant, panting as she chased a thief through a narrow alley, her heel twisting and almost tripping... He felt a chill run down his spine and shivered, and his words became unusually soft.

Weigh it?

What are you still hesitating about?

You're a poor student who skipped three morning self-study sessions, what do you know about priorities?

Cui Jingjing frowned, a sense of displeasure rising within her. If it weren't for her current reliance on Li Guojiang's relationship, she would have already displayed her authoritative teacherly demeanor, the chalk dust still clinging to her skin.

He had no choice but to suppress his temper and explain slowly and gently: "I don't want to stand on the podium, where I can't control the students and I can't finish revising the lesson plans; nor do I want to work in a factory tightening screws, where the three shifts are exhausting; besides, I'm pregnant, so I need to find a place where I can sit still and have some ventilation—do you understand?"

If she hadn't just recently married into the family and was afraid of being seen as too ambitious or cunning, she would have almost blurted out: "Getting promoted quickly in the government is the only proper way out!"

"I understand. But even civilian staff in the police force stay up all night writing case reports and checking records, so it's not necessarily easier than working in a school. Since you're a teacher, why not move into the education field—it's relevant, logical, and no one will criticize you, don't you think?"

Li Guojiang's advice was truly effective.

"But apart from Guozhibo who works in the public security system, the entire compound is full of factories. Where am I supposed to go?"

Back then, factories were synonymous with a secure job, and almost all children of high-ranking officials started their careers working in factories.

In the courtyard, only Kong Liuting works as an office director at a bank, and Li Guojiang has an older sister who works in the health bureau managing documents.

For these two places, Cui Jingjing didn't even want to submit her resume.

"Then go join the Education Commission! You're already a teacher, wouldn't that be a perfect cover-up?"

Li Guojiang blurted it out.

He remembered clearly: Li Guoyu's aunt, the one he called "Auntie," was originally the vice president of Peking University, but was transferred two years ago, most likely to the Education Commission. His family often talked about old stories from Peking University, and he had heard this story several times.

The Education Commission?

Cui Jingjing's eyelids twitched, and she suddenly remembered Lu Fangfang, who had once pulled her ear and scolded her—she was from the Education Commission, and her father was the office director.

More importantly, the Education Commission oversees all schools in the district, so if you can get in, your future career path for promotions and job transfers will be much smoother.

"But there's no one here in our compound!"

She asked hesitantly.

"Yes. Guoyu's aunt, who is also my maternal aunt, is Wen Keyi. She was at Peking University first, and then she was transferred. She's probably working at the Education Commission now."

Aunt? Also called maternal aunt?

This generational hierarchy is so confusing!

She couldn't help but frown: "What 'close aunt'? What 'aunt'? Explain yourself clearly."

Li Guojiang then explained: His father married two sisters, Wen Keren and Wen Keyi, during the Republic of China era; Li Guoyu was Wen Keren's eldest son, so Wen Keyi was both Li Guoyu's aunt and Li Guojiang's aunt—two layers of blood relation, but they were considered one family in terms of address.

Upon hearing this, Cui Jingjing's eyes widened suddenly, her lips parted slightly, and she remained silent for a long time.

Two sisters sharing one husband?

This matter, when it comes to us, is even more perplexing than the classical Chinese grammar on the blackboard.

"Then let's go to Uncle Guoyu's house for dinner tomorrow night and ask him about it casually."

Before they knew it, it was evening the next day.

Cui Jingjing insisted on asking Kong Liuting, who was heavily pregnant, to leave the kitchen, and then, wearing an apron, she busied herself cooking four dishes and a soup.

At the dinner table, she casually picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs with her chopsticks, and Li Guojiang immediately picked up the conversation:

"Brother Guoyu, is Aunt Wen working at the Education Commission now?"

"Yes, I'm here. What's up?" Li Guoyu picked up a peanut and nodded.

"Here's the thing—Jingjing is pregnant. She's standing for an hour at a time during class and grading homework until midnight. Her body can't take it. You see, Aunt Wen works at the Education Commission. Could she help us find a less demanding job?"

Li Guojiang spoke while shoveling rice into his mouth, his ears turning slightly red.

He felt really bad for troubling his brother again.

"No problem. I'll just give her a call tomorrow morning."

Teachers are under the jurisdiction of the Education Commission, so internal transfers are just a matter of getting a few stamps and going through a process, which is effortless.

"Hello, Deputy Director Wen!!!"

In the deputy director's office on the second floor of the Education Commission, Cui Jingjing stood ramrod straight with her hands folded in front of her abdomen, her voice trembling slightly.

She never imagined that the "Second Aunt Wen" her husband mentioned was actually a deputy director with real power.

This was the highest-ranking official she had ever met in her life.

My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating, and I was even breathing very softly.

She was actually unaware that the director's term was about to expire and he would soon be transferred, with Wen Keyi taking over his position.

At that time, the entire Education Bureau will be decided by her word.

"Jingjing, right? Don't be so polite, relax. You're practically my daughter-in-law now, so if you encounter any difficulties at work in the future, feel free to come to me anytime."

Wen Keyi smiled gently, her tone was plain, yet it carried an undeniable weight.

"Yes, thank you, Deputy Director Wen."

Intelligent, poised, beautiful, and with a calm demeanor—she is a true heroine!

Cui Jingjing walked out of the office, letting out a quiet sigh.