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

"You...you're talking nonsense!"

Li Guoxuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was weak.

"Nonsense? Let's not talk about anything else, just take our old tenement—two years ago, a twenty-year-old man took advantage of the neighbor girl hanging out her laundry and groped her..."

Huang Xirou didn't even blink, her lies flowing as smoothly as water gushing from her mouth.

She had heard of many cases; if she picked two and pieced them together, they would be exactly what she had witnessed.

"The child of a rapist will be stigmatized and gossiped about for life. Can you really bear to let your child be called 'the son of a prisoner' from a young age because you went to jail?"

She was quick-witted, but even more ruthless. Sweat beaded on Li Guoxuan's forehead, and his fingers secretly dug into his palm.

"And your parents, your brother—how will they feel if you go to jail? What will the neighbors say? What will your workplace think of your family? When your younger siblings look for jobs or partners, they'll turn away the moment they hear your name!"

Have you thought about these things?

"You...you stop talking!"

He felt a blur before his eyes, as if he could really see himself standing in court in prison clothes, and hear his child crying in the corner.

"Guoxuan, I'll live a few years longer than you. I'm not kidding, it's the truth."

She sighed, her tone suddenly softening, "Marry me, and everything will be peaceful; don't—you won't be able to handle it."

Li Guoxuan's lips moved, but he ultimately remained silent.

He wanted to escape, but his feet felt like they were nailed to the ground.

Huang Xirou snorted inwardly, knowing that the time was right, so she stopped pressuring him and gave him time, like a fishing rod with bait hanging on it, waiting for the fish to bite.

Her eyes gleamed: This silly boy would be hers sooner or later. Marrying him, her two brothers, both department heads, would be her ladder to higher positions.

At this time, the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Li Guofu had just finished a meeting, ate a bowl of rice in the canteen, and was carrying an enamel mug toward the Construction Bureau.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Less than fifteen minutes later, Huang Xirou spoke again.

"I don't want to marry you..."

Li Guoxuan's voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's hum, almost inaudible even to himself.

"Okay, let's go."

She got up and dusted off her pants.

"Where...where to?"

His throat tightened.

"Police station. We're opening a case today, accusing you of indecent assault."

"I'll report you until you're handcuffed and in jail."

She stared at him, her eyes as cold as ice.

"No! Give me...give me just one more day!"

"No way. Today it's either you get the marriage certificate or you go to jail—there's no third option."

She feared things might get complicated if she waited too long, so her tone was as hard as a brick hitting the ground.

At this moment, the door to the private room creaked open, and Li Guofang, Li Guobiao, and several colleagues walked out, chatting and laughing.

Huang Xirou's eyes twitched, and her expression changed slightly.

If Li Guoxuan were to rush over and cry, and the two section chiefs were to confront her on the spot, how could she possibly win?

Those two aren't Li Guoxuan; you can't fool them.

She reacted quickly, stopping him abruptly: "Wait!"

the other side.

It was a little after 3 p.m. in the office of the Director of the Construction Bureau.

"Little sister, are you out of your mind! The Li Guoxuan you fired is your own brother, Aunt Qin's eldest son!"

Li Guofu rubbed his temples, his tone full of helplessness.

His father, Li Wenguo, had already given him instructions: keep him in check for two years, let him work his way up at the grassroots level, and then promote him.

If Li Jingye had been told earlier, this kid would have been stuck in the office drinking tea and reading newspapers, and he wouldn't have grown at all.

Unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, he stepped into a mud pit.

"Li Guoxuan...is he my younger brother?"

"Brother! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"You...you've ruined me!"

Li Jingye was stunned at first, then her face turned pale.

Now, if someone gets labeled as a hooligan, the rumors spread like wildfire throughout the bureau.

She didn't dare to imagine the consequences if her father, Li Wenguo, found out.

"How can we clean this up now?"

Li Jingye asked urgently.

Her heart felt like it was being clenched, and her palms were sweaty. Just thinking about her father Li Wenguo's stern face made her legs go weak, her mind went blank, and she couldn't even think of a coherent sentence.

"We must make Huang Xirou drop the charges immediately and then make her admit in person that she set up Guoxuan herself. Only in this way can Guoxuan be completely exonerated."

Li Guofu said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing the name "Huang Xirou," Li Jingye's mind went blank. She instantly remembered: her younger brother hadn't done anything wrong; it was her cousin-in-law, Lin Guosheng, who had actually done it! Cao Ying and Guoxuan were getting along well, and Lin Guosheng was just jealous, so he pushed Huang Xirou into the fire from behind.

Regret pierced my heart like needles—I should have stopped Lin Guosheng earlier, and not let him run wild.

"Smack!!!"

After hearing this, Li Guofu slammed his hand on the edge of the table, making the teacup jump.

He stared at Li Jingye, his brows furrowed: "Are you out of your mind!"

"You think I'd just turn a blind eye to something like this that crosses the line? Do you think your father would forgive you?"

It's understandable that Li Wenguo would overturn the table on the spot if someone turned his knife on his own younger brother.

"Brother...you have to cover for me in front of Dad. Just say I was kept in the dark and knew nothing about it! Otherwise, he might really break my legs!"

Li Jingye's voice trembled, and her eyes reddened.

I still remember the feeling of being beaten when I was a child—my father would raise a rattan cane and yell, "If you don't behave, I'll break both your legs!" It scared us girls so much that we didn't dare to turn over in bed at night.

"you……"

"Ring ring!!!"

The phone suddenly rang loudly.

"I am Li Guofu!"

He picked up the receiver, and a low, hoarse voice came from the other end, as cold as ice.

"What exactly happened?"

Li Guofu's Adam's apple bobbed, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on his back. He wanted to cover for his sister, but the words stuck in his throat—expulsion from the Party, demotion, and reassignment—all written in black and white, were signed by her own hand. His father only needed to flip through two pages of the documents to uncover the truth.

He gritted his teeth and recounted the whole story of how Lin Guosheng colluded with Huang Xirou to frame Li Guoxuan.

"You two siblings handled this matter well. Also—tell that brat to come see me tonight."

"Beep...beep...beep..."

The phone hangs up.

Li Guofu looked up at his sister, his voice tense: "Father has spoken. Guoxuan's innocence must be cleared today. Also, you're to come over tonight."

Li Jingye's face turned pale instantly.

It’s over.

"The most urgent task is to get Guoxuan out of trouble first, then drag Lin Guosheng out and deal with him according to the rules. Only then will you have a chance to give your father a break."

Li Guofu softened his tone.

Although they are half-siblings, they have worked together for eight or nine years and know each other well.

Lin Guosheng!

You've schemed against your own people; this time, you're doomed!

The thought had barely formed in her mind when an idea took shape. She exchanged a few brief words with Li Guofu, then turned and left, her steps quick and heavy.

In the courtyard house.

After Cao Ying asked Li Jiacheng to pass the message to Li Wenguo, she waited at the gate of the courtyard for Li Guoxuan to return and for Huang Xirou's final offer.

"Guoxuan!!!"

Upon seeing that familiar figure in the distance, Cao Ying ran straight to meet her.

Huang Xirou relented and gave him a day—whether it succeeded or not depended entirely on this one time.

Even if the negotiations break down, at least we can get a new house and five hundred yuan.

"Cao Ying!"

Li Guoxuan responded listlessly, his throat dry.

"What conditions did she set?"

Cao Ying grabbed his arm and pressed him for an answer.

"Sigh... She said she wanted me to marry her."

He smiled bitterly.

"What?!"

"This...this is outrageous!!"

"How old is she? You're only eighteen!"

Cao Ying stood there, stunned, her lips slightly parted.

She'd seen men marry younger women before; but she'd never heard of a younger man being forced into marriage by an older woman before.

"Originally, she only wanted an apartment plus 500 yuan, but she suddenly changed her mind and said she likes me and insists on marrying me. If I don't agree, she'll go to the police station tomorrow to file another complaint against me."

"I'll go home right now and talk to my dad about it."

Li Guoxuan rubbed his temples, his face full of worry.

I wonder if I'll get a scolding or be dragged out and whipped if this gets back to my dad.

"Then... I'll go with you."

Cao Ying tiptoed.

"Um."

Li Guoxuan nodded, without refusing.

"My dad probably hasn't arrived yet."

As he approached the courtyard gate, he glanced at the empty alleyway and, seeing no car in sight, knew what was going on.

"oh."

Cao Ying assumed that her father had taken on some odd jobs and was simply coming home late.

"Beep beep!!!"

Suddenly, a short horn blared in the distance, and a shiny black sedan was driving towards them.

The two turned to look, and Cao Ying frowned slightly—the car was still far away, yet she was already honking her horn to urge people to make way, which was both ostentatious and inappropriate.

Li Guoxuan's eyes lit up: "My dad's here!"

Cao Ying was taken aback.

Your dad?

Could it be that the person sitting in the car is...?

How can a retired worker drive a car like this?

Before he could finish speaking, the car had already come to a smooth stop in front of them.

A man in his early fifties stepped out of the driver's seat. He was well-built and his hair was neatly combed. Cao Ying instinctively assumed he was Li Guoxuan's father and quickly went to greet him, "Hello, Uncle!"

—After all, Li Guoxuan mentioned that his father was a retired worker, so he must be around sixty years old, right?

But she froze as soon as she spoke.

Li Guoxuan called out with a smile, "Uncle Haozi!"

What shocked her even more was that the man went straight to the back door, opened it, and bowed to let her pass—

A young man in his thirties stepped off the bus. He was simply dressed and had a calm demeanor. He stood there without making a sound, yet he inexplicably gave people a sense of oppression that made them afraid to look him in the eye.

"Father, you've arrived!"

father?

Is this Li Guoxuan's real father?

Why does she look even younger than Uncle Haozi?

Wasn't he just an ordinary retired worker?

This setup, this aura, it's like a powerful cadre who just retired from some unit...

Cao Ying's mind was buzzing, filled with surprise and doubt.

"Guoxuan, I've heard about what happened to you. Don't worry, your brothers will take care of it. Just relax."

Li Wenguo patted him on the shoulder, his voice deep and resonant.

Qin Huairu taught her son to be well-behaved and obedient from a young age. He always doted on him and spoke to him gently, unlike how he would scold, smash bowls, and break doors at the slightest provocation, as he did with Li Guojiang.

"Dad...you know everything?"

Li Guoxuan lowered his eyes, looking uneasy.

It's embarrassing to talk about this openly; even if I'm innocent, I'm ashamed to admit it.

"Um."

Li Wenguo responded and turned his gaze to Cao Ying.

"Hello, Uncle, I'm Guoxuan's colleague."

Cao Ying immediately stood up straight, her voice clear and bright.

Li Wenguo nodded and didn't ask any more questions, assuming that the two were just close friends.

"Let's go inside and talk."

Once inside the main room, he explained the whole story:

Lin Guosheng was the mastermind behind it all, instructing Huang Xirou to set a trap and frame him.

As for why he took action, Li Wenguo was in a fit of rage at the time and didn't ask in detail; however, he would see his youngest daughter, Li Jingye, tonight and the truth would naturally come out.

Li Guoxuan knew what was going on, and Cao Ying was even more aware of it—

It was precisely because the two were pretending to be a couple that this trouble ensued.

She was both angry at Lin Guosheng's treachery and ashamed that Li Guoxuan had been innocently implicated.

He secretly made up his mind: as soon as he got to work tomorrow morning, he would go to his uncle Li Guofu and ask him to give Lin Guosheng a dressing down and put an end to all his hopes.

Then, Li Wenguo asked about his son's recent situation. He knew that the boy would soon be returning to his post.

The second son, Li Guofu, is always reliable.