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

Once everyone came to their senses, Zhao Ziping's expression immediately changed. Before, he was disdainful, cold, and sabotaged behind people's backs; now, he was all about ingratiating himself, flattering, and trying to get close to them.

But Li Guoxiong knew very well what kind of people his wife's family was.

He never accepted such kindness.

"Sorry, I have to take some documents home to check tonight, I really can't leave."

He had been saying this for a whole year. The meaning was already clear—cut ties.

If it weren't for saving Zhao Ziying's face, that facade would have been torn to shreds long ago.

He still remembers how ruthless Zhao Ziping and Section Chief Shi were when they joined forces to suppress him a couple of years ago.

Li Guoxiong remembered all of these things and told Zhao Ziying everything when he got home.

Zhao Ziying only replied, "I'll follow whatever you want to do."

She didn't mention her family at all, but the meaning couldn't be clearer—even if it meant turning against her own family, she would stand by his side.

But after much deliberation, Li Guoxiong ultimately decided that it wouldn't look good to tear his face apart.

He himself wasn't afraid, but what about Zhao Ziying?

Her parents raised her with great care and love, enduring hardship and giving her countless blessings. Moreover, her father, Li Wenguo, had instilled in her the importance of filial piety since childhood, repeatedly emphasizing it to the core. Putting himself in her shoes, he gritted his teeth and didn't harm a single hair on the Zhao family's head, severing all ties and vowing never to see them again.

He also figured out another way: to make Zhao Ziping's family suffer in silence and regret, which would also be a form of revenge.

Having such a strong backer as your son-in-law and brother-in-law right in front of you, yet not being able to benefit from it at all, that feeling is worse than being slapped in the face.

"Brother-in-law, you..."

"That's not how you address someone in the factory. Call me Section Chief Li." Li Guoxiong didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice as cold as a piece of iron scraping against a cement floor.

"Alright, Section Chief Li! As long as you're willing to bring Ziying to my house for dinner, I'll make you tea as an apology, I'll even kneel down and kowtow!"

His voice trailed off, his back bent low into the dust.

Their whole family is the type to take advantage of others. Now that the younger sister has climbed up the social ladder, not only can she reap the benefits, but just mentioning "my brother-in-law is Section Chief Li" makes her beam with pride. This opportunity must be seized.

As for bowing down? That's nothing to them. Sticking their noses up to others is the real skill.

"Didn't I say I had plans for tonight?"

Li Guoxiong's tone remained unchanged.

The softer the other party was, the harder he became, without showing the slightest bit of smugness.

"It's okay, if not tonight, we can do it another day..."

"Smack!!!"

An enamel plate slammed heavily on the table, abruptly cutting off Zhao Ziping's words.

He turned his head sharply and almost slipped off the stool—it was Li Jingya, the office director.

Everyone in the factory knew she was known as the "Iron Lady," and rumors circulated that she would be promoted to deputy factory director next year. Zhao Ziping's legs were trembling so badly that he forgot to put down his chopsticks.

"Zhao Ziping, I have official business to discuss with Section Chief Li. Please move to another table."

"Okay! I'm leaving now, I'm leaving now!"

He picked up his lunchbox and ran off to the farthest table, not daring to even turn his back in this direction.

"Heh, wasn't it satisfying to see that bastard bowing and scraping like that?" Li Jingya's lips curled up slightly, her voice low and steady.

The cafeteria was crowded and noisy, but since the younger brother was now a proper section chief, no one dared to gossip about the siblings' banter. Even if they did overhear, no one dared to come up and ask questions—anyone who dared would first have to consider whether Director Li would even frown.

Her position was perfect for supporting her newly appointed brother and keeping those senior, cunning deputy section chiefs in check.

"That felt so good! Sis, you have no idea, when he looked down on me and kicked me out, I even lost a shoe in the process..."

Li Guoxiong spoke in a low voice, his eyes gleaming.

Zhao Ziping secretly glimpsed this scene from afar, and suddenly felt a pang of panic as he choked on the cornbread in his hand.

So it turns out Director Li and Li Guoxiong are relatives! No wonder he got promoted so quickly!

Next year, once Director Li becomes the deputy factory director, this...

That day after work.

With a broad smile, Cui Mingming accompanied the middle-aged man in his thirties as they walked back from the scrap yard outside the courtyard.

He is Cui Jingjing's younger brother, and this small courtyard is where his sister provides him with a place to stay. The man next to him is Chang Daman, the section chief of the scrap yard—he's the one who calls the shots at the entire scrap yard.

"Although the yard is small, it is kept clean and tidy. It's more than enough for you to live in by yourself."

Chang Daman slowly scanned the area, nodding as he looked.

"Hehe, Section Chief Chang, you're absolutely right! Please have a seat, I'll get you some water. My sister will be here soon—she works at the Jade Bureau, which is a bit far from here."

Cui Mingming deftly handed over a cup of hot tea, her eyes crinkling into slits with a smile.

"Is your sister... really as beautiful as the rumors say?"

Chang Daman grinned, and those who knew, understood.

"How could that be fake? Back in the village, my sister was the prettiest girl! If she weren't this beautiful, would any city guy have wanted her as a wife? Don't you think that makes sense?"

When her sister was mentioned, Cui Mingming puffed out her chest and spoke with great confidence.

"Good, good! If this works out, I'll personally reserve the section chief position for you next year."

Chang Daman smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Here's the thing -

Cui Mingming has been in the city for more than three years and has been working at the scrap yard ever since.

This job was arranged by her brother-in-law, Li Guojiang. Although he called her "brother-in-law," Cui Mingming was actually two years older than him—after all, her older sister, Cui Jingjing, was five years older than Li Guojiang. But Cui Mingming mistakenly believed it was her sister who arranged it; after all, how could an ordinary factory worker get such a permanent position?

Cui Mingming wanted to find a girl with a stable job in the city to settle down with, but as soon as they heard he worked at a scrap yard, they immediately shook their heads. Unless he rose to the level of section chief, no one would be willing to date him.

So he set his sights on Section Chief Chang. Hearing that Chang Daman had just lost his wife, Cui Mingming immediately turned her attention to her sister.

Her older sister is now a section chief in the Education Bureau, while her brother-in-law, Li Guojiang, is just a frontline worker in the Second Garment Factory. Cui Mingming is completely unaware of the inside story and simply thinks that Li Guojiang is unambitious, a lazy bum, and unworthy of being her sister's husband.

On one occasion, he even secretly advised his sister to divorce her husband and remarry one of the powerful officials in the government. Each time, Cui Jingjing scolded him harshly.

This time, he simply invited his sister over without prior notice—he wanted her to see for herself the difference between a real section chief and that "good-for-nothing" brother-in-law.

Cui Jingjing knew long ago that her younger brother was short-sighted and was afraid that he would embarrass himself or cause trouble outside, so she kept her husband's family background a secret and never allowed him to step into the government compound.

Therefore, Cui Mingming is still unaware that Li Guojiang has ulterior motives, which is why this absurd thing happened.

In Cui Mingming's eyes, although her sister was remarried, her identity was clear—she was the head of the Yu Bureau, and she was dignified and beautiful. She was a perfect match for Chang Daman, a fellow section chief and widow.

If this goes through, he'll immediately have two close relatives who are section chiefs: a section chief's sister and a section chief's brother-in-law. Just getting word out about it will be enough for him to strut around the scrap yard with his head held high!

With Chang Daman's future support, promotion would be a natural progression, and marrying a city girl would be a simple matter—just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

He couldn't help but imagine their future together: tiling their new home, his wife getting a perm, and their child attending a top-tier elementary school...

Soon.

Footsteps clicked and clacked outside the door.

Unhurried and steady, with a powerful and measured pace, as if measured by a ruler, it was the kind of pace only someone who sits in an office giving orders all year round would have.

"Section Chief Chang, it must be my sister who has arrived."

Cui Mingming turned her head and said into the house.

Chang Daman nodded, leaned forward slightly, and his eyes lit up—just hearing his footsteps was enough to warm one's heart.

Cui Mingming strode out to greet her and immediately spotted Cui Jingjing standing on the steps: sharp features, a straight back, and an undeniable weight in her eyes.

"Mingming, what's wrong?"

The voice was clear and bright, but the ending tone was soft, like a thin blade wrapped in velvet. Upon hearing this, Chang Daman's lips unconsciously curled upwards.

"Sister, please come inside!"

Cui Mingming eagerly extended her hand to lead the way.

But just as Cui Jingjing lifted her foot to enter, her gaze swept across the room and she saw a middle-aged man sitting at the table, staring straight at her with increasingly intense eyes. Her brows furrowed immediately, and she stopped abruptly outside the threshold.

"Speak! What is it?!"

Her tone turned cold, tinged with anger. Her mind was already churning—what mischief was this kid up to now?

But out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the man, who was well-dressed and sat with a composed posture. She guessed he was her boss, and suppressed her temper, not lashing out on the spot. She was afraid that if things really turned sour, her brother would have an even harder time holding his head high at the factory.

"Sister, please come in and have a seat. Let me introduce you to a 'leader'."

He emphasized the word "leader" with a heavy, loud tone.

Upon hearing this, Chang Daman instinctively straightened his back, his shoulder line tensing even more.

"I don't have time. My family is waiting for me to come home and cook; my husband and kids are hungry."

Cui Jingjing's words were sharp, clearly drawing a line: I have a husband and a family, and I am not someone you are targeting.

"Sister, wait a minute! This is Section Chief Chang from our factory—Chang Daman! He just lost his wife last year. He's a section chief like you, and he's single too. What a perfect match!"

Cui Mingming chased after him to the door, speaking rapidly as she poured out all the words she had been preparing for a long time.

Cui Jingjing stopped and glanced to the side. Chang Daman remained seated, showing no intention of getting up. Her face instantly darkened. She turned and barked at her brother, "Cui Mingming! I'm warning you, if you dare use me as a bargaining chip to climb the social ladder again, I'll sever all ties with you! Your brother-in-law and I are perfectly on good terms, we're of one mind, and I've never had any such thoughts! You remember this: if there's a next time, you're packing your bags and going back to your hometown to farm!"

After yelling, she turned and left without stopping.

Her heart felt heavy and suffocated—this younger brother was disappointing her more and more each time.

If it weren't for her parents' dying words: "Jingjing, you are the eldest, your younger brother is unreliable, you have to protect him..." she would have kicked him out of the city gate long ago, out of sight, out of mind.

Cui Mingming stood frozen in place, staring at her sister's resolute back, her face turning pale and then red, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

He was completely baffled: his sister was a section chief in the Jade Bureau, in charge of a whole bunch of things, so why would she fall for an ordinary, insignificant worker in the factory? This just didn't make sense to anyone.

He walked back to the hall dejectedly, his face burning, and stammered to Chang Daman, "Um... Section Chief Chang, my sister just left."

"But now that you've met the person, is he to your liking?"

"Ha, she has no choice in the person—but your sister has no intention of going on blind dates at all."

Chang Daman didn't even lift his eyelids, but he could already hear the coldness and rejection in Cui Jingjing's words.

"Section Chief Chang, please give me a few more days. I'll go back and try to persuade my sister!"

Cui Mingming was so anxious that her voice was weak, fearing that Chang Daman would give her a hard time.