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

Her office, the County Construction and Social Security Bureau, was located within the county government compound. That day, Li Guoqing came in carrying a document and happened to bump into her. After inquiring, she learned that he was the younger brother of the newly appointed county head, Li Guoxin, and also his personal secretary. She immediately kept a close eye on him and invited him to dinner after get off work.

At the dinner table, she didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I'm willing to follow you, I just ask you to give me a hand."

Li Guoqing was always cautious—he knew clearly what had happened to his brother, Li Guoxin, back then. He had originally planned to find a young widow, someone clean and efficient, someone he could easily leave behind;

But the man before her was a legitimate public servant with a clean record, far superior to those widows who would give themselves to someone for food. After much deliberation, he set a few firm rules, which Huang Xirou agreed to, and only then did the two make contact.

She had indeed only been with one man. Back then, life was tough, and many widows secretly exchanged their bodies for food coupons or cloth coupons, but she never did that.

"It's great, I really enjoy it."

Li Guoqing lazily embraced her, looking relaxed and satisfied.

"The office manager position will be vacant next month. Could you... perhaps put in a good word for me with my brother?"

Huang Xirou looked up, her eyes full of hope.

In the county's administrative hierarchy, the office director is only a deputy section chief, but in Qingyan County, she's already a powerful minor leader. She had big ambitions, asking for the position right off the bat. But she was certainly qualified—as a cadre from Beijing, her official rank was naturally higher, making it easy for her to outrank the locals.

"It's not difficult. I'll mention it to my brother later and get you promoted."

"But how do you plan to thank me?"

"How about this?"

She smiled alluringly, her eyes crinkling at the corners, before burying her head in the blankets.

When he returned to the courtyard, he told Li Guoxin about it.

"You've gotten involved with Huang Xirou?"

Li Guoxin frowned and his voice turned somber.

"Um!"

Li Guoqing answered decisively.

If his brother can do it, why can't he?

"You're so foolish! You agreed to the family your sister-in-law found for you last time, so why are you messing around outside again?"

"Aren't you afraid of making a mess of things?"

Li Guoxin's fingers trembled with anger as he stared at him with a look of utter disappointment.

Just last holiday, his wife, Zeng Minzhi, asked her family to act as matchmakers, introducing her brother-in-law to a girl: her father was the director of the factory office, and the girl herself was a deputy section chief; she was beautiful, came from a wealthy family, and was practically perfect. Both sides agreed, and the wedding date was set for the second half of the year.

"It's only February now (it's 1973), and there are still more than half a year until my wedding. I can't wait. Besides, once I'm married, I'll naturally cut all ties."

Li Guoqing was completely unconcerned. "You're no better than me anyway, what am I afraid of? You dare to complain about me to Dad?"

"You—sigh!"

Looking at his nonchalant attitude, Li Guoxin finally gave up and stopped trying to persuade him or scolding him.

He himself is like that, how can he have the nerve to lecture his younger brother?

Now that things have come to this, no amount of arguing can change the established facts.

"Is that person reliable? I don't want them to keep bothering you endlessly."

This is the most important thing.

"Don't worry, she's no longer a virgin, and she's made it clear—we're each looking out for ourselves, and we're even."

He learned from his brother Li Guoxin's lesson: never touch a girl who is not physically clean, so as not to get into trouble.

"Alright, I hope so."

Li Guoxin sighed, his heart sinking. His father had repeatedly told him to take good care of his younger brother before he passed away, but now he had broken the rules himself and had to cover for him.

What kind of nonsense is this!

Deep in the alley, in a small courtyard.

"I told you before, you can't just do whatever you want at work! You have to be mindful of people's moods and know who you can't mess with or touch. But you wouldn't listen, and now look what's happened—you've dragged me and the kids to this place in Qingyan County, where we're just wasting our days in the police station!"

The woman in her early thirties stared at Fan Bin, her tone both anxious and resentful. Because Fan Bin had deliberately framed Li Guoxuan, his own father, Li Wenguo, had used his connections to transfer him to this remote and impoverished grassroots unit.

"Stop nagging, it's so annoying."

He tilted his head back and gulped down a glass of wine, his brows furrowed in worry.

"Let me make this clear—if you keep acting so recklessly, next time you won't just be transferred to the county, you'll be sent to the town! Then you'll never be able to turn your life around, and the three of us will all starve because of you!"

"Old Fan, even if you don't think about yourself, think about the children!"

"Okay, okay, I agree! From now on, I'll bow and scrape to the leaders, serve them tea and cigarettes, is that alright?"

He wasn't truly tired of his wife's nagging; rather, he'd realized that his "iron-fisted" and "intolerant" approach wouldn't bring him any real benefit. He figured he might as well try a different path.

For no other reason than for my two children.

It's time to choose sides!

Government agencies are just like the underworld, with at least two factions, both overt and covert. Each of these factions clings to a more powerful backer, creating a complex and intertwined web of power.

As long as he chooses the right side, with his abilities, promotion is only a matter of time.

It was the weekend again.

As usual, Cui Mingming carried his wine and strolled into No. 120 Yanzhi Lane to drink with Li Guojiang, whom he considered a "good-for-nothing brother-in-law"—and his companion was still the widowed Xiangxiang.

But this time, Xiangxiang had already prepared a scheme: she secretly put a drug in a bottle of wine, just waiting for Li Guojiang to drink it, and then teasing him a little, and the timing would be perfect.

The two of them took turns drinking, one glass after another, and soon the alcohol took effect.

"By the way, Mingming, just tell me what's wrong, and I'll definitely help if I can."

Last time he was so anxious that he forgot to ask about the important matter, but this time he spoke first.

snort!

You're just an ordinary employee, how could you possibly do what I need to do?

Cui Mingming sneered inwardly.

He always believed that his sister had gotten him this job and didn't believe that this "useless brother-in-law" could help him get promoted to section chief.

He replied dismissively, "Let's talk after we finish the wine."

The two bottles of wine were emptied in the blink of an eye.

Li Guojiang felt hot all over, his ears were burning, and he was sitting on Xiangxiang's arm with his palms sweating profusely, almost unable to sit still.

Xiangxiang raised her eyes and, seeing that the time was right, immediately gave Cui Mingming a wink.

Cui Mingming immediately slapped her forehead: "Oh no! There's still soup simmering on the stove—you guys drink first, I'll hurry back and turn off the heat, otherwise it'll be a disaster if it catches fire!"

Before he could finish speaking, he had already slipped out the door.

He squatted at the alley entrance for a while, and when he heard no movement from inside the house, he turned around and ran to the public phone booth on the street corner, and dialed his sister Cui Jingjing's number.

"Hey sis, it's me, Mingming. I just saw my brother-in-law and a woman dressed in a flamboyant way walking into the courtyard of Rouge Lane. They were all lovey-dovey as soon as they came in... They're probably doing something shady! Come quick and catch them! The address is... I'll be waiting for you at the alley entrance!"

"Beep—beep—beep—"

"Heh heh, Li Guojiang, let's see how you try to shirk responsibility this time!"

Cui Mingming hung up the phone with a sinister smile.

On the other end of the phone, Cui Jingjing put down the receiver, her lips slowly curving upwards, cold as a knife.

"Cui Mingming, you really couldn't hold back, and you still want to use your brother-in-law as a stepping stone?"

"What a pity—the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

Yes, she was the one who was the real culprit.

She used her younger brother to set up a net, and then used that net to deal with her husband, Li Guojiang.

In the end, she will be the only winner.

She calmly took the two children to Li Guoyu's house next door, saying that she had an urgent matter to attend to and asked her younger brother to look after them for a while.

She hopped on her bicycle and slowly pedaled toward Cui Mingming.

When it comes to catching someone cheating, timing is crucial—if you're too early, before the person has even made a move, you might at most be accused of "malicious intent"; if you're too late, the clothes are already buttoned up, and you won't have any leverage to use against them.

Cui Jingjing wasn't after a moment of pleasure; she wanted to firmly hold onto her position as the daughter-in-law of the Li family. So she suppressed her anger and waited until Li Guojiang had just lifted the covers and the matter was halfway through before pushing open the door and entering.

If it weren't for the composure she had developed over the years in the government factory, she probably would have rushed in long ago—what wife could stand by and watch her husband lying naked in someone else's bed?

But if she loses her status in the Li family, she will lose all influence.

Ten minutes later, the wheels stopped at the entrance of Rouge Alley.

"Sis, over here!"

"Quick! Follow me!"

Cui Mingming had been waiting anxiously for a long time. As soon as she saw her sister appear, she immediately grinned, her eyes filled with barely suppressed smugness.

Ah!

Li Guojiang, Li Guojiang, this time you'll have to have your bones disassembled and reassembled!

She forgot that she should keep a straight face, grit her teeth and curse "beast," and act like a proper wife whose dignity had been smashed.

Cui Jingjing caught a glimpse of her brother's face and her heart sank: How did she end up with such a shallow-minded younger brother?

She followed him with a dark expression all the way to the gate of number 120. With a touch of her hand, the old wooden door creaked open—without even removing the bolt.

That's really sloppy.

Cui Jingjing shook her head inwardly. If she hadn't been planning how to make the situation real, she would have suspected that the widow had conspired all along, waiting for her to witness this scene.

As soon as I stepped into the main room, panting sounds leaked out from the inner room, intermittent and sticky.

She had expected to hear this, but the moment her ear caught the sound, her back teeth snapped together, and her nails instantly dug into her palm.

He said coldly, "Open the door."

"Bang—!!!"

Cui Mingming couldn't hold back any longer and kicked him.

The two rushed into the inner room.

Li Guojiang, shirtless, was frantically jumping off the bed; Xiangxiang clutched her chest tightly with both hands, her hair disheveled, her face completely pale.

"Jing...Jingjing?!"

"Listen to me—"

He had assumed he'd bumped into his brother-in-law, but to his utter surprise, it was Cui Jingjing who walked in. His mind went blank for a moment, leaving only two words echoing in his ears: "It's over."

Become!

Cui Mingming let out a long sigh of relief, her eyes gleaming—the evidence was irrefutable, this divorce was inevitable!

"Hurry up and get dressed!" Cui Jingjing shouted sternly.

"Oh! Oh!!" Li Guojiang's hands trembled as he grabbed his pants, even buckling his belt incorrectly.

Then, she turned her face, her gaze sharp as a knife as she looked at Xiangxiang.

"You slut! Shameless whore! You seduced my man, I'll tear your face off today!"

Anger needs an outlet when there's nowhere to vent it.

Outside, no matter how much of a scoundrel Li Guojiang is, he's still her man, so hitting him is like slapping herself in the face; Cui Mingming is her own brother, so if she makes a move, she'll be exposed; only Xiangxiang is left—she's an outsider anyway, and the source of all this filth, so who else should she hit if not her?

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Thump!"

Several slaps landed hard and crisply, and she grabbed Xiangxiang's hair and yanked her down, causing her to tumble off the bed and onto the floor. Cui Jingjing straddled her, riding on her bare back, and began to slap her from both sides.