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

"Your good-for-nothing brother-in-law is indeed working at the Second Garment Factory, isn't he?"

Chang Daman asked again.

"Yes! Just an ordinary clerk, earning at most fifty yuan a month."

Cui Mingming nodded hurriedly.

"Okay, I'll ask around and see if I can pull some strings to take his job."

Chang Daman's tone was low and his words carried a chill.

Without his job, he'd truly become a useless person—Cui Jingjing would probably find it hard to swallow this insult, and a divorce was inevitable!

"Great! As soon as he loses his job, he'll be back to being an ordinary citizen. My sister would never keep someone like that around; she'll definitely get rid of him completely!"

Cui Mingming's eyes lit up, and her mouth stretched almost to her ears.

Chang Daman glanced at him silently, shaking his head inwardly: It's really bad luck to have such a shallow and hard-hearted brother-in-law!

He turned around and went to find a way out.

His father was a retired section chief who came from a small courtyard and was a native of Beijing. His relatives and friends were all based in various work units.

He suddenly remembered that his outstanding cousin from his aunt's side was married to Li Guokui, a section chief at the Second Garment Factory. He figured that by leveraging this connection, he could surely get in touch with Cui Mingming's "brother-in-law" and get rid of him.

……

After getting off work, Li Guojiang rode his bicycle straight to the courtyard where Cui Mingming lived.

After thinking it over repeatedly these past two days, he finally figured it out: he had been tricked into this trap by his brother-in-law. If he hadn't insisted on dragging the widow Xiangxiang to accompany him for drinks, how could he have lost his sense of propriety and ruined his marital relationship?

Now, not only has he failed Cui Jingjing, but he's also being reprimanded by the older siblings in the compound, feeling like a stone is pressing on his chest. Today, he's determined to get to the bottom of this—why did they try to harm him!

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I bumped into Cui Mingming.

"Tell me! Why did you hurt me?"

Li Guojiang stared at him, his voice tense.

"Ha, I harmed you?"

Cui Mingming simply dropped the pretense of civility, "Search your conscience—does a factory errand boy deserve my sister, a section-level cadre in the Jade Bureau?"

"Are they worthy or not? Is that all?"

Li Guojiang froze, his brows furrowing in a frown.

In his eyes, his family had a solid foundation, and Cui Jingjing's rapid promotion was due to his backing; if he wanted to become a section chief, it would be a simple matter of asking. Cui Mingming clearly knew all this, yet she used "difference in status" as an excuse? He didn't believe it.

"Are you really unable to understand human language?"

Cui Mingming, hands on her hips, scoffed, "Look at yourself—no position, no power, fifty a month; and my sister? Section chief, a little over a hundred. A world of difference! And you still have the nerve to cling to her?"

"Pah! You clueless idiot! You have absolutely no self-awareness!"

"Just...just because of this?"

Li Guojiang was stunned, blurting out the words with disbelief on his face.

He hadn't mentioned his family's financial situation, but he assumed Cui Jingjing should have told her brother long ago. Yet, judging from the current situation, she hadn't revealed a single word!

He frowned, a hint of doubt rising in his mind: Why was she keeping it a secret?

Cui Mingming interrupted, "Otherwise what? You're just a freeloader now! I advise you to be sensible and divorce my sister as soon as possible—it's more dignified for everyone, and it won't hinder her future."

"A burden to her? Ha!"

Li Guojiang suddenly burst out laughing, his laughter brimming with absurdity. "If your sister hadn't married me, she'd still be copying reports in some department right now!"

"You're not convinced?"

"Let me tell you, the moment you two broke up, her career advancement skyrocketed. Isn't that hindering her career?"

He ultimately didn't dare to tell the truth—his sister had already set her sights on another man with connections. He couldn't bring himself to say it, and he couldn't bear the embarrassment.

"I didn't hold her back. And let me give you a piece of advice: your sister will never divorce me. Stop wasting your energy and give up on this idea as soon as possible."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Guojiang turned and left, leaving Cui Mingming behind him to continue her sarcastic remarks.

He had seen through his brother-in-law's scheme, but ultimately he didn't expose anything.

He knew that Cui Jingjing was no fool; she was very shrewd. Her reluctance to reveal her family's secrets meant she had something on her mind.

When Li Guojiang pushed open the door, several of his favorite dishes were already laid out on the table—braised carp, stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts, and winter melon soup, still steaming. She didn't scold him, nor did she laugh; she simply placed her chopsticks on the rim of the bowl, like two cold iron bars.

"Um... Jingjing, I went to see your brother today."

As soon as he said it, he felt inferior.

Cui Jingjing glanced over but didn't respond.

These past two days, aside from asking about her child's homework and urging him to pay the utility bills, she hasn't uttered a single extra word. Her anger hasn't dissipated; she's just suppressing it.

Li Guojiang couldn't sit still. Ignoring whether she was listening or not, he blurted out everything Cui Mingming had confessed to, revealing how she had framed him. But Cui Jingjing didn't even blink, only saying calmly:

Even if he intended to harm you, if you could control yourself, you wouldn't have fallen into this mess.

Yes. He accepted the sweet talk from Cui Mingming; he also readily accepted the trap set by Cui Jingjing back then.

A private booth by the window on the second floor of a state-run restaurant.

Chang Daman asked his cousin to act as a go-between and invited Li Guokui.

Li Guokui is Xiaoxue's son. He was born in 1954 and turned 28 in 1973.

Both were section chiefs, but Chang Daman only climbed up the ranks at the age of thirty-eight, a full ten years less experience. Li Guokui, on the other hand, was a true rising star.

Chang Daman knew perfectly well that his cousin's husband had powerful connections, something his own family couldn't even remotely associate with. His cousin's family had long said, "You've climbed too high for him." As for exactly which mountain or ridge he was climbing, no one mentioned it.

Ordinary people, unless they are clueless spoiled brats, would openly reveal their family's wealth. That's not showing off, it's planting time bombs in their families.

"My cousin's husband is truly remarkable at such a young age! He's already taken on the responsibilities of a section chief at such a young age. I bet he'll be promoted to division chief in less than two years."

Chang Daman smiled, filled a wine glass, and pushed it towards him.

"Brother-in-law, you flatter me. A division-level position? It's not that easy—you can't get promoted without years of service and seniority. You can't make a name for yourself just by talking."

Li Guokui picked up his glass, his tone calm and measured, his manner impeccable.

Since it was their first meeting, politeness was just a facade, but wariness was at its core.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, Chang Daman slowly steered the conversation to the main topic.

"Brother-in-law, is there a worker named Li Guojiang in your factory?"

Li Guokui's brow twitched.

Li Guojiang? His younger brother. How could they not know each other?

But he quickly lowered his eyes, his expression unchanged, and only asked, "Is there such a person? My cousin-in-law is asking about him, is there something wrong?"

"Here's what happened—this Li Guojiang is utterly despicable, with a chaotic private life; he's having an affair with a widow. A couple of days ago, his wife caught him red-handed in bed. His wife is a section chief at the Education Bureau, and she's furious and wants a divorce. But Li Guojiang absolutely refuses to budge. His wife is worried about the impact on her workplace and doesn't want to make a big scene, so she asked someone to contact me, hoping the factory will fire him. Without his secure job, he'll have to live at his wife's beck and call, and who will take care of the children…"

He had already thoroughly digested these words, but he kept emphasizing the phrase "misconduct with men and women," both to hurt people's feelings and to give the factory ample reason to fire him.

The more Li Guokui listened, the more his brows furrowed.

That's all nonsense.

Cui Jingjing will never mention divorce.

Besides, if she really wanted to take action against Li Guojiang, she could have gotten Li Guoyu to make the decision with just a word. Why go through all this trouble and ask an outsider?

Seeking outsiders would only make things more difficult—Li Guoyu wouldn't agree, and he himself certainly wouldn't.

Did Li Guojiang provoke Chang Daman, or was he acting as a pawn for someone else?

Li Guokui remained calm and simply said:

"I'll go back and find out more about this, then I'll get back to you."

The Second Garment Factory.

Just as the lunch break bell rang, Li Guokui intercepted Li Guojiang, who was walking towards the canteen, at the workshop entrance.

"Brother Guokui, what's up?" Li Guojiang stopped in his tracks, looking puzzled.

"Come to my office."

Once inside, Li Guokui cut to the chase: "Who have you had a falling out with recently?"

"Or, have you offended someone?"

Li Guojiang was taken aback, then shook his head: "No."

"So—have you been fooling around outside?"

Li Guokui stared at him.

The two did not live in the same courtyard, and only a few households in the courtyard knew about it; outsiders could hardly get a clear picture.

This time, Li Guojiang's lips twitched, but he didn't say anything, only scratched the back of his neck.

Li Guokui immediately understood, and his face darkened:

"outrageous!"

He paused, then asked:

"Besides you, who else knows about this?"

Don't hide it from me.

Li Guojiang sensed something was wrong and decided to be honest.

Five years have passed, and he is now twenty-four years old. The immaturity between his brows has faded, and he has become more composed and steady in his dealings with others, knowing how to prioritize and handle matters with a clear sense of what is important and urgent.

"Okay, let's go eat."

After the meal, Li Guokui found his elder brother, Li Guoyu, and told him the whole story.

After hearing this, Li Guoyu immediately lowered his voice: "Don't make a fuss for now. I'll ask Cui Jingjing directly when I get home from get off work if she knows what's going on, and then we'll decide what to do."

Just after 8 p.m., Kong Liuting, as instructed by her husband, went to the door to ask Cui Jingjing to come over.

Subsequently, Li Guoyu revealed everything that Chang Daman had entrusted to Li Guokui.

Cui Jingjing quickly realized Chang Daman's convoluted scheme.

"Uncle Guoyu, to tell you the truth—my good-for-nothing brother is incredibly short-sighted and snobbish. I've kept quiet about Guojiang's family for fear he'd get into trouble. Now that he sees I'm a section chief and my brother-in-law is just an ordinary employee, he thinks I'm marrying above my station. He's pressuring me to divorce Guojiang and even clamoring for me to marry one of his 'peers' who are officials on the same island… This Chang Daman…"

"But I've already given him a good talking-to. Guojiang and I have a very good relationship and will never break up. He'll never dare to say such nonsense again."

She told almost everything, except for the part about her brother secretly setting a trap for Li Guojiang. Of course, the night before, she had secretly instructed Li Guojiang to cover for her, and the condition was simple: the two of them could remain as close as before, and she would no longer put on a stern face or act aloof.

Li Guojiang was still somewhat hesitant, but after she gently clung to him, he immediately nodded.

Ultimately, words spoken in bed are always a little softer on everyone.

"Okay, I understand."

After hearing this, Li Guoyu nodded slightly, signaling her to go back.

Cui Jingjing felt reassured—Guo Yubo always kept his word, and this matter would surely be resolved properly.

She wasn't worried about her younger brother either, having already subtly hinted that there was no need to delve into the matter.

Li Guoyu would certainly not bother with such an insignificant character.