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

Fresh, piping hot, with a hint of undisguised probing.

Li Guoqing's Adam's apple bobbed, but he only managed to utter three words: "Let's take another look."

She slept with him for four whole years and figured out his temperament—he would never truly push away someone he couldn't bear to part with.

—On the other side.

Feng Linlin knew the way well, turned into the old government compound near Wangfujing in Dongcheng District, and went straight to Building No. 19.

Two years have passed, and she has given birth. Her complexion is even more radiant, her eyes are bright, and her skin glows like a tender lotus just pulled from spring water.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

When the door opened, Li Guohang was stunned for two seconds.

Standing outside the door was a girl he had taught years ago, a woman he had gotten pregnant and who later went to the delivery room.

The atmosphere was a bit tense.

"Air China instructor, you...you're out!"

She smiled naturally, her tone so familiar that it was as if she had been passing notes in the back of the classroom just yesterday.

"Yes, it's out."

"I came to see Jia Shuang."

That's right, the child's name is Jia Shuang. It was chosen by Song Xiaoqin. It means—he has two mothers.

When Song Xiaoqin brought her child home, she thought it over and over, but ultimately decided not to hide it from him. She had made up her mind: the child didn't bear the Li surname, and when he grew up, he would eventually know who his biological mother was; but right now, the Li family's legacy was there—Li Wenguo had retired, and Li Guoxuan held a high position, meaning that her husband would inevitably receive a share of the family fortune. And that share of the family business had to be inherited by her own son.

Outsiders, no.

Li Guohang led her into the house. The little one had just turned two years old, wearing a blue shirt, and was building blocks on the carpet.

Song Xiaoqin went to work; she was two months pregnant. She entrusted the baby to him when she left this morning. Li Guohang had already worn out those parenting books; he could even recite the annotations. Now, he was bored out of his mind at home, so he could only hold the remote control and change channels one by one.

As soon as Feng Linlin entered the room, the enthusiasm from two years ago seemed to burst forth—she talked about school, old stories, and how to choose nicknames for her children, getting faster and faster, and her voice becoming brighter and brighter as she spoke.

Whether she was engrossed in the conversation or just lost her mind, she suddenly laughed and said, "I really miss the days when we were in class..."

Before he could finish speaking, he paused for a moment.

She remains unmarried to this day.

Li Guohang's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously tensed his shoulders.

Fortunately, he had only been out for three months. The days in prison were etched into his bones—he dared not accept even the most stern words, nor meet even the most intense gazes. He was afraid that if he wasn't careful, he would fall into the same trap again.

As it was almost time to leave work, Feng Linlin got up to say goodbye.

He saw her to the door, letting out a soft breath. For two months, he'd been holding back these thoughts. Seeing her again, those images automatically flooded his mind: the curve of her neck as she bent down to tie her shoelaces, the teardrops clinging to her eyelashes when she cried, the trembling in her voice when she first called his name… The more he suppressed the thoughts, the more vivid they became. As he parted, he almost reached out to grab her wrist, clenching his fist so tightly that his nails dug into his palm.

—In a private room on the second floor of a state-run restaurant.

Li Jiacheng sat down next to Cao Ying and lowered his voice: "Cousin, how far have you and Uncle Guoxuan gotten? It's been over two years, why haven't you gotten married yet?"

Logically speaking, the two are well-matched in terms of social standing and age, and after dating for so long, things should have naturally progressed to marriage. However, Cao Ying becomes more and more radiant every year, which makes Li Jiacheng anxious—a few friends jokingly asked him a couple of days ago if he could play matchmaker, and although he smiled and declined, he had already kept her out of the picture in his heart.

Pretty girls should stay in the family. He understands the saying, "Don't let the good stuff go to outsiders."

"Ha, Jiacheng, you're more anxious than the person involved?" Cao Ying raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips. "You and Guoxuan are just neighbors, not even related. Why are you meddling so much?"

"The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is," she thought to herself, but on the surface she only wore a slight smile.

"That's different." Li Jiacheng straightened up, his tone serious. "Uncle Guoxuan and I grew up together, naked, raiding bird nests, stealing watermelons, and copying homework. Neighbors are neighbors, but in my heart, he's like my own brother."

"Oh?" Cao Ying raised an eyebrow slightly, genuinely surprised. "So your relationship is that deep?"

After addressing him as "Big Brother" and "Little Brother," Cao Ying finally realized what was going on—Li Jiacheng was being far too respectful to Li Guoxuan.

She knew Li Jiacheng's background well: he was the eldest grandson of the Li family, with roots even deeper than hers. He had been running wild in the Zhongnanhai compound since he was a child, and even the leaders of the ministries would nod and smile when they saw him.

Yet this arrogant and haughty man was completely subservient to Li Guoxuan, calling him "Big Brother" smoothly without the slightest hint of reluctance. Cao Ying's heart skipped a beat: Could it be that Li Guoxuan had some other background? Or was it really just a childhood friendship where they played in the mud, ate popsicles, and copied homework together?

She pondered that the Li family in the capital was already only a step away from being among the top few families.

Judging solely from Li Guoxuan's background—living in a tenement courtyard, his mother being a section-level cadre in a steel rolling mill, and his father a retired worker—there's no way he could control Li Jiacheng. After much thought, there's only one possibility: they're practically inseparable, practically inseparable since childhood.

The two were talking in hushed tones when several well-dressed young men across the round table kept glancing in Cao Ying's direction. They were also third-generation scions of the compound, and had long had their eyes on Cao Ying.

The Li family man stood there like a Taoist guardian deity, and no one dared to approach him—fearing that if they offended this man, their own father would have to personally apologize with a belt.

After the meeting ended and everyone left, the group agreed to meet at a quiet teahouse in Houhai.

"It's been confirmed. Cao Ying's current boyfriend works in the same unit and his name is Li Guoxuan."

The speaker was an ordinary-looking young man, his fingers unconsciously twirling the rim of his teacup.

What's his family situation?

A person next to me asked.

"No strong background was uncovered. She lived in an old courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang, and was Li Jiacheng's neighbor in the front and back yards. Her mother was a section chief in a steel rolling mill, and her father was an ordinary worker who had retired from the factory."

"Oh, from the tenement courtyard?"

Someone scoffed, "At best, he's just the kid of a minor official."

Their grandfathers were mostly retired vice-ministerial level officials; their fathers and uncles were either department-level or deputy department-level officials. When they went out on business, their office directors would greet them at the bottom of the steps before their cars even came to a complete stop. Hearing Li Guoxuan's resume, they naturally looked down on him.

"That's right, he's the son of a low-ranking official. We can mold him however we want, right?"

Another person chimed in.

"But then again, she's quite close to Jiacheng."

A sharp-looking young man, who didn't talk much, spoke slowly, "Even if you're going to take action, you should think carefully about the consequences."

"How can we break them apart without using drastic measures?"

The guy next to him, Jianjun, scratched his head, looking completely blank.

"Hmph, soldiers are all so stubborn." Weihao glanced at him sideways. "Sometimes, a gentle push is all it takes for someone to fall into a ditch on their own. Do you have to use a sledgehammer to smash them down?"

"Oh, easy for you to say! Then why don't you push someone out and show me?" Jianjun raised an eyebrow. "If you can get Cao Ying away from that kid, I'll call you 'brother'!"

Weihao laughed, picked up his teacup and blew on it: "Alright, I'll show you something."

He put down his cup and lowered his voice: "I have a girl under my wing, the younger one is exceptionally beautiful, and she was originally intended to be my concubine. This time—I'm parting with her and giving her to him."

"Tsk, relying on women again?" Jianjun scoffed.

This tactic is ultimately not used openly.

"Weihao, Jiacheng isn't stupid. You're using a woman as bait; how can he stand it?"

The other person frowned.

"Don't worry, this time, I won't get my hands dirty." Weihao swirled his tea. "You guys always think the worst, plotting, drugging, setting traps... Why not be open about it? Why not be honest and straightforward, and just do what's right?"

"A conspiracy?" Everyone was taken aback.

The capable young man lightly tapped the table with his fingertip, as if he had already guessed correctly.

"You mean—let her get together with him, then marry him?" Jianjun suddenly slapped his thigh. "That's right! If both parties are willing, they can get married and live together, and no one can find fault with that!"

"That's right." Weihao nodded. "The girl has a clean background, both parents are alive, she's a former high school teacher, and she's never even held hands with a stranger. Is she a good match for him? More than enough."

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Several people gave a thumbs up.

"However—" Weihao slammed his teacup on the table, "I've gone to such lengths to do Cao Ying this favor, shouldn't I go first?"

Strike first, strike hard – that's the unspoken rule in the industry.

"No way!" Someone immediately waved their hand. "We agreed that it would be based on merit, no underhanded tactics. You think you can change your priority by throwing out a girl? I can throw one out too."

"Yes! I have a girl in my life too. She's well-mannered, highly educated, and has never even had a serious boyfriend. I'll offer my services and I'll pursue her first!"

"I'll go for it! Give me a chance!"

"I'll do it!!!"

……

For ordinary families, being able to marry a wife who is good-looking and gentle is already considered a stroke of good fortune.

But for these people, pretty girls are nothing more than pawns at hand, or cats and dogs to amuse them in their spare time. What's truly valuable are the words "compound" printed on their household registration certificates, and the "three generations of red" stamp on their file folders—like Cao Ying.

After giving birth to her son, Zeng Minzhi recovered well and had a healthy, rosy complexion.

At exactly 10 p.m. that night, her husband, Li Guoxin, pushed open the door and came out, having finished washing up and drying his hair. Zeng Minzhi had already prepared a laundry basket and, as usual, reached into his shirt pocket—to see if any more long, black hairs that didn't belong to her had fallen in.

When I poked my fingertip in, it was empty.

She paused, her brow furrowing slightly: "That's it?"

His mind raced: Did he notice and casually take it out and throw it away before coming in? Or did that woman... not put it back?

Verification isn't difficult. Just see if he sleeps with her tonight. If they're intimate as usual, it's probably peaceful; if he feigns exhaustion and turns his back—then it's almost certainly true.

These days, she pondered it repeatedly, becoming more and more certain: Li Guoxin was most likely seeing someone else.

If it were a political enemy trying to sabotage things, why would they resort to such underhanded tricks? They would have already received a whistleblower letter, an investigation team, and a series of interviews with the authorities.

This method, subtle and deliberately designed to stab people in the heart...

It was clearly a woman's work.

She deliberately chose to do this when her pregnancy was becoming more obvious, clearly indicating that she intended to use the fetus in her womb as leverage.