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

After a busy day, they finally moved into the brand-new little building. Guan Yan's family couldn't stop smiling, especially her brother-in-law, Guan Bin, whose mouth was practically stretched to his ears—the house was spacious and bright, and he and his wife finally had their own space; the shop downstairs facing the street could be rented out to collect income, and they could make a living by doing some small business. He called him "brother-in-law" repeatedly, his tone crisp and warm, even more frequently than when he called his own father, his affection as if Li Guoman had just pulled him out of the mud and given him a livelihood for half his life.

That night, for the first time, Li Guoman didn't sleep on the living room sofa, but instead went to the master bedroom—a room of about thirty square meters, bright and clean, with a wide bed and soft blankets. He no longer had to live in fear in the middle of the night, afraid that in the middle of passion, the door would creak open and someone would shuffle off to the bathroom in slippers. This time, he felt at ease, and they could do whatever they wanted.

"Thank you, Guoman."

Guan Yan buried her face deeply in his chest, her voice muffled, yet warm like a freshly warmed quilt.

"What are you thanking me for?" He raised his hand and rubbed the back of her neck. "You're my wife now. If I don't treat you well, who else can I treat well?"

This wasn't just polite talk. A few days ago, she had a few drinks, and once she started talking, she poured out all the secrets she had kept hidden for three years: from the first time she saw him on the day of university orientation, to secretly following him on his bicycle for half a block during her internship, and then to later gritting her teeth and supporting the whole family... As Li Guoman listened, his heart felt like it was being soaked in warm water, both sour and tender.

He held her tighter, his hand slowly sliding down her smooth back, his fingertips brushing against the curve of her shoulder blades. After staying here for the past few days, he had figured out the Guan family's background—

Guan's parents retired early and stayed at home in their sixties. They had no pension and no other income. Guan Bin worked odd jobs outside, changing jobs every few days. Even the money for his wedding was paid by Guan Yan. In the past few years, she has shouldered everything alone: ​​buying medicine for her parents, paying off her brother's debts, supporting him to finish vocational school, and even saving every penny to renovate the old house in their hometown.

Li Guoman admired her, but felt even more sorry for her. A young woman, all alone, venturing into the city—how could she possibly survive on physical strength alone?

Now that they were husband and wife, he made up his mind: from now on, he would shield her from the wind and rain, let her catch her breath, take her burdens, and be a wife who would be cherished.

"Guoman, you're so good to me." She looked up, her eyes shining like stars. "I swear, I'll stay with you for the rest of my life. If you're angry, I'll never talk back; if you're annoyed, I'll take your scolding without fighting back—as long as you're happy, I'll be content."

This house is not just a shelter from the wind and rain, but also the hope she has finally waited for after so many years: people live upstairs, and people make a living downstairs. The family's life finally has a future.

"Silly girl, how could I bear to?" He smiled and pinched the tip of her nose.

He believed her – back when they lived together after graduation, Guan Yan had taken excellent care of him: her socks were always neatly folded, her shirt collars were quietly replaced when they got frayed, and even when he stayed up late revising his thesis, there was always a cup of warm honey water on the table.

"Guoman, let me serve you well."

At this moment, all she could give him was her tenderness and her sincere heart.

"Crackling! Crackling!"

The festive atmosphere of the New Year is bursting forth.

The sound of firecrackers echoed from one end of the alley to the other, leaving red paper scraps scattered on the ground. Now that the marriage was settled, Guan Yan took advantage of the New Year to visit relatives, formally introducing Li Guoman to each family. Whenever she encountered a family struggling financially or having difficulty enrolling their child in school, Li Guoman would readily hand over several hundred yuan. Guan Yan stood tall and proud, her face beaming. Each time a relative praised her "generous brother-in-law," she felt a surge of sweetness, believing herself to be the most fortunate woman in the world.

But good days are like flames in a stove; they burn brightly for a while, then quietly fade away. On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the two of them, carrying large and small bags, boarded the old-fashioned green train back to Beijing.

Upon arriving in the capital, Li Guoman didn't rest but led Guan Yan directly into a courtyard house. The old courtyard had blue bricks and gray tiles, with gnarled jujube tree branches reaching into the courtyard wall. He led her by the hand through the hanging flower gate, first paying respects to his father, Li Wenguo, and then introducing her to his mother, Qin Huairu.

Li Wenguo asked a few questions about the Guan family's situation, and after understanding the situation, he didn't say much, just nodded in agreement.

Qin Huairu kept her lips pursed, her eyes scanning Guan Yan's face back and forth—not because she was picky about her appearance, nor because she disliked her family's poor background, but because of her age: Guan Yan would be twenty-eight after the New Year, while Li Guoman was only twenty-three, a whole twelve years apart.

Her face was tense, and her voice was neither loud nor soft: "Guoman, have you really thought this through?"

How could Li Guoman not understand the unspoken meaning? His mother had repeatedly mentioned the age difference when the topic was brought up earlier. But she was already his, and their hearts were already intertwined; there was no turning back. Besides, after spending these days together, Guan Yan's steadiness, efficiency, and lack of competitiveness touched his heart—she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Guan Yan stood to the side, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, her head slightly lowered. When her mother-in-law glanced at her, her heart skipped a beat, and she felt as if she were being weighed on a scale, light as a feather, unable to even stand steadily.

"Alright, alright, it's settled then." Li Wenguo made the final decision. "I'll have Lao Zhang pick a good day to hold the banquet."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yan finally felt a sense of relief, and even her fingertips felt lighter.

After Li Guoman took Guan Yan back to the house to pack their luggage, Qin Huairu immediately frowned and went to Li Wenguo to complain, "Master, why did you agree so readily? She's five years older than our Guoman. What will the neighbors say if word gets out? Where will the Li family's reputation be?"

She paused, then lowered her voice, "Besides, Northeastern girls have fiery tempers, and when they get angry, men can't control them—aren't you afraid that Guoman will be subservient after marriage, having to watch his step when he speaks?"

Li Wenguo slowly took a sip of tea: "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. As long as the girl is honest, hardworking, and kind-hearted, what's wrong with her being a little older? Our family doesn't rely on marriage alliances to climb the social ladder."

He had long seen through it: the Li family had a solid foundation and deep roots in the capital, so they didn't need to rely on marriage alliances to enhance their power. His son liked him and was of good character; that was enough.

Qin Huairu snorted, "You make it sound so easy! Guohua, Guotai, and Guofu all married daughters of high-ranking officials who grew up in wealthy compounds. But Guoman, not only is his family poor, but he's also much younger than you. And you, without even blinking, nodded in agreement!"

These words contained decades of pent-up resentment.

She came from an ordinary background, having been raised by Li Wenguo as a concubine outside the family. Having entered the household late and with shallow roots, she always felt inferior. She accepted her fate, but when it came to her son, she was determined to prove him wrong—she couldn't let him lose at the starting line, nor could she lose face.

Upon hearing this, Li Wenguo frowned, put down his teacup, and said, "Oh, you've gotten bolder today? You dare to disregard my words? Have I been too lenient with you, and you've become too arrogant?"

Qin Huairu quickly lowered her hands and took a half step back, her voice softening: "I wouldn't dare... I'm just begging you, from now on, Guoqian can't let him do whatever he wants when he's looking for a partner."

Li Guoqian is her third son, born in 1962, and has just turned twenty-one.

Qin Huairu didn't say it explicitly, but her meaning was very clear—to arrange a marriage with Li Guoqian, they had to aim high and ideally get involved with the sons of high-ranking officials.

As she spoke, she took off her thick cotton-padded coat, rolled up her sleeves, swayed her waist, and slowly strolled over. Finally, she gently sat down on Li Wenguo's lap.

Her body was soft, and her eyes were soft; she clearly wanted to use this appearance to soften her husband's heart so that he would agree to make arrangements for their son.

How could Li Wenguo refuse? His hands were already restless, tracing down her back and then kneading her back.

"Guoqian still has a year before graduation. If you really care, you have to keep a close eye on him—make sure he doesn't cause any trouble at school. If he gets into a fatal accident, I won't be there to cover for him or clean up his mess."

These words sound tough, but they really mean the same thing: no dating on campus, and absolutely no getting anyone pregnant; otherwise, the path to becoming a privileged child of a high-ranking official is completely blocked.

"Sir, I understand... Please carry me back to my room."

Qin Huairu's voice was low, with a slight tremor at the end, as if it were on fire, both urgent and soft, with a hint of coquettish urging.

Fortunately, all the children had gone out to play, and the house was empty, so no one saw them. Li Wenguo took advantage of the situation and picked her up.

"You dared to talk back just now? I'll make sure you're bedridden for three days straight, and I'll write my surname backwards right here and now!"

With a stern face, he pulled his arm back and leaped into the air, his steps faster than usual.

"Ouch, sir—please spare me! My face is so swollen, how am I supposed to face anyone tomorrow?"

She tilted her head back, her lips red and teeth white, a hint of a smile in her eyes, pleading for mercy, but her eyebrows held a defiant spirit.

That half-hearted, half-willing look is incredibly alluring. Li Wenguo's Adam's apple bobbed, and he almost seemed to catch the wind as he walked.

"Guoman, your mother... doesn't seem to like me very much."

Guan Yan walked along the blue brick alley, her voice soft, but she couldn't hide the unease in her heart.

Just now at the courtyard gate, Qin Huairu didn't even give him a proper look, only glancing at him sideways. The disdain in her eyes was like cold tea splashed on his face, and everyone could see it.

The two walked out of the courtyard house side by side, their steps neither hurried nor slow.

"Hey, don't overthink it! My mom always listens to my dad when she's at home. He's given his approval, so it's a done deal—you just need to wait to marry into the family, you can't go wrong."

Li Guoman smiled confidently, without the slightest worry.

Even if Qin Huairu were to jump up and down in protest, he would still marry her. At worst, they could get the marriage certificate first, then consummate the marriage. Once her belly started showing, let's see how long she could resist.

"Okay, that puts my mind at ease."

Guan Yan smiled slightly, and her brow relaxed.

Whether her mother-in-law was cold or nitpicky, they didn't stay in the hospital after their marriage. Instead, they bought a small, secluded courtyard at the west end of the alley and lived their lives quietly.

Just then, Banggeng, carrying a deflated tin can, burst into the courtyard from outside the gate, his shoes scraping against the blue bricks with a "crunching" sound. He glanced in Li Guoman's direction, raised his chin, and turned to the side to pass by.

Although the two families lived next to each other, one was in his early twenties and the other was only twelve. They couldn't see eye to eye and didn't play together. When they met, they didn't even bother to nod to each other, just like two groups of strangers.