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

"Hey, is that what you call being stingy?"

"Have you forgotten what Haitang does for a living?"

Li Wenguo immediately seized on this point.

"Oh dear, she leaves early and comes home late every day, it's hard to even see her, there's really no need to worry about her."

"Ha, you've got some nerve."

"So... does that mean you agree, Master?"

She blinked, her eyelashes fluttering.

"Agree to that?! Lie down, we have important business to attend to."

He remained unyielding.

"But I've already agreed, and it's been approved by the higher-ups. What kind of talk is it to change my mind at the last minute? The newspaper's rules aren't just for show."

"Damn it! This is my home, not your editorial office! I say yes or no, that's final!"

"Sir... I beg you, please let her move in first, okay?"

She wrapped her arms around his, speaking softly, her body swaying slightly like vines clinging to a tree.

"No means no. I'm the one who calls the shots in this house. You'd better give up on this idea now."

"Then... I'll play you a piece."

When she spoke for the first time, her face flushed. Her hair was neatly styled in a bun, making her look as dignified as a painting—but just imagining her fingertips brushing the strings of the zither made one's heart flutter.

"don't want."

Li Wenguo gritted his teeth and held on.

"Two songs."

"no."

His Adam's apple bobbed as he forcefully suppressed his agitation.

"Five tunes".

She bit her lower lip, as if she were going all out, her voice as soft as a whisper.

"Sigh... Deal."

In the end, they were defeated by this gentle offensive.

This damn tough nut to crack!

But seeing He Shuting's dejected appearance,

I imagine he's really feeling bad.

Hmph, let's see if you dare to make decisions on your own again in the future!

Li Wenguo felt a slight smugness, but also a sense of reassurance.

As for crabapple blossoms, they're really not that mysterious—as Shu Ting said, they appear and disappear unpredictably, and the probability of bumping into one is even lower than thunder on a rainy day.

"Shuting, don't hold your anger in. This is your own fault—you acted too rashly, only thinking of your own good intentions and forgetting to consider the consequences. Remember, in this family, your man is still the pillar. I can't be bothered with trivial matters, but when it comes to safety, I have to make the decisions. After all, the safety of this family rests on my shoulders, understand?"

Seeing that she still had her eyes downcast, and fearing that it would spoil the mood later, he softened his tone and gently advised her.

"Sir, I was wrong this time. I didn't think things through properly. From now on, I will definitely discuss these kinds of things with you first."

She listened and genuinely realized she had crossed the line. When she apologized, her voice was sincere and not at all perfunctory.

"Hmm, she's quite sensible."

Li Wenguo nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He paused, then asked, "That comrade... did he come by himself, or...?"

Now that things have come to this, there's no need to hide anything.

"I'll go pick it up."

"No, you can't show your face."

Upon hearing that his wife wanted to personally meet him at the train station, Li Wenguo didn't even lift his eyelids and immediately refused.

Many comrades were stopped at the very moment of rendezvous, pinned down by secret agents on the spot, with no room for maneuver whatsoever.

"Alright, let the skinny monkey make this trip."

"Huh? This..."

He Shuting paused for a moment, then swallowed back the words she was about to say.

Skinny Monkey had never even stepped foot in the organization before; dragging him into this mess was clearly crossing a disciplinary red line.

But Li Wenguo's brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were as cold as iron, so she had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Before we knew it, the appointed day arrived.

No one expected that the woman wouldn't even be able to step onto the platform.

"We just received a tip-off—there are rebels infiltrating the train at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Detain all passengers and those picking them up at the station, and put them in the police station's detention room first."

Zhou Dahai, from the First Special Agent Division of the Lixingshe, summoned the newly formed Third Squad to his side, his voice as cold and hard as a knife.

The Second Division expanded by three squads, and the First Division also expanded its authority accordingly.

Benefiting from the influence of the two places, he now cracks his whip even louder.

The pick-up time was 10:00 AM on the day of the event.

Liu Shouhou drove his car, with He Shuting inside, and parked it outside the train station.

Sun Gang followed behind, his empty car waiting for the woman to get off and on.

Zhao Hengwei did not show up this time—he was still recovering from the shock of two days ago, his heart was still pounding, and he was walking around the police checkpoints.

Before the car even pulled into the station, the shrewd Liu the Skinny Monkey sensed something was wrong.

In the square in front of the station, a dozen or so men in plainclothes were scattered around, their faces as stiff as frost, their eyes scanning quickly and fiercely.

With broad shoulders, a straight back, steady steps, and a posture as if measured by a ruler, he is definitely not an ordinary passerby.

"Madam, you and Sun Gang wait here for me. I'll go in and get the person myself."

Liu Shouhou stepped on the brake and leaned into the car to speak.

"What's wrong, Skinny Monkey?"

"There are people watching inside, most likely from the Lixingshe (a secret society). Don't go in, you'll attract too much attention."

Anyway, He Shuting had already broken down and taught him the codes, gestures, and details of the rendezvous step by step. Having another person in would only cause more trouble.

"Okay, keep a close eye on it."

He Shuting gave him a soft instruction.

Although Skinny Monkey wasn't part of the organization, he was a trusted confidant of Master Li; last time when they captured a Japanese spy, he risked his life to protect her, and she remembered that kindness.

"Don't worry, you won't fall."

Liu Shouhou grinned, jumped off the bus, and headed straight for the station entrance.

As soon as he plunged into the crowd, he tensed up—on both sides of the entrance, a dozen or so plainclothes officers stood like nails; at the left and right passageways, there were seven or eight pacing back and forth; in the distance, groups of three or five patrol officers, their hats pulled low, their hands on their holsters.

An impenetrable fortress.

He cursed under his breath, feeling as if his heart had been squeezed.

It's definitely going to be tough!

The sound of a train whistling grew louder as it approached.

At 10:00 sharp, I entered the station on time.

The driver was indeed punctual.

As soon as the carriage doors opened, passengers poured out like a tidal wave.

On both sides of the passage leading to the exit, police officers lined up in two rows, blocking people with their elbows, allowing them to move forward but not to cut in.

Liu Shouhou's heart sank.

Oops!

The news was leaked!

Should I answer or not?

His legs felt slightly weak, but then he thought: This man was specifically requested by the madam, how could Master Li's reputation be ruined here? Even if he really got caught, Master Li could just say the word and the prison gates would creak open.

What's there to be afraid of? At most, I'll get a few whacks; I'm tough and can take it.

Sure enough, he guessed right.

The moment they picked up the person, they were immediately surrounded by secret agents who flanked them from behind. They searched their bags, questioned them, shoved them, and finally had their hands tied behind their backs and were taken away.

Liu Shouhou felt a chill run down his spine.

It seems I'm destined to eat prison food.

Fortunately, the lady wasn't allowed in—otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

……

He was squinting as he scanned the crowd when he suddenly saw a woman get off the bus: she was carrying an old leather suitcase in her left hand and had a butterfly-shaped brooch pinned to her right breast, its wings slightly open, looking very lifelike.

Liu Shouhou's pupils contracted—it was her!

A suitcase in the left hand, a butterfly pinned to the right chest—the two lines are perfectly aligned, not a single mistake is tolerated.

When the Red Party meets, they're always so meticulous: Right hand carrying the suitcase? Rejected. Butterfly on the left? Disqualified.

It was just a hair's breadth away from the abyss.

As soon as the woman stepped out of the carriage, her heart sank as she glanced around – a row of police officers stood straight on both sides of the platform, their hats pulled low; outside the exit, a dozen or so men in black Zhongshan suits were gathered, their sleeves rolled up to their forearms, their knuckles thick, their eyes piercing like nails.

Her throat moved slightly, but she swallowed her panic back, her face remaining completely calm.

Afraid of attracting attention if she stood still for too long, she had no choice but to move towards the exit, her steps neither fast nor slow, like an ordinary traveler who was tired from traveling.

Liu the Skinny Monkey approached, a grin spreading across his face, his voice neither too loud nor too soft: "Cousin, you must have blisters on your feet from the long journey all the way from our hometown, right?"

Su Mei glanced up and a chill ran through her – this man had high cheekbones, a sharp chin, and darting eyes; he exuded the slickness of someone who'd been through the stock market. It wasn't that underground comrades had to be handsome, but none of the contacts she'd handled looked so shabby, nor did they all reek of money and thuggery; he looked exactly like a thug collecting protection money in an alleyway.

……

Su Mei's eye for talent is indeed sharp.

I could tell at a glance that this person was definitely not a member of our party.

Although Liu Shouhou was not a comrade, he was actually running errands for our Party at this moment.

Su Mei's mind raced for a few moments, but she gritted her teeth and continued walking—now that the other party had recognized her, her escape route was completely blocked. Whether they were friend or foe, she had no choice but to stay.

Since a knife is already at my throat anyway, I might as well finish this play first.

If they are truly one of our own, things will naturally take a turn for the better; but if we run into spies, could the situation be any worse than it is now?

She immediately chimed in, her tone familiar yet tinged with a hint of reproach: "That's right, cousin! You've been rooted in Beijing for so many years, and your uncles back home have been talking about you a lot. The other day, my second uncle was still clutching his pipe, insisting that you come back for a family reunion dinner."

"Second Uncle? He passed away before the New Year." Liu the Skinny's eyelids twitched, and he casually replied, "You've got it wrong, haven't you? It should be Younger Uncle..."

But he kept wondering to himself: Why does it have to be such a roundabout way to make contact?

There was a catch in those words—if he truly didn't know his second uncle was dead, the coded message would have fallen apart on the spot.

"Oh my!" Su Mei gasped, covering her mouth in surprise, then gave an embarrassed laugh. "I thought they were keeping it from you, afraid it would upset you..."

"Sigh, it's a pity that my second uncle left so suddenly." He waved his hand, then changed his tone, "Let's not talk about it anymore, let's get down to business."

This conversation sounded like nothing more than mundane family chatter, with not a single flaw to be found. Even if a spy listened to it ten times, he would only think it was a relative having a casual chat.

Just before entering, Liu the Skinny suddenly leaned close and whispered a warning, "Be careful, there are spies everywhere ahead, you can't avoid being checked. Make sure you're well hidden."

"Understood." Su Mei nodded, her voice barely audible.

"Halt! Routine check!"

As soon as the two stepped across the threshold, a secret agent in a gray uniform blocked their way with his arm across the ground, his voice booming like thunder.

The suitcases were opened and searched, and clothes were scattered all over the floor; the body search was carried out by two heavily made-up female agents, who dug their nails into the flesh without showing any mercy.

He was then pushed to the registration desk for questioning and to put his fingerprints on the form. Finally, with a bang, the iron door was locked, and he was locked in the damp cell behind the police station.

"Don't be afraid." Liu Shouhou leaned against the wall and winked at her. "We have people in the bureau. At most, they'll release her in half a day."

Su Mei subtly dug her fingertips into her palm, without responding.

"Sun Gang! The man has been taken away! What do we do?"

Under the shade of the plane trees outside the station, He Shuting clutched the hem of her cheongsam, her knuckles white. If that woman were to fall inside, the entire thread would be ruined.

"Madam, let's go back to the manor first. I'll go to the trading company to find Master Li right away." Sun Gang's voice was steady as he reached out to support her arm.

The wheels rolled over the cobblestone path. Sun Gang escorted her to the courtyard gate, then turned and headed towards the Meifu Trading Company. Upon seeing Li Wenguo, before he could even finish speaking, Li Wenguo slapped his thigh: "That was close! Luckily I was careful and sent Skinny Monkey to pick her up—if Shu Ting had shown up herself, she'd be crying now!"

A chill ran down his spine.

Even if he had a double agent named "Yang Zhengde" planted in the police station, he wouldn't feel at ease. He Shuting's face was a target no matter where she stood. A private room? Could that keep out wolves and tigers? Who could guarantee those people wouldn't have ulterior motives?