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

"become."

"Two hundred yuan."

"Wait a moment, I'm going home to get the money."

Who would carry two hundred silver dollars around on the street? Gamblers and bank tellers are exceptions. Li Wenguo didn't want to be an oddball, so he went along with it and pretended to go home to get the money.

Just as he lifted his foot, Xianglan grabbed his arm and pressed her soft body against him.

He turned around and saw that her eyes were red and her lips were trembling slightly.

Li Wenguo immediately understood—he was afraid that once he left the house, he would abandon him.

Tsk, this girl really pinned all her hopes on him.

Do I look like a scoundrel who refuses to pay his debts?

Although he had his doubts, he also understood that these days, there are people everywhere who turn their backs on you.

Moreover, the rapid heaving of her chest had already revealed her panic and longing.

The scene froze for a moment; the air seemed to thicken.

The madam, quick-witted as ever, immediately chimed in, "Master Li, there's no need for you to make two trips. I'll send a servant with you to fetch it!"

"Um."

"Walk."

Li Wenguo nodded and led Xianglan outside.

Once the contract was signed, Xianglan belonged to him from that moment on.

Life, death, honor, and disgrace are all decided by his word—even if he kills someone on the spot, the government won't even lift an eyelid.

This is good fortune encountered in chaotic times.

Xianglan was freed from her status as a socialite, and the bitter look in her eyes and brows was no longer visible. Her whole face was like a flower petal that had been thoroughly sun-kissed, radiant and beautiful, as if she had broken free of the chains that had bound her for many years and had become a brand new version of herself.

He was brimming with inexhaustible energy, and his hands and feet moved with the agility of a whirlwind.

Even though her legs were still a little weak, she insisted on cleaning both rooms until they were spotless.

Li Wenguo had plenty of kidney energy and was full of fire. After holding back for a while, he didn't care whether others could breathe or not.

It took more than three hours of fussing before they stopped.

Xianglan, having never been with him before, could hardly withstand such torment.

Fortunately, she had two other "savings" – one was her youthful and resilient body, and the other was her innate agility, which allowed her to endure most of the hour; otherwise, she would have been paralyzed on the bed and unable to get up today, and she might not even have been able to sign the redemption document properly.

Before we knew it, it was afternoon.

Li Wenguo couldn't sit still any longer. He grabbed Xianglan's wrist and pulled her outside, his steps so fast they seemed to fly.

Why?

It's all the fault of those tenants in the courtyard!

With her slender waist and peach-like face, Xianglan swayed with every step she took. Every time she went in or out of the house, the eyes of all the men in the yard would be glued to her—they wished they could reach out and pinch her and take a bite to satisfy their cravings.

Especially the spendthrift son of the host family, who was so addicted to opium that he was practically skin and bones, actually had the audacity to ask Li Wenguo, "Can I borrow your wife for a couple of days so I can have some fun?"

Li Wenguo immediately swung his arm and delivered two powerful punches to his cheeks, knocking out three yellow teeth.

If it weren't for the fact that he was so thin he looked like a paper doll, and a gust of wind could easily knock him over, I would have broken his ribs with that kick—I was really afraid that one kick would kill him.

He couldn't stay in this place for even a moment longer.

No sooner had he stepped out than someone sneaked into the house, dragged Xianglan away, and put a bright green hat on his head.

That sounds scary, but there are actually people in this courtyard who dare to do it, and more than one.

If Li Wenguo were to actually be cuckolded, he would probably be filled with deep regret.

Half an hour later, the two rickshaws came to a steady stop in front of a two-courtyard house.

"Master!"

"This...is this our new home?"

As soon as she stepped across the threshold, Xianglan's eyes lit up like lamps. She looked around, her mouth slightly open, unable to hide her joy.

The courtyard was brighter and tidier than the previous one, with freshly painted walls and shiny tiles. There were no more hungry wolf-like eyes staring at her, and she felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.

A long-lost sense of peace and comfort welled up inside me—this is what home feels like.

"right!"

"This is our home, a proper home registered under both our names."

Li Wenguo straightened his back, his gaze sweeping over the blue bricks and gray tiles, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

He bought this house a month ago for two thousand silver dollars.

As for where the money came from? It all comes down to his elusive "shadow".

Were those impressive achievements in the foreign firm really the result of his hard work all by himself?

It was nothing more than having a clone disguise themselves as a wealthy buyer, using 500 dollars as capital to place orders for in-demand goods at their own trading company, and then reselling them at high prices to dockside merchants; then reinvesting the profits, and after three months, they had amassed 20,000 dollars in their accounts.

The yard has been renovated, and even the water pipes have been connected to the kitchen; all that's missing is a decent set of furniture.

I had planned to move in after the pear wood bed and the complete set of tables and chairs were finished, but then Xianglan's situation suddenly came up, so I had to move in ahead of schedule.

"Grandpa..." Xianglan finished circling the courtyard, wrinkling her nose slightly, "Why are we all naked? No bed, no stove, no pots, no bowls. Where are we going to sleep tonight? What are we going to eat for lunch?"

If you don't have a stove, you can still eat at a restaurant; but if you don't have a bed, are you supposed to sleep on the street?

Is this still considered a home?

What if we spread out a mat and sleep on the floor?

Winter is just around the corner, and the nights are frosty and chilly. If you're shivering from the cold, there's no one to lend you a hand.

"Isn't this your fault?"

Li Wenguo pretended to put on a stern face, but there was no anger in his words.

Xianglan understood immediately. Her heart tightened, and she lowered her head even further, her voice barely a whisper: "Master, it's my fault... I've dragged you down..."

The last words, "I'm sorry to have troubled you," were trembling slightly at the end, and her eyes were already welling up with tears.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"I was just teasing you, how could I possibly blame you?"

Li Wenguo couldn't stand seeing women with tears in their eyes and bowed heads.

Besides, is being lovable a sin? He'd rather commit this sin for the rest of his life.

After a few gentle words of coaxing, Xianglan stopped crying and smiled, her face blooming with a bright smile once again.

Li Wenguo told her to wait in the courtyard, then turned around and went out the door, heading straight for Ban Da's carpentry shop.

Fortunately, the pear wood bed was already finished, along with a set of eight-immortal table and chairs. He immediately had it loaded onto a car and transported back home—he couldn't possibly stay at an inn for the first night in his new house.

After adding mattresses, quilts, pots and pans, I rushed back to the yard, and the sky was already tinged with orange-red sunset.

Xianglan said she was going to the market to buy some fresh ingredients to cook a hot meal, but Li Wenguo waved his hand and said, "Why bother with that?"

Today is a joyous occasion for moving to a new house. How can we not hold a proper banquet to honor this new household and new family?

then.

Li Wenguo waved down two rickshaws and headed straight for Fuyuan Restaurant.

Xianglan, a native Beijinger, immediately recognized this as one of the top-notch noodle shops in the city—Li Wenguo's ability to order freely here meant he was not to be underestimated.

A surge of warmth welled up in her heart, as if she could see the days to come like a steamer with its lid just lifted, billowing white steam and hot air hitting her face.

She longs to conceive a son soon so that they can settle down in the family.

These days, a woman's standing depends entirely on how well her womb can hold up.

After the meal, I bought Xianglan a few new clothes and some everyday items on the way back, then hurried home carrying the heavy paper bag.

When I got home, the clock on the wall had just struck ten times.

Xianglan was quick and efficient. She boiled a copper kettle of water, wrung out a hot towel, and wiped Li Wenguo's entire body clean. She then squatted down and carefully washed his feet. Afterward, she picked up the chamber pot and steadily handed it to him. Only after he finished relieving himself did she turn around and fetch water to wash herself.

Finally, she crawled naked into the bed, warming the mattress with her body heat, before turning to make room and gently patting the empty half of the bed.

Those two hundred silver dollars were spent so damn well!

Li Wenguo was overjoyed; he had never been treated so attentively before.

He cursed the old social norms for being devouring people, but he was so comfortable that he didn't want to move, openly enjoying every bit of Xianglan's tenderness.

In modern times, he would never close his eyes until after midnight.

Right now, I naturally need to find some fun to relieve my boredom.

Although Xianglan was still weak and hadn't recovered, Li Wenguo had two other advantages—he was strong and in high spirits.

After completing the procedure, even he himself was amazed, marveling that his body was even more resilient than before.

……

As dawn broke through the sky.

Li Wenguo was awakened by the sunlight filtering through the window cracks.

The pillow was empty; the person was long gone. But a large bowl of white porridge, glistening with fine oil, was already laid out on the table. Beside it lay two golden, crispy fried dough sticks and a small dish of salty, savory dried radish, all seemingly alive.

"Squeak..."

With a soft click of the door hinges, Xianglan stepped in carrying a large bowl of steaming hot fried liver.

"Sir, you're awake!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already put down the tray, turned around and fetched a cup of warm water and a small copper basin.

"Sir, rinse your mouth."

Li Wenguo wanted to reach out and take it, but the cup was already close to his lips, and it would be awkward to pull his hand back, so he had no choice but to open his mouth and drink from her hand.

After rinsing his mouth, Xianglan wrung out a hot towel and carefully wiped his face.

Finally, she loosened his belt, picked up the cleaned chamber pot with both hands, and gently placed it between his legs.

Hey Hey hey!

Can you spare me a break? My hands are probably going to rust!

Despite his inner turmoil, his legs and waist were so weak he couldn't muster any strength.

Sigh, men...

He complains endlessly, but deep down he's enjoying it immensely.

At least when he ate breakfast, he was finally able to move his hands. He picked up a few bites with chopsticks and realized that his hands were still part of his body.

If you asked Xianglan to feed her, she would definitely agree with a smile, her eyebrows beaming with joy.

But his skin wasn't thick enough.

After the meal, he took out twenty silver dollars and placed them on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) to help Xianglan supplement her household income. Then he went out to the foreign firm.

On the way, he was still thinking: there's probably going to be a good show at the foreign firm today.

really.

As soon as I turned into the street corner, I saw two policemen leaning against the frame of the foreign firm, their cigarettes glowing intermittently.

Even the patrol officers were alerted; this matter has probably caused a huge uproar.

Li Wenguo remained calm and nodded slightly.

Stepping into the trading company, the air inside felt as taut as a bowstring.

The huge office was so quiet you could hear the clock ticking. The employees all looked ashen-faced, and even their coughs were barely audible.

"Brother Li, something terrible has happened!"

He had barely sat down when his colleague Zhang Dadan leaned over, his voice barely audible.

"Oh?"

"What's up?"

"I felt something was wrong as soon as I walked in—everyone was looking down at their account books, and no one even offered to refill their tea."

Li Wenguo knew perfectly well what was going on, but he pretended to be completely clueless.

"event!"

"The batch of opium the Japanese ordered a while ago was supposed to be delivered yesterday, but when the warehouse opened, the entire shipment was completely gone, not even ashes remained!"

"The buyer immediately turned hostile, demanding a refund of the deposit and compensation."

Zhang Dadan speaks very quickly.

"What?"

"How did you lose it?"

"Who's so bold as to steal goods right under our noses?"

Li Wenguo slammed his hand on the corner of the table, startling the pen holder next to him, whose face was filled with disbelief.

"I also find it strange! But the bureau chief himself brought people here, how could it be fake?"

Zhang Dadan paused, his Adam's apple bobbing, his expression growing increasingly somber:

"What's even stranger is that around 8 p.m. the night before last, Old Zhao, who was guarding the warehouse, saw Liu Hongtao sneaking into the warehouse. He's now being held in the back room."

As he said this, the corners of his mouth unconsciously twitched upwards.

Liu Hongtao has always been arrogant and, relying on his powerful connections, he ignores everyone, which has long made people secretly grit their teeth.

Now that they've suffered a setback, I'm afraid half of the foreign firms are secretly celebrating.