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

Ten days later.

Li Wenguo drove Yang Yuerong to the newspaper office early in the morning. In the car, deeply in love, she leaned against him, kissing him deeply and urgently, her hair brushing against his ear, her breath hot.

Just then, a black sedan silently pulled up behind them. He Shuting got out of the car and immediately caught sight of the intimate scene through the window; her face instantly turned ashen.

If a wife catches her husband embracing another woman intimately, who would be happy about it?

Not to mention that he didn't return home for seven nights in those ten days, most likely he was staying with Yang Yuerong.

Li Wenguo casually turned his head and met the figure of his wife, with her round belly and cold face, standing at the back of the car staring at him. He immediately felt a chill and quickly nudged Yang Yuerong: "Get out of the car quickly, don't be late for the newspaper's roll call."

"Alright, Moonguk~"

Yang Yuerong pulled out a tissue, pursed her lips, pushed open the door to leave, and before getting out of the car, she tiptoed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, giggling as she swung her long legs and nimbly jumped out of the car.

Li Wenguo quickly winked at Ding Xiaoqi: "Drive, let's go!"

"Sister Shuting, you're here too?"

Yang Yuerong, with her sharp eyes, quickly stepped forward and reached out to support her arm.

"Um... was that your friend?"

He Shuting asked slowly on purpose, her heart pounding with a tightness in her chest—she really wanted to pry open her ears and yell: You're kissing my man and touching the baby in my belly!

Yang Yuerong's face flushed red, realizing that her passionate kiss had been seen by everyone.

"Oh, that's my boyfriend."

Oh--

Boy friend?

Next time we meet, should you call me "sister-in-law" instead?

He Shuting muttered to herself, then gave a self-deprecating laugh: What can I do with such an unreliable husband? I can't control him, and I can't bring myself to make a scene.

I just hope that one day in the future, Yue Rong won't cry so miserably.

"Let's go in," she said calmly.

"Mr. Li, back to the trading company?" Ding Xiaoqi asked, turning his head.

"First go to Chung-guk Bank to see Song Qingzhi, then go to the embassy to return the gem necklace to that diplomat."

After ten days of delays, it's time to wrap up this job.

As for insisting on bringing Song Qingzhi along, it was naturally to fulfill a favor he owed.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Li Wenguo knew perfectly well that what Song Qingzhi really wanted to climb up to was Williams's connection—this trip had to go together.

A short while later, the car came to a smooth stop in front of the bank.

Upon entering the lobby, a young woman sat at the front desk, her makeup light and elegant, her features exuding a refined and refreshing charm.

Bank teller counters should be pleasing to the eye and refreshing to look at.

His chest was slightly thin, which was above average; although his facial features were perfect, they were not what he liked.

"Hello, please inform them that I wish to see your bank manager, Mr. Song."

Upon hearing the words "bank manager," the receptionist's gaze sharpened. She sized him up and down before asking in a soft yet measured tone, "May I ask your surname, sir?"

The sound was like a mountain stream hitting pebbles, crisp and smooth, making your ears itch and wanting to hear more.

"Li Wenguo".

She tapped the phone lightly with her fingertip, exchanged a few brief words, and then stood up with a smile: "Mr. Li, please come with me, I'll take you to the bank manager's office."

Li Wenguo followed behind her, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the sharply tailored suit skirt—the hemline was just above the knee, the waist and hips were taut, and every step she took created a supple arc, swaying gracefully.

She turned around abruptly in front of the elevator and caught his burning, unwavering gaze. Her heart flared with anger: You lecherous bastard!

However, since the other party was a distinguished guest personally assigned by President Song, her professionalism forced her to suppress her surging temper. She only gave him a cold glare before turning around, swiping her card, and entering the room.

Upon entering the office, Song Qingzhi called out to him loudly, and Li Wenguo reluctantly looked away.

"Manager Li, I'll head out now."

Before leaving, she glared at him fiercely one last time.

"Haha, Wenguo, does this girl catch your eye?"

Song Qingzhi had already taken everything in, and a joke came out of his mouth.

"Everyone has a love for beauty!"

Li Wenguo smiled, but in his heart he added: What a pity, it was just a little short.

"Wenguo, to tell you the truth—if you're really interested, I'll go and propose marriage on your behalf right now! How about it? Consider it repaying a favor!"

Before he finished speaking, he lowered his voice and added, "This is my own niece. If you become the son-in-law of the Song family, your future will be as smooth as a sailing ship, with no obstacles in sight. As long as you are willing to put in the effort, it is no exaggeration to say that you will one day be a powerful figure in the region."

What do you think?

Wow!!!

What a glittering gold admission ticket!

But if the tree grows too tall, it will break even more easily when the wind blows!

"No need!"

He waved his hand and shook his head, decisive and straightforward.

Although mountains of gold and silver seemed to flash before his eyes, Li Wenguo's heart remained steadfast—what he wanted was to build a volleyball team or a football team, and make a name for himself through a lively and clean competition.

Being a mistress? It's not impossible... but if the Song family's daughter were to become someone's concubine, she'd probably be riddled with bullets the moment she stepped outside.

The return of the gemstone necklace was handled exceptionally efficiently.

Diplomat Williams successfully obtained the necklace; Song Qingzhi seized the opportunity to establish a connection with Williams; and Li Wenguo also readily accepted the favor offered by Song Qingzhi. All three parties got what they wanted, and everyone was happy.

As they chatted, Li Wenguo realized that Song Qingzhi and this foreigner had a close relationship, so he couldn't help but ask a question.

Song Qingzhi smiled slightly, his tone calm yet firm: "The Song family's roots in the United States are very deep."

This is absolutely true. The Song family is currently at the height of its wealth and power, with close ties and extensive cooperation with American banks, businesses, and even political figures.

Back then, Chiang Kai-shek went to great lengths to win over the Song family and even managed to marry a Song girl into the family. Wasn't his aim precisely to leverage this powerful connection?

Li Wenguo only knew that the Song family was one of the four most powerful families in the Republic of China, but he had never really thought about its intricate relationship with the United States. Upon hearing this, he immediately gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "I'm impressed! Truly impressive!"

After that, the capital city remained calm on the surface, and no major disturbances occurred.

Japanese spies, acting on secret orders from the Special Higher Police, went into hiding, planting spies in the Lixingshe (a secret society) while secretly gathering intelligence on the local Communist Party's activities.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

What warmed Li Wenguo's heart the most was the addition of three little babies to his family.

Dong Haitang gave birth to a son, whom she named Li Guoping—meaning "may the mountains and rivers be forever stable, and the world be at peace." He was the fourth child in his family.

He Shuting gave birth to a daughter, whom he named Li Jingfen—meaning gentle and graceful like an orchid, with a pure and refined air, and she was the sixth child in her family.

Hongyu was also blessed with a daughter, whom he named Li Jingmi—elegant as the moon and sweet as honey, the seventh child in her family.

In the past six months, both Xianglan and Dong Haitang have become pregnant again.

Xianglan was overjoyed—with another male member, her influence in the household would increase, and she would have more leverage when dividing the family property in the future.

Dong Haitang sighed repeatedly.

She had planned to have one child with Li Wenguo and then stop, focusing on her career. But less than three months later, her belly started to swell again.

She snapped at Li Wenguo in a fit of pique, "Once this baby is born, you can forget about touching me again!"

Without saying a word, Li Wenguo grabbed her and pinned her hands behind her back to the bedpost.

He raised his eyebrows and sneered, "Not enough to have ten? No way!"

Dong Haitang rolled her eyes, not backing down at all: "Dream on! If you really want it, go find someone else, I'm not doing it!"

"In this family, I'm in charge. If I say you have a child, you have to have one."

"Then... I'll divorce you!"

—Of course, these were just words spoken in the heat of the moment.

Li Wenguo grinned: "I told you before—you're mine for life, you can't escape, and you can't run away."

Seeing that the hard approach wouldn't work, Dong Haitang immediately changed tactics, speaking softly and gently: "Sir, please have mercy, you really can't get pregnant again, otherwise your whole life will be ruined."

"Give it all away? Give it all away where? Marrying me is the brightest achievement, the most reliable support, and the most glorious honor of your life! The rest of your life will be nothing but medals!"

"When you say 'sacrifice,' is that related to the word 'insult'?"

Holy crap!!!

How can there be such a shameless man in the world?

And it just so happens to be her own husband?

Why am I so unlucky?

Dong Haitang wished she could rush back into her mother's arms immediately and rub her chest, which was numb with anger.

Li Wenguo wouldn't budge, so the matter had to be put on hold for the time being.

However, she had already made up her mind: she would continue to take care of herself during the safe period as usual, and avoid or postpone the dangerous period if possible—she absolutely could not get pregnant again, otherwise her body would really collapse.

Li Wenguo has been having some headaches lately: Alex and Alice can already walk unsteadily; Xiaohan and Guohua have also started taking their first steps.

Except for entering and exiting, the courtyard gate must be kept tightly closed at all other times.

But not long after, things took a turn for the better.

A week later, Li Wenguo was handling official business at the foreign firm when his department suddenly delivered an order signed "Liu Erkui" for 300,000 silver dollars.

He had long since mastered the trick of collecting money with his left hand and distributing goods with his right.

This is also the source of his confidence in firmly holding the position of deputy manager, a position that no one dares to easily challenge.

As for this deal worth 300,000 silver dollars, it was indeed very lucrative.

The so-called "guard team" sounds respectable, but in reality, they are just middlemen who secretly deal in smuggled goods—purchasing contraband that cannot be bought on the market for warlords who have private armies, gangs who occupy mountain strongholds, or wealthy landowners who live in secluded mansions.

The profit margin wasn't small, with a 20% net profit. Of the 300,000 yuan, 60,000 yuan went into the pocket, which was truly enviable.

Of course, it's still a far cry from the windfall gains made in secret.

The order had just been finalized when Li Wenguo was lazily blowing on the tea foam from his covered teacup when there was a gentle knock on his office door three times.

"Come in!!!"

The door was pushed open, and a lady walked in; more accurately, a blonde, blue-eyed Western woman.

But when Li Wenguo looked up, he spat out all the tea in his mouth.

"Maria...Maria?!"

He froze on the spot, his mind going blank.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and a chill crept up my spine.

He subconsciously peered into the space to investigate—Maria was still inside, perfectly fine!

This……

Could they be twins?!

He finally snapped out of his daze.

Looking more closely at the person in front of me: although the contours of their eyebrows and eyes are similar as if carved by a knife, their temperaments are worlds apart.

Maria was as alluring as strong liquor, every gesture of hers exuding captivating charm;

This one, however, is like a noble lady sculpted from white porcelain, every move she makes exudes an innate sense of poise and composure.

"Hello, I'm Selena."

She moved gracefully and slowly approached, extending her hand clad in a pink silk glove, her fingertips slightly raised, her posture elegant and just right.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Li Wenguo."

He quickly got up, took her fingers, and gently kissed the back of her hand.

This kiss was completely different from the perfunctory one he gave the diplomat's wife last time—

One was a seasoned veteran at handling situations, while the other was genuinely blinded by beauty.

Not to mention the faint, delicate fragrance, elegant yet sweet, like the newly blooming lily of the valley in a garden in early spring.

Yes, she's a stylish Western beauty!

"Please have a seat, Miss Selena. Is there something you wish to ask of me?"

The two sat down, and Li Wenguo got straight to the point.

"Mr. Li, don't you think... I look like someone?"

She tilted her head slightly, her azure eyes looking straight at her, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Heh... well, she and Maria are practically identical."

Having said that much, it's clear they're after people.

Li Wenguo's heart skipped a beat, as if someone had caught him in a secret, and his face burned with embarrassment.

"She is my twin sister."

Her tone was calm, yet every word was clear.

really!

No wonder Maria gave birth to twins—the family had this bloodline factor, making the probability of conceiving twins much higher than others.

"Understood."

"However, Maria never mentioned having an older sister. And I personally delivered her ship ticket before she returned to the United States... Were you the one who asked her to come find me?"

Selena slowly shook her head, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes: "No, she's gone."

"Oh my God!"

"How could this be?!"

Li Wenguo sat up abruptly, his face filled with astonishment and regret, even his voice became hoarse—the performance had to be flawless.