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

"Um...won't knowing about this cause you trouble?"

Old Pan's throat was dry, and his voice trembled with a hint of hesitation.

"Of course. From now on you will have to respect me, and you will never dare to set foot in my house again."

He paused, then tapped the corner of the ID card lightly with his fingertip: "Want to see it? I'll hand it to you right now."

After saying that, he winked at the two of them, like he was teasing a cat.

Lao Pan and Zhou Zheng exchanged another glance, both reading hesitation and retreat in each other's eyes.

"Then... then forget it."

Old Pan rubbed his hands together, finally swallowing his curiosity. "I won't watch anymore—so I won't have trouble sleeping at night and wake up in a fright."

"Knowing what's good for you."

Li Wenguo sat up straight again and stuffed the documents back into his pocket.

A short while later, the car stopped at the entrance of Dr. Ke's yard.

Dr. Ke was called in, and with a stretcher lifted, Lao Yu was quickly wheeled into the operating room.

"Dr. Ke, is there any hope for Lao Yu?"

Old Pan clutched the hem of his clothes, his voice weak.

"They were brought in in time, and the wound was kept under pressure, so the bleeding wasn't too bad and they didn't need a transfusion. Otherwise, it would have been a real disaster."

As Dr. Ke spoke, he inserted an anesthetic needle into Old Yu's skin with swift and decisive movements.

The knife is about to be used.

"Old Ke, you're in charge of the surgery here, we'll head out first. By the way, do we have any anti-inflammatory medication left?"

Li Wenguo asked a question before leaving.

"There are a few pieces left, just enough."

"Here, add two more boxes."

He pulled two boxes of medicine from his pocket; the aluminum foil packaging gleamed coldly.

"Alright!"

"Please put it on my desk."

Dr. Ke had already put on his gloves and simply tilted his head to indicate this.

Old Pan took the medicine box with both hands, his fingertips able to feel the hardness of its angular edges—he knew how precious this thing was, a box worth half a shop.

But Li Wenguo casually pulled out two boxes, and coupled with what had just happened, it made him uneasy: this person was probably much more complex than he appeared.

More than an hour later, the operating lights went out.

Old Pan and Zhou Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, their shoulders relaxing.

As expected, surgeons are still the most reliable!

Old Pan's eyes darted around, and he put on a smile again, moving closer to Dr. Ke: "Dr. Ke, if anyone gets shot in the future, can we send them here? We'll pay for it!"

"Since we're familiar with Master Li, why are we even talking about money?"

Dr. Ke waved his hand, his mask still on, revealing only a pair of smiling eyes. "They're here. Take them straight to the operating room."

They looked at each other, and their hearts warmed as if they had a piece of warm coal inside them.

With Dr. Ke in charge, comrades who are shot will no longer have to teeter on the brink of death!

At that moment, their hearts were filled with the joy of a soaring bird, fluttering upwards.

Li Wenguo was also grinning from ear to ear—playing cards with three people was so much fun, especially since Xiao Cui and Xiao Ju were at the most beautiful and vibrant age. With a raised eyebrow and a smile, he felt a tingling sensation in his bones.

Time flows by like a stream.

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

He Shuting, Hongyu, and Xu Meijing each gave birth to a child for the Li family.

He Shuting has given birth to a son, named Li Guozhi, who is the eleventh child in his family.

She gave birth to three children for Li Wenguo: two sons and a daughter, all of whom were strong and clever.

After giving birth to her first daughter, Hongyu gave birth to another daughter, named Li Jingna, who was the twelfth child in her family.

She also bore Li Wenguo three sons, one son and two daughters.

Mavis Hee gave birth to a daughter, named Li Jingjing, who was the thirteenth child in the family.

Just after giving birth, He Shuting pulled Li Wenguo aside and laid down three ironclad rules:

I really don't want to have any more children right now.

The three children already make a lot of noise in the house—the eldest is just over three years old, the second child, Li Jingfen, is just two years old, and now there is another baby. Changing diapers, feeding rice cereal, and putting her to sleep all require my personal attention.

I haven't stepped into the office building in the past six months. I've been tied to the cradle, and my heels are practically calloused.

So one evening at the dinner table, He Shuting laid it out in front of everyone: she would never consummate the marriage during her fertile period.

She also made five paulownia wood plaques by hand, each engraved with the words "danger period," which she would hang outside her bedroom door when she came.

Those who want to continue having children will naturally not display the sign.

As for Xiao Cui and Xiao Ju, although they were given the title of concubine, in the eyes of He Shuting and the others, they were still not considered proper mistresses—after all, they were originally maids.

As soon as the wooden plaques were placed on the table, Dong Haitang grabbed one, her palms sweaty: "I really can't take it anymore."

He Shuting, needless to say, took a piece first since it was her idea; Xu Meijing followed suit and took a piece; Xianglan hesitated for a moment and then reached out and took a piece as well.

It wasn't that she didn't want to have children, but deep down she hoped to have many children for her grandfather—ten wouldn't be too many. But with three little devils clinging to her day and night, no matter how capable the wet nurse and the old woman were, they couldn't handle the children's crying, fevers, and kicking off the covers in the middle of the night... After thinking it over, she decided to wait until the children could tie their own shoelaces before making any further plans.

Hongyu was the only one who didn't reach out.

Everyone was taken aback.

She always loved wearing cheongsams, carrying foreign handbags, frequenting the Paramount Ballroom, and playing mahjong while tossing silver dollars around—a typical pampered rich lady. Logically, after giving birth to three children, she should be able to relax and enjoy her retirement, so why is she still clinging to her belly?

He Shuting and Xianglan exchanged a glance, immediately understanding what was going on—

Hongyu has only one son, while she, Dong Haitang, and Xianglan who came into the family later each have two men as a base.

What she feared was being outdone when dividing the inheritance.

Indeed, Li Wenguo had already stated that the eldest son would inherit the family business, while the other boys would be divided equally, with no one receiving more or less.

Adding another male member means adding another entry to the ledger.

Hongyu was left alone, and she was unwilling to admit defeat.

Li Wenguo naturally complied with her wishes.

In a dazzling, upscale ballroom.

Li Wenguo half-embraced the slightly tipsy Mitsui Miri, his steps lazily gliding into the rhythm. His hand naturally rested on her slender waist, his fingertips lightly caressing her.

Mitsui Miri squinted, feigning drunkenness, but her mind was already in turmoil:

Old, discolored embryo!

Old fox!

A seasoned veteran!

Finally, the song ended, and the two returned to their booth.

"Mr. Li, we really can't drink anymore, let's go home!"

She pleaded softly, a thin mist rising in her eyes.

She had sensed something was amiss these past few days—Li Wenguo was always subtly urging her to drink at parties, filling her glass to the brim and speaking to her with utmost solicitity. She knew without even guessing what would happen after he got her drunk.

Fortunately, she had received special training, and although her alcohol tolerance wasn't enormous, she was extremely good at controlling the situation. Whenever she was seven-tenths drunk and three-tenths sober, she would immediately clutch her forehead, frown, and pant heavily, insisting on leaving the table. She would hold on all the way to her doorstep, her mind as clear as if it had been soaked in ice water.

"Alright, fine—you finish this glass, and I'll personally take you home."

Li Wenguo picked up the half-empty glass of wine on the table and swirled it.

"This... Mr. Li, I really can't swallow a single drop."

Mitsui Miri pushed him away, her fingertips feeling cold.

"If you don't drink, you're not going anywhere tonight."

His tone was firm and uncompromising.

"Then...then after I finish drinking, you must see me off."

She quickly grabbed the glass and clinked it against his.

Cheers!

Cheers!

As the wine went down his throat, Li Wenguo glanced out of the corner of his eye at Ding Xiaoqi outside the booth—the other man was hidden in the shadows, giving him a very short nod.

He smiled and tilted his head back to drink it all.

That's right.

Taking advantage of the moment when the two had just finished dancing, Ding Xiaoqi slipped a colorless and odorless sleeping pill into Mitsui Miri's wine glass while handing her a drink, intending to turn the tables on her.

Mitsui Miri's disguise was indeed flawless, but Li Wenguo, being from the future, immediately saw through the deliberately affected gentleness in her every move—yes, that kind of "tea-like" demeanor, the way she held her teacup, her eyes darting around but never settling down. He sneered: Since you're pretending to be aloof, then I'll flip the table and force you to take off your mask and obediently acknowledge me as your master…

If Mitsui Miri were to actually hear this scheme, she'd probably be furious. She wasn't just playing hard to get; she was clearly both eager to get closer to this crucial piece and terrified of being swallowed whole, hence her constant vigilance and defensiveness. This wasn't teasing; it was walking a tightrope.

Not long after they finished drinking, the two left the dance floor and got into the back seat of the car.

As expected, the effects of the medicine were very rapid.

Mitsui Miri's body went limp, her eyelids became too heavy to lift, and her breathing gradually became long and even.

Li Wenguo helped her up and took her straight to a nearby hotel room, then closed and locked the door.

……

The next morning, sunlight slanted through the gap in the curtains, and Mitsui Miri slowly opened her eyes amidst a dull pain.

A chill ran through me, the sheets were crumpled, and memories of last night flooded my mind.

She stared at the steam seeping through the crack in the bathroom door, the sound of the shower blaring in her ears. Her nails dug deep into her palms, her teeth itching with hatred: "Baka! You reckless wild boar, how dare you defile my noble self? Just you wait—I'll get my revenge, interest and all!"

Once I've squeezed every last bit of use out of you, I'll grind you into dust!

A secret report has just come back from the front lines: Li Wenguo has indeed been visiting the Lixing Society. The agents of the third team treated him with utmost respect, and he even had free access to Dong Haitang's office. The two have an ambiguous relationship and are very likely already husband and wife.

The bedmate of a core intelligence captain is worth far more than a thousand taels of gold.

The bathroom door clicked open.

Mitsui Miri immediately lowered her eyes and composed herself, her face pale and her eyes slightly dark, looking exactly like someone who had been terrified last night and was now trying to maintain a dignified appearance.

"Ms. Kurai... I'm so sorry." Her voice trembled slightly, like a piece of silk crumpled by the wind. "I drank too much last night and got all confused... But don't worry, I will take responsibility and treat you well. From now on, you can just live your life in peace."

Li Wenguo leaned against the door frame, speaking in a lazy tone, as if he were talking about the weather.

What else could she do? Back out? That would mean all her efforts were in vain. She could only swallow her bitterness, hold his arm tightly, and hide her grievances in the folds of her sleeves.

"By the way, is this... taking you with you?"

Before leaving, Li Wenguo casually pointed to a corner of the bed sheet—where a small patch of dried dark red had seeped out.

Mitsui Miri glanced at him, a tightness gripping her chest. The red stain stung her eyes like a brand. She turned her face away, her voice icy: "No need." With that, she took his arm and walked out with steady steps.

That evening, Li Wenguo drove towards Chongwen Lane.

It had been almost three months since I last saw Yang Yuerong, and I couldn't suppress the longing in my heart. I thought I would see her, spend some time together, and maybe even stretch my muscles.

As soon as the car turned into the alley, Ding Xiaoqi sat bolt upright, pointing ahead: "Master Li, something's wrong!"

A black sedan was parked across the middle of the narrow alley, almost blocking the way, and was positioned just a few steps away from Miss Yang's courtyard gate.

Li Wenguo glanced around, and his brows suddenly furrowed.

Oops!

Could they be from the same place?

If they really came for her, Yang Yuerong would probably be caught on the spot; Anmin Newspaper would be in trouble; and even He Shuting would be dragged down with her!

He immediately hissed, "Ah Gui, go check the license plate—is it from the same company? Keep a close eye on them, see if they go into Yue Rong's yard! Be discreet, don't give yourself away!"

Ah Gui jumped off the car in response, crouched down, and walked away, hugging the wall.

A short while later, he returned, panting, his face tense: "Master Li, there's no mistake! It's the same car, and the people... have already entered Miss Yang's courtyard."

As soon as these words were spoken, all three understood what they meant.

Li Wenguo's face was ashen and grim.

This girl has gotten so bold, but her vigilance is as thin as paper! She deserved to be caught!

He was cursing verbally, but his feet were already mobilizing his troops: "How many vehicles are coming?"

"Just one vehicle, probably carrying five or four spies."

"Take them all down, then get them out first."

Before he finished speaking, his eyes were already so cold they could frost off.

Yang Yuerong must be saved.

Not for any other reason than that she was his woman, and even more so because behind her stood the Anmin Newspaper—the stronghold that housed He Shuting and the entire underground network. Once she opened her mouth, the torture instruments wouldn't even be on the table before she bled dry.

Ding Xiaoqi and Agui immediately called for the guards in the car behind them to grab their weapons and lie in ambush outside the courtyard wall; Binzi climbed onto the roof of the neighboring house, while Ding Xiaoqi flipped over and jumped onto the branches of the old locust tree, where two sniper rifles were quietly set up and pointed silently at the courtyard gate.

Fortunately, the person who came had just arrived and was searching through everything after subduing Yang Yuerong.

inside the house.

"Found it!"

An agent pulled a radio and a codebook from a wooden box under the bed, his voice brimming with excitement.

"take away!!!"

Another agent quickly flipped through a few pages of the codebook, raised his hand, and gave a stern order.

Immediately, one man picked up the suitcase and strode out, while another twisted Yang Yuerong's arm behind her back and dragged her outside. Her face was ashen, her eyes vacant, and her body trembled slightly.

The operation involved five spies. Catching Yang Yuerong was pure bad luck—last night, a petty thief, having stolen from the neighbor's yard, stumbled upon this place while fleeing over the wall. Hoping to steal something, he heard the "clattering" of a telegram coming from inside the house and his heart skipped a beat: either a Japanese puppet regime spy or a member of the underground Communist Party!

He slipped away and immediately informed someone, which led to the swift arrival of secret agents.

In the blink of an eye, the two agents had stepped out of the house.

Suddenly, a figure appeared behind the car.