Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Days passed, and the Xu and Lou families secretly vied for dominance, awaiting each other's next move. Lou Zhenhua, having been rebuffed by Wang Jinshan, didn't give up. He changed tactics, attempting to create opportunities for Lou Xiao'e to "accidentally" meet or indirectly contact Wang Huanbo through other channels, such as activities of the Federation of Industry and Commerce and old connections. He even considered having a high-ranking official who admired Wang Huanbo pass on a message. However, Wang Huanbo's current status was exceptional, his schedule confidential, and his work demanding; an "accidental" meeting was far from easy. Passing on a message required extreme caution; otherwise, it could backfire.

Lou Tan continued to whisper in her daughter's ear, while also strictly disciplining Lou Xiao'e's words and actions, cultivating her into a refined young lady, as if preparing to push her onto the "princess" selection stage at any moment. Lou Xiao'e was somewhat annoyed by her mother's behavior, and developed a complex curiosity about Wang Huanbo, whom she had only heard of but never met, but more than anything, she felt resentment and powerlessness towards her parents' arrangement of her fate.

On the Xu family's side, Xu Fugui remained calm and collected. He judged that after the Lou family's setback, they would eventually return to reality and choose Xu Damao's "safe" option. He instructed Xu Damao to continue playing the role of a "proactive and ambitious young man" while secretly keeping an eye on the Lou family's movements.

However, beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were stirring. The first thing to break the balance was a rumor that came from an unknown source.

The rumor initially circulated only within a small circle at the Red Star Factory, saying that Xu Damao's recent good performance was because he had taken a liking to a capitalist's daughter and wanted to become the capitalist's son-in-law to improve his social class! The rumor was quite detailed, and although it did not directly name Lou Xiao'e, the keywords "capitalist" and "former employer" easily led people to associate it with the Lou family.

This rumor was like a poisonous thorn, precisely piercing Xu Damao and also striking Xu Fugui's most sensitive nerve!

"Dad! Something terrible has happened!" Xu Damao rushed home, his face ashen. "At the factory... someone at the factory is spreading rumors!"

After hearing his son's story, Xu Fugui's heart skipped a beat, and his face instantly darkened. His worst fears had come true! There really were jealous people causing trouble in the yard or the factory, people who couldn't stand seeing others succeed!

"What's the panic!" Xu Fugui shouted sharply, forcing himself to calm down. "Rumors stop with the wise! Especially in times like these, you need to stay calm! These next few days at the factory, just do what you're supposed to do, pretend you didn't hear anything! If anyone asks, just say someone is jealous of your good work performance and is spreading rumors! Don't panic!"

Xu Damao managed to calm himself down, but his heart was still pounding with anxiety. If this rumor reached the Lou family's ears, everything would be over! Lou Bancheng was the kind of person who cared a lot about his reputation. If he thought the Xu family was after their wealth, the marriage would definitely fall through!

Xu Fugui paced around the house a few times, his hands behind his back, a cold glint in his eyes. His first suspect was his old rival from the backyard, Liu Haizhong! This obsessed official had been looking down on everyone lately because his son, Liu Guangtian, hadn't passed the job exam—he was highly suspicious! It could also be that stingy old man, Yan Bugui, who was jealous of the Xu family's potential rise in social status? Or even…could it be that simpleton Sha Zhu had inadvertently let it slip?

We must find the source and eliminate the impact as soon as possible! At the same time, we need to reassure the Lou family!

Xu Fugui immediately took action. He instructed his mother to visit the Lou family the next day, not to directly propose marriage, but to casually complain, seemingly unintentionally, that someone at the factory was jealous of Da Mao's rapid advancement and was spreading rumors and slanders, accusing Da Mao of trying to climb the social ladder by marrying into a capitalist family. He portrayed Xu Da Mao as incredibly aggrieved and indignant, emphasizing that the Xu family were legitimate working-class individuals with no such intentions, and that they simply felt the two families knew each other well and admired Xiao'e's good character. This strategic retreat served to both test the Lou family's attitude and clear the Xu family of any suspicion of "marrying into the Lou family."

Meanwhile, rumors also vaguely reached Lou Zhenhua's ears. He was initially furious, but quickly calmed down and thought about it carefully. The rumors actually confirmed the authenticity of the Xu family's marriage proposal. Moreover, the rumors only mentioned Xu Damao's desire to marry into a higher social class, but not the Lou family's desire to marry into the Wang family. This suggested that the person spreading the rumors was of low character and might only be targeting the Xu family. This made him more cautious about the "authenticity" of the Xu family's marriage proposal. If the Xu family were truly scheming, they wouldn't have allowed such rumors to spread.

Lady Lou was somewhat worried: "Master, won't these rumors...damage Xiao'e's reputation?"

Lou Zhenhua waved his hand: "The innocent will clear themselves. The key now is the Wang family's attitude." His recent attempts to contact Wang Huanbo had all failed, leaving him somewhat discouraged. Wang Huanbo was like a fortress, impervious to reason. And the rumors coming from above suggested a tightening of policies towards capitalists, which intensified his anxiety. Time seemed to be against him.

At this crucial moment, something unexpected happened. Wang Huanbo needed a special imported metal material for a critical technological breakthrough, and the import of this material was strictly controlled. Lou Zhenhua, through his overseas connections, happened to be able to obtain this material! This was an excellent opportunity to naturally connect with Wang Huanbo!

Lou Zhenhua immediately realized this was a golden opportunity! He personally intervened and, through Secretary Yao Jianghe, "freely" donated a batch of urgently needed materials to the Hongxing Factory, solving Wang Huanbo's immediate crisis. Out of courtesy, Wang Huanbo personally called Lou Zhenhua to express his gratitude. On the phone, Lou Zhenhua didn't mention any personal matters, only saying that supporting national construction was his duty, and subtly indicated that if there was any further need in the future, the Lou family would be willing to do everything in their power.

Although brief and formal, this contact rekindled hope in Lou Zhenhua's heart. He felt it was a good start. He decided to temporarily slow down his response to the Xu family, continue to observe, and concentrate on using the goodwill built up by this timely assistance to find a more suitable opportunity.

The Lou family's hesitation and new developments put pressure on Xu Fugui. He realized he had to speed things up! He couldn't wait for the Lou family to consider things any longer! He decided to have his mother go to Lou Tanshi again, to be more explicit and put some pressure on them, such as hinting that other families had recently inquired about Da Mao's situation.

Suddenly, this seemingly simple marriage stirred up a multitude of emotions. The Xu family's scheming, the Lou family's weighing of options, the whispered rumors, and the unexpected intervention of Wang Huanbo, this "variable," made the situation even more unpredictable. At the eye of the storm, Lou Xiao'e and Xu Damao, one troubled, the other anxious, were having their fates pushed in an unknown direction by the tides of the times and the machinations of their parents. In courtyard number 95, a covert battle concerning marriage and social class entered an even more complex phase.