[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-1987-my-era":3,"chapter-1987-my-era-1987-my-era-chapter-17":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","1987: My Era",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2259177,4409,"Chapter 17: Defensive and Offensive, Both at Once","1987-my-era-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>Her mother sat motionless across from her on the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Xiao Han paid no attention, picked up the Chinese textbook on the coffee table, and quietly flipped through it, utterly focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the mother watched her daughter with sharp eyes, while the daughter kept her head down reading; the living room fell silent, broken only by the occasional rustle of turning pages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This went on for who knew how long…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman’s eyes grew tired, and she could no longer hold her posture; she shifted and relaxed, asking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you going to say anything to your mother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xiao Han lifted her head with a troubled expression and replied sharply: “Being your daughter is exhausting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman remained unmoved: “What’s his real name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you already know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know my daughter. That might be fake too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han pouted and gave a helpless smile, bluntly saying: “His surname and name don’t matter. If you insist on a convenient nickname, call him Cat or Dog.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman stared into her daughter’s eyes, paused two seconds, then asked: “Where is Li Heng from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with this deliberately provocative question, Xiao Han chose to ignore it, finished one page, and turned to the next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five minutes slipped away in silence; Wei Shiman, worn down, finally lost patience and snatched the book from her daughter’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She deliberately used reverse psychology: “Tell Mom—why lie? Do you like this boy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the family’s pet cat leapt from the other end of the sofa to Xiao Han’s side; she grabbed its neck, lifted it up, and teased it as she asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if I said I liked him? What would happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze slowly drifted from the cat to her daughter; the playful tone on Wei Shiman’s face vanished, replaced by solemn seriousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the girl’s face twisted into a knot; she gripped the cat’s cheeks and pulled them outward, whimpering: “I was just testing! If it actually happened, wouldn’t you break my legs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman spoke firmly: “If it really happened, I’d start with courtesy, then force. First, I’d order you to leave him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han used her thumb and forefinger to pry open the cat’s eyelids, forcing it to roll three white eyes at her mother, then sighed self-pityingly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little cat, being too beautiful invites trouble. Being a person is so hard. Someone once said the exact same thing to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman asked: “Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han answered: “Chen Zijin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Wei Shiman was startled, finally connecting the dots—Li Heng’s name sounded familiar because it was tied to Chen Zijin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was linked to that rumor from Shangwan Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout middle and high school, her daughter got along best with Yang Yingwen and Chen Zijin, often inviting them over for meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Wei Shiman wasn’t just familiar with Chen Zijin—she knew her well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imagining Chen Zijin’s delicate beauty in her mind, Wei Shiman asked in surprise: “Chen Zijin’s family isn’t poor—why would she go for that Li Heng just now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think he’s not good enough for Chen Zijin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t judge him, but in our little town, few are worthy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han chimed in: “I was confused too. I once asked Chen Zijin the same question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman, unconsciously drawn in, asked curiously: “What did she say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han tapped the cat’s head and grinned mischievously: “What could she say? Love is blind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said anyone who can’t appreciate Li Heng has faulty eyesight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Wei Shiman, this sounded deeply odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glared at the little devil before her, convinced her daughter was indirectly mocking her—but she couldn’t find proof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her mother’s eyes nearly prick with anger, Xiao Han squinted and smiled, quickly distancing herself: “That’s Chen Zijin’s exact words. Don’t blame your own daughter. If you don’t believe me, ask Yingwen later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman suddenly grew curious: “Is the rumor true? Are Li Heng and Zijin…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han turned her head, her eyes crystal clear: “What rumor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman slapped her daughter’s arm: “You little rascal, stop pretending! I don’t believe you haven’t heard—everyone was talking about it during the New Year fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were all kinds of versions, but they all boiled down to the same thing: a poor boy slept with the rich Chen girl.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Han kept playing with the cat: “I heard the rumor too. They say it was Chen Zijin’s aunt who caught them in the act—but you know the rule: family shame stays inside. If her aunt really saw it, how would it get out? Probably just gossip.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman shook her head: “My version’s different. Chen Zijin’s aunt did catch them, but someone passing by outside the courtyard happened to overhear through the window—that’s how it spread.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She actually believed this version more. In this era, many rural homes were courtyard-style, houses packed close together; sneaking around or affairs were commonly stumbled upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, if “family shame stays inside” were truly followed, the world would be peaceful—no rumors at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was right: Li Heng and Chen Zijin’s affair was overheard by Fat Aunt passing by the Chen household’s window—and it was she who exposed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Wei Shiman closely watched her daughter, observing her expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time in her life, Xiao Han felt interrogated like a criminal by her own mother; she nearly cried, but retorted firmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you had my youth and beauty, would you go for a remarried man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words “remarried man” made Wei Shiman feel as if bathed in spring breeze; she smiled and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today’s rice—I could’ve haggled it down to 1.7 jiao. But I paid 3.7 yuan extra for your sake. That’ll be deducted from your allowance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing her allowance would be cut, Xiao Han angrily squeezed the cat; the cat crouched, too afraid to resist, its face full of sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Wei Shiman’s smile widened, and she stood up and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t help but sigh: Since her daughter grew up, this was the first time she’d truly gotten the upper hand—this feeling was delightful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for her daughter’s relationship with Li Heng, she didn’t press further, nor did she ask why Xiao Han helped him today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of Chen Zijin, everything made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, as a mother, she was relieved: over the past six years, her daughter had never once mentioned Li Heng at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she chose to believe her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dinner, before Wei Shiman could ask about the rice’s taste, her husband Xiao Hai took a bite and spoke up: “New rice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Shiman picked up a piece of chicken breast and placed it on his plate: “New rice I bought today. How’s the flavor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hai adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and praised: “Soft, sticky, sweet, with a lingering aftertaste—better than any rice you bought before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing her husband’s high praise, Wei Shiman took two bites, then smiled happily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It really is good. Tomorrow I’ll take two bags to your older sister—she’ll like it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1169,"2026-06-19T15:27:33.982Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a6d8b1f55970933a77706824eb5413054ab1f26ecea5e0cd1692b9d12e8826e2","1987-my-era-chapter-18","1987-my-era-chapter-16",713,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002F1987-my-era-cover.jpg"]