[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981":3,"chapter-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-105":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","That Year, the Flowers Bloomed in 1981",{"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},2294523,4489,"Chapter 105: Business Is Business, Sentiment Is Sentiment","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-105",105,"\u003Cp>Li Dayong, Hu Man, Jiang Xiaoyan, and others in Qingshui County were waiting patiently, “holding out until the clouds part and the moon appears, solely awaiting the notification letter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Li Ye, the core figure of the eight-person group known as Li Ye the Emperor, had led his business team through countless hardships to reach the southeastern coast of Shenzhou, where they now stood in a long queue outside a narrow street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Jin, why are there so many people? More than during the lantern festival back in Qingshui County!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third Water, once we get through the checkpoint, will we finally see Hong Kong? Does this count as an overseas trip?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two young men stared anxiously yet excitedly at the five- to six-hundred-meter-long line ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut your mouths! Don’t you see how people are looking at you? What did I tell you before we left?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t understand something, pretend you do—ask later. Don’t stand here chattering like old women in front of everyone. Do you want everyone to know you’re country bumpkins?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui, Jin Peng’s top henchman, berated the newcomers who had just joined the group, his face twisted with disgust and impatience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three were brought along by Jin Peng from their hometown in Qingshui; two of them, Mu Weimin and Ma Qianshan, were former unemployed drifters from the county, who now fawned over San Shui with constant “Water Brother, Water Brother” flattery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But San Shui, who had been surviving in Yangcheng for over half a year, thought these two were simpletons with no potential for training or cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for the shared roots in Qingshui and a sense of brotherly loyalty, San Shui wouldn’t have given them a second glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the third, Zou Zhiguo, he was even more dull-witted—unable to speak a single sentence for minutes, not even capable of calling him “Water Brother.” If not for his connection to Li Ye, San Shui wouldn’t have deigned to look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Water Brother, don’t scold them. When I first came here, I didn’t know anything either—I was just another outsider. After a few days, you get used to it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged man standing beside Li Ye and the others stepped in to defuse the tension, earning grateful glances from the two scolded newcomers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui noticed Jin Peng’s displeased look and quickly added, “We went through so much trouble to get these documents. What if their nervous behavior raises suspicion? I’m just trying to avoid dragging everyone down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man waved it off casually: “No problem, no problem—rest assured, our connections are solid. We know all the bigwigs. I guarantee you’ll pass without issue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui nodded and smiled: “We really owe you, Boss Zhang. Without you, no one could’ve gotten these special permits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What boss? I’m just a small-time trader. You’re the real bosses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Boss Zhang chatted and joked with San Shui, he kept glancing toward Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was fairly familiar with San Shui, having sold him plenty of rare goods before—he’d always assumed San Shui was just a shopkeeper under two higher-ups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two bosses rarely stayed in Yangcheng, yet they held absolute control over San Shui. Just days ago, Boss Zhang had convinced San Shui to collaborate on smuggling motorcycles—but then a single telegram from the bosses above made San Shui instantly shrink back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Zhang had finally met Hao Jian a few days ago and found him to be extremely shrewd and grand in demeanor—clearly a promising partner. He decided to cultivate a closer relationship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after seeing several northerners arrive yesterday, Boss Zhang sensed something unusual about the young man called “Xiao Ye.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian and Jin Peng made decisions on business matters without hesitation—but when facing Li Ye, they subtly showed deference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Respect, mixed with fear—that was Boss Zhang’s most immediate impression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Zhang was studying Li Ye, and Li Ye knew it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally intended to avoid any contact with Boss Zhang when he came to Yangcheng with Jin Peng and the three newcomers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 1982, anyone daring to smuggle motorcycles northward was extremely bold—and extremely dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was his own venture or merely acting as a middleman for powerful figures behind him, Li Ye had no intention of getting involved in such business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If your hands aren’t clean, even if you wear eight pairs of pants, the stink remains—and once someone notices, no amount of scrubbing will wash it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after spending several days in Yangcheng, when Li Ye tried to take Jin Peng and the others to the nearby “Zhongyingjie,” he hit a roadblock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhongyingjie, established in 1898 and flourishing between 1980 and 1997, saw tens of thousands of “tourists” cross its border daily during its seventeen-year peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To enter this narrow street, Li Ye and Jin Peng first needed a border pass to reach Pengcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A “border pass” was Shenzhou’s screening mechanism for anyone traveling near frontier zones—if you had a criminal record or even suspicion of wrongdoing, you were barred from approaching the border.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the rules were strictly enforced: those needing such a pass had to obtain an official introduction letter and apply through local authorities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye could never get one—he was merely touring the country’s scenic spots; there was no legitimate reason to visit the border region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with a border pass, one could only reach Pengcheng; to enter Zhongyingjie, another special permit was required.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary people simply couldn’t obtain these documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Ye had asked Hao Jian to seek help from Guo Donglun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hao Jian hit a wall—Guo Donglun, who seemed capable of anything in Yangcheng, declared himself powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Ye was considering other options, San Shui arrived with Boss Zhang, declaring, “All these permits? Minor issues.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You don’t strike a smiling face—you’d only make an enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Hao Jian paid a substantial sum to secure documents for all eight of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My goodness! No wonder Guo Donglun didn’t want us coming here—his goods are dirt cheap compared to this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting in line for hours, Jin Peng and the others were stunned the moment they entered Zhongyingjie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a mainlander in 1982, stepping into Zhongyingjie felt like leaving the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the west lay Hong Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along both sides of the street, shops displayed the latest fashions, accessories, small consumer goods, and electronics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clothing in these shops—design, fabric, style—utterly crushed the goods Hao Jian had obtained from Guo Donglun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Jin Peng and Hao Jian both believed Guo Donglun had been dishonest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye said: “Guo Donglun may not have been unfaithful—these goods are excellent, but they’re unsuitable for us right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These shops are retail-only. You can buy a few pieces, maybe ten or so—fine. But thousands? Tens of thousands? Is that even possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you even know what customs clearance means? Do you have the official paperwork?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the early years of reform and opening, Yangcheng’s prosperity surpassed Pengcheng’s—it wasn’t until several years later, when conditions warmed again, that Pengcheng rose with astonishing speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, the places still capable of supplying large quantities of cheap clothing and consumer goods were still in Yangcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Li Ye’s words, San Shui, still resentful, said: “Then why didn’t Guo Donglun help us get the permits? What’s he afraid of?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye nodded toward the south: “He’s afraid you’ll run over there. If he gives you the permits and you defect, won’t that bring trouble on him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Shatoujiao area where Zhongyingjie lay had, during its most chaotic period, been one of the most notorious smuggling hubs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dazzling world on the other side still held a magical allure for mainlanders at this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had brought Wang Qiang and three unfamiliar faces south to Yangcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could Guo Donglun guarantee these strangers wouldn’t lose their heads and cross over as illegal residents?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re all so close—he can’t think so little of us! I think he’s just unbrotherly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui still resented it. Guo Donglun was an extremely mysterious man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui had lived in Yangcheng for over half a year and had barely seen Guo Donglun in person—always communicating by phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though deliveries and pickups always went smoothly, Guo Donglun’s distant, superior demeanor always made San Shui feel uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye glanced at San Shui, his eyes growing sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His decision to come south to Yangcheng was correct. This wild, unstructured startup team was like a sprawling, untamed tree—its branches and twigs needed pruning by a gardener.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When no outsiders remained, he said coldly: “You’ve been here long enough—haven’t you figured out the southern mindset yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Business is business, and human sentiment is human sentiment. Some risks, others have no obligation to share.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the many years after reform and opening, southerners conducted business differently from northerners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They saw business as pure: you profit, I profit—we both benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how familiar the client, when negotiating prices, they haggled down to the last cent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once the deal was done, whether successful or not, they’d treat you to a full banquet—spending tens of thousands without a second thought, never holding a grudge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Northerners, by contrast, insisted on drinking first—“brothers forever,” one gulp, one toast—getting drunk on the table to seal the contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the liquor flowed and the bonds felt strong, they’d offer discounts so generous you’d think they were scamming you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, when I’m in trouble, you’ll help me out, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui thought like a northerner. Guo Donglun was the epitome of southern style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Business matters? I’ll handle them clearly. Help you with something reasonable? I will. But if I think it’s inappropriate? Sorry—no favors, no exceptions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Xiao Ye, look at everyone else getting busy—can we just stand around watching?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng, seeing San Shui’s head droop under Li Ye’s reprimand, quickly changed the subject to redirect Li Ye’s attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because San Shui had once considered smuggling motorcycles, Li Ye was already annoyed by his carelessness—he didn’t want this to escalate into an argument that would put him in the middle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye waved his hand: “Go ahead. But be careful. Don’t underestimate the little guys, and don’t treat them like blind fools.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhongyingjie was no more than five hundred meters long and only seven to eight meters wide—but even this tiny street was split down the middle into two zones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before 1985, “tourists” entering Zhongyingjie were forbidden from shopping in the western Hong Kong side—they could only browse shops on the mainland-controlled eastern side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the entrance stood a clear sign: “All cadres and staff holding special permits are strictly prohibited from crossing the boundary. Violators will be severely punished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with a street only seven meters wide, divided into two zones, even the most diligent patrols couldn’t stop the mainlanders’ desperate desire for imported goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could the goods on the mainland side compare to the quality on the Hong Kong side?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five hundred meters of street filled with tens of thousands of people—all fake “tourists”—how could anyone possibly monitor them all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So some took advantage of guards’ blind spots, sprinting across to the western side to shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some even had accomplices on the eastern side—buying items and tossing the bags across, then grabbing them and running off, like something out of a movie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng, Hao Jian, and the others copied them—splitting into groups, watching for patrols, and darting across whenever the chance arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the naive Wang Qiang stayed close to Li Ye, envious but too afraid to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qiangzi, don’t rush. Whatever you want to buy later, I’ll get it for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, yeah, I’ll listen to you, Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiang clung tightly to Li Ye’s side, his eyes fixed on a shop across the street, unable to look away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye glanced over—damn, good stuff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thin as a cicada’s wing, smooth and cool to the touch—this was the beloved item of countless young men and women, old men and women: silk stockings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 1982, even without being worn on long, slender legs, these stockings delivered a seventy-layer stacked buff to a simple soul like Wang Qiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why? Because outside the shop stood several life-sized mannequin posters—black, white, transparent, flesh-toned—each one stealing the gaze of countless men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, at Wang Qiang’s level, he wasn’t looking at socks—he was looking at legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Li Ye’s level, though, the gaze ran far deeper—truth and illusion, inside and out, endlessly shifting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qiangzi, got a girlfriend yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro, I don’t got one yet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why’re you staring at that stuff? Buying a pair to give to your mom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-sorry, Bro, I shouldn’t have looked.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiang hung his head in shame, carefully tugging at his shirt to cover his pants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough, Qiangzi, keep watch for me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiang looked up in confusion, only to realize Li Ye had already vanished like a thunderclap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiang blinked rapidly, taking several seconds to catch on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Ye’s got a girlfriend—he can buy. I’ve gotta stand guard for him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The simple-minded Wang Qiang became a loyal sentinel, scanning every possible threat around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, Li Ye returned nimbly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t bought those silk stockings, but he’d bought a large bundle of athletic socks—various colors, various styles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu would never wear those long silk stockings, but athletic socks? Perfect for the girl’s pure image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, they’ve got sports shoes too, Qiangzi—want me to buy you a pair?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes yes yes, Bro, I’ve got money!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need—I’ll buy you one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye spotted a shoe store with a few familiar models of athletic shoes, one of which even had a couple’s design element.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That one had to be bought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiang stood on the other side of the street, watching Li Ye slip over, babbling nonsense to the clerk, then picking out five pairs of different sizes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wang Qiang saw Li Ye hand over a thick wad of cash—hundreds, maybe even over a thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Ye returned, Wang Qiang hurried to pay him back, but Li Ye snapped his forehead to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro, why’s it so expensive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiang held a soft shoe, staring at the “checkmark” logo—heart aching, yet delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feel was different—totally different. He’d never touched a shoe this good in his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brand name. If you want to wear it, don’t mind the cost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro, I do mind the cost…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax, Qiangzi. Stick with me—you’ll never lack for money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye spoke carefree on the surface, but inside he cursed silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Rip-off artists. You all better wait—I won’t rest till I’ve driven your prices down to cabbage levels for swindling me today.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2438,"2026-06-20T05:04:59.129Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d8efda42d84a3182ef8afcc435ae9b08f9908a6537698a817d24f4924314d3b6","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-106","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-104",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]