[{"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-122":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},2294540,4489,"Chapter 122: A Very Large Wallet","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-122",122,"\u003Cp>\"I was on the middle bunk when he boarded in Dongshan Province’s capital; we ended up in the same carriage, and when someone tried to swap bunks with me, he was the one who turned them down!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu questioned Li Ye with her eyes, but before Li Ye could answer, Liu Muhan calmly explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She approached me first to swap bunks—mine was the bottom bunk, so I refused, and I turned her down too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Liu Muhan finished speaking, Li Ye added a few casual remarks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words sounded offhand, but he was really explaining to Wen Leyu: I didn’t draw my sword for a beautiful stranger—I just acted on a fleeting chance encounter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye and Wen Leyu were deep in tender affection, and he didn’t want any misunderstanding to tarnish their budding love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan suddenly found it amusing—Li Ye’s behavior on the train had left a deep impression on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Firm, decisive, rational—but why did he now seem so henpecked?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, it’s not henpecked—he’s carefully guarding something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan recalled the scene at the station platform, when Li Ye had “tricked” Wen Leyu into taking the lightest bag, and suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered how, when she first enrolled last year, He Xue and others in the dorm had persuaded Lu Jingyao to write Li Ye letters and send him money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, according to Lu Jingyao’s casual descriptions, Li Ye had seemed just as the newspaper article described—single-mindedly devoted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan, who understood human nature well, knew only someone single-mindedly devoted could care so deeply for another’s feelings and guard them so carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing Li Ye and Liu Muhan’s words, Wen Leyu’s face showed no emotion, but her left hand grabbed Li Ye’s and pulled him ten centimeters closer to her side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the girl picked up a book with her right hand and asked Liu Muhan: \"Has Qi Cun Dao Feng released a new book? Want to take a look?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Liu Muhan notice dozens of books lined up on the shelf, their spines bearing Li Ye’s pen name: “Qi Cun Dao Feng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She exclaimed happily: \"‘Fenghuo Taobing’—is this your new book, Li Ye?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu’s eyes narrowed again, and a faint smile appeared on her lips—cold, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I read ‘Qianfu’—it was great. I’ll buy one. Gotta go, you two keep browsing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan flipped through ‘Fenghuo Taobing’ and decided to buy it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she pulled Lu Jingyao away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She feared that if she stayed any longer, this sharp little girl would make Lu Jingyao’s expression even more miserable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With her sensitive intuition, Liu Muhan was certain: Wen Leyu and Lu Jingyao knew each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a single glance between them had left Lu Jingyao visibly shaken—there was a clear gap in their levels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan had stayed put for half a minute precisely to observe Li Ye and confirm his current attitude toward Lu Jingyao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the faintest trace of lingering feeling from Li Ye would have escaped none of her notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye’s reaction was strange—he seemed to have slashed through all emotional ties, forgetting everything from the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then why stay here? Seeking pain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chance encounter between an ex and a current lover is one of life’s saddest moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when the current lover is even better than the ex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Liu Muhan’s retreating back, Wen Leyu murmured: \"He not only knows your pen name—he knows your real name too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that’s what the girl had been doing—offering the book to Liu Muhan to test how familiar she was with Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye smiled and replied frankly: \"I was surprised too. She had a copy of the Dongshan Education Daily and recognized me from the photo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have that same Dongshan Education Daily—unless you’re close, you wouldn’t recognize him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu thought for a moment and asked: \"After she recognized you, what else did she say to you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye looked at Wen Leyu in surprise, thinking she’d flipped her lid over jealousy—but then he saw she wasn’t angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl was calm, serious—as if investigating a case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She said she’d read my books. I asked why she had the Dongshan Education Daily—she said her father—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu interrupted immediately after he finished: \"After you returned the paper to her, did she initiate conversation again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye, startled, nodded: \"I’d just pulled out two copies—she asked for one, saying she was bored on the train.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wen Leyu cut him off again: \"When you got off, she didn’t return that book to you, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye slowly nodded, not daring to hide a single detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From just his brief account, Wen Leyu had deduced Liu Muhan’s subsequent actions—she was indeed sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu exhaled, sounding relieved: \"It’s all her doing—none of it’s your fault.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She must’ve researched you thoroughly before meeting you—knew your general appearance, your hometown—so she half-guessed, half-confirmed you were Qi Cun Dao Feng.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Wen Leyu’s other side—yes, she was a sweet, innocent kitten around him, but her parents were tigers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The education and skills Wen Leyu had inherited since childhood weren’t just for catching mice—they were for hunting large prey too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan pulled Lu Jingyao out of the bookstore and wandered back to campus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beijing Foreign Languages College was in Haidian District, not far away—a ten- or twenty-minute walk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as they walked, Lu Jingyao quickened her pace, as if trying to leave Liu Muhan behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan hurried to catch up, studying Lu Jingyao’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She saw Lu Jingyao now had her head down, teeth clenched, face rigid, eyes vacant, mechanically striding forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan grabbed Lu Jingyao’s arm: \"Jingyao, don’t let the past poison your present. Let go of the pain—time will fade it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to forget—I dream of forgetting him every night.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Jingyao turned her head slowly, her gaze unfocused on Liu Muhan’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But why did fate make me meet him again? I ran so far—why must I see him again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan had no answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world is so vast—why did you have to cross my path?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Jingyao stared at Liu Muhan’s silence, then her vacant eyes flickered: \"Muhan, do you think he’s outstanding?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Muhan paused, then said: \"Objectively, he’s far above average—but since you’ve let go, you shouldn’t dwell on it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But he wasn’t like this before—he wasn’t! What am I supposed to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Jingyao shook her head violently, flinging two tears into the air—her pitiful, sorrowful expression moved even Liu Muhan to sadness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Jingyao could never forget the past; she had once been insecure, but after entering university, she gained confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye had suddenly changed—and shattered her confidence again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless Lu Jingyao soared higher, became stronger, far surpassing Li Ye—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she couldn’t, she’d carry that hidden stab of pain for the rest of her life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jingyao, if you want to escape Li Ye, why not apply for study abroad?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Study abroad?\" Lu Jingyao laughed bitterly: \"How could that ever be for me? It’s too hard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not hard,\" Liu Muhan said firmly. \"If you focus, it’s not impossible—but you must drop your pride.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Jingyao looked up blankly at the sky, then whispered after a long silence: \"Pride... how much is it worth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beijing was truly vast—just Haidian District kept Li Ye and Wen Leyu wandering all day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At four in the afternoon, Li Ye turned the bike toward home: \"I’ve got plans with Jin Peng to look at apartments—I’ll drop you off for dinner, okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" came the unexpected reply from the bike’s backseat. \"I want to eat Fengze Garden. Just drop me off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye turned back and saw Wen Leyu’s face tight, her legs kicking rhythmically at the air—practicing some unknown leg technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about I buy you a big pork knuckle? And some donkey rolls? Then I’ll take you home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want Fengze Garden. I’m using my manuscript fee.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright then! Tonight we eat Fengze Garden—my little Yu is mad, gotta spoil her properly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye twisted the handlebars and hurried off to take the girl to dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can’t anger a cat—once you do, forget petting her—she’ll swipe you and blind you with one claw!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he rode, Li Ye felt Wen Leyu’s small head slowly rest against his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She whispered softly: \"I’m not angry—I’m just... not feeling well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words carried three parts melancholy, seven parts embarrassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye laughed: \"It’s fine if you are! Ask Teacher Ke—he’ll tell you no one goes through life without getting mad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu sat stunned for a long moment, then rubbed her head against his back like a cat, gripped his shirt hem, and swung her long legs again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiao Ye, look around—eight thousand still feels too expensive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaojunmiao lies between Haidian District and XC District, within what would later be the Third Ring Road—prime real estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in 1982, Zaojunmiao showed no signs of prosperity—just low, broken, muddy huts; in Jin Peng’s eyes, it was barely better than Qingshui County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Li Ye scanned the surroundings and said: \"Look at it with a developmental perspective—this place is good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, Zaojunmiao had no tall buildings; its bustle couldn’t compare to the Second Ring Road of the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But around it were many universities—Polytechnic, Aviation, Nationalities, Political Science, Post and Telecommunications—nearly ten, famous or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far north lay Renmin University; even Peking University was only a few kilometers away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaojunmiao’s location was perfectly central to the eight-member group’s schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t even talk about how much this house will be worth in the future—just based on this alone, no matter how much you offer, it might still not be suitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, turn left at the next alley—it’s as narrow as a chicken’s intestine; I don’t even know if a Dongfeng truck can fit through.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng led Li Ye into the alley and walked straight to a gate in the middle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye grew more satisfied the more he looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This alley was certainly narrower than a street, but among Beijing’s alleys, it counted as “truly wide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this courtyard had clearly been renovated in recent decades—the main structure and bricks and tiles were all solid and straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gate was open; Jin Peng stepped forward, knocked on the door ring, then said, “Is Mr. Zhang at home? We’re here to see the house, as arranged.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young voice replied, “Come in! I’m home!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng whispered to Li Ye, “It’s the owner’s son—something like Zhang Rui. I heard he’s a college student too, and he’s stubbornly holding out for eight thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye nodded. Such a large inheritance—no one wants to sell it cheap. It’s only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after stepping inside, Li Ye and Jin Peng were no longer calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the courtyard stood a small table surrounded by wooden stools, each occupied by a man, all glaring at Jin Peng and Li Ye with clear hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye whispered, “Who’s the owner?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng frowned and shook his head—none of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye grew uneasy—he feared the house’s ownership might be disputed. Sibling disputes over property were all too common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, back in 1980, a Tian actor bought a sihe courtyard near the Forbidden City, and later his children fought bitterly over its ownership.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please sit! What’s your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need for formalities—surname Li,” Li Ye sat on a stool and smiled. “Are these all family members?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, just like you—we’re here to buy the house too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye barely held back from standing up and walking out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, 1982 house flippers—you trying to teach me a lesson?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, where’s your old man? Yesterday you said he was the owner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng was equally annoyed—so it’s just your family that’s complicated? You want a high price, you want to meet the owner, and now you’re bringing in others to drive the price up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Rui smiled gently. “My father’s resting inside. But since I need money right now, I’m the one deciding the price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng’s face twisted with impatience as he looked at Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d already thought the price too high, and he found Zhang Rui untrustworthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye sat silent, staring blankly at a cassia tree by the courtyard wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keeping a cassia tree alive in northern China required real care—this owner had some finesse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stay calm. Don’t rush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing both men silent, Zhang Rui asked Li Ye, “I heard you’re from Peking University.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Show me your admission letter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No rush,” Li Ye said coolly. “Let your father rest first. In the end, he’s the one who has to sign, isn’t he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t play games with me—you’re the owner’s son, so why pretend?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Rui’s face hardened. “Don’t act uncomfortable. Yesterday I told your cousin eight thousand—that was firm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But today someone else offered ten thousand—for the house and all the furniture.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need the money now. If you match ten thousand, I’ll sell it to you without hesitation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye thought for a moment, then asked Zhang Rui, “These four—aren’t from Beijing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Rui nodded. “From the south. They’ve got deep pockets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye said, “Let me take a look inside the house.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Rui smiled. “Of course—all the furniture’s good. Used for decades, not a single piece broken.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye followed Zhang Rui inside, took a quick look around, then asked to see the owner in the study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner was in his fifties, with a clear scholarly air; he looked slightly embarrassed seeing Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Zhang, here’s my admission letter. If you’re willing, I’ll take the house and all the furniture for ten thousand. Deal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Mr. Zhang and Zhang Rui were stunned—Li Ye had agreed so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Rui couldn’t help asking, “Brother, you’re spending this much without consulting your family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You’re wondering if this ten thousand is legitimately earned, aren’t you?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye smiled and pulled out his copy of “Fugitive in the Flames.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m using my own royalties. My family doesn’t interfere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Zhang took the book, glanced at it, then suddenly said, “You wrote ‘Infiltration,’ didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye smiled. “Humble of me—it’s just popular fiction, not worthy of high art.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Mr. Zhang said, “I should be the one humbled. Today I’ve made you laugh—let me decide: eight thousand. Not a cent more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No—ten thousand. I think it’s fair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hey, if you don’t sell me this furniture, I’ll feel like I’ve lost a fortune!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2411,"2026-06-20T05:04:59.129Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9a07e3c75fb897c99d5923b8bf0cba64042aa1f96902d4601ebcf8489c1799ca","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-123","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-121",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]