[{"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-143":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},2294561,4489,"Chapter 143: Duo Ye, You","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-143",143,"\u003Cp>Wang Qiang was surrounded by the Huang mother and daughter, thanking him profusely, while Li Ye pulled Jin Peng out of the clinic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye handed Jin Peng a cigarette: “Tomorrow, call home and have my grandfather and my father send over a few reliable people—preferably veterans from the southern front.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng lit his cigarette and asked back: “Why don’t you call yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye replied calmly: “I’m afraid my grandfather will scold me for stirring up trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng was both annoyed and amused: “So you think I won’t get scolded by the Private Secretary?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye snorted: “You’ve been scolded since you were a kid—this one more won’t hurt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng: “.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye took a deep breath and added: “Don’t show your face on Xiushuijie tomorrow. Let Old Song take Tan Min to check the situation first—I’ll make the call.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng’s playful expression turned serious; he said gravely: “Is this really necessary? Could it affect you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye shook his head, offering no further explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng and the others knew Li Ye was dating Wen Leyu, and they understood how difficult cross-class romance could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it risked damaging Li Ye’s image in the Wen family’s eyes, Jin Peng would rather die than allow it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jin Peng didn’t know Li Ye had written “Fires of the Deserting Soldier,” which tied him even deeper to the Wen family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, unless absolutely necessary, Li Ye wouldn’t go to the Wens for help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take today’s matter: Teacher Ke didn’t care about Zhi’an—she’d have to go through official channels, even if it was just one sentence, but every person involved carried debts of favor and obligation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why the saying exists: “Don’t ask for help over small matters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Teacher Ke and Wen Qingsheng were grateful and honorable people, Li Ye, still an unconfirmed son-in-law, constantly troubling them over trivial things would look like he was leveraging their kindness for gain—falling to a lower moral ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undignified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if Li Ye ever faced a major crisis—say, his group clashed with a foreign conglomerate—he’d immediately bring Wen Leyu along, baby in arms, and go straight to Teacher Ke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walk in and just cling to them: You have to help, whether you want to or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At breakfast, Li Ye briefly explained the events to Wen Leyu, including “Duo Ye.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He emphasized that the Xiushuijie storefront was a legitimate business with proper permits and licenses, and Jin Peng was a formal employee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was precisely why, despite Guo Donglun warning Hao Jian that affiliating with a shell company risked being stripped of assets, Li Ye insisted on obtaining a legal license.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the early 1980s, during the wild expansion era, illicit dealings could still bring great profits, but without legal status, many opportunities remained out of reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take today’s matter: With a license, Li Ye could handle things officially; without one, you’d leave yourself open to accusations of favoritism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the situation—do you think it’s better for me to go directly to your brother, or for you, his own sister, to mention it to him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry about whether it’s appropriate—first, are you sure you’re unharmed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu was tense, gripping the sleeve of Li Ye’s shirt and peering inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by her expression, if the cafeteria hadn’t been crowded, she might have torn open his clothes to check for injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming he was truly unharmed, she blinked, a glint of relief flashing in her clear, watery eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a small matter—I’ll just tell my brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl spoke lightly, as if it meant nothing at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Duo Ye” hadn’t slept well last night, so he woke up late in the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His throat was dry from drinking the night before; he reached for the thermos as soon as he got up—only to find it empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duo Xing sighed, reluctantly heading to boil water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the stove wouldn’t light for half an hour, making him so furious he nearly kicked it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, the neighbor old man mocked: “Hey, Duo Xing, why are you fighting with a stove? You’re a grown man!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duo Xing laughed: “No, I drank too much last night—just stretching my limbs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old neighbor chuckled as he left: “If you weren’t always wasting time and quit drinking and meat, you’d have had a wife long ago—why are you boiling your own water?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the old man leave, Duo Xing spat on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spit~! Who’s wasting time? One day I’ll rise up and make you old fool green with envy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duo Xing hadn’t always been surnamed Duo; his ancestors had a long, complex surname, changed decades ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His grandfather said the Duo family had once been prominent in the Four-Nine City, with over a dozen maidservants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by Duo Xing’s generation, the family’s ancestral graves were probably scorched bare by lightning—every bit of fortune gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two broken rooms, alone, over twenty years old, still no wife, just a lonely bachelor with no one to talk to—his life had always been miserable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, last year, a “talented man” from the south came to Beijing, settled in Xiushui, and needed a local to run errands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duo Xing, who knew every corner of the Four-Nine City, seized the chance, quit his street-factory job paying barely twenty yuan, and began his “wasting time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than a year, Duo Xing made a fortune, gathered a gang of brothers, and earned the title “Duo Ye.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that title meant nothing in the marriage market; despite repeated matchmakers, he got nowhere—his pockets full of cash, yet no one to spend it with—deeply frustrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Duo Xing had a sharp nose—he’d smelled the scent of “money can move gods.” He believed that in a few years, with his wit and talent, the Duo family’s former glory would return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Star Brother! Star Brother!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two men rushed in, shouting as they ran, faces gleeful with schadenfreude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two really know how to time it—I was just about to brew tea and head out for lunch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duo Xing scolded with a grin, ordering one thug: “There’s tea in the cabinet—brew some, then we leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One thug went inside for the tea; the other, excited, said: “Star Brother, Heng San is down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you yesterday he’d fall,” Duo Xing boasted. “A few days ago, he got robbed of tens of thousands in goods; yesterday, his men got beaten up—he’s probably paid out a fortune in medical bills.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Star Brother, you’re amazing,” the thug gave a thumbs-up. “This morning, over a dozen of Heng San’s men were dragged home by their families—each one complaining of chest pain or leg pain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s broken ribs,” Duo Xing nodded. “Last night, those guys were real hardcores—narrow escape!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Definitely a narrow escape,” the thug sighed. “This morning, Heng San hadn’t even settled his men when a whole squad of cops showed up and took them all away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Star Brother, now Xiushuijie is ours alone—Heng San’s business is ours from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duo Xing suddenly asked: “Which cops? Didn’t Heng San get any warning?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thug thought a moment: “Seems like it was the Bureau.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duo Xing froze for a few seconds, then leapt to his feet, turning and barging into the room, colliding with the thug holding the tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Crash~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teapot shattered on the floor, but Duo Xing didn’t look—he yanked a ragged cloth bundle from a corner and rushed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he walked, he pulled out a fistful of cash and handed it to the two thugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get out of the city. Hide for a month before coming back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two thugs automatically took the money but asked confusedly: “Star Brother, this isn’t our doing—Heng San’s down, why not take over his business? If we don’t, someone else will—Dong Tiao’s Ma Hu has been eyeing us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You idiots don’t get it—someone’s thrown out a big net. Whether you’re a shrimp eating grass or a black fish eating meat, they’ll clean you out. Is your ass clean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thugs fell silent. Over the past two years, the streets had grown fiercer; if you weren’t violent, how could you earn a name?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t like it? Yesterday, Heng San beat Huang Gang and his crew badly—Huang Gang fought us just a few days ago. Could he use this chance to drag us down too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Star Brother, you’re brilliant—let’s go, quick!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three hurried out to hide, but at the alley entrance, they were blocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pair of silver handcuffs gleamed in the noon sun, turning their faces deathly pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Star Brother… you’re truly amazing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Monday afternoon, Li Ye had two classes; he finished late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He left the classroom and headed straight for the cafeteria, but halfway there, he met the Wen siblings waiting for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Guohua smirked at Li Ye: “Come on—let’s go home for dinner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Go home for dinner?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother, you say that… awfully nicely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye said awkwardly: “Did today’s matter really bother Teacher Ke?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Guohua glanced at his sister and teased with a sigh: “Yes—my sister didn’t trust me, so she went straight to Mom, and Mom assigned me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu rolled her eyes at her brother, then gave Li Ye a meaningful look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Go eat! I’ve got your back—you’re safe.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Guohua drove a battered 212 Jeep, carrying Li Ye and Wen Leyu back to the Zhongliang Courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on the way, Li Ye felt the old car was surprisingly good—beyond its shabby exterior, nearly every part had been replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Zhongliang Courtyard, Li Ye felt nervous before entering; in someone like Teacher Ke’s eyes, “brawling” and “business” weren’t exactly respectable labels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once inside, he saw the food was already on the table, and seeing Wen Qingsheng’s expression, he immediately relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come sit down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Qingsheng gestured for Li Ye to sit, then picked up the bottle and poured him wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye quickly stood to stop him—he was a guest, after all, and couldn’t be disrespectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sit, sit,” Wen Qingsheng insisted, pouring Li Ye a full cup, then said: “Last time you told me you trained in bayonet combat since childhood—I thought you were bragging. But now I believe you. Later, let’s—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Qingsheng suddenly glanced at the teacher beside him and changed his tone: “Let’s spar sometime—I haven’t had a real opponent in ages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just dabbled in a few forms for a few days; it’s not as amazing as people say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye could only laugh awkwardly in response, knowing in his heart he dared not take it seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, Li Ye had played ball with the vice president.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew he couldn’t win—but because letting the vice president win had made him miserable for two years, if he knocked Wen Qingsheng down with one shot, Teacher Ke wouldn’t side with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of relationship do they have? Who the hell are you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1818,"2026-06-20T05:04:59.129Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","af0413751933603d172694173672bbbd18ce63da8e082a5b11bf95c296f0a86e","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-144","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-142",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]