[{"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-148":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},2294566,4489,"Chapter 148: He Is the Strategist","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-148",148,"\u003Cp>“Cui Boss, set up a full table today—I’m treating my esteemed guest, don’t you dare serve me spoiled fish and rotten shrimp!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d never dare deceive you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Boss saw Jin Peng enter, his mouth stretched wide in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was both startled and delighted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was delighted because Jin Peng was generous—he often brought several shop employees over for a meal, never asked prices, and didn’t care if it cost a few extra yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was startled because that night, right outside his own restaurant, there had been a silver spear—Zhao Zilong himself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Huang Gang had pounded on his door, Cui Boss had heard it, but after hesitating for a long time, he still didn’t open it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were sharp—he’d long sensed that Heng San and his gang were going mad. Back then, twenty-some men had charged in—who cared if you were the victim or just a bystander? One shovel to the skull, and who could you complain to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d barely managed to become a ten-thousand-yuan household—he was finally enjoying life. Was it worth risking it all for the son of some poor friend?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Huang Gang had an iron fate—he’d stumbled upon Jin Peng and his crew, who barely saved his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next noon, Huang Gang’s mother and daughter blocked Cui Boss’s door and cursed for two hours—he didn’t dare utter a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there hadn’t been just Cui’s private little eatery nearby, and if his cooking hadn’t been so good, that outburst might have ruined his business outright!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jin Brother, we’ve got fresh beef, pig tails, softshell turtle—how many do you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean ‘how many’? Bring it all. And two bottles of the best wine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it! Just wait a moment, gentlemen!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Cui hurried to the back kitchen and yanked his younger son: “Go to Hai Uncle’s and borrow three catties of shrimp and two yellow fish—say we need them urgently, and they must be fresh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Cui’s younger son ran out the back—this tiny eatery didn’t keep so much inventory on hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you suddenly killed off your stock and a picky customer noticed, wouldn’t they smash your sign? Do you really think this is a state-run canteen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, Jin Peng and his crew knocked down and injured over twenty men—and yet nothing happened to them afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would you dare serve such people spoiled fish and rotten shrimp?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the back kitchen, Old Cui’s family bustled; out front, Tian Hongshan and the others exchanged glances, thoroughly confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng had suddenly stopped them, pulled out his work ID, then brought them here—no one could figure out what he was up to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Hongshan said: “Jin Manager, we were just chatting casually—does it really need to be this complicated?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s complicated?” Jin Peng said, handing out cigarettes. “I came to Beijing from the south with no connections—I was desperate for someone to show me the way!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today I happened to meet you fellows—wouldn’t it be rude to treat you poorly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Hongshan stayed calm, first lit a cigarette with Jin Peng, then smiled: “They say competitors are enemies, but we came here today to learn. Your generosity, Jin Manager, truly makes us ashamed—hahaha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other two also chuckled nervously—after all, being caught stealing trade secrets was embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jin Peng waved it off: “Sure, competitors are enemies—but Beijing’s so big, can’t it even hold a little fish like me? Besides, our experience isn’t worth much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re too modest, too modest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng was perfectly suited for the underworld—he’d eased the awkwardness between them in just a few minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the main dishes arrived and the good wine flowed, Jin Peng naturally revealed his plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our Pengcheng No. 7 Factory Beijing Office has just been established—we lack a business location. Let’s cooperate: we take responsibility, you reap benefits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Hongshan was shrewd, but as Jin Peng laid out each cooperation proposal, he couldn’t help asking in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jin Brother, you’re saying procurement, storage, and sales are all your responsibility? We don’t need to help at all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And your staff’s wages and medical benefits—you handle everything? We don’t get involved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—they’re all on our No. 7 Factory Beijing Office payroll records.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You pay your own taxes, nothing to do with us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—how much could it possibly be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We take a cut of turnover, not profit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right! If we split profits, there’d be endless disputes—too messy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Hongshan and his friends were seasoned veterans of the martial arts world, but no matter how they thought about it, they couldn’t find anything wrong—instead, they thought Jin Peng was a fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Jin Peng was just occupying a counter in the Department Store—but instead of rent, he paid a percentage of turnover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether Pengcheng No. 7 Factory lost or made money, even if they sold just one pair of socks this month, Tian Hongshan still got a few cents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And more importantly, the foot traffic generated by Pengcheng No. 7 Factory’s promotions? That was all the Department Store’s!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was exactly the later-era model of brands entering malls: the brand handled all personnel and funding, the mall took a cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today’s Department Store wasn’t like later malls—it had its own strength to grow independently, unlike many later malls that withered into ghost towns without enough tenants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng’s proposal was essentially feeding Tian Hongshan and the others half a meal, then saying: “Big Brother, just lie back and sleep—the rest is mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll report back and contact you again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, we’ll be in touch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng shook hands with Tian Hongshan and the others; when he reached the third man, he felt something odd in his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh—gotcha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng went to attend to Tian Hongshan and the others; Li Ye prepared to greet the few people who had just arrived from home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the door, he spotted the woman who had helped out during last Sunday’s first discount promotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must be worn out, Aunt Fang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nah, what’s there to be worn out about? Just two hours—how tiring could it be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Fang saw Li Ye, her eyes lit up, and leaned in: “Young brother, you’re just in time—Jin Manager’s folks have arrived from home. Is it still appropriate for us to keep helping here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Xiushui’s shop had been busy until past eight every day, Ma Qianshan had asked this woman to recruit several nearby housewives to help—paying them one yuan for two or three hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that people had arrived from Qingshui County, Aunt Fang and the others felt uneasy—but they didn’t dare directly ask Jin Peng or Ma Qianshan. Seeing Li Ye, the “manager’s relative,” they hoped to ask indirectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye smiled: “You only come during discount promotions, right? You don’t show up on regular days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That doesn’t conflict with full-time staff—why not keep coming? Are you complaining the pay’s too low? If so, I’ll go talk to them for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could we complain?” another woman hurried to say, smiling. “We all come after work to help a bit—just to earn a little pocket money for the kids. What’s too much or too little?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Fang added: “Young brother, don’t misunderstand! Jin Manager already helped my niece—that’s more than enough. How could we possibly complain now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright then—I won’t say a word. I didn’t hear a thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye chuckled, waved his hand, and went to find Ma Qianshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This kid’s clever, good-looking too—I wonder if he’s got a girlfriend yet? My sister’s child—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s a student at Beijing University. Don’t go matchmaking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! Beijing University? He’s going places!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye entered the shop. The few people who had just arrived from Qingshui County were busy organizing stock and cleaning. Ma Qianshan and Fang Hongmei, Aunt Fang’s niece, were carefully reconciling accounts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day after promotions ended, the two had to balance the books before leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they left late, Fang Hongmei’s base wage was 37.5 yuan, plus overtime—equivalent to far more than her aunt, the veteran worker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her family had many siblings; returning to the city required waiting in line, so she’d been unemployed for over half a year with no job assigned. Now she earned fifty or sixty yuan monthly—her drive was immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today’s reconciliation wasn’t going smoothly. They’d recalculated the numbers several times, and Fang Hongmei was sweating, still unable to balance them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it—two yuan and fifty fen, count it as loss. You can go home. Don’t keep Aunt Fang waiting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Qianshan glanced nervously at Li Ye, then told Fang Hongmei to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fang Hongmei silently shook her head and picked up the ledger again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Fang walked in, sternly saying: “Accounts aren’t trivial—not a single fen can be wrong. Even if we have to calculate till dawn, we’ll find where the error is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Qianshan could only nod helplessly—he didn’t care about two yuan and fifty fen, but wasn’t Li Ye here right now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye smiled, turned, and called Ma Qianshan out of the shop. An older man inside also followed them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Qianshan said: “This is Jiang Hong—introduced by Old Man. Only he knows your true identity; everyone else thinks this is Jin Peng’s business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye thought a moment, then said to Jiang Hong: “Uncle Hong, I think I met you when I was little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hong’s stern face broke into a smile: “When I got married, your uncle carried you to my place for the wedding feast—time flies, it’s been over ten years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I remember now—you were in the army that fought the White Elephant in ’62, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye finally confirmed—the man before him matched the young soldier from his memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was ages ago,” Jiang Hong chuckled. “I don’t know what Old Man was thinking—this time he specifically wanted men from the southern front. These boys are all too fiery, not steady enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t say that. Don’t you trust Old Grandpa’s judgment? Their fire can be tamed—you just need to guide them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Youthful fire could be bad—but sometimes it was good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those with battlefield experience wouldn’t panic or fear when facing major challenges—they were invaluable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Hong exchanged a few more words with Li Ye, then went off to attend to other matters. He spoke little, seemed awkward with people—but since Old Grandpa Li Zhong had entrusted him with these boys, he was clearly trustworthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Wild Brother, there’s another thing today,” Ma Qianshan whispered. “Tax officials came today. After I gave them an estimate, their expressions were strange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strange?” Li Ye asked seriously. “Why strange? Did you ask?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Qianshan said: “Their minds are deep—I couldn’t get anything out. But they finally asked me: ‘Do you have any real difficulties?’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem—they think you overreported your taxes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Ma Qianshan blinked, frowning. “Then what do I do? I’ve never filed taxes before! How much extra will I have to pay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have to pay it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye patted Ma Qianshan’s shoulder. “Didn’t Jin Peng ever tell you—any business must follow the principle of ‘benefiting the nation and the people’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He never told me what ‘benefiting the country and the people’ means.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye pointed at the store and said, “Take this small wholesale shop, for example. If you offer discounts and let ordinary people buy cheap goods, isn’t that benefiting the people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When the store makes more money, it naturally pays more taxes—doesn’t that benefit the country? Don’t just think about making money for yourself. The state lets you make money; you must also shoulder corresponding responsibilities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young brother, you’ve got a point there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Qianshan was still pondering Li Ye’s words when Fang Dajie and Fang Hongmei stepped out of the store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Dajie looked at Li Ye and said, “I may not understand big theories, but what you said really struck a chord with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye replied modestly, “I only learned this from professors at school—don’t laugh at me, Fang Dajie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye felt a little embarrassed, since his notion of “benefiting the country and the people” was mostly a form of self-protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still better than others,” Fang Dajie said. “No one in our unit has this awareness!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t praise me, Dajie,” Li Ye quickly changed the subject. “Did the accounts balance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Hongmei nodded weakly. “The accounts checked out. It was Group Leader Ma who made a mistake—he recorded a 10% discount as an 20% discount, shortchanging by two yuan and fifty fen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Qianshan was deeply embarrassed and could only joke, “Then I’ll write a self-criticism later!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Dajie took Fang Hongmei away. After they’d gone a long distance, Fang Hongmei asked curiously, “Auntie, why does Group Leader Ma treat that Beijing University student like a superior?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Dajie immediately replied, “You don’t know? He’s studying economics at Beijing University—economics, do you understand? He’s not just Manager Jin’s relative, he’s also their strategist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, so he’s studying economics at Beijing University! No wonder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye waited until Jin Peng returned and had settled Ma Qianshan, Hong Shu, and the others before driving back to Zaojunmiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the car, Jin Peng boasted, “Xiao Ye, I’m eighty percent sure we’ll win them over. Any special instructions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye said, “Nothing special—just stick to what we agreed. Train as many new people as possible, recruit experienced staff, and never underestimate the sales clerks. Treat everyone like family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng shook his head and grinned. “Don’t worry—I see that Tian Hongshan’s got potential. He won’t escape my—or your—grasp.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Peng Ge, don’t get too cocky. We don’t have much time—no more than a year and a half before we need our own team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jin Peng too smug, Li Ye poured cold water on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—it’ll work out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Jin Peng left Qingshui County, his confidence grew stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Ye arrived at Zaojunmiao, he found Wang Jianqiang had returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jianqiang saw Li Ye and immediately became flustered and uneasy. “Bro, today I was off-duty, so I didn’t go to the warehouse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye chuckled. “You’re a shareholder—you can take time off whenever you want. Do whatever you need to do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, the more days you take off, the less bonus you get—you’re not counting on those few wages anyway, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I get it, Bro.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jianqiang instantly felt at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Ma Qianshan had heard Li Ye say this, he might have spent hours worrying whether Li Ye was subtly reprimanding him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang Jianqiang wouldn’t. Li Ye was his brother—what his brother said, he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Ye was pushing his bicycle, ready to head back to school, Wang Jianqiang timidly grabbed the bike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro, I’ve got something to ask you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? You need to beg?” Li Ye was surprised and immediately grew serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jianqiang stammered for a long while before whispering, “I want to study economics with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye fell silent for several seconds, then asked strangely, “What? Say that again—louder?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jianqiang lifted his head and shouted, “Bro, I want to study economics with you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pff~ Hahahahahaha! You’re such an idiot—do you even know what economics is? Hahahahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng, laughing so hard he dropped his cigarette, pointed at Wang Jianqiang, tears streaming down his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye couldn’t help laughing as he asked, “Qiangzi, why on earth do you want to study economics with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jianqiang stared blankly. “Because economics is useful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye was barely holding back his laughter. “Then tell me—what’s so useful about economics?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jianqiang’s face turned red—he couldn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier at the hospital, Huang Gang’s sister Huang Suwen had barely looked at Wang Jianqiang at first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after Wang Jianqiang delivered that long speech about economics, the quick-witted girl’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is economics useful or not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it useful or not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye understood the look in Wang Jianqiang’s eyes and said seriously, “Fine. I’ll come every few days to teach you some economics. But after I teach you, I’ll test you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, thanks, Bro!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jianqiang grinned foolishly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng watched the two brothers and smirked, pulling out a Zhonghua cigarette and lighting it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then Li Ye turned to him and said, “You too, Peng Ge—you need to learn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be resentful. Back in Qingshui County, how many people did we have? Now how many are under you? What about later? When you have to speak in front of your staff, are you going to just fart at them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re up to speak on stage—do you plan to let out a fart for the employees to hear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahahahaha~ Hahahahaha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jianqiang jumped and danced around the courtyard like a monkey, ecstatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you to reader “Ning Peng” for the 500-coin reward, to reader “Live Freely” for the reward, and to reader “Wild Su Daqiang” for the reward. Thank you, brothers!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you to reader “Ning Peng” for the 500-coin tip, thank you to reader “Live Freely” for the tip, thank you to reader “Wild Su Daqiang” for the tip. Thanks, brothers!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2838,"2026-06-20T05:04:59.129Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5f97f033d75cfaecaee20348a31cafdcc9337c7dc63c1b69590a2619d920d1bd","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-149","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-147",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]