[{"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-151":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},2294569,4489,"Chapter 151: She Has Self-Awareness","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-151",151,"\u003Cp>When Li Ye arrived at the high jump venue, he found the event unusually popular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of students participating far exceeded those in long jump, javelin, or shot put—by more than three times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye soon heard a name, and understood why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look! He’s using the Fosbury Flop, just like Zhu Jianhua!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah! I want to learn the Fosbury Flop too, but I can’t get it right—my straddle jump actually gets me higher!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it. He’s the High Jump Prince—how could anyone learn that easily? I’ll stick with my belly-down style.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【So it’s Zhu Jianhua?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye finally heard the name that no one in Zhonghua’s athletics scene could avoid—though nearly forgotten by the public in later generations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In some ways, Zhu Jianhua’s name deserved to be mentioned alongside Liu and Su, the two Asian Flying Men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jianhua, a Shanghai-based high jumper, had already cleared 2.30 meters, holding the Asian men’s high jump record.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the near future, he would break the world record three times consecutively, win multiple world championship titles, and become Zhonghua’s first Olympic medalist in athletics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Associated Press published an article: “Zhu’s leap seems like one billion Zhonghua people leaping over the world’s height.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the early 1980s, Zhu Jianhua’s world record was seen as a symbol of Zhonghua’s rise; he himself was the nation’s “hope” for its first Olympic gold in athletics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an era desperate for national self-confidence, Zhu Jianhua’s name became widely known, idolized by the youth, and sparked a nationwide “high jump craze.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, at this meet, Li Ye’s economics department had three entrants: himself, Fu Lianbing, and Xiang Weiguo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were tall and slender—Fu Lianbing stood a few centimeters taller than Li Ye, while Xiang Weiguo was 1.78 meters tall and weighed roughly 55–60 kilograms, making them both suitable for high jump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Ye, how high can you jump?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know! Less than two meters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re really the boss? Can’t you leave some room for the rest of us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly! Three out of every five sentences among the girls in class are about you, Li Ye.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you keep showing off like this, we’re all going to expel you from the class. Just think about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were close friends and had all heard about Li Ye’s nickname, “Number One of Dorm 209,” so their teasing was effortless—mockery was routine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye could genuinely clear two meters—and if he didn’t hold back, two meters twelve wasn’t impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To go higher would require professional training, since elite competition and amateur hobby were two entirely different things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had the physical gifts, sure—but to climb further up the ladder demanded technical mastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a student from another class chuckled: “If you can clear two meters, we might as well just hand you first place and skip the rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye glanced at him and laughed: “I said less than two meters. One point nine nine is less than two meters—so is one point two five.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many students heard Li Ye’s remark and burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kids in this era had laughably low thresholds for humor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Lianbing grinned: “Hey Li Ye, you could do stand-up comedy with that line.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye nodded: “You’re right. If I can’t make it in economics, I’ll switch to comedy—you all have to buy tickets to see me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. We’ll treat it like a zoo visit to watch a monkey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye fell silent. Joking with smart people was too easy to backfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wu Runfu from his dorm squeezed through the crowd, clucking his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Ye, you’re something else. Ran 3000 meters and your legs are still wobbly? Now you’re doing high jump? Don’t ruin your rep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye punched him lightly and asked: “Then why are you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Runfu looked baffled: “What’s so new? I’m here to compete in high jump!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was Li Ye’s turn to be confused—Fu Lianbing and Xiang Weiguo looked equally puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Runfu stood just over 1.7 meters and weighed at least 80 kilograms. Honestly, high jump was not his sport—he should’ve chosen a strength event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Ye said: “I didn’t know you liked high jump?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Runfu shook his head, dead serious: “No. I admire Zhu Jianhua.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine. Idol worship knew no era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Number 238, Wu Runfu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teacher called Wu Runfu’s name, and the extroverted dorm-mate sprinted over, thrilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sprinted, jumped, and knocked the bar down—failed to clear 1.60 meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wasn’t discouraged at all, beaming with genuine enthusiasm for participation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye and a few classmates clapped, offering him encouraging applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiguo and Fu Lianbing competed next—both barely managed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when Number One Li Ye stepped up did the scorekeeper’s eyes suddenly sharpen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and the student using the Fosbury Flop matched each other’s height, pushing the bar higher in turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One point seven, one point eight, one point nine—both displayed excellent physical conditioning and flawless technique, drawing waves of applause and admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Ye and the student named Ruan Zhisheng reached 1.95 meters, the high jump area was packed with over a hundred spectators—Zhen Rongrong, He Dazhuang, even the usually calm Wen Leyu had come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two had already locked in first and second place for this year’s meet, but everyone waited, hoping a new “Little Zhu Jianhua” might emerge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at 1.95 meters, Li Ye failed—while Ruan Zhisheng cleared it effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Zhisheng stood nearly 1.9 meters tall, much taller than Li Ye’s 1.80 meters. His technique was flawless, revealing strong technical skill and flexibility—he had clearly trained seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Ye slightly disheartened, Zhen Rongrong hesitated, then ran over to cheer him: “Li Ye, you can do it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye nodded awkwardly, exchanging a glance with Wen Leyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【What’s going on?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Nothing’s going on! Really!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his second attempt, Li Ye hit the bar again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let him try once more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several teachers suddenly changed the rules, granting Li Ye another jump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Zhisheng glanced at Li Ye but said nothing. The others had no complaints—no matter how the rules changed, Li Ye was still second, and that had nothing to do with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong and the other girls cheered Li Ye even louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone had read about Zhu Jianhua in the papers—they knew the world record was over 2.30 meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye wasn’t a professional athlete; his result already surpassed ordinary students by twenty to thirty centimeters. With proper training, there was still hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye knew: unless he planned to pursue athletics, he had to stop now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Wen Leyu hadn’t been watching beside him, quietly pumping her tiny fists to cheer him on, Li Ye would’ve quit at 1.85 meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Running 3000 meters in just over ten minutes was a school record—but clearing two meters touched the threshold of professionalism. Once you crossed it, you couldn’t avoid training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One billion people need you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the path of a professional athlete was brutal—harder than getting into Tsinghua or Peking University.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone saw Zhu Jianhua’s success, but not his sacrifices, his pressure, or the athletes who came second or third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jianhua’s world-class achievements weren’t just his own—they were the product of the national sports system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To wear the crown, you must bear its weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, Li Ye had heard his PE teacher say Zhu Jianhua’s nutrition plan was nearly as classified as state secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, once you chose the pro athlete path, you couldn’t even decide what to eat anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You couldn’t even crave sea cucumber?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha! Go steal peaches like Sun Wukong then!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Want to take your girlfriend for a stroll, kiss her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it. You’d have to cut off several of your seven emotions and six desires—otherwise, how could you maintain your yang energy and peak condition?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Zhu Jianhua was idolized for years, only to be mocked and cursed nationwide after failing to win gold at the 1984 Olympics, settling for bronze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jianhua endured it. When he met with superiors afterward, he wept in regret—but they all comforted him warmly, acknowledged his achievements, and gave him confidence and warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhu Jianhua’s mother, while buying vegetables, was surrounded by a group of Shanghai grandmas who angrily demanded she “return the state’s nutrition supplies to Zhu Jianhua.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh~~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Ye decided to stop. He’d fulfilled Wen Leyu’s hopeful gaze—that was enough. Let the quiet, introverted Ruan Zhisheng walk the thorny path of professional athletics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two meters ten—Ruan Zhisheng barely cleared it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quiet boy rose from the mat and finally swung his fist in the air, venting his pent-up frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had crushed him with pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time Li Ye cleared the bar, every girl clapped—but even when Ruan Zhisheng jumped higher, the applause was just a little less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two meters ten was his strongest reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Ye, try again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the teachers still wouldn’t give up, insisting he keep jumping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unsurprisingly, Li Ye failed every time, and his form kept worsening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the teachers shook their heads and sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They realized Li Ye’s psychological resilience was weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A great athlete isn’t just about technique and strength—mindset is even more critical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like table tennis in China, many top players dominate in-team training, repeatedly defeating world champions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once on the world stage, under pressure, they can’t even perform at 50% of their ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such players inevitably become “sparring partners,” anonymous whetstones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sweden, once a team bold enough to challenge China’s table tennis dominance, once sighed enviously: “If only we had China’s sparring team!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the teachers still spoke with Li Ye, urging him to adjust his mindset and retake the test in a few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without competition, there’s no progress. To cultivate Ruan Zhi Sheng, you need high-level sparring partners, don’t you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Ye, don’t lose heart—your teachers all say you have great potential! Let’s try again next year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, Ruan Zhi Sheng is half a head taller than you—that’s not real skill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Rongrong and the others looked slightly disappointed, all encouraging and comforting Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye smiled and said: “I’m not disappointed. Even if I jumped higher, could I outjump Zhu Jianhua?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next three years are Zhu Jianhua’s peak—he’s a genius born with talent. Li Ye has no interest competing with such a prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone remembers Liu Xiang and Su Bingtian—but how many remember the other two athletes who ran alongside them on the track?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, Li Ye, you didn’t give your full effort just now, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden voice came from nearby, making Zhen Rongrong and the others frown; Wen Leyu, who had been silent, twitched her eyebrows, and a cold, sharp aura began to spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye turned and saw someone he hadn’t seen in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Mengmeng, a reporter for the Dongshan Education Daily’s Beijing bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her stood a tall male student; Li Ye found his appearance vaguely familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking hard, he remembered seeing this boy’s photo on the school’s honor board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reporter Yue, you can eat whatever you want, but don’t speak nonsense—what eye did you see me holding back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye expressed his displeasure toward Yue Mengmeng; since their first meeting in Qingshui County, she’d always speculated about his background—and often guessed right, which annoyed him without him even realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Mengmeng smiled at Li Ye, her eyes darting around; for some reason, she loved digging into his secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when she saw Wen Leyu’s icy expression, she immediately stepped back several paces and erased all expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tall male student then smiled and extended his hand to Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reporter Yue was just joking, Li Ye—don’t take it to heart. I’m Zhu Xinping, from the Dongshan Alumni Association. We had a gathering a few days ago—why didn’t you come? That’s not very hometown-friendly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye shook Zhu Xinping’s hand and said: “I’ve been swamped these past few days—I haven’t had time to meet up with my fellow Dongshan folks yet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xinping laughed heartily: “Then you’ve missed out on a lot of old friends. All the senior-year Dongshan students are busy now—hard to find anyone, and once they scatter, it’ll be tough to gather again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye exclaimed: “You’re already a senior?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xinping said: “Yes! I won’t be staying on campus much longer. Come this Friday—I’ll introduce you to the third-year Dongshan students. You’ll need their support later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye readily agreed: “Sure, sure—I’ll definitely come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye felt Zhu Xinping was open-minded and worldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, he knew how to cultivate connections. Li Ye was just a freshman, nothing compared to these 1979 cohort members who’d made the school honor board—but still, Zhu Xinping had come all the way over just to chat with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They chatted a bit longer; Zhu Xinping’s gaze had grown noticeably friendlier. He felt the visit was worthwhile—Li Ye, the “provincial number one,” was far more mature than he’d expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the two left, Li Ye noticed Yue Mengmeng and Zhu Xinping walking side by side, their distance less than thirty centimeters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the standards of this era, that meant a relationship beyond friendship but short of romance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye suddenly felt Yue Mengmeng had brought Zhu Xinping along to show him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To show him off—to Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Wen Leyu silently stepped close and sneered: “For over a month, she’s been coming to campus interviewing Dongshan students—but never you. Do you know why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye replied calmly: “She thinks I’m not as good as others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xinping will soon graduate and enter the workforce, likely in the popular Chinese literature department, probably starting as a writer in a ministry-level unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Li Ye? He’s still just a sapling—needs four years to grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph. She just has enough self-awareness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2307,"2026-06-20T05:04:59.129Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","47273cee9456370d44f5e6b191e19044db4405e2a46d07a8f264969759271bb0","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-152","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-150",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]