[{"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-192":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},2294610,4489,"Chapter 192: My Grandson Is the Most Outstanding","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-192",192,"\u003Cp>In fact, Li Ye and Wang Qiangqiang were both too young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once a shrewd person gets clever, they’re downright bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Ye, do you know how much money Jin Peng made this year?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Liu Fan Chunhua held up one finger to Li Ye and said mysteriously, “He made at least ten thousand yuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye smiled and scratched his head, refusing to play along with Aunt Liu’s act, waiting for her to reveal the rest herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could it not be that much? Last summer, when Jin Peng came home, he rebuilt his future bride’s house—a full brick-and-tile sihe courtyard, costing at least three or four thousand yuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This autumn, Jin Peng built his own house. Now, for the New Year, his family’s New Year goods are piled up like mountains. I did a rough count—it’s at least ten thousand yuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye: “.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Ye didn’t bite, Fan Chunhua pouted: “Xiao Ye, look! When we sent Qiangqiang out with Jin Peng, Jin Peng made ten thousand yuan, but Qiangqiang only brought back a few hundred!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye was startled and turned to look at Wang Qiangqiang—his gaze clearly said, “You’re hiding money again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang Qiangqiang shook his head slightly, signaling that his mother was just playing the poor card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aunt Liu, how much you earn depends on your ability. We all know Jin Peng’s been sharp since childhood, so earning more is possible. But I heard Qiangqiang brought back a thousand yuan this year—that’s not little at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A thousand yuan? That much?” Li Zhongfa blurted out. “I worked a full year at my unit and barely saved a few hundred after expenses. Qiangqiang’s earning what two of me make!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Juying also stared at Fan Chunhua in surprise: “I say, Daguang’s wife, you’re not satisfied with a thousand yuan? Don’t be too greedy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 1982, a strong laborer bringing back a thousand yuan in Qingshui County was truly a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether you earn more or less, it all depends on who you’re comparing to. These young people are all capable! Xiao Ye wrote a book and made ten or twenty thousand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Chunhua shot Wang Qiangqiang a furious glare, then said, “But Xiao Ye’s just now said it right—earnings depend on ability. Qiangqiang’s been slow since childhood, so earning less than Jin Peng? I don’t mind at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But he just works blindly, with zero cleverness. Look at Jin Peng—he only worked a year and brought out Er Gou, Ma Qianshan, and Old Mu’s boy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet Qiangqiang, so dumb, never thought to bring his older brother along? If he’d been bold enough to join Pengcheng Seventh Factory with Hao Jian, he might be doing just as well as Jin Peng now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t know—I told Jin Peng about this, and he flatly refused. It’s infuriating—I’ve watched him grow up since he was a kid, gave him pennies every New Year, and now he shows not a shred of gratitude. I bet he’s afraid your brave boy will steal his spotlight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye finally understood Aunt Liu’s real intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she wanted Wang Yonggan to replace Qiangqiang—not just to take his job, but to outshine Jin Peng?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aunt Liu, if you want Yonggan to take Qiangqiang’s place, what happens to Qiangqiang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Li Ye was angry, he didn’t lose his temper in front of so many elders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was now the literary star who’d passed the Beijing University entrance exam—not the notorious fool of old Qingshui County. He had to be refined and courteous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll support Qiangqiang,” Aunt Liu Fan Chunhua waved her hand grandly. “I raised him from diapers to adulthood—I won’t mind feeding him a few more years. He won’t go hungry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye couldn’t help but sneer. “Aunt Liu, as far as I know, Qiangqiang eats a lot. He’s been mooching meals at Jin Peng’s for years. If you take away his job, you’ll never feed him properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Liu’s face flushed red, and she fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiangqiang was never favored at home—he went hungry one day, overfed the next, suffered for years. Now she wanted to make him depend on her again? Heh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still silent, Wang Yonggan smiled and said, “It’s because Qiangqiang and Jin Peng are close brothers—that’s why they left together, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Ye, don’t worry. Once I join Pengcheng Seventh Factory, I’ll send money home every month—I’ll make sure my brother eats well, lives well, never feels slighted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After I work two years, I’ll build him a big house, find him a wife—even better than Jin Peng’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye glanced at Wang Yonggan, filled with disgust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he’d chosen Wang Qiangqiang to join him, making him a core shareholder, it was precisely because of Qiangqiang’s honest, straightforward nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not deceitful, not slippery, loyal and grateful—once given direction, he’d just shut up and work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It proved true: Qiangqiang was indeed kind and grateful. Put bluntly, Qiangqiang’s money was still being “managed” by Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But look at Wang Yonggan—what kind of creature are you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You want to steal your own brother’s job and think you’re better than Jin Peng? Then why the hell are you coming to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just stuff fireworks up your ass and launch yourself into the sky already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve all misunderstood me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s face hardened. “I do know Hao Jian. After joining Pengcheng Seventh Factory, he even consulted me on economics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I know Pengcheng Seventh Factory signs formal employment contracts—employees can’t quit freely. Breach means paying heavy penalties.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That means if Qiangqiang quits, he must pay them. So if Aunt Liu wants him to stay in Qingshui County, and they come demanding compensation—what will Qiangqiang do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Quitting means paying? How much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know the exact amount, but it’s definitely far more than his salary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Liu froze, then exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Ye, how could you give Jin Peng that advice? He works hard, yet the money might not even be his?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew there was no such good deal! Qiangqiang’s so dumb—he could never earn a thousand yuan a year. So this is a trap? This is worse than capitalism!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her rage, Aunt Liu lost all sense—and Wu Juying was furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She jabbed her finger at Fan Chunhua’s forehead: “I say, Daguang’s wife, what nonsense are you spouting? Whether Qiangqiang pays or not—what does it have to do with Xiao Ye?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want your child to earn money, but won’t let him take risks? You want to swap the pillars? Do you expect me to pay the penalty for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Juying grew angrier, her voice sharp: “Fine—if you want us to pay, then make Qiangqiang take the Li surname. From now on, he’s my grandson.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Liu was stunned by Wu Juying’s rebuke. She looked left and right, then suddenly twisted Wang Qiangqiang’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You stupid child, why did you sign that contract? Isn’t that a debt slavery agreement?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiangqiang winced but quickly understood Li Ye’s meaning. He grinned and said, “They trained me! If I don’t work until the term ends, they won’t be happy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Training? You’re just dumb and naive. You grab the benefits, but when it’s time to pay, you’re always the one stuck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huazhong, face dark, finally slammed the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhongfa stared at Fan Chunhua coldly: “Do you even know what integrity means? Do you know what righteousness is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even when I joined the Party, I swore never to betray it! How can you expect your Qiangqiang to work for them, earn over a thousand a year, then just quit whenever he wants?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your petty scheming is fine with outsiders—but you’re showing it off in front of me? You’re just jealous Jin Peng made so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jin Peng earned because he’s capable. Qiangqiang earns because they value his honesty. Do you think your second son will be treated better? Even stealing your own brother’s job—I wouldn’t touch such a person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve always favored your sons. When Qiangqiang came home with money, you never said a kind word—you complained instead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I ask you—this year, Qiangqiang brought you a thousand yuan. How much did you let him keep for himself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Director Li’s outburst, everyone fell silent—even Li Ye and Wang Qiangqiang shrank back, glaring at each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Aunt Liu and Wang Yonggan, they wanted to bury their heads between their legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Chunhua was shrewd—she counted on Li Zhongfa and Wu Juying’s gratitude for her late husband’s small favors, thinking they wouldn’t turn on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in her view, Hao Jian had become successful only because Li Zhongfa had approved his rural processing permit. Replacing one person? A simple word from the Li family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d calculated everything—except the penalty clause. Now her careless words had backfired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, Auntie, that’s not what I meant...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t explain anything to me. Don’t bring your family problems to outsiders again,” Li Zhongfa said coldly. “But I’ll tell you this: only honest children support their parents in old age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Aunt Liu and her son left, Li Ye quickly took his classmates and left under the pretense of visiting their teacher for New Year greetings—otherwise, he’d have been scolded by Li Zhongfa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way, Han Xia and the others were indignant on Wang Qiangqiang’s behalf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d met Qiangqiang in Beijing—he was the simple kid who smiled at everyone behind Jin Peng, always volunteered for chores. Not charming, but never annoying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qiangqiang’s such a good person! How can he have such a biased mother? Letting her second son steal her first son’s job—how does the first son feel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She thinks her second son is smarter, has a better future—she doesn’t care how Qiangqiang feels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Qiangqiang brought back a thousand yuan, and his mother’s still not satisfied. If it were me, I’d bring back nothing but an empty mouth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qiangqiang wouldn’t do that—but I think if he finds a strong-willed wife someday, he can stand up to his mother and brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then go be his wife! Hahaha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye thought of Huang Suwen’s sharp tongue and couldn’t help smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe Aunt Liu will meet her match someday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye and the others arrived at Principal Chang’s home to pay New Year respects. The old man’s gaunt face instantly lit up like a blooming trumpet flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What better moment for a teacher than seeing his students succeed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven university students came together to thank their teacher—this year, he had plenty to boast about over drinks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I taught eight undergraduates this year. One couldn’t come from Beijing, but the rest all came to pay respects. How many students do you have who do this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this bragging right, he could boast from New Year’s Day to the ninth day, dominating all of Qingshui County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent! All seven of you are the pride of our school. Before the new semester, come back and share your experiences with the retake class—motivate them, encourage them. Let’s aim for another brilliant year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The retake class started earlier—by the time Li Ye and the others returned, they’d already begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If seven university students gave them pep talks, it would surely inspire them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Principal Chang had spent decades in education—he knew exactly how to play his cards well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye said he was unavailable and couldn’t help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Principal Chang frowned and said, “Li Ye, I’m not saying this to criticize you, but every time I ask you to share your experience with the students, you always make excuses, dodge, or pretend to be sick—why can’t you just take this seriously?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, Principal, I really have something to do—I’m leaving after ninth grade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Private matter. I can’t talk about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, then I’ll ask your grandfather.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go ahead and ask him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Principal Chang truly had no way to deal with Li Ye; this kid had always been disrespectful at school, and now he wasn’t even under his authority anymore—what could he possibly do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Principal Chang actually did ask Li Zhongfa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Ye got home, Li Zhongfa asked him: “You’re leaving after ninth grade? Are you going to Beijing to see that girl from the Wen family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye never hid anything from his grandfather—he immediately pulled out the invitation from Hong Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, Grandpa. My work was published in a Hong Kong newspaper, so they invited me over for a literary exchange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slap~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhongfa read the invitation three times, then slammed the table hard, startling everyone in the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew my grandson was something special. That Lu guy used to brag about his daughter going abroad—wasn’t she begging to go? Look at my grandson—he was invited.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look at my grandson—he was invited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had no idea about this feud, but how could his grandfather, at his age, still care so much about competing with others?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandpa, you’re so old—why do you still enjoy competing with people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, you don’t understand. A tree lives by its bark, a man lives by his pride. When that Lu girl came back to handle her political review, plenty of people whispered behind her back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhongfa squinted and said, “Now it’s different. Lu Jingyao has her talent, but so does my grandson Li Ye. If anyone dares to sneer at me again, I’ll spit right in his face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pah~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The release time was late today; typos were corrected afterward—apologies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2237,"2026-06-20T05:04:59.129Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1af52701efd7459ecdb185aea2cc71013c2c2c184c4d1022ca36deca4da817b2","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-193","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-191",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]