[{"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-206":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},2294624,4489,"Chapter 206: Who","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-206",206,"\u003Cp>The next day, Wen Leyu wanted to go out with Li Ye to see the lantern festival; she held up two wool coats and asked him, “Which one do you think suits me today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye shook his head: “Neither suits you—it’s freezing today; wear the big cotton-padded coat instead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu pouted, rolled her eyes, let out a soft “hmph,” and disappeared inside with the wool coats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, a petite urban beauty appeared before Li Ye, dressed in a gray wool coat, calf-leather boots, and a silk scarf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had to admit, Wen Leyu’s outfit looked stunning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the two wool coats Li Ye had made in Hong Kong weren’t thick enough—their warmth couldn’t compare to down-filled cotton-padded jackets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beijing had just gotten snow yesterday, and today, as the snow melted, it was the coldest time of all; Li Ye feared Wen Leyu would catch a chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But sadly, beauty freezing people was timeless—even girls like Wen Leyu weren’t immune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Add a hat, or we’re not going out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had to compromise, asking Wen Leyu to wear a hat—scientists had found a wool hat provided as much warmth as a full coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu made an “OK” gesture with her hand, quickly found a fluffy hat, and paired it with her sleek gray coat—adding an unexpectedly cute touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go, gorgeous! Watch out—you might blind a whole crowd of single dogs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two walked out together, first driving to a small restaurant in Chaoyang District, where they used Wen Guohua’s name to satisfy their hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they finished eating, night had fallen, and citizens with little entertainment flocked to the areas hosting Lantern Festival displays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye and Wen Leyu joined the crowd entering the lantern market; as they walked, influenced by the couples and lovers around them, their arms naturally intertwined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After over a year together, many things had become natural—what remained unresolved wasn’t a matter of emotion, but of era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet back then, most couples were sincere; heartbreak often led to serious illness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, even if you exhausted yourself physically with your partner, you might still end up with a detached, “We’re just not compatible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They strolled leisurely until they reached the snack street, where vendors, shivering from the cold, shouted loudly despite their chattering teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leyu, want some candied haws?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leyu, want fried rice cakes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm-hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leyu, want stinky tofu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You eat it yourself—stay away from me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wen Leyu finished one candied haw, Li Ye gave her his remaining half; she didn’t hesitate, gobbling it up with relish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating, she licked the sugar residue from her lips—completely melting Li Ye’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, isn’t that Li Dayong over there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu suddenly nudged Li Ye and nodded toward the left front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye turned his head and saw Li Dayong’s bear-like frame unmistakably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu asked: “Should we go say hi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye shook his head: “No, better not disturb them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu tiptoed to look and spotted the girl beside Li Dayong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl was naturally Lin Qiuyan, Li Dayong’s senior from sophomore year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu, curious, asked: “Who’s that girl? Do you know her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw her once on the train home before the New Year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye didn’t hide it—he recounted what had happened on the train.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu thought for a moment and declared: “She’s not wrong—she’s just not our kind. Did Li Dayong misread her? I remember he’s not stupid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Love is never easy to explain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye sighed and pulled Wen Leyu in another direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Dayong was certainly not stupid—he was sharp—but having never dated before, he clung too tightly to his first love; outsiders couldn’t save him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Ye and Wen Leyu walked, they noticed a temporary stall by the roadside with a sign reading: “Mutton Noodle Soup, 3 cents a bowl, 5 cents for two.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two modified oil-drum charcoal stoves—one simmering mutton broth, the other boiling noodle water—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two carbide lamps cast bright gaslight around, illuminating two busy figures moving without pause: it was Chen Jinhua and Jiang Xiao Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu saw them and asked Li Ye: “That auntie is Xiao Yan’s mom, right? She came to Beijing too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last spring, Chen Jinhua and Jiang Xiao Yan’s grandfather had gone to Qingshui County No. 2 High School to arrange Xiao Yan’s transfer; Wen Leyu had been there and met Chen Jinhua once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Xiao Yan thought her mother would be better off selling noodles in Beijing than hawking baskets at the village market, so she brought her here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ve got to try it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu happily walked up to the stall and teased: “Boss, give me a bowl of noodle broth—the free kind, okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Sun Xianjin’s New Year’s Eve skit “Sea Cucumber Stir-Fried Noodles,” there was a line: “What’s free again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Noodle broth is free,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu had laughed heartily at it then, and now she playfully quoted it to tease Jiang Xiao Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiao Yan was already overwhelmed—she froze at the sight of Wen Leyu’s teasing grin, then recognized her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wen Leyu! You’re here for the lanterns too? Sit here—I’ll get you a hot bowl of mutton broth to warm up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need, no need—just give me the noodle broth. I ate too much tonight, I can’t drink more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you can’t drink it, make Li Ye drink it—he’s got a big appetite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiao Yan was very familiar with Wen Leyu and didn’t feel awkward; she quickly served her a large bowl of mutton broth, half full of meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu rubbed her small belly, felt she still had room, and drank without pretense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people around her were the same—cold weather, many having traveled from distant suburbs to see the lanterns; a hot bowl of mutton noodle soup warmed them and filled them up, so the mother-daughter duo’s business was booming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiao Yan moved to ladle a bowl for Li Ye, but he quickly stopped her: “Don’t ladle me any—Leyu only drinks the broth; she left all the meat for me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe, alright then—help yourself if you get hungry. I’ve got other noodles to cook.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go ahead, go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye brought over a folding stool and sat with Wen Leyu at a small table, watching her slowly sip her broth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Chen Jinhua whispered to Jiang Xiao Yan: “Look at that girl—now look at that ‘Yan’ from earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She drinks the broth and saves the meat for the man—that’s a good match. Li Dayong’s in for a world of pain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s ears caught Chen Jinhua’s words and asked: “Did Dayong come by earlier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiao Yan nodded, murmured “Mm,” and returned to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That didn’t make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye stood up and walked over: “What happened, Xiao Yan? Was there trouble earlier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiao Yan mumbled: “No, Li Dayong just came by, chatted a bit, then left. Nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think you can hide that from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye smiled and turned directly to Chen Jinhua: “Auntie, we’re both straightforward—what really happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Jinhua was blunt: “Nothing much—just that girl who came with Li Dayong spoke disrespectfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said since the state gives Xiao Yan a stipend, she shouldn’t be doing this street vendor work. I argued back, and she actually claimed Xiao Yan was shaming college students.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye said in surprise: “The state’s stipend is for living expenses—this stall is your business, Auntie, and your daughter’s helping you. How is that shaming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly! I didn’t think of that earlier. Xiao Yan’s too soft-hearted—she was upset by that girl’s words. Next time I see that ‘Yan,’ I’ll—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I’m not upset!” Jiang Xiao Yan snapped. “I was just worried about causing trouble for Li Dayong. Don’t jump to conclusions, Mom. We earn our money with our own hands—let people gossip if they want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes, you’re right, Mom was wrong. Forget what I said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the mother-daughter tiff, Li Ye had no solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strong, resilient people sometimes carry a quiet shame; Jiang Xiao Yan’s nature wasn’t as open as Chen Jinhua’s, so when hurtful things happened, she needed time to process them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Ye, come eat the meat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu suddenly called out to Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Ye sat down, Wen Leyu stood up and took off her expensive wool coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold this for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She handed the coat to Li Ye, then walked over to Jiang Xiao Yan, who was frantically rolling noodles, and picked up a strand to help drop it into the pot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Wen Leyu, you don’t have to—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wen Leyu ignored her, quickly boiled the noodles, scooped them into bowls, added broth and soup, and delivered them to customers—all with smooth, efficient motions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mutton noodle soup! Three cents a bowl, five cents for two!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Puh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye choked on a piece of mutton, barely swallowing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can you imagine the daughter of a Level-5 official shouting in a night market?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s like a delivery guy crashes his bike, about to miss his order—then a guy driving a Mercedes stops, swaps clothes with him, sprints up eighteen floors, and delivers all his orders for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re all people—who’s better than whom?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just a few minutes, Wen Leyu served five or six bowls and collected payment from several customers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she glared at Li Ye: “You’re still not done? Don’t you see we’re swamped?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mmmmmm~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye tipped his head back and swallowed the remaining meat in the bowl, then came over to help, cheeks bulging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four people gathered around a small stall, bustling in the winter night, unknowingly nurturing warmth that flowed gently into someone’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child had a fever, they were flustered, and it got even later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1629,"2026-06-20T05:05:01.382Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c529731db615aa4a6b59e1cb19f91ca968c9bb92be6e2ad1c898ab3fd3d66c44","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-207","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-205",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]