[{"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-260":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},2294678,4489,"Chapter 260: You Really Think I Won","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-260",260,"\u003Cp>San Shui and his younger brother Si Shui each rode an imported 125cc motorcycle, watching from afar the stalled 140cc truck with clenched teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, why don’t we go over and give them another beating? This isn’t Qinghe County’s territory, and with helmets on, they won’t know who we are—can that Li guy actually bite us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui slowly shook his head without speaking, only smoking in gloomy silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, his hatred for the Li family was no less than his brother Si Shui’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, San Shui followed Jin Peng to Yangcheng and contributed greatly to Li Ye and the others, yet ended up being handed over to the police.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for that, San Shui would still be rotting in Yangcheng’s damp, moldy jail cell!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although since his release, San Shui’s business has grown larger and larger, his hatred toward Jin Peng, Li Ye, and others has not diminished one bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several times, San Shui wanted to retaliate, but after just a few distant “reconnaissance” trips, he realized it wasn’t easy to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian isn’t just surrounded by retired soldier guards—his Fenghua brand is already a national-quality product, and Hao Jian spends his days attending meetings in Pengcheng, clearly now one of Pengcheng’s top figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if San Shui were willing to risk his life and spend money, it’s not just that he might not be able to touch Hao Jian—the consequences would be unbearable for an ordinary man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several months in prison left San Shui with irreversible psychological fear; for the first time, he truly felt the helplessness of “never fight the authorities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So San Shui decided to temporarily set aside his grudge, focusing entirely on business with his relatives, vowing to grow big and strong before seeking revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, having spent so long in Yangcheng, San Shui had finally grasped the truth that money could move gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, when he returned for his mother’s birthday, his younger brother begged him relentlessly to marry his childhood crush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui had already paid a sky-high dowry of a thousand yuan, only to have it ruined again by that Li guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With several wealthy, overbearing relatives and a hotheaded younger brother, none of them could swallow this humiliation, and for days they’d been plotting revenge against the Li family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After getting rich, these relatives had made a few shady friends locally, and after much twisting and turning, they learned that Lao Hu’s truck would be heading to the provincial train station today to pick someone up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So San Shui and his group planted sharp spikes under Lao Hu’s Dongfeng truck tires, hoping the vehicle would blow out and flip over while driving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t work at all—the Dongfeng’s tires just hissed rapidly as they leaked air, never bursting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Si Shui gritted his teeth, put on his helmet, and led a few henchmen on motorcycles, planning to beat up Li Kaijian like they did in the countryside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since getting money, Si Shui and his circle of relatives and friends had caused plenty of trouble on their motorcycles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Kaijian merely picked up a one-meter-long crank handle and waved it around—immediately, the group turned and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even San Shui, who prided himself on dealing with hardened criminals daily, dared not face Li Kaijian head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Kaijian mocked them with his mouth, but his eyes were icy and chilling—nothing like those ruthless smugglers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Kaijian, a former northern border reconnaissance soldier, was damn terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, the truck’s fixed—unless we act now, the Li guy will get away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Si Shui, how many Kawasaki 125s are there in our county?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You haven’t counted? All the Kawasaki 125s in our county were sold by our family—about seven or eight total!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So how could they not recognize us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui swung his leg over the motorcycle, kicked the starter, and said: “Let’s go! Today we pop their tires—that’s enough to vent our anger. We won’t get blood on our hands. Later, I’ll bring in some skilled fighters from the south to deal with them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, Brother, I follow you—southern enforcers are the real deal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the rise of video halls, Hong Kong films swept across Shenzhou overnight; the martial artists glorified in gangster movies became idols for people like Si Shui, who always believed the moon was rounder elsewhere and that one outsider could take on ten locals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Si Shui never thought: decades ago, during the war on the border, every single moon from abroad had come—and still, they were crushed by China’s own roughnecks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Dongfeng 140 turned northward, the four motorcycles also turned, reluctantly returning to Qinghe County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon San Shui sensed something was wrong—the Dongfeng 140 behind him had suddenly become terrifyingly aggressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Ye, slow down, slow down—you’re going over eighty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem, I’ve got it under control!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had already floored the throttle; the Dongfeng 140, on the neglected national highway, leapt forward like a hungry wolf, targeting the motorcycles ahead—tiny rabbits on the grassland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a flat highway decades later, a truck couldn’t catch a 125cc motorcycle—but a Wuling Miracle could, because a 125 isn’t a BMW or a waterfowl; its 100 km\u002Fh isn’t the same as a car’s 100 km\u002Fh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on the 1983 national highway, a 125cc motorcycle couldn’t maintain 70–80 km\u002Fh; even a small pothole, a brick, or a slight wobble of the handlebars could send the rider flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in a big truck, as long as you grip the steering wheel tightly and don’t mind your ass getting bruised from bouncing, you can plow straight through every small bump and dip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye remembered a real-life example from his past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A truck driver got into a dispute with a government van on the highway and couldn’t escape—so he turned onto a dirt road, and the van, faced with potholes and ruts, couldn’t follow at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a van couldn’t chase, how could a motorcycle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the Dongfeng truck closed the gap to just ten meters behind San Shui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beep-beep-beep-beep~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye blared the horn loudly; San Shui and the others were terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, they rode motorcycles around showing off, treating squashed chickens and ducks as entertainment—but in the face of a multi-ton truck, motorcycles were nothing but toys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui felt like he was about to fly; his motorcycle nearly lost control several times, and helplessly, he pulled over to the roadside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Dongfeng didn’t slow down—it kept honking, nearly ramming into San Shui’s motorcycle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui was terrified out of his wits; he twisted the throttle to the max and sped forward just to escape Li Ye’s brutal charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two vehicles chased each other wildly for two minutes; when San Shui nervously looked back, he saw the other three motorcycles had vanished—Li Ye was targeting only him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>San Shui wanted to cry: “Why the hell are you chasing only me and not the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You think wearing a helmet means I won’t recognize you?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye could visually estimate human dimensions—he’d seen San Shui countless times; how could he not recognize his build?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been holding back, thinking time itself would eventually take care of San Shui—but this guy dared to target Li Kaijian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today they only punctured the tires—but what about tomorrow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【If you don’t provoke me, you should thank the Bodhisattva for protecting you! But you dare provoke me? You really think I won’t play dirty?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead, two large, alternating shallow potholes appeared, one left and one right, covering the entire road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To pass at 70–80 km\u002Fh, the motorcycle had to weave between them in an “S” pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But motorcycles were already unstable, and in his panic, San Shui was flailing—how could he possibly execute such a high-difficulty maneuver?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clang-g-g-g~ Screech-screech-screech-screech~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Kawasaki 125, at 60 km\u002Fh, crashed—sparks and flashes skidded twenty meters before the bike and San Shui tumbled into the roadside ditch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye lightly pressed the brake, slowing gradually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, Master Hu, should we report this to the traffic supervision station?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why report it to the traffic supervision station?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Li Kaijian could answer, Master Hu said: “We didn’t even touch him—he fell on his own. What’s it to us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye looked at his adoptive father, Li Kaijian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Kaijian smiled and waved his hand forward, signaling Li Ye not to stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Ye, don’t be so cruel! If you report it, they’ll confiscate his motorcycle—he doesn’t even have a license plate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye looked at Li Kaijian, who seemed utterly calm, not angry at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you sure not to report it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, why are you being so timid? Where’s your earlier decisiveness?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye shifted gears, gave a light throttle, and drove on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But through the rearview mirror, he saw San Shui’s accomplices frantically lifting him up—aside from one leg bent unnaturally, the rest seemed unharmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【A helmet’s a good thing—you’ll lie in bed quietly until August, then seamlessly transition into meal service!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Ye returned home, he saw his two younger sisters, Li Juan and Li Ying, sitting one on each side of the front door, staring expectantly in his direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they spotted the Dongfeng truck, the two girls sprang up like springs, their little legs dashing forward eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, let me carry your stuff.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, brother, I can carry too—I can help!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The older sister, Li Juan, snatched Li Ye’s luggage and carried it inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of the luggage was taken by Wang Qiangdong and others; the younger sister, Li Ying, couldn’t find Li Ye’s bag and ran around in panic, tears welling up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waited all this time, and I’m still useless?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Li Ye gave her a small shoulder bag; the girl beamed, cradling it like a treasure as she carried it into the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, only Wu Juying, Han Chunmei, and the two sisters were home; Li Zhongfa and the older sister, Li Yue, were still at work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, are you hungry? Grandma made noodles—dumplings when you leave, noodles when you return—want me to serve you a bowl?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One bowl isn’t enough—two bowls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll get you vinegar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll get the vinegar—you go peel garlic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, okay, I’ll peel garlic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sisters quickly served Li Ye his meal; though it was only two bowls of noodles, the warmth of the flavor was truly delicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Chunmei served her husband, Li Kaijian, but secretly watching how close Li Ying and Li Juan were to Li Ye, she felt deeply satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two years ago, she had worried day and night trying to fit into this family; Li Ye, that little tyrant, didn’t like her as a stepmother—that was fine, she’d never been treated well in her life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the two sisters were different—if she ever left, and they had no one to back them up, they’d suffer abuse in their in-laws’ homes with no one to turn to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was good: though Li Ye was a stepbrother, he was capable and kind-hearted; his sisters would never be taken advantage of for the rest of their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you to readers for your tips: thank you to reader “Ye Linran” for 500 coins, thank you to reader “Beautiful Big Sister” for 600 coins, thank you to reader “Dong or Jing” for your tip, thank you to reader “Changsheng Jun” for your tip, thank you to reader for your tip, thank you to reader “Yuan Ting” for 500 coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you all, great masters, thank you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1917,"2026-06-20T05:05:01.382Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","743ab60df09d07f489b8f41d25346a90c71febfcba772170d4158c95637d9f4e","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-261","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-259",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]