[{"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-44":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},2294462,4489,"Chapter 44: Talk for Three Days and Three Nights","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-44",44,"\u003Cp>Li Ye never became “Shuo Ye,” but single-handedly shattered industry constraints, establishing a groundbreaking precedent for “print-run royalties” for writers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After prolonged negotiations with Blue Sea Publishing, he finally pried open a crack in the contract and added an apparently impossible supplementary clause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【If this novel’s print run exceeds five hundred thousand copies, the author shall receive print-run royalties at the standard rate of 5% per ten thousand copies as stipulated.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five hundred thousand copies would be negligible decades later, but in the early 1980s, for a debut author, it was an astronomical figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Gu Chuanqi, launched in 1981, sold over two million seven hundred thousand copies within five years, ranking first among literary periodicals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was a periodical—its average issue circulation never reached one hundred thousand, even after years of accumulated reputation and high sales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, most novels printed only a few thousand copies per edition; those exceeding ten thousand were rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for a phenomenon like Fortress Besieged, which sold over a million copies in a decade of reprints, no one believed it could apply to Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who wrote Fortress Besieged? And who are you, Li Ye?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye is a debut author—even if The Infiltrator’s content is excellent, can it rival the classic Fortress Besieged? To break five hundred thousand sales is pure fantasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Blue Sea Publishing did the math: a novel priced close to two yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Li Ye somehow became a sensation and surpassed five hundred thousand sales, their profit would reach six or seven hundred thousand yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, even if rivals accused Blue Sea of breaking the rules, Blue Sea could offer an unanswerable retort: If you want to criticize me, print five hundred thousand copies first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, Dong Yuejin told exactly this to Geng Zhi of Dahe Publishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Zhi closely tracked Dong Yuejin’s negotiations with Li Ye, repeatedly trying to intercept the deal midway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But sadly, he lacked Dong Yuejin’s courage, and Dahe Publishing lacked Blue Sea’s boldness; ultimately, he failed to sway Li Ye—and instead spurred Dong Yuejin to double down, signing the exceptional contract “on a whim.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when Li Ye saw Dong Yuejin off at the station, the latter gripped Li Ye’s hand and said: “Li Ye, we’re now on the same boat. If you become famous, I’ll ride your coattails; if you…… Ai ……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye felt a little embarrassed; honestly, Dong Yuejin wasn’t a bad guy—he was someone worth befriending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Ye said: “If this one doesn’t take off, I’ll write you another one—friendship price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin instantly perked up. “Do you already have an idea? What genre?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I have plenty of ideas.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye paused, then asked Dong Yuejin: “What kind of novel do you want? Historical, romance, sci-fi… I can do all of them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin didn’t know how to respond; if he hadn’t grown accustomed to Li Ye’s arrogance these past days, he’d have spat in his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You want what kind of novel? Historical, romance, sci-fi? Do you think you’re a chameleon? Shake your head and change your skin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Dong Yuejin finally said: “Wuxia is hot right now. Can you write it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye pursed his lips, hesitating. “Wuxia… I’m truly not good at it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin blinked rapidly, wearing an expression of “I caught you bragging.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye really wasn’t skilled in wuxia; back then, when he scoured web novels for rankings, wuxia had already declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Times progressed; readers’ tastes evolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Jing’s feats were fine for Yang Guo to repeat, but if Xiao Yan were to wield the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms again, would his power still be credible? It had to be world-shattering!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evolution of popular fiction is a constant wave overtaking the previous one—even the most classic masterpieces eventually bore readers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s still time before departure—let’s talk history!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin spared Li Ye’s face and changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve read some Hong Kong wuxia novels tied to history, where authors use historical settings to promote patriotism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I once read the line ‘The greatest hero is one who serves the nation and its people’—it moved me deeply…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye: 【Now is not the time to discuss Seeking the Qin!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Dong Yuejin’s enthusiastic talk, Li Ye considered suitable works and finally chose a meaningful novel—The Wind Blows North.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Regarding history, I have one idea for now,” Li Ye asked Dong Yuejin: “Editor Dong, have you heard of the Battle of Talas?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Battle of Talas?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin thought hard, then slowly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye patiently explained: “The Battle of Talas occurred in 751 AD, when the Tang Empire and the Abbasid Caliphate, both at their peaks, clashed during their respective expansions—a major confrontation between the two great Eastern and Western empires…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The story of The Wind Blows North is not complex: it follows the descendants of the failed rebels of Xuanwu Gate, exiled beyond the Pamirs, who later join the famed Battle of Talas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it merely depicted the battle, Li Ye wouldn’t particularly admire this novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the protagonist, after Tang power withdrew from the Western Regions, continued to lead the remaining Tang troops in persistent resistance, keeping the Tang flag flying for decades amid surrounded Western Regions territories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tale of Tang’s isolated western garrison is a bitter elegy, yet also an epic worthy of eternal remembrance by Tang descendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Dong Yuejin showed little emotional response after hearing Li Ye’s description.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked Li Ye: “If you wrote a novel based on this idea… what message are you trying to convey?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye extended his finger and solemnly pointed to the ground beneath them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to do my part to help more people understand how powerful this land once was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「..........」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin froze, as if something had flashed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye asked: “Editor Dong, have you used imported goods? Are they good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin nodded: “Yes, they’re good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye asked again: “Editor Dong, are you aware of the overseas study craze?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin nodded again: “Yes. A single overseas study slot can turn spouses into enemies and brothers into rivals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye asked: “Then, Editor Dong, do you think the West is better, or is our land better?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「..........」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye pressed: “Do you think, as our contact with the outside world grows, will the public’s confidence in our land increase or decrease?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin didn’t know how to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His city, being a port, had far more exposure to the outside world than inland areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost everyone who’d seen the West now believed it superior—and this trend would only intensify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Dong Yuejin himself believed the West was currently superior in every way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This mindset is still hidden now, but it’s clear that soon it will openly dominate public opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Ye, what exactly are you trying to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye lowered his head, thought for a moment, then said seriously: “In the coming period, we may face intense ideological shocks…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many will despise the land beneath our feet, scorn our ancestors and their glory, and believe the civilization that nurtured us for millennia is utterly backward…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye spoke the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his previous life, the obsession with the West and self-deprecation lasted for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But decades later, when the two most powerful forces on Earth began clashing again, Li Ye and others suddenly realized: this dragon nation was still magnificent, still powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to his foresight and experience, Li Ye saw the world differently from people of this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye looked up at Dong Yuejin and smiled gently: “My original motive for writing novels was money—but I still want to make a small meaningful contribution alongside earning it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our nation has stood atop the world for thousands of years, its influence radiating across ten thousand li. Now we’re merely in a brief period of decline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I believe a great author has the duty to promote our national history and culture, to make readers aware of our past greatness,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to make them feel pride and honor in being children of the dragon—not shame or despair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Li Ye’s true belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how absurd or bizarre later web novels became, most upheld one conviction: we are powerful, we are awesome, we have great hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, life has suffering—but instead of clinging to pain and self-pity, why not sprint toward beauty?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knows they’re not the ultimate protagonist, but no one wants to live as Xu Fugui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Dong Yuejin’s bewildered face, Li Ye—who had written hundreds of thousands of words—suddenly felt his vocabulary was too meager to convey his conviction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Dong Yuejin felt Li Ye’s emotion and experienced a clear resonance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intellectuals are easily moved by emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed Li Ye’s hand and pulled him toward the station exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey hey, Editor Dong, where are you taking me? The train’s about to leave!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not leaving. I need to talk with you for three days and three nights.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Yuejin really did talk with Li Ye for three days and three nights—so much so that Li Ye grew slightly fearful: Did I just create a revolutionary?\u003C\u002Fp>",1533,"2026-06-20T05:04:59.129Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a5cdd727a48c03b069293e841295485e359bf27d0a7e24c2cf48d095777d1cef","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-45","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-43",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]