[{"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-53":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},2294471,4489,"Chapter 53: Chapter Fifty-Three: Heaven Should Favor the Kind","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>After the results were announced, the top ten students each received a certificate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In later times, almost everyone had one, but in this era, it was a “real thing” that could make a mother happy for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the distribution of papers, problem explanations, and vacation—except for the remedial class, all other students could go home to help their parents with New Year preparations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the remedial class students weren’t required to attend classes; they came and went freely, with instruction provided as needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in this era, high school students were considered half the household labor force—during summer and autumn harvests, they were even given leave to work the fields!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the chaos, it was already four in the afternoon. Seeing Li Ye and the others leave the classroom, Jiang Xiaoyan quickly packed her things and followed, head down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had seen Li Ye’s grim expression, but had had no chance to explain all afternoon, and now her heart was in turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only wanted to rank tenth—how did I end up first?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did I end up first?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before Jiang Xiaoyan reached the door, Jin Shengli blocked her path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Xiaoyan, stay a moment—I’ll go over these few problems with you. You may be first, but you didn’t solve these questions we did—teaching and learning benefit each other...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiaoyan instinctively stepped back several paces, keeping distance from Jin Shengli’s beaming face, as if wary of a mud monster that might soil her pants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Shengli’s smile froze, and he awkwardly said, “Jiang Xiaoyan, what’s this? Mixing with Li Ye and those underachievers will hold you back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The top ten have decided to form a study group—we’ll help each other improve. We’re all classmates...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I... I still have to cook!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiaoyan dodged Jin Shengli and bolted, vanishing down the corridor in a flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You want me to listen to your explanations? Go to hell!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You got two major questions wrong—why even write them on the paper if you didn’t know how to solve them? Now I had to write two extra problems—I don’t even know how many scoldings I’ll get tonight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Help each other? We’re all classmates?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why didn’t you ever treat me like a classmate before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pfft, you think I’m stupid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiaoyan caught up with Li Ye and, once inside the second grain store’s storage room, silently began chopping vegetables and cooking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s dish was sour cabbage fish—she’d already eaten it twice recently and had mastered the steps, no longer needing Li Ye to direct her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as Jiang Xiaoyan began scaling the fish, Li Ye walked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You go light the stove—I’ll prep the fish slices.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sour cabbage fish recipe Li Ye taught Jiang Xiaoyan was from a small northern town in the future: using grass carp, bean sprouts, sour cabbage, and other ingredients—plentiful, filling, and full of flavor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiaoyan hesitantly handed him the knife and quietly went to light the stove and prepare the bean sprouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was afraid—afraid Li Ye would see her as a burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning she’d scored 345, Jiang Xiaoyan felt joy for only an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if she’d written down all the questions she’d skipped, she could have scored over 390.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In past years, that would have guaranteed admission to a junior college and edged close to university.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then Jiang Xiaoyan was overcome with panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I told you to aim for tenth—why did you get first? Think you’re special?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t you know how glaring first place is?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t you get noticed by Jin Shengli the moment results were announced?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’d only just settled down for a few days—and now you’ve stirred up trouble again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiaoyan kept her head down, rinsing bean sprouts. After a long silence, she finally whispered an apology: “I’m sorry... I’m sorry, Li Ye... I’m sorry to everyone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye chopped the fish, swiftly peeling off the flesh and slicing it, saying, “There’s nothing to apologize for. No one expected this—it’s hard to control.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only you made the top ten—use ‘lucky guesses’ as an excuse. But there’ll be trouble—you’ll have to handle it yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiaoyan quickly looked up. “Okay, whatever trouble, I can handle it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye said, “People will come to pry information out of you or ask you to explain problems—you need to learn to say no.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say no?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiaoyan, with her timid nature, was truly bad at refusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye looked at her and said, “I’ll teach you a trick: whenever someone asks you to explain problems, lead them astray—give them wrong answers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Jiang Xiaoyan was stunned, and so were the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye explained: “When you explain problems, give nine wrong answers and one correct one—nine false, one true. After a few tries, no one will want to ask you again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“........”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The classmates burst into laughter. Jiang Xiaoyan bit her lip, embarrassed, her eyes growing misty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sometimes I wonder... Li Ye... why do you help me so much? I have nothing... I can only thank you...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“........”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Man and the others, who had just been laughing, fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, when they studied with Li Ye, they’d merely felt good about themselves—thinking their studies were improving, that they were slowly heading toward university.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was still just hope, speculation, an estimate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the truth lay before their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xiaoyan had surpassed Xia Yue and Jin Shengli, taking first place in the final exam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the real first place wasn’t Jiang Xiaoyan—it was Hu Man. Hu Man’s actual score had already exceeded 400.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It all felt like a dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a month ago, Hu Man and the others had been lost about the future—even in their wildest dreams, they hadn’t dared imagine a 400-point score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her dream was to score 350, just to touch the junior college threshold—if not, she’d go to a vocational school and become an official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now... what even was a vocational school?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a dog would go!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone had hidden dozens of points. If we added them all up, everyone had already reached the junior college threshold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone—including Wen Leyu—had gathered around Li Ye, staring at him... making him uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Girls’ quiet glances were one thing—but Li Dayong, Fu Yingjie, Yan Jinbu—what’s with your intense, glowing stares, you big men?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t that disgusting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You ask why I help you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye asked himself, then turned to Hu Man: “When He Weiguo and I clashed, why did you help me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Man blinked. “I was class monitor of Class Two—I had to speak fairly. He Weiguo was a thug—everyone knew his character.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye nodded, then asked the others: “When I clashed with Xia Yue and Jin Shengli, why did you side with me, argue with them, even fight them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Xia and Fu Yingjie exchanged glances and answered honestly: “Because... you helped us! You gave us practice problems and explained them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye pressed: “But I gave problems and explanations to everyone in the class too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jinbu, usually silent, spoke up: “Because they were selfish—only took, never gave thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We argued with them... we fought for justice, for principle, for conscience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, that’s well said,” Li Ye said, surprised, looking at Yan Jinbu. “You never say a word, but you’ve got depth in there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Jinbu scratched his head, embarrassed, and fell silent again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye said seriously: “It’s conscience. I believe those with conscience deserve heaven’s favor more than those without it—those clever, scheming, self-serving types.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If only one person can go to university, it shouldn’t be the one with the highest score—it should be the one with the most conscience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because only such a person... will remember his roots, remember the common folk who gave him life and raised him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just chase promotion and wealth, caring only for his own interests, ignoring others’ suffering.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was one of Li Ye’s original reasons for helping Hu Man and the others: let the kind-hearted get into better universities, and let Xia Yue and his kind go to hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Ye... you said that so well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several girls had tears in their eyes. Their simple hearts now looked at Li Ye differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu glanced coldly and said dryly: “Isn’t the pot burning?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“........”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh no, it’s burnt! Quick, add water!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere in the storage room quickly warmed. The bean sprouts and sour cabbage released a rich aroma, piled in a large aluminum basin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye placed the sliced fish on top of the basin, sprinkled on various seasonings, then heated chili oil and drizzled it slowly, spoonful by spoonful, over the top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, grass carp were pure, natural, large, and cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there was no oil! Fish without oil was too fishy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget steamed fish—people with empty stomachs couldn’t stomach such delicacies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tender fish flesh met the scalding oil, curling and releasing fragrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hot oil seeped through the fish slices into the bean sprouts below, blending pungent aromas that made Hu Man and the others’ mouths water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone grabbed their bowls and gathered around the aluminum basin, waiting for Li Ye’s signal to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A month of meaty dinners had made them used to this scene—like a litter of puppies huddled around a food bowl, adorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woof woof woof~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The big yellow dog at the door suddenly barked wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye paused, waved his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Dayong and the others moved swiftly, carrying the small blackboard and scattered papers into the inner room, then locking and bolting the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye picked up several fish heads and walked to the door, tossing them casually to the wary Da Huang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Huang whimpered twice, lowered its head, and began crunching the fish heads with loud bites, its fluffy tail wagging with obsequious delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no longer the same Da Huang from a month ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had given it far too much; its self-respect had long been corrupted by sugar-coated artillery—leftover bones and scraps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an era when even people struggled to eat, daily meals rich with grease and meat were more than any dog could resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye opened the gate to the small courtyard and found Professor Luo outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Luo was sniffing the air, swallowing saliva.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you cooking? It smells so good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, he likely felt it was unseemly and quickly handed Li Ye a parcel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here, your parcel—it came from Daosheng. Did your novel get published?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye took it casually, tore open the parcel, and inside was indeed a brand-new novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Sigh, last life I wrote web novels and flopped; this life... I’m finally a writer.】\u003C\u002Fp>",1769,"2026-06-20T05:04:59.129Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","11c843c91d8893efe80ef96f6bbbbf7e7777910f3824e9e1952d555a949145a5","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-54","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-52",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]