[{"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-839":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},2295257,4489,"Chapter 839","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-839",839,"\u003Cp>The office was quiet at noon; Guo Qian didn’t encounter anyone on her way and arrived at Li Ye’s office door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took two deep breaths before knocking on the office door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two seconds later, Li Ye’s voice came from inside: “Come in!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian pushed the door open and saw Li Ye sitting behind his desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Li Ye’s desk sat a computer worth tens of thousands of yuan, and around his neck hung a black headset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian had seen this kind of headset before—it was said to be a small tape player that could play music and help learn English, very convenient, though each one cost one or two hundred yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing a cot in Li Ye’s office that had clearly just been put away, Guo Qian guessed he had been lying on it, enjoying a leisurely nap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【He really is just like the rich young master in the story.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the entire Light Vehicle Company, there were too many rumors about the young factory director Li Ye, and “indulging in comfort” was one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, to avoid wind and rain, Li Ye had spent over two hundred thousand yuan of his own money to buy a private car—it was undeniable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the indulgent Li Ye had one advantage: he never accepted gifts and utterly despised those who brought them; otherwise, Guo Qian would have definitely brought something to present before entering today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye looked at Guo Qian, thought for a moment, and asked: “You’re from Workshop Seven?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian quickly bowed her head: “Hello, Director Li, I’m so sorry for disturbing your rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, it’s fine. What do you need?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye didn’t bother with false formalities—he asked directly what she wanted, maintaining the dignity of a leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian was nervous, but she spoke out the words she had rehearsed in her mind on the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Li, my parents died during the chaotic years; only my sister and I were left. Two years ago, my sister passed away too, leaving behind two children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When my sister and brother-in-law divided housing back then, they got his unit’s allocation, and I’ve been living there ever since until I came to our factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now my brother-in-law has found a new wife, and the two children are constantly mistreated, so I want to transfer the children to my household registration, and could you please rent me one more dorm room?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye stared at Guo Qian in surprise—he was genuinely taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just told workers’ representatives a few days ago not to add distant relatives like nephews or nieces to their names, and now someone was trying to exploit the system?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I’ve watched “Full Courtyard of Love”—you’re not some Qin Huairu-type genius, are you?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had a kind heart, but he disliked those who used their tragic circumstances to gain benefits outside the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sit down, sit down. Let me check your housing registration form.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he invited Guo Qian to sit, Li Ye turned on the computer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Computers back then were slow; while waiting for the software to load, Li Ye suddenly asked: “You said you want to transfer the children’s household registration—do you still want to apply for housing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian paused, then quickly denied: “No, no, I’m not applying for housing—I just want to rent a dorm room. If that’s impossible, even just a bed would do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rent a bed? That won’t be enough for two children!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll sleep with my niece, and my nephew will sleep alone. I’m saving money now—I’ll buy two small rooms for them once I’ve saved enough. There are many courtyard houses available for sale outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian was nervous, because renting a single dorm room was against company regulations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The single dorms at Plant One were decent—central heating, running water, electric fans—if outsiders were allowed to rent them, everyone would fight over them. That’s why she had revealed her true intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want to buy a house?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye glanced at Guo Qian and smiled: “Then you’d better hurry—housing prices are skyrocketing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian’s salary was 140 yuan a month—high compared to other units, but low within Plant One, because she had short seniority and as a female worker, her job was lighter, earning far less than male frontline staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying on this salary to save enough to buy private housing in Beijing was practically impossible; only company welfare housing stood a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the software on the computer opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye typed to pull up Guo Qian’s housing registration info—she indeed had no parents, but no mention of her nephew or niece, likely because the workshop leaders had taken his earlier words seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye thought for a moment and asked Guo Qian: “Write an application form and submit it to the General Affairs Section.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian replied, feeling both disappointed and ashamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had come rushing to Li Ye out of concern for the children, but now she realized she had been impulsive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye was a factory director—such trivial matters shouldn’t burden him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye noticed Guo Qian’s disappointed expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked: “Have you written the application yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian shook her head: “No, I’ll write it when I get back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye opened the Fengyu Chinese input software: “Then don’t bother coming back—I’ll type it for you. Just answer my questions. When did your parents die?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian blinked, then answered instinctively: “November 21, 1969.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have any other close relatives—uncles, aunts, uncles on your mother’s side?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, my last uncle passed away last year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where do your nephew and niece live? Why are you raising them? Do they themselves want to live with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They want to. Their parents wanted it too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian mechanically answered Li Ye’s questions one after another, but her eyes were fixed on his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s fingers danced nimbly across the keyboard, producing crisp “click-click” sounds that filled Guo Qian with envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t understand how someone could look at the computer screen while typing letters so quickly and accurately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t this as impressive as Ke Zhen’e from the TV?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Li Ye finished typing and the printer began chattering out the application form, Guo Qian was even more astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had woven her answers into a coherent, logically sound application—clearly the work of a famous writer who earned several jiao per character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Check it over—if there’s no problem, sign it and submit it to General Affairs. We’ll review it and get back to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, thank you so much, Director Li. You’ve gone to so much trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian took the printed application and left Li Ye’s office, then let out a long sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew her request was unusual—if they made an exception, others would copy her, creating trouble for Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaders weren’t unwilling to be kind—they just didn’t want to create trouble for themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when she got off work that afternoon, Guo Qian received a call from the office telling her to pack quickly and follow Directors Lu and Li to her nephew’s home for a “verification visit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian’s heart leapt with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【He really is different from other cadres—his heart truly holds the people.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye drove to Suzhou Street, where Guo Qian led him down a narrow alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just ahead—it’s an old house from the Rolling Steel Plant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Rolling Steel Plant must be doing well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grade Four worker—seventy or eighty yuan a month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the three walked along chatting, some neighbors recognized Guo Qian and greeted her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when they reached the end of the alley, they saw a crowd gathered outside a courtyard, peering inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s sharp ears caught faint sobbing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh no, Xiao Qian, you’re back! Hurry in and stop them—Xiaohong and Xiaokai are being beaten to death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian froze, then rushed into the courtyard like a madwoman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye and Lu Zhizhang hurried after her; at the door, they immediately saw two children, bruised and swollen from beatings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhizhang pursed his lips and whispered to Li Ye: “I don’t think this is staged.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye nodded grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His observation was sharp—he could tell this wasn’t fake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhizhang glanced at Li Ye again: “This loophole is hard to open.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye snapped irritably: “Just say it outright—you’re afraid it’ll make me look bad, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had established the rule “no nephews or nieces,” so breaking it would mean indirectly slapping his own face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as a leader, isn’t the very allure of power the ability to make rules—and then break them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why do so many people refuse to retire even at sixty? Isn’t it the addictive thrill of “deciding life and death with a single word”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for how to change the rule?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s Lu Zhizhang’s problem—he has decades of experience and surely knows how to adapt.\u003C\u002Fp>",1483,"2026-06-20T05:05:02.628Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0863c5369025dbcc6803d73a9d0e08b0a32fef63a7e6ca890dcd09afdc5a5473","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-840","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-838",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]