[{"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-840":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},2295258,4489,"Chapter 840","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-840",840,"\u003Cp>Liao Minjie, are you even human? These are your own son and daughter—why are you beating them to death?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m beating my own son, and you think you’ve got the right to interfere? Who are you to tell me what to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you can’t interfere, then I’ll fight you to the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her two nephews and niece beaten black and blue, Guo Qian—who had always been quiet and reserved—went berserk and charged forward, clawing and scratching at her ex-brother-in-law Liao Minjie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t hard to blame her for losing control; Li Ye, seeing the children’s condition, also wanted to kick that man several times himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy was barely over ten, one cheek swollen higher than the other, one eye blackened, the other red, one shoe missing from his foot, standing there with his head down, his legs visibly unbalanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had plenty of fighting experience—he knew this posture was caused by heavy blows to the buttocks and thighs, making the muscles ache and warp his stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The older girl, about thirteen or fourteen, looked somewhat better—only her hair and clothes were disheveled, her face unbruised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye’s eyes far surpassed ordinary people’s—he could see several strands missing from her scalp and an abnormal discoloration, clearly from bleeding underneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【How can they be so cruel?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye had heard rumors of “stepmothers beating biological children to death,” but those were just rumors—how many real fathers didn’t dote on their own kids?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if a child came home with a ten or eight out of a hundred, a light scolding was enough—how could anyone bear to pull out their hair?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl’s hair is her life—if someone pulled out her daughter’s hair, even the gentlest man would turn into a bandit, and paying with a life wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when Li Ye saw Guo Qian scratching at Liao Zhimin’s face, he didn’t step in to play peacemaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In China, women have a natural advantage when fighting men—right now, Liao Zhimin was already guilty for beating his children, so scratching his face was entirely justified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Ye hadn’t expected Liao Zhimin to have backup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Liao Zhimin struggled to fend off the frenzied Guo Qian without fighting back, a woman rushed out of the house and slammed into Guo Qian, sending her stumbling backward to land on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two children, who had been standing silently against the wall, immediately ran over to shield her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liao Xiaohong spread her arms to block the woman, her face filled with terror: “Mom, hit me! This has nothing to do with my aunt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman shoved twice but couldn’t budge the stubborn stepdaughter, so she turned to curse at Guo Qian: “Guo Qian, are you ever going to stop? Are you ever going to stop? You’ve been inciting the kids to rebel against their father all along, and now you’ve come here to cause trouble?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who the hell are you to meddle in the Liao family’s affairs? You’re a Guo, not a Liao!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye looked at the woman with slender eyebrows and thin lips—he knew this was Jiang Chunyan, the one Guo Qian had mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward to help—after all, Guo Qian was his First Factory employee; if she got beaten bloody in front of two factory directors, where would he save face?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lu Zhizhang grabbed Li Ye’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Zhizhang whispered low: “Don’t rush yet. Gather some witnesses and evidence first—otherwise, things will be hard to handle. I’ll go call the police station. Stay here and don’t act impulsively—if you hit someone, we won’t be able to do anything at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye narrowed his eyes and finally retracted his step—several neighbors nearby had already rushed in to separate them; Guo Qian wouldn’t be at a disadvantage for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old man, relying on his age, advised: “Young Liao, young Jiang, that’s enough! Guo Qian nearly fainted from being shoved—you beat the kids first, and now you’re attacking the aunt? Where is all this anger coming from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiang Chunyan glared and snapped: “Old Qiao, don’t speak without knowing the facts. Do you even know what happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man froze, then lowered his head: “Oh? Then you tell me—what exactly did these kids do to make you two so furious? I’ve watched them grow up, and I’ve never seen them beaten like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chunyan lifted her eyebrows, her expression hostile: “What do you mean ‘watched them grow up’ and ‘never seen this’? Old Qiao, are you implying I’m a cruel stepmother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, young Jiang, you’re misreading me—I’ve watched Liao Minjie grow up too. If you’ve got anger, don’t take it out on whoever’s nearby!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chunyan was speechless—she prided herself on her sharp tongue, but facing an old-timer like Old Qiao, she couldn’t land a blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Old Qiao had worked with Liao Minjie’s father and had indeed watched Liao Minjie grow up since childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as she glanced around, Jiang Chunyan knew everyone was silently cursing her as a wicked stepmother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Qiao said the kids had never been beaten like this before—now that they were, wasn’t it because she, the stepmother, had come into the house?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Jiang Chunyan stood her ground: “Old Qiao, since you’ve watched them grow up since childhood, you must know about their habit of stealing money, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Qiao blinked, hesitating: “These kids stole money? That can’t be true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chunyan perked up, pointing at Liao Xiaohong: “Yesterday, twenty yuan vanished from my purse—I searched everywhere and couldn’t find it. I was frantic. Then guess where I found it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten yuan was in Xiaokai’s schoolbag, ten yuan hidden under Xiaohong’s insole. These kids are so young and already stealing and hiding money—if we don’t correct them harshly now, what will happen later?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Qiao and several neighbors fell silent. In the 1980s, though petty thieves and hooligans were more common than in later years, no one wanted a thief living next door!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t steal money, and neither did my brother. That money was ours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing her stepmother’s false accusation, the elder sister Liao Xiaohong finally spoke up in defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiang Chunyan immediately shot back: “How could a child your age have money? Last night, when I asked you where it came from, why did you stay silent and refuse to answer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liao Xiaohong’s eyes welled up, helplessly: “Because that money was given to us by my aunt. You always ask her for money, and she says she has none—if you knew she gave us money, you’d .”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Liao Xiaohong finished speaking, everyone’s gaze toward Liao Minjie and his wife shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian had lived in this alley with her sister for years—everyone had seen the hardships she endured. Now that she’d finally gotten a job, this couple was still demanding money from her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chunyan’s expression changed. Before Liao Xiaohong could finish, she interrupted: “Whose child keeps their own money? Even pocket change from Lunar New Year is handed over to parents! You dare hide ten yuan for yourself? Who would believe that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The children’s money was given by me. I still have money—but I simply refuse to give it to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The money for the children was given by me, and I indeed still have money, but I simply refuse to give it to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian, who had nearly been knocked breathless, stood up, gritting her teeth: “My sister borrowed four hundred and sixty yuan for treatment—I’ve repaid every cent to you. Those twenty yuan were for the children’s meals—you made them go hungry for three meals straight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey hey hey, who made them go hungry for three meals? Guo Qian, don’t slander us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chunyan glared fiercely at Guo Qian: “Do you think now that you’ve got a salary and some power, you can come here and throw mud at us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You lived off us for over ten years—how much did you owe us? Do you think two simple words erase it all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian’s face flushed red with rage: “Did I eat your food? Drink your water? My sister raised me—what does that have to do with you? How long have you even been in the Liao family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve only been in the Liao family a short while, but your sister’s income was half Liao Minjie’s. Your sister raised you—that’s the same as Liao Minjie raising you. You grew wings and walked away—we don’t blame you. But don’t come back meddling in the Liao family’s affairs!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re a Guo, not a Liao. You spend your days inciting these Liao children to feud with their own father, turning them into enemies—why don’t you just take them away and raise them yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re surnamed Ge, not Liao; all day long you’re inciting the two Liao children to feud with their own father, treating each other like enemies—why don’t you just take them both away and raise them yourself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Qian clearly couldn’t match Jiang Chunyan’s verbal assault—she was left gasping for breath after Jiang’s rapid-fire retort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after two deep breaths, her eyes hardened: “Fine. My sister raised me for twenty years—I’ll raise these two children for twenty years too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m taking them away. They won’t cost you a single cent. And you won’t dare lay a finger on them again—if you so much as touch them, I’ll kill you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m taking these two children with me; they won’t cost you a single cent from now on, and you dare not lay a finger on them again—if you so much as move a muscle, I’ll fight you to the death!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chunyan pointed at Guo Qian, laughing until tears streamed down her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve heard of kids living with grandfathers, with grandmothers, even with aunts—but never with a little aunt!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have any idea how hard it is to raise two children? Where will you get food? How will you pay for school? You’re just a greenhorn girl—you think you can take them away? Go ask your unit leader if they’ll allow it first!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you even know how troublesome it is to raise two children? Where will their food come from? How will they go to school? You’re just a young girl with no experience—do you think you can just take them away? Go ask your unit leader first if they’ll allow it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye, who had been watching from outside for a long time, finally stepped into the courtyard and showed his work ID.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m deputy factory director of the First Factory. We’ve accepted Comrade Guo Qian’s application and are willing to transfer these two children into our unit. We have food rations, and we have our own school—raising two children is easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m the deputy factory director of Factory One; we’ve already approved Comrade Ge Qian’s application and are willing to accept the two children transferring into our unit. Our unit provides grain rations and has its own school—raising two children is very easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone around froze, staring at Li Ye with strange expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of stunned silence, Jiang Chunyan laughed mockingly: “So that’s why Guo Qian suddenly had guts today! She’s found herself a boyfriend to back her up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chunyan paused, then chuckled: “So that’s why Ge Qian was so bold today! She must’ve found someone to back her up!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1895,"2026-06-20T05:05:02.628Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0d2cfc00e1125aba83523af3e4e5e309e210d16c75880f89bb109aed615d17b8","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-841","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-839",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]