[{"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-881":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},2295299,4489,"Chapter 881: Who Are You Calling Evil?","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-881",881,"\u003Cp>Li Ye’s expression changed, and Zhao Meiwen immediately grew afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, I didn’t tell them about your situation—I just said I had overseas sponsorship. I wasn’t showing off. I really wasn’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Zhao Meiwen truly burst into tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Li Ye and Wen Leyu confirmed their relationship, Li Zhongfa and Wu Juying had issued strict orders to their children: no one was allowed to flaunt Li Ye’s connection to Wen Leyu outside the family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Zhao Yuanchao, due to the nature of his work, repeatedly emphasized to Zhao Meiwen the necessity of keeping quiet—especially about things like “my cousin married a Haomen  daughter”—and warned her that if she said such things, he’d break her legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think about it—if Ruan Jiawei knew Zhao Meiwen’s cousin-in-law was from Wen Leyu’s family, would he still have said that “one-year deadline” nonsense?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you in such a hurry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye smiled and comforted Zhao Meiwen: “My wife and I aren’t monsters you have to hide. So what if I show off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Li Ye fully understood Zhao Meiwen’s behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can’t expect a girl under twenty to have the composure and cunning of a middle-aged person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which girl, when belittled or looked down upon, wouldn’t want to prove herself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You think I can’t get a study-abroad spot? I’ll show you in a heartbeat!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s only natural, nothing to criticize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Ye handed Zhao Meiwen a handkerchief to wipe her tears and said seriously: “If the two of you are truly compatible and your families are truly suited, then my and your sister-in-law’s situation will eventually come out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But you must consult your family first—ask your mother’s opinion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandma Wu Juying sniffed again, pursing her lips: “Your aunt said to find out about that family first, and then let your big cousin take charge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Holy shit, a grown girl wants me to make the call? How bold!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye was both amused and exasperated, but he couldn’t ignore it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were up to Li Ye’s temperament, he’d skip the inquiry entirely and just start over—but his aunt and uncle had always treated him exceptionally well; back when he used to fight, his uncle had cleaned up after him more times than he could count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Economic Committee—who should I ask?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Ye was pondering whom to consult, Grandma Wu Juying said: “If you don’t have a suitable contact, just go visit directly—ask them straight out what they think. We won’t beg, but we won’t beg alone either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandma, how can you even ask something like that? We’re the bride’s side.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what if we’re the bride’s side?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandma Wu Juying glared, her voice sharp: “This kind of thing must be settled clearly—who’s looking down on whom? If it weren’t for the generational gap, I’d go myself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a flash, Li Ye suddenly understood why his grandfather had married his grandmother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imagine—Grandfather Li Zhongfa was still injured! Grandmother brought him meals and medicine every day, and once he’d grown hungry enough, she’d demand a straight answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just ask Li Zhongfa how he’d handle that!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright then,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye nodded and told Zhao Meiwen: “Tell Ruan Jiawei your brother wants to visit and ask if he’s willing to receive us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had just plainly said ‘it’s inconvenient,’ Li Ye would’ve been spared the trouble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meiwen called Ruan Jiawei to arrange it, and Li Ye pulled Wen Leyu aside to whisper: “I can’t ask this myself—later, ask Meiwen if she and Ruan Jiawei have anything real going on, if she’s been taken advantage of.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu immediately rolled her eyes at Li Ye, sneering: “You have evil thoughts doesn’t mean others do too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What do you mean I have evil thoughts? Every man has them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Ye first courted Wen Leyu, he endured immense restraint—only after marriage did he finally win her over. So he believed he was no worse than Liu Xiaohui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Ye complained: “Don’t you know how respectful I was when we were dating? Why are you unfairly slapping me with this label now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wen Leyu scoffed: “Hmph, do you think I can’t read your eyes? How many times did I kick you away before you forgot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye was speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu had indeed kicked his shin back then—but she’d also said, “Stop flirting with me, or I won’t be able to take it!” It was mutual attraction—why was it all his fault now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye grew angry and snapped: “So if I had actually been evil back then, you’d have left me, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu’s face flushed crimson, then she growled: “If you’d dared to be evil with me back then, I’d have kicked you so hard you’d never get out of bed again—fine, I’d nurse you for life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Holy crap, that analogy is off—just to avoid being evil, they’d both spend their lives celibate? What an insane level of fidelity!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Meiwen called back—the groom’s side agreed to Li Ye’s visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Leyu had also confirmed: Zhao Meiwen, having heard too many of Li Ye’s warnings—especially about the tragic fate of Lu Gang—had only held hands with Ruan Jiawei; there was still room to maneuver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the next day, Li Ye canceled his vacation, bought gifts, and went with Zhao Meiwen to visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gifts were modest but thoughtful: two bottles of Xifeng liquor, a bunch of large bananas, two boxes of luncheon meat, and pastries from Daoxiangcun—four items, a lucky number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they arrived at the Economic Committee’s residential compound, the guard called inside before letting Li Ye in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Li Ye reached Ruan’s building, he already felt uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though men in the 80s weren’t as accommodating to women as today, couldn’t you at least come out to greet us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ruan family lived in a newly built dormitory, on the second floor. Based on Li Ye’s understanding of 80s housing allocation rules, Ruan’s father must’ve been a mid-level official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a Beijing mid-level official should’ve been more humble than Zhao Yuanchao, a deputy director in a county town!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever. I’m here already—might as well take a look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye and Zhao Meiwen climbed the stairs and knocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye finally understood why Zhao Meiwen was so obsessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy in front of him was kinda handsome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he still fell short of Li Ye by a few points, his refined demeanor made him naturally appealing to girls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 1.75 meters, he wasn’t as tall as Li Ye’s 1.80, but in this era, he was still considered tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Sigh, girls are all beauty addicts!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye recalled an older woman’s dating philosophy from his past life: “You don’t need money, but you must be clean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, Li Ye thought that was simple—but his friend had sadly explained: “Clean” meant clean-cut, handsome, and fresh-looking. If you looked like Xiao Bao, even a full scrub wouldn’t make you “clean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must be Brother Li! Come in, come in… no need to change shoes, just be comfortable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Jiawei welcomed Li Ye with a bright smile—his manners and warmth forced Li Ye to admit: this kid wasn’t just good-looking, he was well-bred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Ruan Jiawei’s mother brought out a plate of fruit from the kitchen, Li Ye changed his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes flickered over the gifts, and a faint, barely noticeable smirk curled her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s sharp observation instantly confirmed she was mocking him and Zhao Meiwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Seriously, what the hell.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People in Beijing drink Erguotou—I brought Xifeng, what’s wrong with that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who doesn’t love meat these days? Is luncheon meat not good enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Jiawei ushered Li Ye and Zhao Meiwen to the sofa, then knocked on a bedroom door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, Xiao Wen and her cousin are here~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Jiawei’s father emerged from the bedroom, smiling and greeting Li Ye—nothing seemed amiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ruan’s mother scolded her son: “Your father’s exhausted from work—he finally gets a day off, why’d you call him out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you think I’m not tired? I haven’t had a break in half a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is only because it’s my cousin’s affair—if it were my own, I’d have stormed out long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ruan’s father’s next words surprised Li Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you graduated from Peking University’s Economics Department—do you know Cai Minying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ye’s mind raced, then he replied calmly: “I’ve heard her name—she was the genius of the class of 80. I entered in ’82; she’d already gone abroad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan’s father murmured, his disappointment fleeting but clear.\u003C\u002Fp>",1428,"2026-06-20T05:05:02.628Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b1011eb31911c0ea9425632c672bdc43f8f9cc28599a9e77289d689839ae3c93","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-882","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-880",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]