Four Seasons in the Flower Fields [The 1980s]

[They are rivals, yet a couple in perfect sync]

[The entrepreneurial story of Flower Queen Chen Peiyue and her arrogant husband]

For generations, the people of Qihong Village have made their living growing flowers. But when the brigade leader returns from a meeting at the commune, he announces that they can no longer grow flowers.

Chen Peiyue looks at the nearly empty rice jar and her younger siblings, who are growing thinner by the day.

Then she thinks of that elusive man. His family used to dare to raise as many as twenty chickens, so they surely weren't short on food.

Lin Yuchuan has just emerged from the bamboo grove when he runs into the sharp-tongued eldest daughter of the Chen family. He can't help wondering: When did this woman get here?

Chen Peiyue steels herself and says, "I know you're secretly growing tangerine trees. If you want me to keep quiet, you... you have to give me two jin of rice!"

Lin Yuchuan raises an eyebrow. Does she think he doesn't know that she went to prune the chrysanthemums a while ago? What gives her the right to threaten him?

Chen Peiyue curls her lips. "I don't mind pulling out the chrysanthemums. But would you really cut down those trees?"

Lin Yuchuan decides to give in and hand her two jin of rice to get rid of her. Who could have guessed that this one concession would last a lifetime?

Reading notes:

1. Neither lead is perfect. Both are sexually inexperienced.

2. A slice-of-life story. If you spot any mistakes about flowers, feel free to point them out.

3. This blurb was screenshotted on December 15, 2022.

Theme: Live well