That year the flowers bloomed 1981

Chapter 1318 We are different

Li Ye's identity as a time traveler is his biggest secret, and he has been very careful and restrained about it all these years.

So when Sofia questioned Li Ye, "How could you have predicted our country would collapse years ago?", he immediately became wary.

Sophia's gaze as she looked at Li Ye was hazy and unfocused, as if she were drunk and her mind was unsettled, or as if she was seeking answers in her confusion because of Su E's sudden decline.

Li Ye initially thought it was the latter, because in his previous life he had seen many women who had run into bad luck and would desperately seek help from charlatans during terrible phases of their lives to resolve their emotional entanglements.

Moreover, the greater the fall, the more obsessed people become with this kind of spiritual group, whose growth depends entirely on this continuous source of nourishment.

As for the powerful figures like Sofia and Seryozha from the Sugo era, they would naturally feel the cruelty of their fall with the collapse of Sugo.

But then Li Ye realized something was wrong.

Because he deliberately stared at Sophia for a few seconds, he discovered a few sharp glints in Sophia's bewildered eyes.

This sharpness is somewhat similar to that of Teacher Ke when he first met Li Ye, except that his level of skill is much lower, but ultimately he also wants to pry into Li Ye's inner secrets.

Could this woman be a secret agent?

Su E's intelligence department is very famous, and Li Ye's inspection team was officially dispatched, so Li Ye couldn't help but gasp.

To be honest, there are many reasons for Su'e's collapse. In a three-way power struggle, various entanglements are inevitable.

Ordinary people might not know about this situation, but people like Seryozha and Sofia certainly do. It's not impossible that they might hold a grudge against Li Ye and the others.

Faced with the complicated looks in Sofia and Seryozha's eyes, Li Ye slowly gave his answer.

“Ms. Sophia, when Sun Xianjin and I were in school, it was a time of economic transformation in China. So we wanted to learn from all the advanced experiences in the world, and Suzhou was an important subject of our discussion. After all, Suzhou’s system is most similar to ours, and it is very powerful.”

"But precisely because we are so similar, we are also most aware of some of its drawbacks. One of my teachers, a very excellent economist, believed five years ago that the powerful Sugo was already seriously ill and needed a painful treatment."

Although I was shocked at the time, I respected my teacher and agreed with his point of view. However, I never expected that his words would come true so quickly.

"."

Sophia stared into Li Ye's eyes for a while before painfully rubbing her forehead.

"Oh, I've heard a proverb from your China—'Even the best doctor can't cure their own serious illness.' We Suzhou people study our own problems every day, but in the end, we don't see them as clearly as you Chinese."

Seryozha, his face flushed from drinking, said dejectedly, "For so many years, we've been held hostage by our past glories, choosing to ignore the flaws in the system. On the contrary, you dare to overthrow decades-old traditions. Your current reforms are based on the experience of the Lighthouse, right?"

"No, no, no, we have no intention of overthrowing tradition."

Li Ye quickly denied it; he wouldn't mince words on such a matter, as he needed to report back on the conversation they had today.

[You choose shock therapy to fully embrace freedom, but don't drag us down with you; we'll still stick to the red line.]

Sophia looked at Li Ye and asked slyly, "Since your teacher can see through our shortcomings, why don't you have any ideas about overthrowing tradition? Do you also want to collapse like us Su'e?"

"Ah~"

Li Ye sighed and said in a deep voice, "First of all, my teacher didn't completely denigrate the planned economy. After all, your Su'e's achievements in its early stages shocked the world, so we hope to retain its advantages."

When the Soviet Union was first established, it was not very powerful. Due to three consecutive years of war and intervention from the Western world, Poland was even able to reach Minsk, forcing the Soviet Union to sign a humiliating treaty.

It can be said that Sugo was on its last legs in 1922. 2000 million people had died, and another 30 had surrendered to Poland. Industry and agriculture were almost completely destroyed. Industrial output dropped to 1/7 of that in 1913, and agricultural output was only 1/3.

To be honest, the Soviet Union at this time was not much better off than during the Republic of China era; it couldn't even defeat Poland.

But why did the Sugo become such a behemoth that even a genius art student couldn't chew it up in just nineteen years, from 1922 to 1941?
Because the bearded father has done nothing all these years but has taken advantage of the system's special characteristics to frantically develop industry.

He used agricultural subsidies to support industry, improve infrastructure, and launched a five-year plan. Then, seizing the opportunity of the Great Depression in the West, he frantically introduced Western talent and technology.

He was reckless in his pursuit of industrial development, even auctioning off centuries-old art collections from the Mao Dynasty, selling them by the ton.

In 1929, Sue exported 1192 tons of art and antiques; in 1930, they exported 1618 tons of art. The Hermitage Museum at that time was the world's largest museum of art treasures, but it was almost entirely emptied by the benevolent father.

Does his style seem familiar?
Try putting this father's approach into a Western system and see if it works.

However, Li Ye thought that by recounting the most exciting period of Su'e's life, Seryozha and Sofia would "find it useful" and it would also help them dispel their vigilance against him, but the opposite was true.

Sofia took another sip, then said wistfully, "Oh, dear Lee, don't be obsessed with past achievements. We are what you will be tomorrow. Although I don't have a high opinion of radical liberalism, if you don't make changes, you might catch up with us very soon."

Seryozha smiled and said, "It's alright, Li. I've heard there's a saying that's popular among you now—'crossing the river by feeling for stones.' Just like we were seventy years ago, we're a stone that leads you forward. Our friendship will last a long time."

Who the hell guided you across the river by feeling your way? Do you still want to play the role of our teacher?

"Seryozha, let's not talk about these worrying things anymore. You have now embarked on a new path, and naturally there is new hope, isn't there?"

When Sun Xianjin was in school, he knew that Li Ye was a "major advocate of Chinese culture," so when he saw Seryozha and Sofia starting to act as teachers, he quickly chimed in and brought up this sensitive topic.

"maybe!"

Seryozha said weakly, "Sophia and I are both very confused right now. We don't know if our future can be as strong as a lighthouse."

Sofia also stated, "More than the economic uncertainties, we are worried about whether the nation's faith can be maintained. Many of us now want to leave our homes and go to the Lighthouse."

"."

Li Ye was deeply moved after listening to Seryozha and Sofia's words.

[It turns out that even the people of Sugo yearn for a lighthouse.]

In 1991, all nations considered the Lighthouse a paradise of civilization, and whenever they discovered various problems in society, they first sought answers from them.

This is very similar to some people in mainland China, who also desperately try to study abroad and risk their lives to go overseas.

Just then, Sophia suddenly asked Sun Xianjin, "Sun, are there many students from your country who are sent to study in the West and don't return home?"

Li Ye: "."

Why do you have to bring up something you don't want to talk about?!

However, Sun Xianjin said calmly, "That's true, but many more people return to China. My class monitor, who studied abroad with me, went to Belarus and has now returned to China and taken on an important position."

"is it?"

Sophia looked at Sun Xianjin and sighed, "Yes! My grandfather told me there's a saying among you flower growers: after the leaves fall, they always return to their roots."

Those people who came to our country to study decades ago all resolutely returned to their hometowns. You are different from us.”

Sophia's words moved Li Ye, Lao Shao, and the others.

Decades ago, a group of people came here from impoverished China, learned a whole set of theories, and then went back to carve out a new world for themselves.
Now that China has encountered a bottleneck, it has begun sending students to the West to learn better experiences.

Therefore, the Chinese people have never stopped striving to become "stronger and stronger".

In his previous life, Li Ye discovered that even the generation of young people who were infiltrated by Western ideas still bore the unique imprint of the Chinese nation.

That year, 9/11 happened. One moment the young people were cursing their own backwardness and praising the greatness of the beacon, but the next they were overjoyed and cheering, shouting the slogan "God bless China, we are the only ones who are supreme."

Therefore, what Chinese people pursue is always their own defined ideal morality, with unique standards of judgment.

I should learn from excellent countries, and I should be angry at my backward motherland for its lack of progress rather than resent being born in the wrong place.

My dad is poor. He's not very capable, and sometimes he even beats me with a stick. But he's still my dad. When I grow up and start earning money, I'll still have to give him ten or eight yuan a month to spend.

(End of this chapter)