Chapter 45: 044

044 "This is reality; just get used to it."

The three-wheeler traveled for nearly half an hour before reaching the government compound; the County Committee and the County Government were both located in a newly built high-rise building.

Fang Qingye was stopped by security at the main gate and was only allowed through after registering.

The County Committee Office was on the fourth floor of the building; luckily, it was a high-rise with an elevator, otherwise they would have had to carry it up basin by basin, exhausting everyone to death.

Fang Qingye parked the three-wheeler at the entrance of the lobby, didn't rush to unload it, but instead went up to the fourth floor with Bai Ou first; he needed to find Chen Zhidong, the Deputy Director in charge of the office at the County Committee Office.

Regarding this person, Fang Qingye still had some impression, but didn't know which office he was in; there were several offices in the hallway with Deputy Director nameplates hanging on the doors.

He saw an office door with a General Section nameplate slightly ajar, so he knocked and pushed it open, seeing a young man in his twenties sitting at the door, looking down and playing with his phone.

Hearing movement at the door, he quickly put down his phone and looked up at Fang Qingye.

"Hello, may I ask which office Director Chen is in?" Fang Qingye asked very politely.

The young man didn't answer directly, but looked at him with a slightly wary gaze: "What do you want with Director Chen?"

"We are from Four Seasons Nursery, delivering potted plants to the office," Fang Qingye replied.

"Oh, he went down to the countryside."

"When will he be back?"

"I don't know."

This...

Fang Qingye hesitated for a moment, then said: "Then can we bring the potted plants up?"

"Do whatever you want."

After the young man finished speaking, he ignored them again and picked up his phone to play with it.

Fang Qingye didn't hesitate either, took Bai Ou downstairs, and prepared to move the potted plants.

"Ye Zi, I saw several offices with their doors closed; if the doors aren't open, how can we deliver?" Bai Ou asked in a low voice while walking.

"In theory, every unit responsible for general office work has one person who keeps spare keys for every office in the entire unit, especially the leaders'offices, to prevent situations where the leader goes out and an urgent matter requires entering the room but the door can't be opened."

Fang Qingye explained softly: "But given the current situation, let's deliver to the occupied offices first, and deal with the rest later."

Bai Ou stopped speaking, and the two of them went downstairs to carry the potted plants up floor by floor via the elevator.

Some potted plants were relatively small, so Fang Qingye could carry them to the office alone; some were very large and required Bai Ou's help, especially the Dragon Blood Tree in the General Section office; Fang Qingye and Bai Ou exerted every ounce of strength to move it from the elevator entrance to the middle of the office.

Fang Qingye was already sweating; looking at Bai Ou, her small face was also flushed red.

That young man from before was still sitting motionless behind the desk playing with his phone!

Damn...

He wouldn't even help out.

Forget it; they look down on low-level workers, and besides, right now we are serving them; they are the customers, they are God.

After moving this last pot, Fang Qingye went out the door and saw a middle-aged man in his thirties carrying a briefcase walking briskly toward them; it was indeed Chen Zhidong, the Deputy Director of the County Committee Office.

"Director Chen," Fang Qingye greeted him urgently.

"Who are you?" Director Chen stopped in his tracks.

"We are from Four Seasons Nursery, here today to replace the potted plants in each office," Fang Qingye replied.

"Oh, go ahead and replace them," Chen Zhidong replied and continued walking forward; he then looked at Bai Ou following behind Fang Qingye and asked an extra question:

"Why isn't that Xiao Zhang delivering the potted plants today? Are you college students interning at the nursery?"

"Neither of us are; my name is Fang Qingye, and I work at Dongfang Xing," Fang Qingye smiled: "I'm helping my grandfather with his work."

"Your grandfather is Nursery Boss Fang? Then you are the son of Principal Fang of Chengguan Middle School?" Chen Zhidong asked.

"Yes."

"Then Director Fang of the Finance Bureau is your second uncle, right?"

"Yes, my own second uncle," Fang Qingye answered truthfully.

Chen Zhidong's attitude immediately became enthusiastic: "I'm very familiar with your father and your second uncle; we even had a meal with your second uncle a while ago."

"I've also heard my father and second uncle mention your name," Fang Qingye smiled.

"Hmm, a young man indeed of outstanding appearance," Chen Zhidong complimented, then looked at Bai Ou beside him: "Is she your girlfriend?"

"No, she is my childhood friend, named Bai Ou; she is currently a graduate student at East China University of Political Science and Law, and her father is Director Bai of the Education Bureau," Fang Qingye explained.

"Director Bai's daughter, and a graduate student! A bright future, a bright future," Chen Zhidong said again with a smile: "Come, go to my office; I'll pour tea for you."

"No need to be polite, Director Chen; I must hurry to move the potted plants up; they can't be exposed to the sun for too long," Fang Qingye politely declined.

"In that case, I'll find someone to help you," Chen Zhidong said again.

That suits me perfectly.

Fang Qingye thought, but he still had to decline verbally: "No need to trouble anyone; I'll do it myself."

"How can that be! Those are large flower pots and very heavy," Director Chen said, then pushed open the half-ajar door of the General Section office; just as he prepared to speak, that young man who had been motionless before quickly stood up.

With a smiling face: "Director Chen, I'll come help."

This guy probably heard the conversation outside the door.

"In that case, Xiao Wang, thank you for your hard work."

"No trouble, no trouble," the young man named Xiao Wang said with a face full of smiles.

This sudden shift from arrogance to deference, the change is too fast!

Fang Qingye and Bai Ou exchanged a glance, but neither said anything.

The three of them went downstairs; Fang Qingye and Bai Ou walked in front,

"Sigh..." Bai Ou suddenly sighed softly: "I can now feel the situation when Zhang Xiaoqiang came to deliver the potted plants."

"This is reality; just get used to it," Fang Qingye said lightly.

The three of them went downstairs and started moving the potted plants into the elevator; of course, it was mainly Fang Qingye and that Xiao Wang who did the work, sending the potted plants up to the fourth floor via the elevator, and then delivering them one by one to different offices according to the list given by his grandfather, including those where people were out and the doors were locked, which were also opened by someone to replace with new potted plants.

Finally, water was poured on them, and then the original potted plants were all taken back and loaded into the car, keeping them busy for a full hour.

With the matter settled, Fang Qingye found Director Chen to sign the rental list; he took it back to his grandfather, and after saving up for half a year, they would come to the County Committee Office to settle the account with Director Chen.

Finally, Fang Qingye and Bai Ou drank tea for a while in Director Chen's office before the two left, then went to the fifth-floor Organization Department to tend to the potted plants, watering those lacking water and clearing away withered leaves where needed, though Fang Qingye did not lift a hand for this task.

Bai Ou did it.

Watering plants is also a great skill; in this aspect, Bai Ou was stronger than him.

After working for another half hour or so, today's tasks were finally completely finished.

"Finally done," Bai Ou said in a low voice while walking down the corridor: "Your grandfather's business is really huge."

"That's all thanks to my second uncle," Fang Qingye smiled.

Fang Qingye knew clearly in his heart that the reason his grandfather had taken on the business of renting potted plants to many government units was mainly due to his second uncle.

Such a small matter, not a principled issue; why wouldn't the leaders of each unit do a favor by going with the flow?

Now that his second uncle has become the Finance Bureau Director, his grandfather's nursery business is estimated to expand further.

Originally, Fang Qingye had wanted to chat with Liu Dong for a while, but after going to the seventh-floor Propaganda Department and asking, he learned that Liu Dong had gone to the countryside with a leader for research.

Truly a very busy person.

With nothing to do in the government compound, Fang Qingye rode the three-wheeled vehicle with Bai Miao back to the nursery; it was already nearly 12 o'clock.

"Xiao Ye, Xiao Ou, hurry up and wash up; look how hot you are," Grandma greeted warmly: "Come over to eat when you're done."

Fang Qingye naturally would not be polite; he sent a text message to his mother explaining the situation, and after Bai Ou declined once, she agreed, as eating here was not her first time.

Chives and fish balls, stir-fried young roosters, luffa with green peas, shepherd's purse and tofu soup, and a bowl of white rice for each person; Fang Qingye ate with great relish.

Don't say it, Grandma's cooking is just delicious!

After finishing the meal, Bai Ou helped wash the dishes and utensils, and only then did the two leave.

"Bai Ou, I'll drive you home," Fang Qingye said.

"No need, I rode my bicycle," Bai Ou pointed to a small women's bicycle outside the door.

Since that was the case, Fang Qingye did not insist; the two bid farewell to Grandpa and Grandma and left the nursery; just as he was about to get in the car, Bai Ou suddenly called out to him.

"Ye Zi, tomorrow is Saturday; our class is planning a class reunion; are you going?"