Chapter 52: 051 Classmates Come to Visit

Fang Qingye locked the door and went back to his room to play games, but unfortunately not long passed before someone knocked again — still looking for his dad!

He sent them off with a few words.

Another one came.....

In just over an hour, two people had come bearing gifts to look for him; Fang Qingye felt quite helpless.

Coming now is purely last-minute cramming — what's the use?

Looks like he couldn't stay home either; he'd have to go out and hide for a while himself.

Fang Qingye shut off the computer, left the house, and was just about to head down the stairs when he saw a young man with a buzz cut, gift in hand, coming up the stairs right toward him.

"Fang Qingye!"

The other party spotted him and called out with a smile.

"Wang Lei!"

Fang Qingye recognized him — a high school classmate of his.

"You heading out?" Wang Lei asked again.

"Yeah, and you?"

"Wanted to talk to you about something, won't take much of your time."

Looking for me?

Seeing the gift in the other's hand, Fang Qingye could guess the purpose of his visit, but since Wang Lei said he was looking for him, it wouldn't be right to refuse on the spot.

"Alright then, come on in, let's talk inside." Saying so, Fang Qingye reopened the door and let Wang Lei in.

"Fang Qingye, you're alone? Your mom and dad aren't home?" Wang Lei asked, looking at the empty living room.

"My parents went out traveling."

Wang Lei didn't seem all that surprised to hear it.

"Wang Lei, sit down first, I'll get you some watermelon — it's so hot out." Fang Qingye said, heading toward the kitchen.

"Don't bother, I'll just sit for a bit and go." Wang Lei hurriedly said.

Fang Qingye still took half a watermelon out of the fridge in the kitchen, cut it into several pieces, brought it out on a plate, set it on the coffee table, and invited Wang Lei to have some.

Wang Lei was polite for a moment, then picked up a piece and chatted as he ate.

"Fang Qingye, I saw in the grade group chat a while back that you made a bet with Jiang Chen about stocks — you were a good student back in school, but I didn't expect you to be this good at trading stocks..... I'm in complete awe."

The other's words clearly carried flattery; Fang Qingye smiled and said, "Oh, that was just a blind cat catching a dead mouse."

"You work at Dongfang Bank?"

"Yeah."

"Banks are good units — nice work environment, high pay." Wang Lei said.

"Pretty average..... Wang Lei, where do you work?"

"I work at the Panlong Township government."

"You passed the civil service exam?"

"Yeah, I passed it last year, and not long ago I was officially converted to permanent staff."

"That's pretty good too." Fang Qingye said.

"It's alright, I guess. Although Panlong Township is the most remote township in our Nanxin, I'm already content." Wang Lei replied, then went on:

"Liu Dong was seconded from the Aging Affairs Committee to the Propaganda Department — you know that, right?"

"I know. I've heard he's very busy at the Propaganda Department — accompanying leaders on field research during the day and working overtime writing materials at night." Fang Qingye didn't hold anything back either.

"Right, he came with Director Wang to our township for research, I met him once — his spirits are way better than when he was at the Aging Affairs Committee..... I reckon he'll be able to stay at the Propaganda Department in the future; his prospects are bright." Wang Lei went on.

"I hope so..... Wang Lei, work hard at the township, and someday you can be township head or party secretary!" Fang Qingye answered with a smile.

"Don't dare think that far. Fang Qingye, you know my family is from the countryside — being able to get out and eat the public rice bowl, I'm already very satisfied. I really don't dare think of anything else."

Fang Qingye of course remembered — this Wang Lei, like Liu Dong, had transferred from the countryside to Chengguan Middle School in the second year of junior high, and in high school was in the same class as him, but the two weren't as close as he was with Liu Dong.

After chatting idly for a while, they heard Wang Lei say: "Fang Qingye, I won't take up more of your time since you're busy. The reason I came looking for you today is to ask you for a favor."

"Go ahead?"

"My cousin — my third uncle's son — is finishing primary school this year and wants to get into Chengguan Middle School, preferably into the key class. Could you mention it to your dad and get him placed in? Once it's done, both my third uncle and I will thank you properly." Wang Lei stated the purpose of his visit.

Fang Qingye wasn't surprised to hear it; he'd guessed Wang Lei was here for this. If it were just getting into Chengguan Middle School, it wouldn't be hard, so he asked:

"Where is your third uncle's place? Which school district does it fall under?"

"He lives in our old hometown."

"Well....." Fang Qingye's face showed difficulty: "Wang Lei, you know too — nowadays, which middle school you go to for primary-to-junior-high is strictly assigned by where your parents live. Your third uncle lives in the countryside, so it would be pretty hard for your cousin to come to the city to study."

"I understand the policy. That's why my uncle bought a place in the city, but the problem is the developer has been dragging his feet and hasn't handed it over yet, so we can't get the property certificate.... So I wanted to ask you to put in a word to your dad, do us a favor."

"For that you'd need to go to the county admissions office — they're in charge of assigning students to schools based on district. My dad doesn't have that kind of authority." Fang Qingye told it straight.

"I know, but I don't know anyone at the admissions office." Wang Lei said: "You know too, my family is from the countryside — not a single relative at my door works in a government department. I thought and thought, and the only one I could turn to was an old classmate."

Fang Qingye didn't respond and fell silent.

Seeing Fang Qingye like that, Wang Lei thought for a moment, then suddenly said with a smile: "Earlier I said I'm already very satisfied with passing the exam to get into the township government — I meant it from the heart."

Fang Qingye looked at him, not understanding why that line had suddenly come up again.

"Everyone in society says 'education changes destiny' is just a joke, but I believe it, because I'm an example!" Wang Lei went on.

"Because you passed the civil service exam?"

"Right. I can't say it completely changed my destiny, but I feel it's much better than if I'd stayed in the countryside."

That was true enough....... Fang Qingye nodded.

"It's because I got into college that I even qualified to take the civil service exam. Fang Qingye, you have no idea how bad the teaching quality is in the countryside now! In my old class back in the countryside, more than half didn't even get into high school — either they went to a vocational school or just went out to work. The best anyone from my rural high school scored was a junior college."

"So I'm really grateful to my parents for doing everything they could back then to get me out of the countryside and into the city for school. My cousin here has been very smart since he was little, so I urged my third uncle long ago to buy a place in the city, hoping to get my cousin into a city school — I never expected this snag to come up."

Speaking to the end, Wang Lei sighed deeply.

Fang Qingye fell silent for a while longer, then said: "Wang Lei, how about this? Send your cousin's admission ticket number and other details to my QQ. Oh right! Also send photos of your third uncle's household registration book, the cover of the property purchase contract, and the basic information page! I'll tell my dad, but I can't guarantee whether it will work."

"That's truly too much thanks to you!" Wang Lei was overjoyed upon hearing this: "I believe it will definitely work."

Fang Qingye smiled but did not answer.

"Alright then, I won't disturb you further; I'll leave first." Having spoken, Wang Lei stood up.

Fang Qingye did not try to keep him either, pointing to the large bag of gifts placed beside the coffee table and saying: "Take these things back with you."

"How can that be? How could I come empty-handed?" Wang Lei refused.

"Hey, we are old classmates; there's no need for this sort of thing... If you don't take them, I won't tell my dad, alright?"

"Alright then... Once the matter is settled, I'll come back to thank you!"

Wang Lei left cheerfully carrying the gifts, and not a few minutes later, Fang Qingye received a text message from Wang Lei.

He read the information inside, thought for a moment, then added a long paragraph, mostly consisting of the feelings Wang Lei had expressed during their conversation just now.

After editing it, Fang Qingye first sent a greeting to his dad, then sent the text message out.

Not long after, his dad called.

"Dad, have you arrived in Hulunbuir? Was the journey smooth?" Fang Qingye asked.

"Quite smooth; your mother and I have already checked into the hotel... Xiao Ye, I didn't expect you to take on work for me while at home? Then why did I run out in this scorching heat?!"

"Just to escape the heat..." Fang Qingye made a joke, then hurriedly said: "Dad, Wang Lei is my classmate; I've already explained his situation to you in the text message... Rest assured, this is the only time; it won't happen again!"

"Alright then; when I go to work tomorrow, I'll give Director Zhang of the Admissions Office a call," his dad said over the phone.

"That's great! Dad, if he's assigned to your school, he must enter the key class," Fang Qingye hurriedly added.

"I know; helping someone means helping them completely. Besides, this Wang Lei is your classmate and works in a government office; perhaps in the future you'll need his help too."

If this were before his rebirth, when he had just left school gates, Fang Qingye would certainly have said, "Vulgar!"

But now he did not say it aloud; instead, he answered with a smile.

"Alright then, Mom and Dad, have a good time, enjoy yourselves; don't worry too much about things at home! Bye..."