Chapter 53: 052 Giving the Miss a Pot of Orchids

Dad moved quickly; the next afternoon, Fang Qingye received his call, saying everything was settled and telling him to have that classmate of yours, Third Uncle, bring his son to report directly to Chengguan Middle School when school starts, with no need to worry about anything else.

Fang Qingye immediately called Wang Lei to tell him the news; Wang Lei was naturally extremely grateful over the phone and insisted on bringing his Third Uncle to Fang Qingye's home to express thanks, but Fang Qingye refused.

"Don't come, absolutely don't come. Wang Lei, this is a special period, and I think you understand... Also, regarding this matter, only you, I, and your Third Uncle know about it; absolutely do not tell anyone else," Fang Qingye instructed again.

"Rest assured, I've worked in the township for a year; I understand all this and won't cause trouble for you or your dad... In that case, when I have time later, I will definitely thank you!"

The two chatted a few more words, then hung up the phone.

After work in the afternoon, Fang Qingye didn't stay at home; after eating, he went straight to his grandfather's nursery—two days earlier, Nanxin had experienced a typhoon, and he wanted to go check whether his grandfather's nursery had suffered any losses.

Besides, given the situation at home, it seemed impossible to stay there.

Fang Qingye rode his small scooter around the crossroads, heading northeast. In just over ten minutes, he arrived at the Four Seasons Nursery, rode the scooter straight in, and saw a girl in the orchid planting area: Bai Ou.

She was wearing a short skirt today, her legs so white they dazzled the eyes.

She was repotting an orchid; hearing the motorcycle sound, she looked up, saw Fang Qingye riding over, and her eyes curved into crescent moons again.

"Ye Zi, here to see your grandparents?"

"Yes, a typhoon blew through two days ago; did it cause any other impact?" Fang Qingye replied, parking the scooter beside Bai Ou.

"No, I already asked your grandfather," the Miss said.

"That's good. What are you doing?" Fang Qingye asked.

"Repotting orchids," Bai Ou said, then got back to her work.

"Do you come here often?"

"Yes, recently, I've been coming here in the afternoons," the girl said. "You know I like flowers and plants, right?"

Indeed.

Bai Ou had been interested in flowers and plants since childhood; when taking the university entrance exam, she originally planned to apply for the Horticulture major at China Agricultural University, but her father firmly disagreed:

Either take the teacher-training exam to become a teacher, or study law and, like her uncle, enter a court or procuratorate in the future.

Bai Ou was a very obedient child; in the end, she chose to study law and got into East China University of Political Science and Law, but her hobby of loving flowers and plants was never abandoned.

Fang Qingye sat on the small scooter watching the girl work, then said again: "You're repotting orchids now; isn't that the wrong time?"

Although he didn't understand flower cultivation like his grandfather and Bai Ou, he still knew some basic common sense: repotting orchids is mainly done in spring; in summer, when the weather is hot and humid, orchids are in a semi-dormant state, and repotting easily leads to root rot and seedling decay.

"I know, but I want to take it back to school when classes start to keep it in the dorm," the Miss replied.

"Then I'll help you," Fang Qingye said, parked the scooter, squatted beside the girl, and helped hold the flowerpot steady.

"This orchid is called the Lotus-Petal Orchid; look, don't its petals resemble a lotus flower?" the girl extended her fair hand and carefully stroked the petals.

It indeed resembled a lotus flower, blooming very vividly.

"I heard your grandfather say this is a rare variety among orchids, very expensive," the girl added.

Fang Qingye heard this and pouted.

Expensive?

It's just hype!

Especially in the past two years, orchids were hyped around Jinghai; orchids with even slight distinctive features were driven up to sky-high prices, and orchids selling for hundreds of thousands on the market were everywhere.

Like this Phalaenopsis orchid, its price at the time could reach 100,000 RMB, but now it's worth at most a hundred or so yuan.

Seeing Bai Ou operating carefully, with sweat already beading on her face, Fang Qingye chuckled softly and said: "Stop repotting; in a moment, just carry the whole pot away."

"That won't do; your grandfather said it still needs to be sold for money."

"Don't listen to him; this flower isn't worth much now... I'll tell grandfather; you rest for a while first."

Bai Ou had been squatting for nearly half an hour repotting this orchid, and her legs were already numb; hearing this, she stood up and brushed the dirt off her hands.

Fang Qingye pushed the small scooter, preparing to go to the simple house where his grandfather lived; just then, the phone in his large shorts pocket suddenly rang—not a ringtone, but the sound of a QQ video call!

"Bai Ou, help me take it out and see who it is."

The Miss immediately pulled the phone from his pants pocket, glanced at it, and said: "It's Liu Dong; he's requesting a voice chat, and Song Dahai too."

"Answer it."

Bai Ou immediately pressed the answer button and also activated speakerphone; Liu Dong's slightly excited voice came through the microphone.

"Ye Zi, Dahai, what are you all busy with?"

"I'm at my grandfather's nursery," Ye Zi replied.

"I'm in CS; if you have something urgent, say it quickly!" Song Dahai's voice came through the microphone, along with intense gunfire sounds.

"Tomorrow evening at six, I'm treating everyone at Dingcheng Grand Hotel," Liu Dong said.

"Great, is there some good news?" Fang Qingye asked.

"You could say so; I've now officially transferred to the Propaganda Department."

"Holy crap! That's truly great news," Song Dahai's voice rang out again, with no gunfire this time.

"You must treat us; just eating isn't enough; afterward, we'll also go karaoke... Should we bring a few girls?" Song Dahai asked.

"Sure, I'll bring one," Liu Dong agreed readily, then added: "Ye Zi, will you invite Bai Ou?"

Fang Qingye's gaze immediately turned to ask Bai Ou, who was standing nearby.

The girl nodded.

"Alright, Bai Ou is right here with me; she conveys her congratulations to you," Fang Qingye replied.

"Thanks... Dahai, what about you? Will you invite Qian Xiaoli?"

"Don't mention her, or I'll get angry with you!" Song Dahai replied, then added: "Ye Zi, help me set up a meeting with Chen Meimei."

"If you want to invite her, invite her yourself!" Fang Qingye flatly refused: "You have her phone number and added her on QQ; why are you still asking me?!"

"I'm just a bit worried she might refuse..."

"If you're worried about refusal, then don't invite her at all! I say, Dahai, you're decisive in everything else, but why are you so hesitant about this? It's not at all manly," Fang Qingye said.

"Damn! I'm going all in; I'll call her right now!"

After speaking, Song Dahai exited the three-person voice chat; Fang Qingye said a couple more words and then disconnected as well. The two of them walked together toward the simple house.

"Ye Zi, is Song Dahai really pursuing Chen Meimei from your workplace?" Bai Ou asked while walking.

"You heard it just now too, right? It shouldn't be fake."

Bai Ou said nothing; suddenly, she recalled a scene from a classmate gathering a while back, when she had been chatting with Qian Xiaoli.

"He cannot escape the palm of my hand!"

At that moment, Qian Xiaoli had clenched her right fist tightly, exuding an aura of domineering confidence.

She couldn't help but smile softly.

"Bai Ou, what are you laughing at?" Fang Qingye felt the girl's smile was somewhat strange.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Bai Ou snapped back to her senses and shook her head frantically.

The two arrived at the simple house; Bai Ou went to wash her hands, while Fang Qingye went to see his grandparents.

Actually, he had come here for no other reason; he chatted with the two elders for a while, then followed Bai Ou to look at other flowers.

It was midsummer now; many flowers in the nursery had bloomed—Mao Hua Zhu, Cai Cao, Shu Kui, roses...

As they walked, Fang Qingye listened to Bai Ou talk about flowers; time passed quickly, and soon it grew dark. The two prepared to head home separately.

Fang Qingye rode his small scooter, while Bai Ou rode her own small ladies' bike. Having just left the nursery gate after bidding farewell to his grandparents, Fang Qingye suddenly remembered something.

"Wait..."

After speaking, he rode the small scooter back into the nursery; not long afterward, he rode out again, with an extra potted flower on the footboard—the very same Lotus-petal Orchid from before.

Bai Ou laughed again, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

"Did you tell Grandpa?"

"I did. Let's go; I'll help you carry the flowerpot back to your home." As he spoke, Fang Qingye mounted his small scooter.

Bai Ou's home was in a newly developed residential complex on the west side of the city called Blue Sea Garden; she lived in a high-rise building. Fang Qingye helped carry the flowerpot up to the sixteenth floor.

Bai Ou opened the door and turned on the lights—no one was inside.

"Where are your parents?" Fang Qingye asked casually.

"My dad hasn't returned yet from a social engagement; my mom went out strolling the streets—come in and sit for a while?" Bai Ou invited.

"No need; I have to head back... Don't forget dinner tomorrow night!" Fang Qingye said, turned around, and was about to leave.

"I won't... Bye-bye."

"Bye-bye."