Chapter 230 Salary Payment
New Village.
Zhang Wenjuan's home.
The family sat at the doorstep to enjoy the cool evening air.
It was around 7:30 in the evening, but in summer, the days were long and the nights short, so it wasn't dark yet.
The weather was hot, and Mrs. Zhang fanned herself from time to time. Seeing her youngest son, Zhang Wendong, still digging into jackfruit with his hands, she couldn't help but scold him, "You only know how to eat. Leave some for your second sister. Don't eat it all at once."
Zhang Wendong swallowed the sweet jackfruit and said in a muffled voice, "I know. I've saved a piece for my second sister!"
Mrs. Zhang advised, "Leave some more for your second sister. She loves jackfruit."
Zhang Wendong wanted to say, "I like it too," but he tactfully kept his mouth shut and silently placed the piece of jackfruit he had just eaten on the bamboo shell next to him, saving it for his second sister when she returned.
As he went to wash his hands, Zhang Wendong couldn't help but sigh. Before his second sister started working at Suifeng Restaurant, he was the youngest of four siblings. No matter what the family ate, his brothers and sisters always gave him a share, and he never had to share with them.
But everything changed after his second sister began working at Suifeng Restaurant.
Zhang Wendong understood why. His second sister now earned 25 yuan a month, and the restaurant provided her with meals. This income surpassed even his father's earnings. She had suddenly become the family's pillar, and her rise in status was only natural.
When Zhang Wendong returned from washing his hands, he heard his mother muttering, "Ajuan left before dawn today and hasn't come back yet. Working in a restaurant isn't easy!"
Father Zhang added, "Didn't Ajuan mention a while ago that there's a full-moon banquet at the restaurant today, with 16 tables? There are only two waiters, Ajuan and Aying. They must be swamped."
Mrs. Zhang said, "Suifeng Restaurant is the largest in the county. Hiring only two waiters is too few. Boss Deng isn't short of money. He should hire more waiters. Otherwise, how can they handle so many customers?"
Father Zhang glared at her and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Hiring isn't that simple. There are regulations from above that if a private individual hires more than eight people, it's considered exploitation. Do you think Boss Deng is as foolish as you?"
Mrs. Zhang fell silent. She knew about the regulations but hadn't thought about them in the current relaxed atmosphere.
At that moment, Zhang Wenqiang, the eldest son, said, "Ajuan's back!"
Everyone looked up and saw Zhang Wenjuan walking home with a smile on her face, carrying several bags.
Zhang Wendong exclaimed, "Second sister, what are you carrying? So many bags!"
Mr. Zhang, Mrs. Zhang, and Zhang Wenqiang also looked curious.
Mrs. Zhang stood up, put down her fan, and went to meet her daughter. "Ajuan, what are all these bags?"
Zhang Wenjuan's arms were sore from carrying the leftovers over such a long distance. Growing up doing farm work had prepared her for this, but it was still tiring. She handed the bags to her mother and shook her hands, saying, "Mom, these are leftovers the boss asked me to pack. There's boiled chicken, boiled duck, boiled goose, meatballs, egg rolls, braised pork, stir-fried pork with yellow sauce, stir-fried pork liver, shredded pork with green peppers, stir-fried pork slices with bamboo shoots, and bamboo shoot threads. They're all delicious dishes."
The family's eyes widened in astonishment.
Zhang Wendong jumped up excitedly. "Second sister, are you serious? You brought back so many delicious dishes?"
Mr. Zhang and Zhang Wenqiang also stood up, staring at the bags in Mrs. Zhang's hands. To use a modern phrase, they were practically drooling.
It was no surprise the family reacted this way. In the past two or three years, they had only eaten meat once or twice a month, and even then, it was just a few small pieces of pork per person.
Now, they had not just pork but also chicken, duck, goose, meatballs, egg rolls, and braised pork—dishes they rarely ate even during Chinese New Year.
Seeing her family's reactions, Zhang Wenjuan felt her efforts were worth it. She smiled and said, "Of course, it's all real. These dishes were made by Uncle Seventeen, the master chef. They're delicious!"
Zhang Wendong looked at his mother eagerly. "Mom, I'm hungry!"
Although they had eaten dinner just over two hours ago, the simple vegetables and pickles they had were merely filling. Without much oil in their stomachs, they got hungry quickly. With so many delicious dishes in front of them, it was impossible not to want to eat.
Mrs. Zhang swallowed her saliva and nodded. "I'll go heat up the food."
"Great!"
Zhang Wendong was overjoyed. He didn't forget his second sister, the hero of the day. "Second sister, we opened a jackfruit this afternoon. It's so sweet. I saved a lot for you. Sit down and rest. I'll get it for you."
Zhang Wenjuan sat down with a smile, enjoying her brother's rare attentiveness.
When her brother brought her the jackfruit, Zhang Wenjuan found it sweeter than any she had eaten before. It was so sweet it warmed her heart.
Soon, Mrs. Zhang heated up a small portion of the dishes, and the family enjoyed the feast.
At that moment, the entire family felt immense satisfaction.
Happiness was that simple.
A similar scene unfolded at Zhang Wenying's home, and even Zhang Guofu's home was filled with laughter. At Zhang Guoan's home, it felt like New Year's Eve.
As for Zhang Guangzong, he also distributed leftovers to his children.
Originally, Deng Shirong planned to return to his hometown the day after the banquet, taking his school-going children with him.
But then he realized that tomorrow was the 17th day of the sixth lunar month. The restaurant had opened on the 18th of May, so it had been nearly a month. He decided to stay for two more days to calculate the restaurant's total profit for the first month and personally pay the employees their first month's salaries.
So Deng Shirong stayed in the county town for two more days.
On the 17th day of the fifth lunar month, after the restaurant closed, Zhang Xiuping calculated the total turnover and profit for the month.
"Dad, this month, the restaurant's total turnover was 3,467 yuan, with a net profit of 1,490 yuan."
Deng Shirong did some mental calculations and nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. The net profit margin is 43%. But don't get too excited. Our restaurant is enjoying a three-year tax exemption, and we haven't factored in the cost of the building. This profit isn't something to be proud of yet. We need to keep working hard."
Zhang Xiuping nodded. "Dad, we'll do our best."
At this point, the restaurant was empty except for family and relatives.
Deng Shirong asked Zhang Xiuping to take out 130 yuan and called over Bu Dashi and the other four employees. "Dashi, you've worked a full month now. Do you want to save your wages or have me take them back to your parents?"
Bu Dashi replied, "Uncle, please leave me 10 yuan and take the rest to my parents." As the kitchen helper, he earned the highest salary among the four—50 yuan a month. Even after keeping 10 yuan, he still had 40 yuan to send home.
Deng Shirong nodded and gave him 10 yuan in change.
Seeing this, Chen Bangguo also said, "Uncle, please leave me 10 yuan too!" As the restaurant's purchasing agent, he earned 30 yuan a month.
Chen Bangli and Chen Bangfeng, the cousins, exchanged glances and decided to keep 5 yuan each, asking their uncle to take the rest to their parents. Their salary was the same as Zhang Wenjuan and Zhang Wenying's—25 yuan a month. In the county town, with food and shelter provided, they didn't need much spending money. Five yuan was enough for emergencies.
Deng Shirong gave them the money they asked to keep and pocketed the rest. "Alright, I'll find a way to send the rest to your parents when I return home tomorrow."
"Thank you, uncle!"
"Thank you, uncle!"
The four thanked him one after another, then happily counted their money.
Although they weren't children anymore, they had never had so much pocket money in their lives. In the past, even during New Year, most of their money was taken by their parents.
Now, with money they had earned through their own hard work, they felt a great sense of accomplishment.
That night, no more words were spoken.
The next morning, Deng Shirong personally distributed wages to Zhang Guangzong, Zhang Guofu, Zhang Wenjuan, and Zhang Wenying. Then, he took his school-going children, including Deng Yunheng, and boarded the bus home.
(End of this chapter)