"Mianmian, don’t worry, Army Bro and I will definitely take good care of the shop, and we’ll keep the account books crystal clear." Xiaocui excitedly made a promise, knowing that if Mianmian were to close her vegetable store, she, Army Bro, and Zhang Qian would all be out of a job.
Now things are looking up. Mianmian’s making money, and they don’t have to worry about being unemployed anymore.
"I have to say the ugly part upfront, though!" Shen Mianmian put on a serious face, "The lease for the veggie shop is renewed for another three years. During these three years, you have to work here and not go anywhere else! Even if someone else offers you a higher wage than I do." Follow current novels on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
Xiaocui laughed, "Who’s going to offer a higher wage than you? Even though I haven’t worked anywhere else, I’ve been in the city for a few years now, and I know what the wages here are like. People slog from dawn to dusk, working over ten hours a day, and they only make a little over thirty bucks a month."
Shen Mianmian couldn’t help but smile, "You’re this touched over such small wages, if I tell you I’m going to give you a raise, aren’t you going to be moved to tears?"
"A raise?" Xiaocui was momentarily stunned, then quickly said, "Mianmian, my salary is already high. No need to raise it further. Just keeping the store open and giving us work is enough to make us happy."
During the three years Xiaocui worked for Shen Mianmian, her salary had been raised every year. Her current monthly wage had reached sixty bucks. A further raise? She would feel uneasy taking that much money.
Last year, her family built a new house, all thanks to Shen Mianmian’s support. Xiaocui’s gratitude was beyond words; Mianmian was her family’s benefactor.
"No, the salary definitely needs to increase," Shen Mianmian said earnestly. "I’m going to Beijing to study. When I’m gone, your workload will increase. You’ll be the manager of the shop from now on. If it gets too busy, hire someone else. Tan Qian and the others will follow your lead, and Army Bro will keep handling the supply side. We’ll find him an assistant too."
Before Xiaocui could respond, Shen Mianmian continued, "Starting next month, your salary will be raised to one hundred a month, Army Bro’s will be one hundred twenty, and I want you to send me the account books once a month. Transfer the money to my account once a month. When I have the chance, I’ll come back to check on you guys. Don’t feel embarrassed about the high wages; I’m paying you well because you bring enough profit to warrant it."
Friends are friends, but Shen Mianmian still needed to make things perfectly clear.
Even with brothers, accounts must be settled clearly.
"Mianmian, you can rest assured, I’ll keep a good record of the accounts. Zhang Qian and I can handle the shop without hiring more people." To toil a bit more was worth it—given the generous wages Mianmian was paying, Xiaocui felt it was only fair.
"It’s still better to hire someone," Shen Mianmian explained patiently. "You and Zhang Qian might manage now, but someone might get sick with a cold, or have some family issue. With one more person, nobody has to work so hard."
Hearing Shen Mianmian speak so, Xiaocui finally agreed to the idea of hiring another helper.
After discussing the store matters a bit more, Shen Mianmian went off to take a shower.
The weather in June is particularly hot. Going out for a bit could drench you in sweat, so a shower would make you feel much more comfortable.
Meanwhile, Xiaocui took the opportunity to tidy up the room.
It was still early, and neither of them felt sleepy, so they sat in the living room and watched TV. This was Xiaocui’s first time watching a color television. Needless to say, visually, it was a vast improvement over black and white.