"I remember mom always gives out stuff for the New Year." Xu Nian’an said, not asking for specifics but aware that Ji Ying never shortchanged the factory workers during the three major festivals.
Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and New Year.
"Maybe mom has already prepared something." Xu Nianhua said in agreement.
Right on cue, Ji Ying came over, specifically calling them to have a meal. She said, "Everyone has left, are you siblings planning to stay at the factory overnight?"
"Mom, you came at the perfect time. Here is the final account we’ve tallied, take a look. The money we’ve made today, it’s a lot." Xu Nian’an looked at Ji Ying with an eager face, saying with a flattering tone, "Mom, should the red envelope money be a little more generous this year?"
"What, you think the red envelope I give is too small?" Ji Ying raised her hand to thump him, flipped through the ledger; she had attended primary school and could recognize most of the characters. When she saw the final amount, she was indeed taken aback.
The money she earned each day, after setting aside funds for turnover, was all saved in a passbook.
As the passbook balance grew, Ji Ying became numb to it; she knew how much was in there, but didn’t know exactly how much she had made over the whole year.
Now, with the detailed figures laid out in front of her, Ji Ying was genuinely surprised. She glanced at the numbers, then said, "Tomorrow I’ll transfer this money to Yicheng. Right, make another copy of this summary page and send it to Yicheng as well."
"Okay." Xu Nianhua quickly agreed.
Ji Ying said, "Originally, I planned to give each staff member a box of chili sauce, two pounds of rice, and two pounds of meat. Now, I think we can give a little more."
Earning more money than expected, Ji Ying felt a sense of unease, as if the money she provided was too little, somewhat unfair to the workers who worked hard for her.
"Mom, you could give out an additional month’s salary." Xu Nianhua suggested, perceiving Ji Ying’s thoughts, and spoke out, "There’s definitely a bigger earning being an owner rather than a worker. If it’s not more, then what’s the point of being an owner? We can’t just look at the work the employees do; think about it, is what you do every day any less?"
"From production to final sales, you need to handle everything. Moreover, our chili sauce sells more and more because of everyone’s collective effort. In the past, Cheng Hao used to run around the market, and now brother goes everywhere to deliver goods, almost wearing out his lips. What’s more crucial is that if anything goes wrong with the Chili Factory, we could be at a loss."
Xu Nianhua, thinking of this, also remembered the issues with food quality. She said, "Mom, no matter when, we must assure quality and quantity, ensure cleanliness, and when entering the workshop, we must wear protective gear, masks, and hats to ensure our chili sauce is clean and good."
"Don’t worry about that, I check every day to guarantee our chili sauce is clean and of good quality." Ji Ying thought for a moment, then said, "Okay, give everyone an extra month’s salary, and add two pounds of apples."
"Mom, having a boss like you is really too good." Xu Nianhua gave her a thumbs up.
On January 25, 1981, the 20th of December in the lunar calendar, the Chili Factory officially closed for the holidays. That day, which was also payday, saw not too many people at the factory, but each person’s share of two pounds of meat, two pounds of rice, and two pounds of apples, alongside a box of chili sauce, made quite an eye-catching pile when grouped together.