"From now on, if Yan Xiaoliang contacts you, string him along. Find out everything around him. This is your chance to make amends. Understand?"
Gu Lei readily agreed. Xie Sui was still wary, "This is the last chance I'm giving you. If you dare to betray me, don't blame me for turning on you. No one's face will matter."
"That won't happen. I know you consider me one of your own, Brother Xie. Yan Xiaoliang is just using me."
"Good, you're not completely clueless. Let's go back."
Gu Lei still felt uneasy. "But what if he forces me to steal the secret recipe?"
"Do you owe him anything? Can't you just talk your way out of it? That's a crime. How much money is he offering you? He's not in the right. Why are you feeling guilty?"
Xie Sui almost wanted to crack open his head and see if it was filled with nothing but air.
They returned to the factory. People were still lining up to get the goods. With the food factory's coloring agents, adding a bit of red or yellow made the products look more appealing, like buds of flowers, and they sold even faster.
Lin Wanwan locked the door and was boiling butter, sweating profusely from the heat. She couldn't bear to open the window, afraid of being seen. This was the cornerstone of their family's earnings.
"Don't get heatstroke. You don't need to be so careful. There are so many people in the factory, who would dare to peek? When we rent a place, we can do it at home. You're acting like a thief. Stop working so hard. Count the money. We're paying wages today."
Lin Wanwan wiped her sweat. "It's always better to be cautious. We're paying wages today? I thought we wouldn't have enough for a full month yet."
"We need to keep people's morale up first. It's the 15th. From now on, we'll pay wages on this day every month."
Ye Feng made out the receipts, and asked Uncle Xu to prepare the payroll. The wages were put into envelopes, waiting to be distributed after work.
Xu Siman looked at the amounts he was given, somewhat surprised. "This is so high? It's comparable to the big factories."
Even though they were temporary workers, they earned two yuan a day. The two gatekeepers earned twenty yuan a month, working two shifts.
Gu Lei, Ye Feng, Wei Hao, and Liang Yutian were considered middle management. They had been promised thirty yuan a month. Today, although it hadn't been a full month, only about twenty days, Xie Sui paid them as if it were a full month.
"We don't have benefits yet, and we're just starting out. Higher wages are necessary to retain people. Uncle Xu, you've worked for seven days. Here's fifteen yuan. We'll round it up next month."
Xu Siman felt a little embarrassed. "How can I accept this? It's too much."
"Is anyone complaining about earning too much? We'll be making even more money in the future. This is just the beginning."
The factory workers didn't dare to slack off. For one thing, Liang Yutian managed things strictly. For another, there was no "iron rice bowl." They had been told they were temporary workers and would be fired immediately if they didn't perform well, cutting off their source of income.
As the sun began to set, and they were washing up to leave, Xie Sui and Lin Wanwan came out together. "Everyone, please wait a moment. Today is the 15th. You've all worked hard during this period. We're going to distribute your wages."
With a loud rumble, like thunder from a clear sky, the workers were stunned. The surprise had come too quickly; they were actually getting paid.
"Line up neatly. When your name is called, come and collect your wages. You can go home after you receive them."
Xu Siman brought over a table, and stacks of money were neatly arranged. Seeing it made hearts race. Even though it was the fruit of their labor, holding the actual money in their hands was still exciting.
The workers who had been on the job were paid first, according to the number of days they had worked. The least received over ten yuan, and the most over twenty. Everyone's face was beaming with joy. They could finally buy some pork heads to eat at home and improve their meals.
Finally, it was Gu Lei and the others' turn. Xie Sui said, "You brothers trusted me from the beginning and ran around for me. I won't treat you unfairly. I'll pay you a month's wages, and then an additional ten yuan bonus for each of you. From now on, your monthly salary will be fifty yuan, the same as Uncle Xu. You are all the backbone of the factory. Let's all get rich together."
Gu Lei lowered his head in shame, unable to speak.
Wei Hao, being the most quick-witted, said, "Thank you, Brother Xie. Brother Xie, rest assured, from now on, if Brother Xie tells me to go east, I will never go west. I will resolutely follow Brother Xie's lead."
Liang Yutian smiled heartily. "Thank you, Brother Xie. I'm a bit slow. I can only help Brother Xie keep an eye on production. I'll be content as long as Brother Xie doesn't mind."
Ye Feng also excitedly rubbed his hands. He was earning more than his own father. His father's wages had been docked this month, which had just helped resolve their family's urgent financial needs.
Everyone was happy, and Xie Sui was happy too. When he was happy, he loved to boast, "This is just the beginning! If we work diligently for a year, we'll be able to afford motorcycles by Chinese New Year. Young women will be scrambling to marry us. Everyone, work hard, and you'll have everything."
"Haha... Great! If we can really buy a motorcycle, Brother Xie, I'll sell myself to you for the rest of my life."
"Don't rush to sell yourself, you're not worth much. In the future, we'll have cars and sports cars to drive. Have bigger ambitions."
Lin Wanwan coughed. "It's getting late. The children are waiting for us at home."
"Sister-in-law is right. Brother Xie, you should go home quickly. Drive safely."
Zhang Wenfeng didn't receive any wages; he only got an IOU. He was supposed to earn sixty yuan, but he had already taken out one hundred yuan, so he still owed forty yuan.
Watching others happily planning to buy wine and meat with their money, he felt disheartened but couldn't say anything. Brother Xie didn't owe him anything.
He returned home with a sputtering sound, his mind racing with upcoming plans. Without a refrigerated truck, relying only on small vendors to transport goods would at best cover their basic needs. Making a lot of money would be difficult. Ice cream depended on volume; small profits, quick turnover. Only when the volume increased could they earn substantial profits.
A profit of four to five hundred yuan a day seemed like a lot, but Xie Sui had bigger ambitions. This amount wasn't even enough to fill the gaps in his teeth.
"Daddy, Mommy, you're back! We want to ride the tractor!"
Doudou and Dingding were playing with marbles under the large locust tree at the village entrance. Seeing Xie Sui return, they ran up to their parents.
Each of them picked up a child, not minding their dirty faces, and planted a kiss on them, eliciting giggles from the children.
They greeted the villagers and walked to their own doorstep.
Xie Min came out, her face beaming with enthusiasm. "You're back!"
Xie Sui asked, "This seems to be my house. Sister, you're still here?"
Xie Min's expression darkened. "Are you trying to kick me out? I've been helping Mom and Dad build the new house and cooking for everyone. I haven't been idle. I haven't been eating for free. Brother, I'm not trying to criticize you, but who eats so well when villagers help out? Every meal is pork belly stewed with noodles, and white steamed buns. These big eaters, four or five buns aren't enough. Can they afford it?"
Xie Min had a knack for being oblivious to others' disapproval. Thick skin was also a kind of skill.
Xie Sui was speechless. After a long day of work, he still had to deal with her. He was utterly annoyed.