Year-end Celebration

 

“Come and see, take a look! Fresh live fish and crayfish! This is the last ice fishing for this winter. After today, you’ll have to wait until next year! The taste of this winter, sweet and fresh, only available today!” A vendor behind several water barrels enthusiastically advertised.

 

Jing Yi had stopped in his tracks, his eyes blinking as he looked at Chuxia.

 

“Husband, we’ve bought a lot today. We have enough for the New Year.” Chuxia saw right through Jing Yi’s intentions. This time, he was a bit more forceful, but still, his strength was no match for his husband’s pleading eyes.

 

“But Xiaxia, during the New Year, you can’t not enjoy fresh river seafood. I saw they also have freshwater snails and loaches. They’re good for you. I can’t bear to see you not enjoy them.” Though he was being a bit eloquent, Jing Yi genuinely cared for him.

 

Chuxia nearly agreed in that moment, but when he considered the look Jing’s mother had given him when she handed over the money, he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

 

“But we’ve spent a lot of money in the county…” Chuxia’s voice became softer as he continued. Finally, he sighed and gave in, “Fine, buy a little more. But if my mother nags, it’s your problem.”

 

“Thank you, darling. I promise I’ll earn even more for you to spend next year. Now, I’ll take care of this.” After saying this, Jing Yi pinched Chuxia’s plump cheek and walked away, making sure to wave Gao Kun over.

 

“Xiao Kun, hurry up, what are you standing there staring for? Don’t get lost again!”

 

Gao Kun followed them in a daze, watching this lively show of persuading a spouse for the first time. He had opened a colorful door that added vividness to the otherwise colorless and mundane pattern of husband and wife interactions as he knew it.

 

Perhaps, from being numb to admiration, Gao Kun felt like he had experienced an epiphany at his young age.

 

In the end, the size of the carriage they purchased proved fortunate. Without it, there wouldn’t have been any room in the carriage for more items. The load had gotten considerably heavier since their departure. The horses struggled to pull it, and they decided to skip lunch and head back home.

 

Once they returned, Jing’s mother’s nagging was inevitable. Chuxia quickly made an excuse to clean up and went back to his room to escape.

 

Couples are like birds from the same forest; when your mother scolds you, I won’t be there to comfort you.

 

On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month, it was Little New Year’s Eve.

 

Today was the final day of business for both the Jing family’s two restaurants, closing at 3 PM.

 

After a brief break, they would start the joint celebration and raffle activity for both of the Jing family’s restaurants, much anticipated by everyone.

 

The whole Jing family, along with Tong Mujie, Aunt Cui, and the literate young man Qiao Maisheng, not to mention Jing Yi’s shadow, Gao Kun, arrived at the hot pot restaurant early in the morning to begin decorating the backyard.

 

The restaurant had cost three hundred taels when they bought it. Not only did it have a better location than the Jing family’s small restaurant, but it also had a larger area.

 

The front of the restaurant had two floors, and the backyard was quite spacious. A continuous veranda connected eight rooms, big and small, encircling the yard.

 

Jing Yi had restructured the main house, breaking down the wall between two rooms, leaving only the two supporting pillars against the walls, which didn’t obstruct the view. After this modification, the main house had expanded to about fifty square meters, spacious and well-lit, making it a perfect small event hall.

 

After cleaning the place, they hung up spring couplets and lucky characters, and attached six large red lanterns to the veranda, instantly adding a festive atmosphere for the New Year.

 

Once these tasks were completed, Aunt Cui went to prepare lunch, while Jing’s mother couldn’t sit idle and joined in to help.

 

Jing Yi instructed Chuxia to take a break with Xiao Shu, while he worked with the others to carefully count and arrange the prizes to be distributed and the New Year goods.

 

Jing’s father, in a cheerful mood, realized he had nothing particular to do and strolled into the restaurant to sit and chat with the old customers.

 

Today was the last business day of the Jing family’s hot pot restaurant before the New Year, and the customer flow was constant. Seeing this, Jing’s father thought they wouldn’t be able to close at three if it continued like this, so starting from two o’clock, they began to refuse new customers politely and convincingly.

 

Finally, at three o’clock, they successfully closed the restaurant. Everyone together tidied up the establishment, collected what needed to be collected and locked everything securely. They sealed the main gate with a long red piece of paper to deter thieves.

 

During the holiday, they would only use the rear entrance.

 

Next, under Jing’s father’s guidance, they each carried two chairs from the restaurant and moved them into the main house. Upon entering, they saw that the main house was already beautifully decorated with bright lights and full of festive atmosphere. This made everyone even more excited for the upcoming celebration.

 

Following steward Tong’s instructions, they placed the chairs they had brought in next to the five tables that were already set up in the room. They stood around, a bit uncertain about what to do.

 

Steward Tong noticed this and arranged, “The central table is for the master, everyone else can sit wherever they like. Let’s wait a bit for the folks from the other restaurant to arrive, and then we’ll begin.”

 

In no time, the staff from Jing’s smaller restaurant also arrived. Steward Tong informed the Jing family members, and the event officially began.

 

In the northern part of the main hall, they had set up a wooden platform that was just above ankle height. Jing Yi stood on it and looked at the people sitting below, feeling a mix of emotions. These were the first employees he had hired in this ancient world for his entrepreneurial venture.

 

The number of employees between the two restaurants was not the same. Jing’s smaller restaurant had fewer staff, with one manager who doubled as an accountant, three assistants, one chef with his apprentice as the second chef.

 

Jing’s Hot Pot restaurant had a larger staff with one manager, one accountant, five assistants, one chef, and two cooks who specialized in washing and preparing ingredients.

 

This added up to a total of sixteen people.

 

Together with Jing Feng, who Jing Yi had specifically invited, the Jing family members, and the Jing family’s house servants, it made more than thirty people, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere.

 

During the recruitment process, the positions of manager and assistants were relatively easy to find, but hiring a chef proved to be challenging due to the secret recipes for the hot pot broth and the spicy hot pot. These days had caused Jing Yi to lose quite a few hairs due to the stress. Eventually, he decided to not be too lenient, and after a series of grueling interviews, he emphasized strict confidentiality agreements. Those who could agree to those terms would be allowed to stay, and those who couldn’t would not waste any more of everyone’s time.

 

The confidentiality agreement for chefs had a chain of punishments. Revealing Jing’s family secret recipes would result in a compensation of five hundred taels of silver to be paid by the violator if it was proven true.

 

If the person claimed they couldn’t afford the fine and refused to pay, they could file a lawsuit through the legal system of the Dayuan Dynasty. Anyone unable to pay more than five hundred taels would receive a twenty-year prison sentence. Additionally, this would affect their family, preventing them from entering official positions or engaging in business activities. Their personal records would also be marked accordingly.

 

Thinking about it, it was a rather severe punishment, reflecting the harsh laws of the ancient world.

 

However, if the employees worked honestly and didn’t have any ulterior motives, Jing Yi was confident he wouldn’t treat them unfairly.

 

Seeing that the attention of the people was focused on him, Jing Yi announced that the year-end celebration was starting.

 

“Everyone, you’ve all worked hard this year! Our celebration is meant for everyone to enjoy, so all the delicious food and drinks on the tables are there for you to enjoy. Don’t be shy; feel free to eat and drink as much as you like. I want to thank everyone on behalf of the Jing family for your hard work this year. I wish you all good health and good luck for the coming year, full of prosperity and success!”

 

A phrase filled with good omens ignited the atmosphere in the room, and everyone began to cheer and wish him well. They also showered Jing Yi with more good wishes.

 

“Thank you, thank you! Today’s event is quite simple, it’s all about having fun. First, we’ll distribute the year-end bonuses, then we’ll play a few games for some fun, and finally, we’ll have a lottery drawing. Afterward, everyone can return to their homes for the New Year!”

 

“Alright! We’ll follow the boss’s lead!”

 

“Hehehe, we’re playing games too? I’ve been clumsy since I was a child.”

 

“Oh dear, you being clumsy is no problem. I’ve had bad luck since I was young, so I hope to have some good luck today.”

 

Most of the people in the room were men, and at this moment, they weren’t holding back and were happily discussing. In that regard, they were no different from the women in the sense that they were all talkative.

 

“Quiet down, please. Let’s start by distributing the year-end bonuses. When you receive it, it will put your mind at ease. Father, please.”

 

Jing Yi invited his father to the front. Jing’s father enjoyed such public occasions, and they had rehearsed this many times.

 

“Cough, cough, cough. Everyone’s year-end bonus is divided into two parts. One is a monetary bonus as a reward for your hard work throughout the year, and it’s based on your time spent working and your performance. The more you’ve worked, the more you’ll receive. As for the other part, it’s the distribution of New Year’s goods, and these are divided according to rank.”

 

Jing Yi had established an employee ranking system based on his modern thinking. He didn’t know if the ancient world had better rules and regulations, nor did he care to find out. If he knew he had a more effective way to manage the employees, there was no need to look further for it.

 

The Jing family, as it stands, has a clear ranking system for its employees. Except for the manager, accountant, and head chef who are considered second-tier workers, all others are considered first-tier workers. Everyone who works in the establishment knows this; there’s nothing to hide.

 

Jing’s father continued, “The first-tier workers will receive ten catties of rice, five catties of pork, and one catty of sugar as part of their New Year goods. The second-tier workers will also receive an additional two catties of mutton and a box of pastries.”

 

At this point, Jing Yi chimed in, seeking to motivate and mobilize everyone, “Your ranks aren’t set in stone. Those who excel, we’ll definitely recognize your efforts. We hope that when we meet again next year, some of you will have moved up a rank!”

 

“Alright! We trust you, Master Jing, with your words. We’ll definitely do our best!”

 

This was said by He Erli, an assistant from Jing’s Hot Pot restaurant. He came from a poor family and worked hard. He had excellent skills, was diligent, and had a smart mind, but he used it for honest purposes. You could say that the traits employers appreciated were mostly embodied in him, and Jing Yi held a positive view of his potential.

 

“Okay! Since you’re so eager, I’ll keep a close eye on you next year,” Jing Yi said jokingly, using two fingers to point at his own eyes and then at He Erli.

 

“Ah, no, no, no, Master Jing, please don’t!” He Erli let out a strange cry, making everyone laugh heartily. In no time, the atmosphere was thoroughly heated up.

 

Capitalizing on the good mood, Jing Yi instructed everyone to eat, drink, chat, and then had people come up to the platform one by one to receive their year-end bonuses and New Year goods.

 

When each person received their money and goods, they were happy and content. They had heard of others working in different establishments where they received meager rewards like a bit of rice, flour, meat, or sugar – just token gestures. But, as they discovered, even the least rewarding year-end bonus here was equivalent to a whole month’s salary or more.

 

Moreover, as Jing Yi had said, the rewards were handed out fairly and the employees received a short evaluation. The owner explained why they received the specific amount and where they excelled during the year. He also gave them some guidance for their efforts in the coming year.

 

Everyone was deeply impressed and grateful.

 

Not to mention the employees working in the restaurant; even the household servants from the Jing family who accompanied them were quite moved. They would certainly convey this positive experience to others. In the Jing family, as long as you were honest and diligent, you wouldn’t be treated unfairly.