The Lottery

 

With the current number of employees not being many, totaling sixteen between both establishments, they managed to distribute the year-end bonuses in a short amount of time.

 

Next up were the small games Jing Yi had prepared. He felt that people in ancient times lived hard lives with limited entertainment options, many of which were beyond the reach of ordinary folks. So, he wanted to ensure his staff had some fun and relaxed a bit.

 

He had already spent at least half a year with these people, which had fostered some level of camaraderie.

 

During the hiring process, they had been very stringent about character, ensuring there were no individuals with questionable morals. As a result, both establishments had decent people who got along well.

 

Therefore, Jing Yi, as a conscientious boss, was also concerned about his employees’ mental state. When they were in good spirits, they would work better.

 

The game modes were borrowed from his experiences, beginning with a spirited game of musical chairs, suitable for both participation and watching. Sometimes, the onlookers were more excited than the players.

 

Musical chairs consisted of three rounds. To boost the atmosphere, Jing Yi invited his cousin Jing Feng and He Erli to participate in the first round.

 

Surprisingly, it was the small apprentice of the chef from Jing’s Small Restaurant who won the first round. He was young and not very tall, but extremely agile. Jing Yi was quite impressed and remembered his name was Douzi.

 

The second round was won by a chef from Jing’s Hot Pot restaurant, a burly and simple-looking man who relied on physical strength.

 

In the third round, to everyone’s surprise, the winner was Gao Kun.

 

As he grabbed the final chair, the servants from the Jing family, who had come to watch, applauded and cheered for him. Gao Kun looked anxiously at Jing Yi, who was also applauding and cheering for him. He then confidently raised his head, feeling at ease.

 

This made the Jing family’s servants feel quite proud. For this event, they had a real sense of participation.

 

The second game was a simple one: it involved doing the opposite action. For example, when Jing Yi said “right,” everyone turned their heads to the left, and when he said “nod,” they shook their heads.

 

To ensure fairness, the Jing family members did not participate. So, Jing Yi had Chuxia, Xiao Shu, and Xiao An join him to oversee. Each group of four watched a table. In each round, one winner emerged.

 

This game wasn’t as intense as the previous one, but it was quite amusing. Whenever someone made a mistake, there would be regretful cries or loud laughter, not realizing they’d be teased by others in the next round. But the teasing was all in good fun, and nobody took it to heart.

 

After four rounds of this game, three winners emerged. As a reward, Jing Yi gave them a fruit gift package that included four apples, one orange, and one pomegranate. He had taken great care to present these fruits in a small, exquisite bamboo basket.

 

This was an unexpected delight and a symbol of victory. Every recipient was very excited, especially because they hadn’t received such prizes in their lives, not even in the last three years!

 

Gao Kun accepted his prize and immediately handed an apple to Aunt Cui, Steward Tong and Qiao Maisheng, one for each. He was slightly embarrassed as he said, “I want to bring these two types of fruit back to Ah Qi. He’s never seen them.”

 

“You’re a good kid, Aunt Cui doesn’t want yours. You should give this fruit back to Ah Qi,” Aunt Cui tried to put the apple back in Gao Kun’s basket.

 

Steward Tong and Qiao Maisheng were in the same boat, as adults, they couldn’t take the fruit from a child.

 

And as a result, Gao Kun stood up, holding the basket and took a step back. He had a stern expression and seemed to be quite intimidating. “I must! You all have helped me and Ah Qi. What’s wrong with me treating you to a fruit?”

 

“You cheeky little brat!” Steward Tong started to say, but the curious Jing Yi from the neighboring table stopped him.

 

“You can all accept them. You’ve helped him, so it’s only natural for him to show his gratitude. He’s a polite kid with pride. This is also his way of showing his appreciation,” Jing Yi said, trying to persuade for Gao Kun.

 

The three of them then accepted the fruit gifts. When they had helped the boy, they hadn’t expected anything in return, especially from a child, but they could see his heartfelt gratitude, and it warmed their hearts.

 

The final lottery was highly anticipated. After all, in a society where social classes were distinct, an event that was entirely luck-based and fair was widely popular.

 

Jing Yi continued to host the event. He thought that if they were to hold it again next year, he’d have to find someone else to replace him. The task was quite taxing on his voice. He noticed that Jing Feng and He Erli had the potential for this role.

 

“All right! This is the last surprise of today. Let me explain the prizes. For the first prize, one person will be drawn. The prize includes one chicken, one piece of fabric, one barrel of wine, a string of cured meat, and a packet of preserved sweets. In addition, you’ll get a meal for your whole family at both our hot pot restaurant and the small eatery, any time next year, and it’s on the house,” Jing Yi announced.

 

“Wow! That’s amazing! I’ve been wanting to try the hot pot from the restaurant for a long time. I’ve been saving up money!”

 

“Haha, there’s even wine! If I win, my wife won’t nag me anymore!”

 

“Boss, boss, let’s start already!”

 

Amid the excitement and anticipation, Jing Yi calmly continued, “Don’t be in such a hurry, I haven’t finished yet. For the first prize, it’s one person and may the best person win. But the second and third prizes are pretty good too.”

 

He went on to explain the other prizes. For the second prize, there would be two winners, each receiving one chicken, one piece of fabric, one barrel of wine, and a free meal at the hot pot restaurant. For the third prize, there would be three winners, and they would each receive one chicken, one piece of fabric, and a free meal at the small restaurant.

 

With the prizes explained, the lottery officially began. Beforehand, Jing Yi had prepared a box with pieces of paper, each with a person’s name, and Qiao Maisheng had written these names. Now, with everyone eager and ready, Jing Feng and Jing An came forward to assist. One would help everyone put a mark on their respective pieces of paper for recognition, while the other held the wooden box for them to personally place their marked papers into.

 

Whether they marked their papers or placed them in the box themselves, the process was conducted to ensure fairness.

 

“All right! Now, for our third prize, it’s our clever, handsome, kind, and adorable boss’s turn, Lin Chuxia,” Jing Yi announced.

 

Chuxia was surprised, not expecting such an important task.

 

The crowd cheered so loudly that it seemed like they could lift the roof. Although the Dayuan Dynasty had more straightforward and open-minded people, bossiness like Jing’s was still rare.

 

Chuxia felt embarrassed. Why did he have to be the one called for this? His parents were right there.

 

“Chuxia, go ahead!” Jing’s mother patted Chuxia’s shoulder and couldn’t help but smile.

 

She wondered why the brat didn’t give him a heads-up. Chuxia’s ears and neck were turning red.

 

Reluctantly, Chuxia climbed onto the stage, not looking down at the crowd. He pretended to be calm and asked Jing Yi quietly, “What do I do?”

 

Jing Yi also replied softly, “Darling, don’t be afraid. Just draw three pieces of paper from the box.”

 

After this exchange, Jing Yi picked up the wooden box and shook it a little. He then announced, “Let’s get started, and good luck, everyone!”

 

He turned to Chuxia, leaned in close, and said in a voice everyone could hear, “Boss Jing, please.”

 

This led to another round of good-natured laughter from the crowd.

 

After drawing three names, the winners were a server from Jing Family’s Small Eatery and two servers from the Hot Pot Restaurant. All three were delighted and jumped onto the stage to claim their prizes.

 

For the second prize, Jing’s mother took over as the drawer. She was also taken aback and climbed onto the stage somewhat awkwardly. She couldn’t hide her embarrassment as well as Chuxia.

 

It was strange; she was usually quite composed and proper while talking with the servers. But as soon as she stepped on that stage, she was a bundle of nerves.

 

Jing’s mother drew the names for the second prize. One winner was the Hot Pot Restaurant’s accountant, and the other was Jing Feng.

 

When Jing Feng heard that he’d won the second prize, he jumped up in excitement, shouting, “Thank you, Auntie!” He was beyond delighted. Jing’s mother found it amusing but encouraged him to accept his prize and leave the stage without making a scene.

 

Finally, for the first prize, it was no surprise that Jing’s father had already prepared and walked to the stage as soon as Jing Yi invited him. The family watched his exaggerated performance and couldn’t help but stifle their laughter.

 

The first prize went to the chef of the Hot Pot Restaurant.

 

The chef couldn’t believe his luck. He was the one who had claimed to have bad luck before the drawing, and now everyone was envious of him. He straightened his back with a sense of pride and wondered, was this the favor of the Jing family?

 

The lively lottery ended, and the employees and servants of the Jing family were filled with joy. Such happiness was something they had never experienced before, something that couldn’t be attained by simply having enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear. It was a joy that lingered in their hearts.

 

Even the servants who didn’t win anything at the lottery stage were still in good spirits. They were thankful for the Jing family’s generosity and kindness in choosing and purchasing them. After helping tidy up the main hall, the employees were reminded of their starting time, and they headed home with their respective prizes. When they returned home, they couldn’t help but show off their rewards.

 

After all the excitement, the New Year celebrations continued. On the eve of the Lunar New Year, there was a grand dinner, followed by visiting relatives on the first day of the year. On the second day, people visited their maternal homes, and from the third day onward, it was a never-ending cycle of visiting friends and relatives. Before they knew it, the Lunar New Year was almost over.

 

Leisurely times always seemed to pass by quickly. After the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, everyone started getting busy. Only Jing Yi remained lazy, wanting to sleep in and spend time with Chuxia. He had no intention of getting up early and just wanted to wander around aimlessly.

 

But reality was unrelenting; they all had to get back to work. The soap factory was nearly complete, and Huang Second Brother had already sent someone to urge Jing Yi once, mentioning that the town’s shops were purchased and set up as per his requirements. He asked when the soap production would begin.

 

Looking at the soap factory that was still under construction and nearing completion, Jing Yi couldn’t help but think, “When will they start producing soap?”

 

He sighed, realizing that Huang Second Brother, who was once a laid-back person, had now become so industrious.