Chapter 276: Paying Wages

Everyone looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Lian’er was the first to speak. "I think Xiao Lu should get it."

Although Xing’er wanted the five hundred cents, she had to admit that when it came to greeting guests and service quality, Xiao Lu was indeed better than all of them. She nodded. "Xiao Lu deserves it."

No one else had any objections. Gu Fei said with a beaming smile, "Alright then. Xiao Lu is this month’s employee of the month. The bonus is five hundred cents, and I’ll hand it out with your wages in a little while."

"I’ve decided to upgrade the bonus system. Every month, we’ll select first, second, and third place, with rewards of five hundred, three hundred, and two hundred cents, respectively."

"Keep up the great work, everyone, and try to win a bonus next month as well."

Her words lit a fire in everyone. They accepted they couldn’t beat Xiao Lu, but wasn’t three hundred cents still a tempting prize? Even two hundred cents was better than nothing. Each of them believed they could snag the three-hundred-cent bonus next month, and they were all eager to get to work.

Gu Fei was very satisfied. It was just the shot in the arm everyone needed. ’They’ll all work even harder next month,’ she thought.

Xing’er collected her pay: four hundred cents, plus two hundred from her half-month of training. She asked Gu Fei to hold on to the remaining one hundred cents for her as savings, and Gu Fei agreed.

After everyone else had collected their wages, Lian’er and Lan Zhi had still not come forward.

Gu Fei beckoned Lian’er over and handed her a string of coins. "This is your pay."

Lian’er waved her hands frantically. "Miss, I don’t want any pay! My life is yours. I should do whatever you ask. How could I possibly accept money for it?"

Gu Fei shot her a look. "Don’t be silly. You did the work, so you deserve to be paid."

"Besides, don’t you want to burn a paper house for your parents in the afterlife? How are you going to afford that without money?"

Lian’er bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. She accepted the copper coins and curtsied to Gu Fei. "Thank you, Miss."

Gu Fei said softly, "Don’t be anxious. In a few years, after this drought is over, I’ll go with you to that town and help you bring your mother’s and brother’s remains here. It will be more convenient for you to pay your respects in the future."

Lian’er couldn’t hold it in any longer. Tears burst from her eyes. With a THUD, she fell to her knees and began to kowtow desperately. "Thank you, Miss! Thank you, Miss!"

Gu Fei quickly pulled her up. "You silly girl, why are you kowtowing over something so small? Look, your forehead is already red."

She took out a handkerchief to dry Lian’er’s tears. "Now, go get that rascal Lan Zhi for me. The two of you... so unenthusiastic about getting paid."

Wiping her tears, Lian’er went to the rear courtyard to call Lan Zhi over.

When Lan Zhi heard she was being given her wages, she absolutely refused to take them. "I haven’t done anything. I just sit behind the counter and do embroidery."

Gu Fei pulled her aside and said in a low voice, "Take it. When you get married in the future, you’ll need a dowry. This will help you keep up appearances, wouldn’t you say?"

Lan Zhi froze for a moment, then after a long pause, she slowly nodded.

After handing out all the wages, Gu Fei finally remembered Little Cao and hurried over to Sister Dan’s house to pick her up.

There weren’t many customers in the main hall at that time, and Little Cao was tearing around the room.

Gu Fei told a few of the attendants to just make sure Little Cao didn’t run outside.

Que’er came out from the back and was absolutely delighted to see Little Cao. She played with her for a while, and when she spotted someone selling tanghulu by the door, she waved them over. Pulling out a few Copper Coins of her own, she bought a skewer for Little Cao.

A little while later, Tie Niu came in, carrying an iron rack.

Gu Fei’s eyes lit up. This was the barbecue grill she had custom-ordered from the blacksmith shop.

She had Tie Niu set it down and took a look. The height was perfect, and there were no issues with the wire mesh on top.

She had it taken to the kitchen and started some charcoal to test it out. The fire caught nicely. She put a few potato slices on top to roast, noting that the wire mesh was polished smooth, with no burrs or sharp edges.