[090] Worrying Myself Sick Over My Parents

“How much do you think would be appropriate to pay them?”
“Well… Their business hasn’t been great. From what I’ve seen, even relying on local residents or a few regulars who like a good deal, they’d sell at most four or five hundred buns a day.”
“Assuming the profit per bun is fifty percent, five hundred buns would make twenty-five a day, less than eight hundred a month. But I think the profit’s probably more than five cents per bun. Let’s say they make a thousand a month.”
“If you’re going to hire them, it’ll be for both of them, right…”
Shen Chengyan laughed and corrected him, “What do you mean I’m hiring them? It’s the two of us!”
Fang Chang’an grinned and said, “If we’re hiring them, we pay both. The total should be more than what they’re earning now. I think six hundred each should be enough.”
“I’ve heard that people working outside, when they first start, work from morning till night and earn about this much.”
“Of course, considering the psychological gap between working for yourself and working for someone else, we should add a bit more. If business goes well, there can be bonuses too.”
Shen Chengyan was no longer surprised that he could bring up things like ‘bonuses’ to motivate people. He said, “Let’s make it seven hundred a month plus bonuses.”
“If the daily orders increase, two people won’t be enough. We’ll need to hire more—apprentices, really. Their wages don’t need to be as high. We can start early since they’ll need time to learn and adapt. Lower pay during probation, then an increase once they’re regulars.”
The two of them soon arrived at the shop. In these times, for most ordinary folks, owning a car meant you were wealthy; the brand didn’t matter much, since most couldn’t tell them apart anyway.
Business was slow at this hour. The couple running the shop saw a sedan pull up, glanced over curiously, and remained casual—just a little curious and puzzled about who would drive here. They didn’t think it had anything to do with them.
Shen Chengyan, polished shoes and slicked-back hair, looked every bit the wealthy man. The couple maintained their indifference until they saw Fang Chang’an get out of the passenger seat. Shocked, they sensed something was amiss.
“Uncle, Auntie.”
Fang Chang’an greeted them with a smile as they both looked his way.
The couple smiled back, a little awkward, but responded nonetheless. Then they glanced at Shen Chengyan, clearly wondering who he was.
Fang Chang’an explained, “This is my uncle, Mr. Shen.”
“Hello,” Shen Chengyan nodded, smiling. He was young, but a university graduate who’d worked in an office for two years, giving him a subtle confidence. With the BMW as a backdrop, even his casual gestures seemed approachable.
The couple smiled nervously, saying nothing.
Fang Chang’an continued, “Uncle, Auntie, Uncle Shen is planning to open his own shop, delivering buns to students in town…”
At this, the couple’s expressions changed slightly. He went on, “He’s looking for experienced bun makers, and I immediately thought of you. So we came to ask if you’d be interested…”
He gestured at the tables, chairs, and stoves, lowering his voice, “All of this could be sold to him.”
Although Fang Chang’an had mentioned this in the morning, the couple hadn’t taken it seriously. Now, faced with the reality, they were momentarily stunned.
The owner collected himself and asked, “Is this for your school?”
“We’ll deliver to every school in town,” Shen Chengyan replied, stepping forward and offering a cigarette. The owner looked at it—not a brand he knew, but the box alone suggested it was more expensive than his usual.
After a moment’s hesitation, the owner accepted. Shen Chengyan lit it for him, lit one for himself, then asked, “How should I address you?”
The owner took a drag, “My surname’s Zhang.”
“You’re older than me, I’ll call you Brother Zhang. There aren’t enough students at one school alone—if we do this, we’ll do it big.”
Shen Chengyan effortlessly launched into his pitch, even giving Fang Chang’an a friendly pat. “I hadn’t thought of it before—good thing this kid did.”
He blew a smoke ring and continued, “We’ll need to hire more people too. If you’re willing to help, you’ll be the team leader. Your wife too.”
The owner’s wife smiled shyly but didn’t reply.
Once Shen Chengyan had set the stage, he addressed what mattered most to them: “Times are tough, but you can rest assured—I’d sell my car before I shortchanged my own people. For you two, seven hundred a month each to start, with raises and bonuses if business improves.”
China’s emergence as the ‘world’s factory’ was built on low labor costs. Even those who left home to work all day, every day, made just seven or eight hundred a month—let alone in a remote inland town like this.
Seven hundred a month each meant fourteen hundred for the couple, nearly seventeen thousand a year!
For two years, they’d worked from dawn till dusk and only made a few thousand a year. Now, their income would double overnight—they were instantly tempted.
Business here had always been slow; if they lost the student delivery channel, their recently improved sales would vanish.
They knew the trick of delivering buns to students now, but someone else had already claimed all the students. Just looking at his setup, how could they compete?
In their simple worldview, money meant connections, connections meant privilege, and privilege meant there was no way to compete. The outcome was clear.
“So…”
Seeing her husband silent, the owner’s wife hesitantly asked, “It’s seven hundred for each of us?”
Shen Chengyan nodded, “Together, fourteen hundred a month, never less.”
She thought hard, then asked, “When will we be paid?”
She was worried about delayed wages—promises meant nothing without pay.
“On the fifteenth of every month, for the previous month’s wages—not a day late.”
This was Fang Chang’an’s suggestion: keeping half a month’s wages as a safeguard. Shen Chengyan hadn’t thought it necessary but agreed. He added, “Today’s the ninth. If you agree now, you can move everything over today, and tomorrow’s buns will be delivered from my place. Your salary starts today, and on the fifteenth of next month, you’ll be paid for today through the end of the month.”
“Well…”
The owner’s wife couldn’t think of any way they might get cheated. She glanced at her husband, then at Fang Chang’an, and said to Shen Chengyan, “We’ll go home and discuss…”
“What’s there to discuss?”
The owner, halfway through his cigarette, finally spoke. “It’s settled. We’ll work with you.”
“Brother Zhang, you’re decisive!”
Shen Chengyan gave a thumbs-up, “So, when do you want to start?”
The man, now Brother Zhang instead of just “the owner,” replied, “You’re the boss, we follow your lead.”

Shen Chengyan looked at Fang Chang’an, who said, “We’ll need to clean up over there, get things ready, build the stove. We can’t stop supplying buns to the school, either… How about this, Uncle Zhang, since you’re experienced, help Uncle Shen get things set up. Once everything’s ready, we’ll move over. Of course, your wages start today.”
Brother Zhang looked at Shen Chengyan, who smiled, “Let’s do that, then.”
After a pause, he added, “Brother Zhang, why don’t you come with me now to take a look? Otherwise, I honestly wouldn’t know what all we need to buy.”
“All right.”
Shen Chengyan and Fang Chang’an returned to the car, only to see Brother Zhang walking east. Shen Chengyan called out, “Over here! Where are you going?”
Brother Zhang stopped and replied, “I’m going home to get my bicycle.”
“What do you need a bicycle for? Come on, get in.”
Shen Chengyan went over to pull him toward the car. Brother Zhang, a bit embarrassed, said, “But I… my clothes and shoes are all muddy…”
“Don’t worry about that…”
Shen Chengyan ushered him into the back seat, said goodbye to the owner’s wife, started the car, and headed back. Casually, he asked, “Brother Zhang, what’s your full name?”
“Zhang Fei. Just like the one from the Three Kingdoms.”
Brother Zhang, squirming in the back seat, relaxed a little at Shen Chengyan’s question. “But I’m not as tough as he was.”
Shen Chengyan laughed, “Zhang Fei from the Three Kingdoms started out as a butcher. You know, the three of us are kind of like Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei when they first met, aren’t we?”
“Not at all!”
Fang Chang’an scoffed and changed the subject, “When we have more buns, we can’t just have one stove. Let’s set up two right away and leave room for more later.”
“Also, Uncle Shen, I don’t think there’s plumbing there, is there? We’ll need a water tank, otherwise carrying water all the time will be a pain.”
Shen Chengyan laughed, “You really do have the makings of a little boss. By the way, your parents aren’t partners, so they’ll have to sign—your signature’s not valid since you’re underage.”
Fang Chang’an smiled, “No need for a contract. Uncle Shen trusts me, and I trust him.”
Shen Chengyan smiled, thought for a moment, and said, “That works. You trust me, and I trust you.”
Zhang Fei stayed silent in the back but couldn’t help wondering what the relationship was between the man and the boy in front. Different surnames—clearly not real uncle and nephew—but the kid seemed to be a partner…
As if reading his mind, Shen Chengyan glanced at Fang Chang’an, “You’re not planning to keep this from your parents, are you?”
“I’ll tell my mom, but not my dad. If he finds out, he’ll refuse to go work out of town.”
Fang Chang’an smiled with pure, sunny innocence, though inside he was thinking: In most families, parents worry about pushing their sons to be ambitious. In my family, it’s me worrying about pushing my dad to be ambitious.
“Let’s hope Dad understands my good intentions…”