Chapter 43: The Tile Factory Pays Its Workers

Chapter 43: The Tile Factory Pays Its Workers

At the tile factory, the two bosses, Deng Shirong and Deng Yungui, were distributing wages to the workers.

The highest earners were naturally Deng Yuntai and Deng Changbiao, the two master craftsmen responsible for the large vats at the tile factory.

Deng Yuntai's salary was 208 yuan, while Deng Changbiao's was slightly higher at 224 yuan.

Deng Yuntai took the large sum of money from his father, kept 8 yuan for himself, and handed the remaining 200 yuan back, saying, "Dad, I don't have much to spend money on right now. A few yuan is enough for me. You can keep the rest for building the house."

Deng Shirong didn't stand on ceremony with his son. He simply nodded and accepted the money.

No one found this unusual. In those days, if a family wasn't divided, it was common for sons to hand over their earnings to their parents. Deng Yuntai giving his wages to his father was perfectly normal.

Nearby, Deng Changbiao received his wages from Uncle Yungui. He kept 24 yuan and handed the remaining 200 yuan to his master, saying with a smile, "Master, you need money to build a house now. What I have is enough for my family. You can use the rest first."

Seeing this, Deng Yungui remarked with envy, "Uncle Jiu, you really have a good disciple!"

Deng Shirong, with memories of his past life, naturally knew his apprentice had a good character. He patted Deng Changbiao on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Your filial piety is commendable, but I have other ways to cover the costs of building the house. Take this money back, improve your family's quality of life, and buy more meat for your wife and children."

Deng Changbiao nodded and said, "Alright, I'll keep the money. Master, just let me know if you ever need it. As for meat, 24 yuan a month is more than enough."

After the two master craftsmen working on the large vats received their wages, it was the turn of the three craftsmen working on smaller items. Their wages were similar, ranging around 130 to 140 yuan.

Following them were the workers who prepared the clay, fired the kiln, and carried the mud. Each of them earned several dozen yuan a month.

Deng Changyuan, a childhood friend of Deng Yuntai, had been learning to make large vats from him. However, mastering the craft of large vats couldn't be done overnight, so he was still paid as a clay worker—2 yuan a day, totaling 60 yuan a month.

This was a salary that countless rural workers envied. After all, many people with stable jobs at the time earned only a little over 20 yuan a month. A job paying 60 yuan a month was something many would strive for, so Deng Changyuan was extremely satisfied. He grinned from ear to ear as he received his money.

In total, the tile factory paid out 1,183.6 yuan in wages that day.

The first batch of goods from the tile factory had sold for a total of 2,203.8 yuan, excluding freight costs.

After deducting the wages, 1,020.2 yuan remained as profit for the two bosses, Deng Shirong and Deng Yungui. Each of them took home 510.1 yuan.

Earning over 500 yuan in just over a month was an astonishing income for rural areas at the time.

After paying the workers and waiting for them to leave, Deng Yungui said enthusiastically, "Uncle Jiu, I'll go back and get some snacks. Come to my house tonight for a drink to celebrate the success of our tile factory."

"Don't go to your house. Come to mine instead. I've just started digging the foundation for my new house today, so there's plenty of food and drinks."

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony. I've heard your cooking skills rival those of state-owned restaurant chefs. I'll have to taste your food tonight."

"Haha, I hope I don't disappoint. It's getting late, so I'll head back first. Come over at the usual time. I won't send a separate notice."

"Got it. I'll be there on time."

…

That afternoon.

With wages paid, the workers at the tile factory finished earlier than usual. Deng Changbiao returned home with a hefty sum of 224 yuan in his pocket, feeling like a new man.

Deng Changbiao had separated from his parents and brothers several years earlier. The house he lived in was an old ancestral home with two rooms. After the separation, he had built a kitchen next to the house. When he returned, he saw his wife cooking in the kitchen.

Deng Changbiao patted the thick stack of banknotes in his pocket and called out, "Xiaolan, I'm back!"

Lu Xiaolan, who was cooking, turned around and saw his beaming face. She asked, "Why are you back so early today? You're smiling so wide I can see your back teeth. What good news do you have?"

Deng Changbiao smiled and nodded. "It's indeed good news. The tile factory paid our wages today!"

Lu Xiaolan's eyes lit up immediately. She dropped the fire stick in her hand, stood up, and asked, "Brother Biao, how much did you get?"

Deng Changbiao chuckled. "Xiaolan, take a guess."

Lu Xiaolan ventured, "Thirty yuan?"

It was no wonder she guessed this. Deng Changbiao had kept his earnings at the tile factory a secret, wanting to surprise his wife when he got paid. Lu Xiaolan had no idea how much he could earn there.

Although Deng Changbiao had been a vat master for several years, the vat kiln had previously belonged to the brigade, and he had only earned the highest work points. Now that the tile factory was contracted to his master and Uncle Yungui, his wife hadn't expected him to make much money.

To Lu Xiaolan, 30 yuan a month was already a very high income.

Deng Changbiao shook his head. "That's not it. Guess again."

Lu Xiaolan tried again. "Twenty-eight?"

Deng Changbiao smiled. "Too low. Guess higher."

Lu Xiaolan's excitement grew. "Thirty-six?"

This was a bold guess, as even a relative of hers who worked at a credit union didn't earn that much. If her husband's salary was that high, she would be over the moon.

Deng Changbiao grinned. "Still too low. Be bolder."

Lu Xiaolan's heart raced. "Brother Biao, just tell me. I can't stand the suspense."

Deng Changbiao patted his pocket and said proudly, "I earned 224 yuan."

Even though Lu Xiaolan had prepared herself, the number still shocked her. "Brother Biao… did I hear you right? You said 224 yuan?"

Seeing his wife's stunned expression, Deng Changbiao was thrilled with his successful reveal. He nodded and smiled. "Yes, 224 yuan. From now on, our family won't have to pinch pennies like before. We might not eat meat every day, but we can afford it every few days without any trouble. After a few more months at the tile factory, we'll have enough to build a house."

Knowing her husband could earn over 200 yuan a month, Lu Xiaolan's heart soared. The thought of their hard days being over brought tears of joy to her eyes. She kept repeating, "This is wonderful!"

Without another word, Lu Xiaolan slaughtered the old hen at home and cooked a pot of chicken soup to nourish her husband and children.

That evening, Lu Xiaolan was even more affectionate, allowing Deng Changbiao to enjoy the happiness of a prosperous man.

No matter the era, men who could earn money always enjoyed privileges others couldn't.

(End of this chapter)