Chapter 142: Liyuan Farm Sets the Standard!

Chapter 142: Liyuan Farm Sets the Standard!

Early in the morning, the Bamboo Cultural Park at Liyuan Farm was bustling with activity.

Old Man Guo arrived early, his heart pounding with excitement. After all, it was payday today. Although he knew his salary would be decent when he joined, he had never actually received the money in his hands, and the anticipation was almost overwhelming.

He returned to his workstation, and soon after, his two sons arrived as well.

The moment they got there, they started helping to tidy up the workbenches and clean the tools. Now, both of them were apprentices in bamboo craft.

Old Man Guo wasn't the only one; each of the bamboo craft masters had one or two apprentices around them. These apprentices were learning the trade to eventually fill the growing demand in the Bamboo Cultural Park.

With the park's popularity soaring, the 70-odd bamboo craft masters were swamped. Recruiting more masters was difficult since most applicants lacked the necessary skills. Many were just old farmers with a bit of experience.

Their skills could be taught over time, but they weren't ready to be bamboo craft masters yet. So, the masters decided to train their own people, who could later fill the gaps in the park.

More and more visitors were coming, and many of them wanted to buy bamboo craft souvenirs, which were often out of stock.

The park's director, Lin, had mentioned that even if more bamboo craft masters were hired and the park couldn't accommodate them all, they could work night shifts to produce items for online sales. The profit margins for bamboo crafts from Liyuan Farm were high, and the commissions were generous.

For the bamboo craft masters, this was a tremendous opportunity. Teaching the next generation would ensure a steady income, making their skills as secure as a golden bowl.

By the time Old Man Guo finished setting up his workstation, visitors were already arriving at the Bamboo Cultural Park. These were mostly campers who had stayed in the nearby camping grounds and were quick to arrive.

The park's daily production was limited, so many visitors who wanted to buy bamboo craft souvenirs came early to secure their purchases.

Old Man Guo quickly took three orders. After the visitors placed their orders and stated their requirements, they moved on to explore other attractions.

The service process in the Bamboo Cultural Park was now well-established. After a visitor placed an order and paid, they received a numbered tag. The bamboo craft master would attach the same number to the finished product, and a staff member would deliver it to the service counter.

When visitors returned, they could simply report their number and collect their bamboo craft.

After Old Man Guo completed a bamboo craft, his two sons asked curiously, "Dad, is it payday today? Have you received your salary?"

"Yeah, Dad, you work so hard every day. Your salary must be pretty good, right?"

Old Man Guo, hearing his sons' questions, replied with a mix of anticipation and pride, "I've calculated it. Even though I didn't work the full month last month, the commission from bamboo crafts alone should be around 20,000. With the live streaming and advertising shares, it should be around 30,000."

Mentioning 30,000 made him even prouder. He had been a farmer all his life, and after the decline of bamboo crafts, he sometimes didn't even earn 30,000 in a year. That's why their old home was in such disrepair, and his sons had to work in factories instead of learning the bamboo craft.

Now, earning 30,000 in a month, he even outshone many university graduates who had studied for 15 years.

A nearby bamboo craft master overheard their conversation and smiled, "Master Guo, I envy you. I calculated mine, and it's only around 20,000."

"20,000 is still a good amount. I used to work in a factory and only made around 5,000 a month," another master chimed in.

The bamboo craft masters chatted enthusiastically, their excitement evident.

Finally, one of them shouted, "The text message is here! The salary has been paid out."

This drew everyone's attention, and they all checked their phones eagerly, having been waiting all morning to see the numbers.

Old Man Guo did the same, quickly checking his phone.

A few visitors waiting at the workstations were intrigued by this scene. One of them, a fashionably dressed man, asked with a smile, "Masters, is it payday today? How much did you get?"

He glanced at a young woman beside him. They were both on a group tour, and he was trying to impress her by asking the master about his salary, planning to mention his own later.

He earned 30,000 a month, making him a successful professional.

The quickest way to attract a woman, after all, was by mentioning one's salary.

Old Man Guo saw his salary, 55,235, and his eyes widened in disbelief. It was much more than he had expected.

Hearing the visitor's question, he proudly declared, "I earned some hard-earned money. Last month, I only worked part-time and still made 55,000!"

"That's hard-earned money, only 5..." The man almost blurted out his own salary but then stopped, stunned. "55,000? That's a lot!"

His expression of disbelief made the situation awkward.

Especially, a bamboo craftsman earning 55,000 yuan in a month? And he hadn't even worked a full month?

Is there any justice in the world?

"Master Guo, you earned that much? I only got a bit over 20,000!"

"I also got a bit over 20,000!"

Another bamboo craftsman chimed in from the side.

This revelation made the tourists' faces twitch in disbelief, as most of their salaries were lower than those of the bamboo craftsmen.

Why did they have to face this kind of punishment during what was supposed to be a pleasant trip?

Guo Lao's two sons were holding his phone, their eyes wide in disbelief. They counted several times to confirm that their father's salary was indeed 55,000 yuan.

Heaven! They used to earn 5,000 yuan a month at the factory, and now their father's one-month salary equaled what they made in a year.

Thankfully, they had quit their jobs and returned to learn the craft. In another two months, they could also join the team, even starting as ordinary craftsmen, and still earn more than they did at the factory.

After seeing their salaries, the bamboo craftsmen at Liyuan Farm were all excited. Many of them started taking screenshots and posting them on social media to show off their earnings.

Guo Lao did the same.

This was a typical display of sudden wealth.

Many people occasionally see such posts on social media, usually from those who have either started a side business or experienced a sudden increase in income.

They think it's something to boast about, but they'll regret it when their friends start asking for loans.

Those who haven't experienced sudden wealth don't even think about posting on social media. They would rather tell everyone how tough their lives are, struggling to make ends meet, and wondering how they'll pay their loans this month.

Naturally, some curious tourists also posted about the bamboo craftsmen's salaries online, which garnered some attention.

In the unemployment district, a bamboo craftsman's studio.

Lin Danghai wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Without the attribute boost from the Bamboo Cultural Park, his skills were back to their original level, and he couldn't produce the same quality bamboo crafts.

Fortunately, he had gained some popularity before, and even though some people had criticized him, being criticized still brought attention. So, he continued to promote bamboo crafts through live streams, earning a few thousand yuan last month, which was better than his previous job.

So, he kept at it.

After making a bamboo craft for a customer, he took out his phone to browse his social media, taking a break.

But as soon as he saw his screen, his face turned sour with regret.

Several bamboo craftsmen had posted their salaries on social media, including Guo Lao.

He still had their contacts from when he worked at Liyuan Farm.

When he left, he had considered deleting them but decided to keep them to spy on the Bamboo Cultural Park's activities. Occasionally, he would see Guo Lao and others posting about the bustling tourists or their occasional gatherings.

This made him extremely frustrated. If he hadn't listened to his daughter, he would still be a craftsman at the Bamboo Cultural Park, part of their team.

Seeing Guo Lao's 55,000-yuan salary truly stabbed him in the heart.

It should have been his.

Guo Lao only became the head craftsman because he left. Otherwise, who would have had more popularity?

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated and regretful he became.

At that moment, his daughter, Lin Qing, stormed in, furious. "Dad, why are you so useless? You only made a few thousand yuan this month. Look at the people at Liyuan Farm; everyone earns over 20,000, and that Guo guy even gets 55,000. If you hadn't left Bamboo Cultural Park, you'd be the one earning 55,000."

Hearing his daughter's words, Lin Danghai's blood boiled. It was her who had forced him to leave the Bamboo Cultural Park, and now she was blaming him?

Lin Qing quickly added, "Dad, go beg the Bamboo Cultural Park to take you back. Your skills are better than theirs, and you should be able to earn at least 20,000 a month, right?"

She was also very regretful, seeing that Guo Lao was earning 55,000.

It should have been her father.

If she had known he could earn so much at Liyuan Farm, she wouldn't have made him leave.

If he gave her 30,000 out of his 50,000, she could live a comfortable life in this small town.

"Can I even go back? They said I'm on their blacklist. Do you understand what it means to set an example? I was the chicken that got slaughtered," Lin Danghai said, angrier than ever, feeling that his daughter was being unreasonable.

Lin Qing persisted, "Dad, go to Liyuan Farm and kneel in front of everyone to show your sincerity. I'm sure they'll take you back for the sake of their reputation. Otherwise, I'll cut ties with you."

"Fine, then cut ties. Starting now, you won't get a single cent from me. When I die, I'll donate that house to the state," Lin Danghai finally lost his temper, slapping Lin Qing across the face and storming out.

He truly regretted not having aimed better when he had her.

Hearing her father's words, Lin Qing panicked and quickly followed him. "Dad, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! We won't go, we won't go!"

While the Lin family was having this heated argument, the other departments at Liyuan Farm were also celebrating their salaries.

Although a server's monthly salary of 4,500 yuan might seem low, for servers, their peers and former colleagues are also servers. At Liyuan Farm, the salary is 4,500 yuan plus bonuses and full attendance, which can exceed 5,000 yuan.

This is significantly higher than what servers in other parts of You City earn, making it a source of joy for them.

Lin Mengyao was also very happy.

Her salary was 20,000 yuan per month plus bonuses and full attendance.

Even though she didn’t work the full month last month, she still received a 20,000 yuan bonus. At her previous company, it would have taken her years, if not forever, to earn such a high salary.

So, when she got off work at noon, she called home to let her family know and bought a lot of groceries. As she was about to enter her building, she met her neighbor, Aunt Wu, who greeted her warmly, “Mengyao, you’re back for lunch?”

“Yes, Aunt Wu,” Lin Mengyao replied politely.

Aunt Wu, with a beaming smile, said, “Mengyao, what do you think about the matter I mentioned before? My nephew earns 15,000 yuan a month, which is a very high salary in You City. I can introduce him to you as a boyfriend, and you’ll be set for life.”

“Aunt Wu, I earn 20,000 yuan a month,” Lin Mengyao bluntly stated, knowing that Aunt Wu was always trying to push her nephew.

She knew who Aunt Wu’s nephew was—a chauvinistic guy. Earning 15,000 yuan a month in You City was indeed a lot, so he often acted superior to the women around him.

If she were earning 4,000 to 5,000 yuan a month in You City, she might have had no choice but to consider it for the sake of the salary.

Fortunately, she had landed on her feet, earning over 20,000 yuan a month, which gave her more options. Why couldn’t she find someone younger?

“Hmm, Mengyao, are you joking? Which company in You City can pay such a high salary?” Aunt Wu shook her head disbelievingly, thinking the young woman was lying.

“Liyuan Farm!” Lin Mengyao said with a smile and headed upstairs.

Aunt Wu didn’t question it further, as Liyuan Farm was already famous in You City.

But she had no idea the salaries were that high.

This realization prompted her to call her daughter, who was working elsewhere, and urgently said, “Nana, come back to You City to work. You can work at Liyuan Farm; the salary is very high.”

She was full of hope, as her daughter had scored higher on the college entrance exam than Lin Mengyao and had attended a better school. There was no reason her daughter would earn less at Liyuan Farm.

However, she didn’t realize that once out of school, exam scores and the quality of one’s alma mater meant little compared to connections.

Compared to these, the high salaries at Liyuan Farm naturally caught the attention of the county government.

After all, Liyuan Farm was now the top priority for the county, and any developments had to be monitored closely.

County Chief Liu had just finished a guidance meeting, where he once again discussed the panda project. All departments in You City were notified that any matters related to this project or Liyuan Farm should be reported to the county office immediately.

This effectively informed all departments of Liyuan Farm’s current status, ensuring that no department heads would cause any trouble.

Back in his office, Liu’s secretary reported, “Chief Liu, Liyuan Farm paid out salaries today. The wages at Bamboo Culture Park were unexpectedly high and have already garnered some attention online.”

“Tell me about the wages at Bamboo Culture Park,” Liu said, knowing they wouldn’t be low. After all, the wages were supervised by the Tourism Bureau, and he had received reports.

The secretary reported, “Many workers earned 20,000 yuan, with one person earning 55,000 yuan this month, even though it wasn’t a full month. If it were a full month, the salary could break 60,000 yuan. This person was previously just a farmer, earning only 2,000 to 3,000 yuan a month.”

“60,000 yuan?” Liu stood up, clearly shocked.

Especially when he heard that the person was previously a farmer earning only 2,000 to 3,000 yuan a month, he was even more astonished.

If this were publicized, it would be astounding.

Just because Liyuan Farm built a Bamboo Culture Park and promoted You City’s bamboo culture, a farmer who used to earn 2,000 to 3,000 yuan a month now earns 60,000 yuan a month. This is a huge and shocking achievement.

Or, it could be a milestone in promoting traditional culture, aligning with the country’s current emphasis on cultural and tourism development.

No, this must be publicized.

This is a significant benefit for both You City and Liyuan Farm, at least at the official level.

“Quickly, call Mr. Zhang and tell him I’ll visit him this afternoon!” Liu immediately instructed his secretary.

“Sure thing, Chief Liu!” the secretary responded, also surprised.

After all, in You City, if Liu needed to meet the boss of any company, he would simply call and the other party would come immediately, without delay.

But for Mr. Zhang of Liyuan Farm, Liu had already visited the farm multiple times personally.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end