Chương 84: The Female Workers

"Ah Hao, well said." Fang Cheng gave Qin Hao an approving look. He now kept Old Tang's advice firmly in mind: his primary goal was to develop White Flower City, second was cultivation, and third was dispensing justice. Back to the matter at hand, he asked, "What were you two arguing about?" Qin Hao wasted no time and explained the situation.

It turned out that to motivate the textile workers, Qin Hao and He Chunhua had discussed implementing performance bonuses on top of the base wages, following the model of Shuili City. Unlike Shuili City's high standards, White Flower City's bonuses were based on the quality of each finished product. For each high-quality silk item produced, a bonus was awarded. There was no minimum quota for the month, as long as each piece met the quality standard, the worker could collect her bonus. He Chunhua had proposed this.

She believed that silk, like tea, was a luxury good for the wealthy. Quality mattered more than quantity. If White Flower City's silk goods gained a reputation among wealthy merchants, they would recommend them to others. Word of mouth would bring in a steady stream of business. This aligned with Qin Hao's thinking. If White Flower City's entire sales channel was controlled by the Prefect of Lianshan Prefecture, the city would have no say in pricing. The Prefect could set whatever price he wanted.

Though he feared Brother Fang and would not dare to drive the price down too much, he would never offer excessive profits either. Add to that the new textile machines popping up everywhere, which would accelerate the growth of Great Sheng's textile industry. A flood of textiles would saturate the market, driving silk prices down. To avoid being dragged into a price war with other textiles, White Flower City's silk products needed to innovate and produce high-quality goods.

First, they would establish a brand among the wealthy. Once they had a reputation, they would expand downward, using reasonable prices to capture the mid-to-low-end market. Eventually, they would take over the entire Great Sheng market and then expand internationally, sweeping through the other four dynasties. But that was a matter for the future. Fang Cheng nodded approvingly.

"This is a good policy. The people earn money, and we expand the market. So what were you two arguing about?" Qin Hao continued to explain. The factory's female workers were now divided into two groups. One group had moved from Xiangshi City. These workers were experienced, having worked in textile mills for a long time. They were skilled in various weaving techniques and could quickly produce high-quality silk goods. The other group were newcomers.

Some were from White Flower City itself, others from other cities, drawn by the generous benefits. They had never used the new machines before and needed time to get up to speed. With the performance bonus system in place, the Xiangshi workers, being more skilled, could quickly produce high-quality goods in large quantities and earn high bonuses. The newcomers, unfamiliar with the machines, earned much less. This story has been stolen from Royal Road.

If you read it on Amazon, please report it Fang Cheng said, "That is normal. Once they get familiar with the machines, they will catch up. And even if they cannot produce high-quality goods yet, they still have their base wages. Of course, seeing others earn more can breed resentment. You and He Chunhua, and the supervisors, need to comfort these workers and ease their frustrations." Qin Hao replied, "I have done what I can.

I even introduced a policy allowing workers to stay a bit later after work to practice with the machines. That was a mistake. Once that policy was announced, everything went haywire. Many workers started staying late voluntarily, working all the way until dawn. The Xiangshi workers saw this and could not sit still. They all started working overtime too. The factory is lit up all night now. Even Li Shuyan came to ask me if I was forcing them to work." Li Sanshui chimed in, "This is great!

It shows how motivated our workers are! Under the City God's wise leadership, White Flower City will only grow more prosperous!"

"Shut up." Fang Cheng kicked Li Sanshui. The man's shameless flattery made him sick. Qin Hao was equally disgusted. He shook his head.

"What do you know? Do you think Brother Fang's principle of harmony with nature was just empty talk? People are not cultivators. They need rest. They need to work and rest in balance. That is the only way they can work well. This kind of internal competition only hurts everyone. The workers may seem tireless now, but over time, they will develop health problems. They will not be able to stand straight when they are old. They will be bedridden, relying on others to wipe their asses." Fang Cheng agreed with Qin Hao.

"Not to mention old age. At this pace, working twelve to twenty hours a day, they will cough up blood within a month and drop dead at their looms. To protect their lives, we must stop this. Every worker must follow the principle of harmony with nature." Qin Hao sighed.

"I have already tried. At the end of every shift, I send people to chase them out. But some workers sneak back in after dark, climbing over the walls. To avoid getting caught, they do not even turn on the lights. They work by candlelight. A few have injured themselves because they could not see clearly. Sigh. Why do they do this to themselves?"

"This is insane." Fang Cheng could hardly believe it. He had been a Land God for over a decade, spending his days thinking about how to slack off. He could not understand these people's craziness. Li Sanshui said, "If you ask me, it is the performance bonuses. Cancel them, and the problem goes away."

"No, no, no." Fang Cheng shook his finger.

"Fixed wages will only reduce their motivation over time. Incentives must exist." His time in Shuili City had taught him one lesson, from Instructor Zhao: "No one is interested in work, unless they are crazy." So what should he do with these enthusiastic workers? Fang Cheng thought for a moment and said, "In the end, they are doing this for the bonuses. So we need to introduce a corresponding punishment system. If anyone is caught working overtime, they will be forced to take a day off to reflect.

In addition, they will be fined based on the amount of extra work they did. The more they make, the more they pay. Haha. That will stop them from sneaking in to work overtime." Qin Hao clapped his hands.

"Yes! Brother Fang, why did I not think of that! Once this punishment system is in place, everyone will follow the principle of harmony with nature." Li Sanshui shamelessly added, "Brilliant, City God! Truly brilliant! Your subordinate is full of admiration!" Fang Cheng shrugged and kicked Li Sanshui again.

"Whether it is a small village or a big city, the fastest way to make money is to take it from others. When officials do it, they call it justice and pocket the money for themselves. But White Flower City is different. Ah Hao, if anyone is caught working overtime, we will take the fines and openly use them to subsidize the other workers. From the people, to the people. There is another benefit: the workers will start reporting those who sneak in to work overtime. The 'scabs.'"