In the city, merchants usually approached the martial arts school to request specific services, and the school would assign the appropriate men. The school paid the men based on their skill level, with a fixed monthly salary. Any additional tips from clients were extra income.
Zhang Fangyuan and Zhuang Qi reviewed this payment system. While the fixed monthly salary made it easier for the school to manage payments, it also led to some men slacking off during training and avoiding difficult tasks, hoping for tips that were hard to come by.
Knowing which clients were generous with tips, the men would compete for those jobs, while avoiding clients known to be difficult or stingy.
After discussing the issue, Zhang Fangyuan and Zhuang Qi decided to implement a new payment system based on performance.
The fixed monthly salary would be half the market rate for martial artists. Additional bonuses would be awarded based on the number of tasks completed each month. For example, completing ten tasks in a month would earn a bonus of 100 copper coins, fifteen tasks would earn 150 copper coins, and so on. If a man brought in business independently, the commission would count as two, three, or even four tasks, depending on the amount.
When recruiting, Zhuang Qi explained this payment system to the applicants. Many men were intrigued by the novel approach, while others, more conservative, were put off by the lower base salary and chose to join other schools.
The new system meant they missed out on some experienced martial artists, but those who couldn’t accept the school’s rules weren’t worth keeping.
The men who stayed agreed to the terms, though many secretly believed it was just another way to exploit them. Most of these men were strong but uneducated, and they doubted they could bring in business. If they could, they thought, why wouldn’t they just run their own schools?
But with the post-disaster economy struggling and fewer job opportunities, they had no choice but to accept the conditions.
At first, business was slow. Unlike food or cloth shops, which attracted casual customers, the martial arts school offered labor services. Unless someone needed help, they wouldn’t just walk in.
Without established connections, the school struggled initially. The owners had few tasks to assign, and the men had even fewer opportunities to earn.
Under these conditions, even if the men wanted to work hard, there simply weren’t enough tasks to go around.
Having already joined the school, the men didn’t want to leave without earning their first month’s pay. So, they turned their attention to the previously daunting task of finding their own business.
After completing their daily training, the men without assigned tasks would go out in groups to look for work along the streets and docks.
For the first few days, they returned empty-handed. Zhang Fangyuan and Zhuang Qi didn’t scold them for failing to find work, and over time, some men stopped going out, while others persisted.
“Master! Master!”
One day, as Zhang Fangyuan was visiting the school, Xu He had bought some venison from the market to prepare a special dinner for the children’s day off. He sent Zhang Fangyuan to invite Zhuang Qi and Xiaomao to join them.
As Zhang Fangyuan was about to leave, a young, slightly nervous-looking martial artist rushed in, calling for Zhuang Qi.
Worried something had happened, Zhang Fangyuan followed him back inside.
“Squire Zhang in the southern part of the city just had a son and is planning a big banquet for the full moon celebration. He needs help moving dishes and pots for the feast since his family is short on manpower. Should we take the job?”
It wasn’t a big job, and many martial arts schools would turn it down, but the young man had come back to ask for permission.
Zhuang Qi replied with one word: “Take it!”
The young man jumped for joy.
“The commission isn’t high. Can it count as extra tasks?”
Zhang Fangyuan, standing at the door, chuckled. “Did you bring in this business?”
The young man, recognizing Zhang Fangyuan as the school’s owner, replied respectfully, “Yes.”
“Then it counts as two tasks.”
The man was even happier, punching the air a few times. “Thank you, Master.”
As he turned to leave, Zhang Fangyuan called him back. “Wait.”
“I can count this as four tasks, but I have a condition.”
The man’s eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped closer to Zhang Fangyuan.
The school had been sending men out to find business for nearly ten days, and this was the first success. Everyone was curious.
Zhang Fangyuan decided to satisfy their curiosity.
“Go where the crowds are, but make sure it’s for good reasons. If there’s a fight or trouble, stay away. Even though such situations might bring in business, we don’t take jobs that involve breaking the rules. Look for places like banquets or large households that might need extra hands.”
“Most people won’t approach you to ask if you’re available. If you’re lucky, someone might talk to you, but if they’re in a bad mood, you might get scolded. That’s why I always carry this.”
The martial artists gathered in the courtyard as the young man who had found the job stood on the training platform, explaining his method. He held up a wooden sign that read: “Martial Artist for Hire!”
The men laughed.
The young man tapped the sign. “Don’t laugh. I learned this after days of trying. I made this sign, and within two days, I got a job. Isn’t that better than wandering around like a mute?”
He hadn’t wanted to share his secret, but since the master had agreed to count it as four tasks, he decided to share his success.
Zhang Fangyuan, standing nearby, added, “Well done. Everyone should brainstorm and find their own methods. Xiao Ba is a living example.”
The men chuckled shyly, but the next day, each of them carried a sign.
The signs varied. Some copied Xiao Ba’s, while others got creative, writing things like: “Need a martial artist? Call Ji'an Martial Arts School, so-and-so…”
Zhang Fangyuan found the signs amusing. Even if some people couldn’t read, seeing so many signs would pique their curiosity, making the signs more effective than posting notices in the market.
Zhuang Qi even had the men add the school’s address in small print at the bottom of their signs.
With this new approach, several men earned second-tier bonuses in the first month, their pay surpassing the market rate. This motivated the others to work even harder.
Seeing the men’s enthusiasm and the school’s business visibly improving, Zhang Fangyuan felt reassured and stopped visiting the school daily, leaving the management to Zhuang Qi.
He told Xu He, “It looks like the days of sitting back and collecting money aren’t far off.”
“We’ve just started. Let’s wait and see.”
Xu He, seeing Zhang Fangyuan in a good mood after a busy period, took out a few sheets of paper. “Take a look. Teacher Luo has started teaching the children to write. These are today’s practice sheets.”
Thank you so much for the update!!!!
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