Chapter 114: Saying No to Overtime Starts with Me

Early the next morning, Zhong Di rose before dawn. As he busied himself with chores, Zackir and his parents arrived in succession, bringing a lively bustle to the orchard with their presence.

Zackir’s full name was Zackir Yusup, which was rather unique. In his culture, the given name comes first, followed by the surname, and the surname is actually the father’s given name. That is, Zackir’s father is Yusup, whose surname is Turusun, and his father’s father would be named Turusun something or other.

After exchanging a few words, Zhong Di asked Shao Hong to show Zackir around the orchard. Judging by his expression, Zackir seemed quite pleased.

A few scattered visitors wandered in, most coming to buy vegetables or free-range eggs.

Once his chores were finished, Zhong Di began an experiment with mint and mosquito-repellent herbs. The experiment was straightforward—a control test. He prepared several pots of mint and mosquito-repellent herbs, planting them in flowerpots. For each, he sprayed half with the wild sand fairy bud, leaving the other half untouched, to observe the results.

For ideas and specific rules, Zhong Di left those to his older sister, offering only the general direction. As for whether the project would flourish, he gave it little thought; if it worked, so be it, if not, he wouldn’t bother wasting brain cells. He’d rather spend time on things that interested him—like researching mosquito-repellent herbs.

After finishing the experiment, Zhong Di reviewed the technical plan for the jujube trees. He edited and tweaked it, but remained dissatisfied, deciding not to release it for now and to observe further.

It wasn’t until afternoon that Zhong Di received a call from Qian Weining, who said the aquatic animals would arrive soon and told him to prepare. There was little to do—Zhong Di planned to simply dump them in and feed them scraps of chicken, then observe for three to five days, regardless of survival.

Soon, Qian Weining arrived with several vehicles, each loaded with a different type of seafood or freshwater fish. The equipment was impressive, with full oxygenation and warming lamps.

Zhong Di was delighted by the vibrant array of seafood; if they survived, it would be quite promising.

“Uncle Qian, this must have cost you a pretty penny!” Zhong Di joked.

“Don’t worry, your Uncle Qian has never cheated you. I met an aquaculture expert while sea fishing, and he gave me the lowest prices. The only issue is the high transport cost, but it’s manageable. I know your financial situation.”

After chatting for a bit, the two began releasing the seafood into the fish pond. Knowing there would be more sea creatures, Zhong Di had deepened the pond to more than two meters, which seemed adequate.

No ferocious fish species were introduced—only freshwater varieties. The seafood mostly consisted of shellfish, with many species Zhong Di couldn’t identify, nor did he try.

They worked for quite a while before things were settled.

Before leaving, Qian Weining mentioned the upcoming fishing tournament, which was scheduled for the twenty-fifth and ready to begin.

Zhong Di had reviewed the rules: bait and fishing rods would be standardized, provided by Qian Weining, to ensure fairness. Many experienced anglers were used to their own rods, bait, and floats, but this was a competition, not casual fishing.

Only with unfamiliar rods, bait, and other gear could a true test of skill be achieved.

Victory and defeat were straightforward, without complicated rules. The main criteria were the number of fish caught, their size, weight, length, and rarity, scored comprehensively.

Length and rarity carried greater weight; the other factors contributed less.

Champions, runners-up, and third-place winners would be selected. Additionally, the top ten would receive prizes: the champion, two hundred thousand; runner-up, one hundred thousand; third place, fifty thousand; each of the top ten, ten thousand.

Every participant would receive a standard membership card for Qian Weining’s reservoir business, which offered a ten percent discount—the most practical feature.

Most contestants were fishing enthusiasts, making them stable customers—a mutually beneficial relationship.

Zhong Di noted that next Tuesday would be the Qixi Festival.

“Shao Hong, Mom, Dad, Sis, Zackir, pause for a moment—I need to discuss something,” Zhong Di called out to his busy family, glancing at the orchard’s state, intending to hold a brief meeting to summarize future development.

He was still juggling various concerns, mainly because the orchard hadn’t fully adjusted or found its rhythm—hadn’t reached his envisioned plan.

“Why not wait till mealtime to talk? We’re busy now, no rush,” Di Chunhua interjected.

Just look at the mess here—tasks left unfinished, the newly released fish need proper attention. What if something happens?

“Meals are for eating, not for discussing work. Stop for a moment,” Zhong Di insisted.

“We can talk during a break.”

“Hold on, Mom, that’s exactly what I want to address. Starting tomorrow, we’ll officially adopt an eight-hour workday.”

“That includes Sis. We agreed to eight hours, but it’s always at least ten. Adjustments were needed before, but from tomorrow onwards, any work beyond eight hours will be refused—no overtime.”

“All work matters must be handled during working hours. In simple terms, no tasks outside work time; everyone should enjoy their leisure. Any necessary overtime will be paid at double the hourly rate.”

“That’s it—no overtime, starting with me. While we’re still on the clock, let’s finalize things, then clock out for dinner and entertainment.”

“Shao Hong, you’ll supervise this. If anyone works overtime privately, let me know.”

Seeing his mother’s reaction, Zhong Di took the opportunity to outline the policy, assigning Shao Hong to oversee it, rather than his parents.

“Zhong Di, when you work for yourself, there’s no such thing as overtime!” Even his father couldn’t help but speak up.

“Dad, we can’t let work become our whole life. Otherwise, we’d spend our entire lives working, with no life to speak of. That’s no fun. Remember when I took you fishing? Honestly, weren’t you happy?” Zhong Di countered.

He’d always believed that work should never consume life entirely. As their income improved, these ideas would gradually be implemented.

Don’t think it’s impossible. If you don’t chase luxury cars or mansions, not just for himself, but everyone working in the orchard could enjoy a good life.