Wei Qihai was now considered an all-around assistant to Chun Mian. He knew the simple procedures of making medicine. He knew how to cultivate herbs. He knew how to craft the various wooden boxes used to store the medicinal ointments. Chun Mian no longer needed Old Man Wei to find time to make her wooden boxes; Wei Qihai could handle it perfectly.
Thanks to the profits from the medicinal wine, Chun Mian started paying Wei Qihai a regular salary after the New Year. Since their grand enterprise was just getting off the ground, she set his pay relatively low: a base salary of eighteen yuan a month, plus a five percent commission on sales. Though the commission wasn't huge, it served as a good incentive.
