Man on the Street is a regular series where we talk to someone doing an everyday job, in order to gain insight into the lives of normal Chinese people.
As urban Shenzhen grows far beyond its original Special Economic Zone, plans for the city envision 100 old industrial districts and 100 urban villages redeveloped by 2020. That means more malls, of course, but also more towering residences and stripmall grocers to feed them.
That’s where we find our local “meat-selling shifu,” an amiable 30-something who spends his day between a fish tank and a wide cooler filled with cuts of meat.
Like many in the city, Yajun (he won't share his last name) isn’t from here, but moved to Shenzhen four years ago for the work. He’s been at this shop in Longhua New District for six months. While his earlier jobs all involved working with meat and he boasts the skills to kill chickens, this job generally keeps his hands clean.
“Most places are the same,” he tells us. “This one is kinda nice, since I just need to work with the meat.” Anything particular about this job that gives him satisfaction? He pauses to consider.
“A job’s a job, they’re all about the same.”
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But the problem now, he tells us, is that cooler. He waves his hands over the packages of beef and pork. “The fridge is broken.”
Don’t worry, he reassures us. The meat should be okay, if he gets rid of it all today. And he usually does.
Is the meat safe? “Totally. I eat it too. Everything’s fresh.”
And the boss will get the cooler fixed, right? “Well, ya know…” he hems and haws. “Anybody can call the repairman.” He just leaves it at that.
“The fish is all fresh, too.” That much is apparent. They’re swimming right behind him, oblivious to their impending doom.
He’s cagey about exactly how much he’s paid, but gives us the going rate in Shenzhen for a guy in his position. He likes that he’ll get a bonus for selling more. But his one complaint is about the time off.
“Government says we should get days off every week, but this is a private company. So I only get two days off a month.”
His future, like his present, is a source of ambivalence. “Ya never know what comes next. Just gotta find a job.”
THE DIRTY DETAILS
Monthly salary: approx. RMB5,000
Days per month: 28
Hours per day: 9
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[Editor's note: the images accompanying this story were captured at a similar shop in Guangzhou.]
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