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What did people talk about during Chinese New Year (apart from the Olympics and Gǔ Àilíng)?
Here are two things: money and relationships.
So that’s what we’ll discuss this week.
Conversation worth consuming: interviews with busy side-hustlers making a profit while everyone else goes on holiday for New Year.
Words of the week: idioms about battle and conflict - resisting pressures to get married when going home for Chinese New Year.
In the final section there are some member updates and recommended links for further reading in Chinese.
Enjoy!
1. CONVERSATIONS WORTH CONSUMING
CNY side-hustles
It wasn’t over-eating and endless family visits for everyone over the Chinese New Year holidays.
Interviews with hardworking side-hustlers (36Kr - in Chinese) in Beijing and Shanghai, show that some people were making some extra cash while most others were spending it.
新春佳节七天长假，对于大多人来说，是个阖家团圆的好时机。但总有人，还在背后偷偷“内卷”，即便放假也还在努力搞钱，忙着利用春节的假期，小赚一笔。
The seven-day Spring Festival holiday for most people is an opportunity to spend time with family and be together. But there are always some people who do not even rest during the holidays. They hustle while most people take a break from the pressures of ‘involuted’ work, busy making a bit of extra cash.
Popular holiday side-hustles include:
代养宠物 dài yǎng chǒngwù
pet sitting - also affectionately known as a ‘shit shovelling officer’, 铲屎官 chǎn shǐ guān
卖二手奢侈品 mài èrshǒu shēchǐ pǐn
selling second-hand luxury goods
主动报名加班 zhǔdòng bàomíng jiābān
proactively applying for over-time at big tech firms
春节减肥师 chūnjié jiǎnféi shī
Spring Festival weight loss coach
电影黄牛 diànyǐng huángniú
cinema ticket tout / scalper
There are plenty of useful words in the interviews. The whole article is well worth a read if you get a chance.
Useful words
Here are a selection of words about work, reward and timing.
春节经济 chūnjié jīngjì - Spring Festival economics
大厂们在春节期间都在备战“春节经济” - The big tech companies are preparing for economic opportunities brought about by the Spring Festival holidays.
搞钱 gǎo qián - make money
总有人，还在背后偷偷“内卷”，即便放假也还在努力搞钱，忙着利用春节的假期，小赚一笔 - There are always people who do not even rest during the holidays. They hustle while most people take a break from the pressures of ‘involuted’ work, busy making a bit of extra cash.
More: more of a slang usage compared to 挣钱 or 赚钱. Implies money made through activities which are less reputable. ‘Making a bit of extra cash on the side’.
犒劳 kào láo - reward
春节前后，会赶上各大企业的员工发年终奖，大多数女生会想买一个比较大的物件犒劳一下自己 - Around New Year is when all the big companies issue their end of year bonuses. Lots of women like to buy something quite expensive to reward themselves.
Note: 比较大 here means expensive, not big.
饱和 bǎohé - saturated, at full capacity
我初一到初七的单子就已经接满了，工作量都已经饱和了，不能再接了 - I’ve taken on as many clients as I can for the seven days of the holiday. I’m now at capacity and I can’t take on any more.
不菲 bù fěi - expensive, high price
这份工作我就不需要付出太多的时间精力，时间上也非常灵活和自由，还能获得不菲的报酬 - This job doesn’t require too much time and energy of me. It’s also flexible and there’s a lot of freedom in terms of timing. And it pays quite well too.
高潮期 gāocháo qī - peak time
第一个高潮期是在过年前，很多人都有为了回老家前减肥的需要 - The first peak period is before the Chinese New Year. That’s when lots of people want to lose weight before they go home to see their families.
忏悔期 chànhuǐ qī - period of repentance (equivalent of Dry January)
还有一个就是过年后，在放纵吃喝后，大家就会进入忏悔期，也有这方面的需要 - And the next peak is after the New Year. That’s at time when people repent after over-indulging themselves. They need support to lose weight at this time too.
放纵 fàngzòng - indulgence
买菜钱 mǎi cài qián - money to buy groceries; pocket money, extra cash
我其实只能算是个小代理，想在春节期间赚点买菜钱 - I’m just a small agent, making a bit of money on the side - a bit of extra pocket money.
图一乐 tú yī lè - do something you enjoy
也挺感兴趣这个行业的，而且这个也不会耽误太多时间，就是图一乐 - This industry really interests me. And it also doesn’t take up too much time. It’s just a bit of fun for me.
