A tofu vendor goes out every morning with two baskets full of tofu attached to the back of his bicycle. He enjoys this morning routine. Every day by 11 AM he’s back at home after selling all the tofu.
His neighbor, a businessman, follows his routine due to the sound of guitar every day from 11 AM coming from the tofu vendor’s house. This tofu vendor enjoys singing and playing guitar to spend the rest of the day. Sometimes he runs errands in the afternoon.
The businessman offers the tofu vendor some investment to extend his tofu business. “If you can sell more tofu, you’ll earn more money.” The tofu vendor takes the offer. He works diligently to sell more tofu.
Because all tofu have to be sold in the morning while they’re fresh, he hires two more vendors to help him sell all the tofu. The businessman notices the progress of his neighbor’s business. Every day, he hears the guitar starting only at 2 PM.
One day, he no longer hears the guitar at all. He goes to his neighbor to ask. The tofu (now) businessman says that he has to count all the money received from the other vendors so he can calculate the profit and prepare for the next day. That is a lot of work, because now he has more money to worry about. If he doesn’t make sure all money is properly booked, he won’t be able to pay the vendor’s wages.
One day, the businessman starts hearing the guitar again at 11 AM! He jumps to his neighbor to ask. The tofu (now back to) vendor says that he stops the business. He doesn’t like worrying about too much money and having less time to enjoy singing and playing guitar. And actually, he never has problem with the amount of money he earns by himself alone selling tofu.
“All that is enough to support my life. I’m not asking for more,” he says.
PS: This story was told to my aunt by a late (very social) great uncle. Both were born on Java, Indonesia.
