This chapter has been stolen from volarenovels. Please read from the original source!
âSleepy birds return to the forest at dusk, floating clouds return to the mountain when itâs clear. Congratulations to Guilin Restaurant for its grand reopening!â
Guilin Restaurant, Guilin Restaurant?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
So itâs Guilin Restaurant!
Many of the old gourmands standing below the stage had a sudden spark of realisation. Following that, they shouted out in excitement.
Others in the crowd stared strangely at the old foodies.
A white-bearded old gourmand posed in deep thought as he stroked his beard. He made sure that the people around him were itching with curiosity before he started speaking, âThis Guilin Restaurant is one of the old well-known restaurants in the capital. Itâs located where the entrance of the old west market used to be.â
So it was a restaurant!
The crowd finally realised what was going on.
After such a huge buzz, it was just a restaurant? And here they were thinking that it was some grand event!
The news spread quickly, and the originally festive atmosphere brought about by the lion dancers and the lively song dampened a little.
Some people reacted with disdain.
âI was wondering what was going on. So itâs just the opening of a restaurant, and an old poor one at that. Itâs even located in that desolate old west market. Does the owner of the restaurant even know how to do business? Whoâs going to go to a place like that?â
âA restaurant? They actually dared to open a restaurant? There are already over ten or more famous restaurants on Zhuque Avenue alone. Theyâre really overestimating themselves.â
âI think we can all just leave now. What else are you waiting for? Letâs go, letâs go!â
Not far off, the watching Manager Qin smirked.
By this time, a young server had come up to greet him. âMaster Qin.â
âIs everything ready?â
The server stood to the side and revealed the things arranged behind him.
âThe other five points in the city are also ready.â
Manager Qinâs gaze landed on the three mid-sized jars behind the server and he nodded at the young man.
âBring them up.â
The server immediately called up a few men behind him to help.
Just as the crowd was about to disperse, Manager Qin walked up onto the stage.
The moment he entered the stage, the drummers in the troupe hit their drums with two forceful strokes.
The crowdâs attention was once again drawn to the stage.
Manager Qin was dressed in a sapphire blue brocade robe. His black hair was tucked away neatly into his headpiece. Dressed as he was, he didnât seem like a servant; rather, he seemed more like a scholar.
Manager Qin was someone who knew how to give off a good impression. He bowed slightly in a semicircle facing the crowd, instantly drawing their favour.
With a slightly raised voice, he said courteously, âItâs the opening of my masterâs restaurant today. Firstly, thank you all for coming.â
After this first line, Manager Qin bowed to the crowd once again before continuing.
âMy master would like to pass on these words. Guilin Restaurant is one of the old restaurants in this capital after all, so it wouldnât be good if it were to fail in her hands. For todayâs opening, my master has specially instructed me to treat everyone to a taste of Guilin Restaurantâs cooking. If you think itâs good, you can draw a lot to win a seat at todayâs free tasting feast in Guilin Restaurant. My master said this: weâre going to make our Guilin Restaurant the best restaurant in this capital, or quit the business entirely!â
Wow, what a boast!
Manager Qinâs words had practically drawn all the hatred of the other restaurants.
His words had offended all the famous restaurants in the capital at once. Quite a few of the people in the crowd today were the managers and servers of the big restaurants in the capital!
Without waiting for those managers and servers to stand out to scold him, some of the ardent supporters of those restaurants had already stepped up.
âNonsense! Itâs obviously Yuehong Restaurant that makes the best food in the capital!â
â...what?! Itâs Deâan Restaurantâs feast thatâs the best! Youâre just a nameless little rascal, how dare you talk so wildly!â
......
The huge crowd of people had a favourable impression of this scholarly manager at first. However, after his great boast, they only thought that he couldnât tell good from bad and was too cheeky for his own good.
In an instant, the sounds of chiding and cursing filled the area below the stage.
TL Note: âSleepy birds return to the forest at dusk, floating clouds return to the mountain when itâs clear.â â This is a pretty Chinese poem incorporating Guilinâs name, which means âreturn to the forestâ.
Regarding the managers, servers, and other staff of the restaurant, the modern English terms donât quite match the context of the ancient Chinese restaurant staff, but I tried my best so that we donât have more pinyin terms in the text.
Manager â runs the restaurant on behalf of an owner/master
Server â mid-level staff who can wait on tables and settle bills
Runner â welcomes customers from the street, waits on tables
Why not âwaiterâ? Well, the servers here are doing all sorts of menial labour too, which is not quite related to the term âwaiterâ, which makes me think of high-class restaurants. I thought that âserverâ might be a more neutral term. Give me your thoughts on this!
Customers will also call for the staff by their titles, but it would be weird to hear, âServer! Runner!â so this might be replaced by âWaiter!â when it appears. >w<