Chapter 34: You Will Definitely Become the Store Manager

It was already close to noon, and the Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant was bustling with guests from all over the country. Those who had come to the capital city, if their economic conditions allowed, would inevitably want to taste the Quanjude roast duck, which even national leaders praised highly.

The four of them waited at the entrance for more than ten minutes before a young female server came out to lead them inside. She didn't look very old, perhaps only sixteen or seventeen years old. Her oval face was still somewhat innocent, and a prominent beauty mark above her right lip added to her charm. She could be considered a rare beauty. Fang Mingyuan couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her somewhere before.

The server led the four to a corner by the window and asked with a smile, "Are you here to eat duck? How many do you want? We only serve whole ducks, not parts. And the ducks do take some time to prepare."

Bai Bin looked at the elderly Mr. Fang and his wife, who in turn looked at Fang Mingyuan. Over the past few days, they had developed a tacit understanding: Mr. Fang would always pay the bill, but Fang Mingyuan would decide what to eat and how to eat it. The more he looked at her, the more he felt he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where. He decided to try to jog his memory. "Sister, we've come from afar to try your Quanjude roast duck. Could you introduce it to us first?"

The server smiled even more sweetly. "You've come at the right time. Our roast ducks are the most tender and succulent during the winter and spring. They are sliced and served immediately, with crispy skin and tender meat, making them the most delicious. We have three methods of slicing the duck: the traditional way, which slices the duck into almond shapes; another method slices it into willow leaf strips; and the third method separates the skin and meat. The skin is crispy and fragrant, and the meat is thin and not crumbly. When wrapped in a pancake, it is crispy, fragrant, and tender, and you'll definitely want to come back for more."

"Can you provide takeout here? Can we make a reservation?" Fang Mingyuan asked. Such delicious food, shared only among four people, seemed a bit stingy. He planned to take two ducks back for his uncle and aunt to enjoy. Even though they were in the capital, it wasn't easy to get Quanjude roast duck.

The female server looked slightly surprised at the three elderly men before answering, "Yes, we do provide takeout and accept reservations. However, if you make a reservation now, the earliest you can pick them up is around four or five in the afternoon."

"Grandpa, the four of us, you, me, and Grandma, aren't big eaters. Let's just order one duck, shall we? And two more dishes should be enough. We can also reserve two more ducks to take home for my mom and uncle to enjoy, okay?" Fang Mingyuan asked for Mr. Fang's opinion. Such a filial thought, Mr. Fang naturally wouldn't refuse. Bai Bin also showed a pleased expression. Such a delicacy, in most families, would only be enjoyed during the New Year or other special occasions, let alone Quanjude roast duck.

"What condiments would you like? We have three options: sweet bean sauce with scallions, which can be paired with cucumber and radish strips; garlic paste with soy sauce, which can also be paired with radish strips. The garlic paste adds a spicy flavor to the fresh and fragrant duck, and many customers prefer this condiment; and the third option is sugar, which is suitable for women and children," the server continued.

"I don't want the sugar one. I'll take the first option!" Fang Mingyuan immediately made his choice.

"What main dishes would you like? For our roast duck, we mainly serve lotus leaf pancakes. Our pancakes are free of burnt spots and raw white spots. When you hold them up to the light, you can see that they are evenly thin, and they don't break when you roll them with the duck. They are also very chewy."

Fang Mingyuan also ordered traditional Quanjude dishes like fried duck liver, stir-fried duck strips with vegetables, and duck oil egg custard, along with a bowl of duck bone soup. The female server's eyes sparkled at his choices—this child was too experienced in dealing with people!

"Sister, there are so many roast duck restaurants in the capital. Why is Quanjude the most famous?" Fang Mingyuan asked, feigning curiosity. The server, caught in his conversation, had to hand the menu to a colleague to take to the kitchen.

She thought for a moment and then said, "Little boy, the reason Quanjude roast duck is the best in the capital and famous worldwide is because of the following characteristics. First, the quality of our ducks is guaranteed. All our roast ducks are premium Beijing ducks, which are plump, tender, and have a thick layer of fat, making them very tasty. Quanjude has its own duck farm, where we raise the ducklings we purchase from outside to ensure their quality. Second, our chefs are highly skilled! Lastly, our roast ducks are full-bodied, with a chestnut-red color, crispy skin, and tender meat. They are delicious and not greasy, with a significant difference in taste compared to other roast duck restaurants."

"Sister, why is the character '德' (de) on the Quanjude sign missing a stroke?" Fang Mingyuan was purely making conversation to keep her from leaving. He already knew the answer from his previous life.

"Huh? Is that true?" The three elderly men were somewhat surprised. Could a well-known old brand have a misspelled sign? With so many intellectuals in the capital, how could no one have pointed it out in all these years? Bai Bin even went out to take a look and confirmed that the '德' character on the sign was indeed missing a stroke.

"Little boy, you are really observant." The server's face clearly showed surprise. Most people who came to Quanjude were focused on the ducks and rarely noticed the sign, let alone children.

"Actually, this is not a misspelling. In ancient Chinese, the character '德' sometimes had a stroke and sometimes did not. If any of you are in the archaeology field, you can verify this. For example, the '德' character on the 'Jingde Tongbao' coins cast during the Northern Song Dynasty's Zhenzong period has no stroke, while the '德' character on the 'Xuande Tongbao' coins cast during the Ming Dynasty's Xuangzong period has a stroke. If any of you are skilled in calligraphy, you can also find this in the works of famous calligraphers. For instance, Zheng Banqiao, who wrote 'Nandehu Tu,' sometimes wrote the '德' character without the stroke. Moreover, the '德' character in the 'Daxue Bei' (The Great Learning Stele) written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty in the Imperial Academy of Beijing also lacks the middle stroke. Therefore, both ways of writing the character were correct in ancient times. To maintain the historical authenticity of our sign, the '德' character on the Quanjude sign has always been missing a stroke." The server answered quickly, exactly as Fang Mingyuan knew from his previous life.

"You are so smart, knowing so much!" Fang Mingyuan clapped his hands in approval.

The server's face turned slightly red. "Actually, it's nothing. My name is Yang Jing, and the founder of Quanjude, Yang Quanren, is my great-grandfather. My father taught me all this knowledge. I'm here for a winter internship."

Fang Mingyuan immediately understood. He remembered that this was the beautiful store manager of the Qianmen branch of Quanjude! In his previous life, when they sometimes came to Quanjude for a meal, he had noticed the employee photos hanging in the store, and the store manager of the Qianmen branch was a beautiful woman. Fang Mingyuan had even specifically looked at her name, which was Yang Jing, and the store's servers had confirmed that she was indeed a descendant of Quanjude's founder, Yang Quanren. No wonder he always felt he had seen her somewhere before.

"Sister, with your dedication, you will definitely become the store manager here!" Fang Mingyuan whispered to Yang Jing.

"Hehe, I'll take your good words, and if that day comes, I'll treat you to as much roast duck as you want!" Yang Jing replied with a smile.

"Napoleon once said, 'A soldier who does not want to be a general is not a good soldier.' Today, I say, 'A server who does not want to be a store manager is not a good server.' Sister Yang, I believe you will fulfill this promise one day!" Fang Mingyuan encouraged her.

"I'm determined to have this roast duck!" he thought to himself with a smile.

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