"Young Harris, here are the ten guan I borrowed from you, plus two guan in interest. I won't be joining you all." As soon as Alice Bennett heard they were going to Wulin Tower, he immediately took out twelve guan and handed them to Edward Harris.

"No rush, no rush," said Edward Harris. The money he had just lent out that afternoon was being repaid so soon, so of course Edward Harris responded politely.

"You may not be in a hurry, but I am. By tomorrow, I'll owe you fourteen guan, the day after that sixteen, and the day after that..."

"Mr. Bennett, say no more. I'll accept it, but there's no need to mention the interest—it's not even been a full day yet." Edward Harris only took back the ten guan and also returned the IOU.

"Alright, Young Harris, I'm definitely making you my friend." Alice Bennett didn't argue further, took back the two guan, and left gracefully.

"Little Harris, that young eunuch seems to have a good impression of you," Brian Clark said with a smile.

"Young eunuch?" Edward Harris couldn't recall what that was for a moment.

"That's a court eunuch. Don't be fooled by their low status—they serve the royal family. It's best not to offend people like that if you can help it. You never know when you might need their help," Brian Clark explained.

So, he was a eunuch. Now Edward Harris understood. Weren't eunuchs supposed to sound like roosters? But Alice Bennett's voice didn't sound any different from his own.

Edward Harris forgot how old they were now—Alice Bennett was only two or three years older than Edward Harris, still in adolescence, so his voice hadn't changed much yet.

On the way to Wulin Tower, Edward Harris noticed that it seemed like a lot of taverns had suddenly sprung up on both sides of the street. Inside, the noise of people was deafening and every seat was taken, and it looked like all the customers were ordinary folks. Seeing Edward Harris's surprise, Brian Walker explained that during the Southern Song, people in Lin'an basically didn't eat at home, which was why there were thousands of taverns in the city. Especially at dinnertime, you had to reserve a table in advance at most restaurants and taverns. It was actually easier to get a seat at noon, since many restaurants in Lin'an served rice bowls with toppings, so customers could eat as soon as they ordered—almost like modern fast food.

Chapter 11: Seeing Is Believing

As soon as they reached the outside of Wulin Tower, Edward Harris was startled by the lively scene inside. The place was brightly lit and packed with people. Waiters bustled back and forth, loudly announcing dish names, often carrying dishes in both hands—sometimes more than one plate at a time, even balancing them on their arms. Yet they moved swiftly, without spilling a single drop of soup.

"Welcome, gentlemen! The first and second floors are fully booked; only a few private rooms are left on the third floor. Would that suit you?" As soon as they reached the entrance, a sharp-looking waiter came up to greet them.

"Lead the way," said William Harris. He had thought he would lose everything today and end up deep in debt, but thanks to his third brother's lucky streak, he now had dozens of guan to his name. It wasn't exactly an overnight fortune, but it was enough to host a meal in a private room at Wulin Tower.

The private room was indeed elegant. Besides being quiet, there were vases with fresh flowers at the door and on the table. Several calligraphy and painting scrolls hung on the walls. Edward Harris couldn't really appreciate them, but judging by the many collector's seals, he could tell they were valuable.

As soon as they sat down, someone came in with a wine pot, skillfully set out cups for everyone, and poured the wine. "This is our house's Jinbo wine. Please enjoy."

Serving wine before the food? That hadn't happened when he came in the morning.

Seeing Edward Harris's curiosity, Brian Clark quickly explained, "This is called 'presenting the bottle and offering wine.' When we drink it, it's called 'officials' wine.' If you're not a strong drinker, just have a taste. But Wulin Tower's Jinbo wine, Fengle Tower's Meishou wine, Xinle Tower's Xianlao wine, Hele Tower's Qiongjiang wine, Yuxian Tower's Yuye wine, Huixian Tower's Yuxu wine, Shi Tower's Biguang wine, and Gaoyang Inn's Liuxia wine are the signature wines of the eight great taverns of Lin'an."

"You're too kind, sir," the waiter said proudly. After all, there were nearly a hundred famous taverns in Lin'an, but only eight were so highly praised. Just being associated with them made his back a little straighter.

After drinking the officials' wine, William Harris casually handed a hui coin to the waiter. Then someone else brought over the "kanpan," which was the menu. As William Harris ordered, the waiter would loudly announce each dish, and the "dangtou" in the kitchen would record the order and prepare the dishes in sequence.

After ordering about ten dishes, William Harris returned the menu. "My brother isn't much of a drinker. Do you have any seasonal cold drinks?"

Cold drinks? Edward Harris almost wondered if he was back in modern times. He'd read time-travel novels where people invented ice cream and ice cubes as soon as they arrived in the past, but here cold drinks already existed.

"Our house offers sweet red bean paste, coconut wine, dou'er water, pear nectar, pickled plum water, ginger honey, papaya juice, and agarwood water. Which would the young gentleman prefer?"

There was quite a variety. Edward Harris said, "I'll have a bowl of papaya juice."

Although Wulin Tower was very busy, the dishes came out quickly. Before long, all the ordered dishes were served. While the others drank Jinbo wine, Edward Harris enjoyed his papaya juice. During the meal, someone came in to play music and sing. Brian Clark requested a song, but after listening for a while, Edward Harris still couldn't make sense of it.