After eating and drinking their fill, more people came by to peddle fruits and fragrant herbs—excellent remedies for sobering up. If you felt tired, there were even people offering to massage your back and feet. In short, whatever you could think of, this place would try its best to satisfy you. After this meal, Edward Harris truly experienced the service of a “proper establishment” in Lin’an’s restaurants—this level of service was far superior to that of modern restaurants, not just by a little, but by a huge margin. It was truly a godly experience.

The so-called “proper establishments” were like today’s star-rated hotels. There were nearly a hundred of them throughout Lin’an, and countless other inns besides. Considering that nearly every one of the city’s million-plus residents was accustomed to dining out, one could imagine just how many restaurants were needed to meet the demand.

According to Brian Clark, these establishments even offered home service. If you wanted to host a banquet at home, there were “contractors” who would rent out utensils, supply food and drink, write invitation letters, arrange seating, and provide attendants for the event—everything could be taken care of as long as you paid. Most importantly, the food industry operated night markets and provided all-night service, from dawn until the fifth watch, with different dishes available at different times. For customers, it was incredibly convenient—if you had money, you could truly enjoy yourself.

What an eye-opener! After this meal, Edward Harris realized just how many of his previous notions about ancient people had been overturned. From this small glimpse, it was clear how professional every industry in this society was. If modern society didn’t have electricity, the Southern Song would definitely be far superior to the new era. This was Edward Harris’s genuine thought after returning home!

“Wei’er, why did you come back so late?” Grace Walker had been waiting for Edward Harris in his room the whole time. Edward had gone out in the morning and hadn’t been seen until after dark, so Grace Walker didn’t dare leave.

“Mother, I made you worry. I only returned after dining out with Big Brother.” Edward Harris replied respectfully. He truly respected Grace Walker from the bottom of his heart—not only for her meticulous care when he was injured, but also for the deep motherly love he could always feel from her.

For example, right now, if he were the real Edward Harris, he might have complained about his mother’s nagging. But as someone with the soul of an adult, he could now appreciate the concern in her gaze—there was so much love in it…

“You didn’t disturb Young Master’s studies, did you?” Grace Walker asked. Young Master studied at the Imperial Academy every day, so it wouldn’t be good to disturb him.

But if Grace Walker knew that Edward Harris had spent the whole afternoon with him at the gambling house, she might not have had the same expression.

“No, of course not.” Edward Harris knew that if he told the truth, not only would he be in trouble, but Big Brother would be as well.

“That’s good. In the future, when you go out with Young Master, you should pay attention and learn from him. Strive to attend the Imperial Academy yourself one day.” Grace Walker said. Not long ago, her greatest wish was for Edward Harris to recover quickly. Now, her biggest hope was for Edward Harris to enter school as soon as possible, because only then would he have a chance to pursue an official career or secure his rightful place in the Han household.

Learn from him? Does she mean gambling? Edward Harris didn’t want that kind of role model. As for William Harris, he just wanted to rely on his status and position to make his own life in the Han household more carefree and comfortable. On the way home, he had torn up the IOU from the afternoon right in front of William Harris. As a result, when they got home, Young Master and Edward Harris walked in with their arms around each other, looking even closer than real brothers.

Seeing Edward Harris return safely, Grace Walker was finally at ease. She gave a few more reminders before leaving. As soon as Grace Walker left, Edward Harris immediately closed the gate to the small courtyard and locked the door to his room. Only then did he carefully take out the “Four Classics of Internal Energy” from his chest and sit at the table, fully focused on reading it.

Chapter 12: Feeling Good About Himself

Following the first diagram, Edward Harris sat cross-legged on the bed, palms together, legs pressed together, eyes closed, lips sealed, carefully regulating his breathing—inhaling and exhaling solely through his nose.

After an hour, Edward Harris finally sensed a faint feeling. Practicing qi required not only innate talent, but also strong self-confidence—both of which Edward Harris clearly possessed.

The “Four Classics of Internal Energy” consisted of four texts: “Classic of Internal Energy,” “Classic of Accepting Trigrams,” “Classic of Divine Movement,” and “Classic of Earth Dragon.” The “Classic of Internal Energy” was for cultivation, the “Classic of Accepting Trigrams” for explanation, and the “Classic of Divine Movement” and “Classic of Earth Dragon” were about application. The most fundamental and important aspect was the body’s various meridians and acupoints.

If the book didn’t have illustrations, Edward Harris probably wouldn’t know the exact locations of these acupoints. But with the diagrams for reference, he could achieve twice the result with half the effort. Although he couldn’t memorize all the meridians and acupoints, he was at least very clear about the ones he needed for now.

He slowly took a deep breath, and as he inhaled, he visualized a surge of warmth at the Yongquan acupoint on the soles of his feet, then slowly rising to his flanks, from the flanks up to the chest, from the chest up behind the ears, and finally to the Niwan point.

As he exhaled, he visualized the warmth moving from the Niwan point to the Yintang, then down to the nose, from the nose to the throat, from the throat to the spine, from the spine through to the chest, and from the chest sinking to the dantian. In this way, the dantian would be filled with qi.