The drinking gatherings usually started from dusk. At the beginning of the banquet, starters comprising of “four big bowls and four small bowls” (the Big Four and Small Four) would be served. After that, the “Flower Notepaper” would be given to the “Flour Water” to call the prostitute to “join the occasion”. The prostitute, after accompanying the drinkers to enjoy the singing performance, would take leave. At about 11 or 12 o’clock, the “Last Course” （Main Course）comprising of “eight big bowls and eight small bowls” (the Big Eight and Small Eight) was formally served. “The Big Eight” included Chinese sausages, roast duck, spare ribs, braised duck with chestnuts, diced chicken, stewed mushrooms, minced chicken with corn and roast pork. At this time, the prostitutes would return to the restaurant and “join the banquet” with the clients – having intimate conversations, feeding food to entertain, pulling and dragging, whispering sweet talks…

At the banquet, the host and the guests were usually accompanied by one to several prostitutes, who sat at their back and drank with them. Therefore, the prostitutes were called “Hou Tu” (Goddess / Earth at the Back). Those guests with no girls at the back would be teased as “being desolate at the back”, which was very defeating and disgraceful.

After the banquet, the interested guest would go to the brothel with the prostitute for “Da Shui Wai” (playing water circle), which meant to have tea and fruits, smoke or take opium, and continue with their intimate talks. At this time, the bawd and the prostitute would boldly play tricks on the client. The most common one was to let the client wait boringly in the living room while the prostitute went back to her room to play mahjong with her sisterly friends, went out to the restaurant or cinema for entertainment, or even secretly met up with her lover. Unless the client was willing to tender more cash or was able to please the bawd and the prostitute with his ingenuity and creative ideas, he would have to “sit there for a longer while” endlessly, and continue to be the legendary “Dry-Fried Garoupa” in the gossips that spread amongst the prostitutes.