Nuwa gently threw her leather gloves down on the table and stared up with clear eyes at everyone in the room and lastly at the three richly dressed men seated in front of her.
She then calmly proceeded to pick the last wine goblet from the table and drank the bitter but sweet drink as everyone stared at her in amazement.
Nuwa's father and mother looked warily at each other but could say nothing in the end. Only Nuwa's older brother stood beside her with pride in his eyes.
~ BAM!!~
The empty cup slammed on the table besides four other empty goblets and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Nuwa's parents also gave a relieved smile.
Nuwa turned to the 'guests' and smirked.
She further shocked everyone in the room by speaking in the official merchant's language of Niti.
"That's five cups, Merchant Ces. Can we proceed now?" Her eyes was sparkling with no hint of intoxication at all. She looked just the same as when she had first invited them in.
"By the moons!" The oldest of the three men cursed in astonishment and rushed over from his seat to the young Nuwa to shake her hands.
" Only NOW can I believe that you are indeed that infamous Shangsi of the Kajiu village. Child, how old are you? How can you be such a good drinker and a genius at such a young age?!" The old and experienced merchant could not believe his eyes as he openly examined the little girl who looked to be only around 14 or 15 years old.
Nuwa smiled and shook the older man's hand politely. She calmly stared into the eyes of the leader of the merchant group and spoke.
"Merchant Ces , you praise me too much. I am already 14 years old this year." Nuwa bowed to him and the rest of his group.
The merchant was openly startled. He had been right about her age.
"It is only that I look very young for my age. I am no genius at all, merchant Ces. My family and I worked very hard for today's gathering. Please come this way and I will show you more of our goods." Nuwa was short for her age but with the help of her 18 year old older brother who she painfully raised to be big and strong, she led the merchants into the next room.
The whole drama of her drinking the five strong cups of wine had occurred when the three merchants had showed their unwillingness to discuss business with a young peasant girl of the small Kajiu village. They felt insulted and wanted to meet with the real 'Shangsi' of the Kijiu village who in mere three years had managed to revive the dying refugee tribe and had made it into a fast developing village.
The merchants were heavy drinkers and also mid-level wine distributers to the great capital. Thus, they put heavy importance on their business partners being able to handle their drinks well.
Such was the world of their business.
In spite of heavy objections from her parents and villagers, Nuwa drank the five types of wine that she herself had created in front of the merchants and showed her prowess by appearing unfazed.
Nuwa continued to explain in the Niti language.
"Over here we have the main distillery. Right now we have about five people managing it including myself. But during festivals or when an ordered is placed, over a hundred people come together to manage it. But for the fruit wine , an order has to be placed a month prior or they have to check with us first because our fruit wine has a special technique which is unfortunately much more time and material consuming and its price is also a lot more expensive and we produce limited jars per two months only. This is the grain that we are currently using for most of our fruitless wines as my village's soil can grow the best of its types."
Nuwa grabbed a handful of yellow grains and showed it to the merchant named Ces while she explained.
Merchant Ces smelled the grain and nodded while he handed some over to his fellow merchants.
"I am amazed! I never knew that this common grain could produce such a fine drink. I was shocked the first time I tried this drink at the commoners market." The second merchant said as he also looked over the yellow grains.
Nuwa nodded with a smile.
Through the commoners market was how Nuwa had managed to entice the mid level merchants to travel so far to their village.
" This grain can also make varieties of preserve foods. But I am afraid that this type of food is not appropriate for such affluent men as yourselves. Only us commoners eat it because it can last all year long and the taste is not that bad." Nuwa said politely.
"Nonsense! What kind of poor or rich food have this old man not tried before. Bring it! Bring it! Today we shall try all the delicacies of Kijiu village!" The thoroughly complimented merchant said with delight. He had not heard of food that could last all year long. With the tension in the country's borders, such food would be deeply appreciated. He could practically hear the sound of gold coins falling into his bottomless purse already.
Nuwa smirked inconspicuously and spoke to a man twice her size and twice her age. " Bring the grain cakes and while you are at it bring the grain chips too."
Her fellow villager rushed off to do her bidding.
"Child, this distillery is great and all but what about the main filter system, You can't say that this is everything? For such fineness and sweet taste, it would need a higher filter system. All your wine produces tastes like they have been aged for ten years and more. This old man would like to see the full process in order to make my decision. What do you say?" The old merchant asked as he went through the barrels. He spoke like he was just having a simple talk and not like he was trying to find out the secrets to making such fine wine that even the best in the capital might not be able to produce.
" You are right Merchant Ces. But this is the only main distillery that we have or should I say the most used one. Although indeed a more complex filter is done after the main process, only one person knows what to do and what to add in the last aging process.." Nuwa added thoughtfully.
Merchant Ces turned towards Nuwa with a sharp glint in his eyes.
" Is that person you?" The Merchant Ces asked with a greedy smile.