As the sun begins to rise, so too does the sound of clanging and clattering—a cacophony of pots and pans crescendos, accompanied by the clinking of liquor jars being shuffled about.
Suddenly, the door is thrust open.
Ms. Xu: Rise and shine, girl! It's the liquor permit day. Guests are coming. It's going to be a long day. If only they would go to work as early as they come to the tavern ...
Ms. Xu: Huh? Why are you sleeping on the floor?
Ms. Xu: Did you fall down in your sleep? Get up, come on, don't get cold.
Jiu: Don't wanna wake up ...
Jiu: Sleep is good ...
Ms. Xu: What a lazy girl! No work, no food. You're not going to steal from me like you did from those vendors on the street.
Ms. Xu: I'll get you to work!
Ms. Xǔ swiftly lifts the sluggard from the ground, dusts off the dirt from her body, wipes her face, and pushes her out the door.
It seems that, for the first time in years, Jiǔ is not allowed to wake up on her own accord.
Ms. Xu: In the tavern, our business is to sell people liquor and earn money.
Ms. Xu: To work here, you'll need to be able to recognize all the liquors. Whatever the customer orders, we serve them.
Ms. Xu: Every patron, rich or poor, has their own preferences. It is only through matching those preferences that you make money in this business. A wealthy man won't always want the most expensive wine, and a poor man won't always want the cheapest.
Ms. Xu: Your first task is to memorize all the names of the different liquors.
Jiu: I don't want to do business. Too sleepy.
Jiu: And I don't want to remember anything. The street is better. I just take whatever I want.
Ms. Xu: Taking things without permission is called stealing. That's what thieves do.
Ms. Xu: Listen, here in my tavern, you need to work to get food. Otherwise, I'll only give you water.
Ms. Xu: Sweetie, every living person needs a certain job to make a living.
Ms. Xu: Yes, you'll be tired—exhausted even—but through work, you can earn the food you need.
Ms. Xu: Do you understand, Jiǔ?
Jiu: Hmm ... I guess.
Jiu: Work for food, or go hungry.
This straightforward explanation leaves no room for debate. Ms. Xǔ feels satisfied that she has corrected the girl's beggar-like behavior by a fraction or two.
Ms. Xǔ then leads Jiǔ to the front hall of the tavern.
As the sun rises higher, the streets become busier. Several early patrons have already arrived at the tavern and are now peering in from the entrance.
Ms. Xǔ quickly ushers them to their seats and ladles out their liquor, serving them according to their respective preferences. Once they settle in, Ms. Xǔ takes Jiǔ aside for more detailed instruction.
Ms. Xu: Different liquors taste different and have different costs.
Ms. Xu: There are three aspects through which you can tell liquors apart: transparency, scent, and taste.
Ms. Xu: A good liquor should be transparent, have a mellow aroma, and have a long-lasting aftertaste.
Ms. Xu: That's what the customers are after.
Accompanied by Jiǔ, Ms. Xǔ saunters past the liquor cabinet, where rows of liquor jars stand like a troop of portly warriors, awaiting the general's inspection.
The vermilion paper jackets on the jars present their whimsical nicknames, each more amusing than the last, while wafts of fragrant spirits drift from their rims.
However, Jiǔ does not recognize the characters. Instead, she memorizes the brush strokes as if they were the components of a painting.
Jiu: They smell better than flowers, and each one has a different scent!
Ms. Xu: Of course they do. Every liquor has its own unique fragrance.
Ms. Xu: Now, look at these jars. This is Fushui; the one next to it is Earth Spring; the one above is West Fair; and here is the best seller: Great Mister ...
Ms. Xu: This is the Sanle liquor. My ancestors learned the recipe from Persian merchants. It's made of multiple fruits and helps work up your appetite and digest food ...
Ms. Xu: Do you remember all that? Repeat what I just said.
Jiǔ counts on her fingers, carefully recalling each detail.
Jiu: Um ... Dirty Things, West Hair, Crazy Sir ...
Jiu: Sunny liquor ... helps workout ...
Jiǔ's words draw laughter from the patrons, who have been keenly listening to this recent round of instruction.
Old Drinker: Hahaha, what an interesting errand girl!
Old Drinker: I think her names are even better than yours!
Ms. Xu: Mr. Shěn, don't make fun of her.
Ms. Xu: What was that? She didn't recount a single word correctly!
Ms. Xu: That I would surrender to Lǐzhèng so easily! In so few words, he convinced me to commit this act of charity. And he said I was the one with the silver tongue!
Old Drinker: Hahaha, who knew that kind Ms. Xǔ could get so frustrated!
Old Drinker: You sound like a stubborn old teacher!
Ms. Xu: Not sure about the stubborn and old part, but yes, I'll have to become at least a half-teacher.
Ms. Xu: This is the little girl Lǐzhèng brought here. Her name is Jiǔ. Though she lacks social skills, she seems pretty smart.
Jiu: The Daoist said smart is good.
Old Drinker: You're being too harsh on her, Ms. Xǔ. It's not Jiǔ's fault. The names are hard to remember.
Old Drinker: You should teach her little by little, like how we start drinking liquor from a small cup, then move on to a bowl.
Old Drinker: Let her start with serving the liquor. Come, Jiǔ, give me a bowl of Earth Spring.
Ms. Xu: It's her first day; she won't know which is which. I'll get it.
Before she can move, Jiǔ dashes to the liquor cabinet. She peers left and right, fiercely sniffing the air, determined to pinpoint which jar contains Earth Spring.
Ms. Xǔ jumps on this opportunity, signaling with her eyes for Jiǔ to fetch the third jar on the first row.
Old Drinker: See, she did it! Told you she could handle it. Maybe she'll even replace you in a couple of years!
Ms. Xu: Heh heh, I couldn't ask for more! She'll do all the work, and I'll just sit back and enjoy my life. Not to mention that I won't have to deal with the mess you leave behind anymore.
Upon opening the jar of Earth Spring, a unique fragrance bursts forth. The Pèilín River winds around Pèi City, and it is from the river's upper reaches that Ms. Xǔ draws her water, for only this crisp and clear liquid can brew such a uniquely fragrant liquor.
Old Drinker is imagining the liquor from the jar filling his porcelain bowl in a steady stream. But the young girl before him plunges her hands into the jar, scoops up a handful of the crisp, exquisite liquor, and presents it to him, cupped in her hands.
Jiu: Drink, sir!
Jiu: Drink please!
Before she can finish speaking, the Earth Spring liquor has already slipped through her fingers, drenching the patron's lapel.
The tavern's patrons are at first taken aback, then they burst into hearty laughter. These guests love liquor—they cherish it dearly—but what they love even more is the atmosphere that comes with drinking it.
For these patrons, when they are enjoying liquor, all things are filled with joy.
Ms. Xu: Hahaha, sorry about this one-of-a-kind "Palm Drink." It's her first day here; please give her some patience.
Ms. Xu: Have two more bowls of West Fair. On the house!
Ms. Xu: I would give you the Earth Spring, but she put her hands into it, so I'm afraid the flavor has been altered.
Despite these apologies, Ms. Xǔ does not blame the girl. Instead, she examines her small hands over and over, fearing the strong liquor might have burned her skin. She then fetches a cloth to clean up the spilled liquor on the table.
Old Drinker is not annoyed in the slightest. Having gained two large bowls of West Fair for free, he is naturally delighted and moves to another table to continue drinking.
Jiu: Weird. He didn't get angry; he just kept drinking.
Jiu: What does liquor taste like?
Ms. Xu: It tastes ... complicated. It can bring people joy, but also great sorrow.
Ms. Xu: I'll leave it to you to find out, but only after you grow up.
Hearing this, Jiǔ immediately dips her finger into the puddle of liquor on the table, intending to taste it.
Fortunately, Ms. Xǔ intercepts her.
Ms. Xu: Hey, wait! I just said, "After you grow up!" Don't be so hasty, little lady!
Ms. Xu: And don't use your hands. I know that's how you used to drink from the troughs, but here, it's very rude.
Ms. Xu: From now on, no matter if it's water, tea, or liquor, use a bowl. It's called manners.
Ms. Xu: Hmm, tomorrow I'll buy a bowl with your name on it, so you won't confuse yours with the others. And ask questions when you don't know what to do; don't just act on impulse like you did today. Understood?
As she speaks, Ms. Xǔ tilts the liquor jar in her hand. With a gentle gurgling sound, the liquor streams like a string of glazed beads spilling onto a jade plate and fills the clay bowl of the patron in front of her.
Old Drinker: Thank you!
Jiǔ watches intently, her eyes unblinking and nostrils flared. The ethereal aroma of the liquor wafts through the air, compelling her to reach out and scoop up a handful. Then, like a beast quenching its thirst, she tilts her head back and pours it into her mouth.
Not a soul around her is quick enough to intervene. In an instant, an indescribable taste spreads across her tongue, unlike anything the child has ever tasted before.
Jiu: It, it's burning. It's burning my tongue. So hot!
Jiu: Not sweet, not bitter—something's going into my nose!
Her throat instantly begins to burn, and tears and snot threaten to run from her eyes and nose. She scrunches up her face, fanning her mouth with her hand, and smacks her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
Jiu: Bleh—this is disgusting! It burns! Why do people like this?
Ms. Xu: Oh my—! Don't do that again, Jiǔ! And you're too young to understand why.
Ms. Xu: Besides, no one can drink this kind of thing every day ...
At this moment, a patroller enters the tavern, carrying a bundle of cloth in his hand.
He stands firm in the center of the hall, surveys the room, and heads straight for Ms. Xǔ.
Patroller: Ms. Xǔ, here are some old clothes from Lǐzhèng's family. All are gently used. He said to give it to the beggar.
Ms. Xu: She's not a beggar anymore. Her name is Jiǔ. Please send my thanks to Lǐzhèng.
Ms. Xu: And thank you too, sir. You've come all the way here; why not take a rest and have a drink?
Ms. Xu: Tomorrow is the start of the liquor ban, so you'll have to wait half a month before we can serve you again.
Patroller: But I'm still on duty ...
Patroller: Oh, but could you fill my water bag for later? I'll drink with my friends after duty hours.
As Ms. Xǔ opens the jar and pours the liquor, the patrons around her begin to whisper among themselves.
Scholar Drinker: Liquor ban, liquor permit ... Look how we suffer from them!
Old Drinker: All because of that d**n regulation—"No group drinking except holidays." If only they had just banned group drinking, but they've stopped all drinking altogether!
Old Drinker: We became friends by drinking together in this tavern, but because of the ban, we have less than two weeks a month when we can even drink!
Scholar Drinker: Funny you say that, Mr. Shěn. I've seen you drinking a lot no matter on ban days or permit days.
Old Drinker: Shh! Watch your mouth ...
The two patrons steal a glance at the patroller nearby, their voices fading to a whisper ...
The daylight hours fly by swiftly. Come nightfall, Jiǔ lies on her bed, soreness in her body and weariness in her legs. She has run back and forth through the front hall all day.
Wooden Doll: In the darkness, the wooden dolls emerge once more, hopping onto the bed one after another and dancing beside her.
Wooden Dolls: Lying down! Lying down!
Wooden Dolls: Working is exhausting; working is hard!
Wooden Dolls: How was the "business"?
Jiu: "Business" is tiring. But there are interesting things! Dirty Things, West Hair, Crazy Sir ...
Jiu: These are very spicy liquors, you know.
Wooden Dolls: Don't know at all. Where is Xiángruì?
Wooden Dolls: Xiángruì, don't forget!
Jiu: Stop rushing me. I'll look for it! The people here know so many things, especially Ms. Xǔ.
Jiu: But, Xiángruì ... what exactly is a Xiángruì?
