Shen Shaoguang squinted against the sunlight as she crouched beside the water vat in the narrow alley behind her shop, using tweezers to meticulously remove stray hairs from a pig's head.
In this dynasty, pork wasn't considered refined cuisine, and pig's head ranked among the most humble of ingredients. Yet Shen Shaoguang harbored a special affection for such unpretentious foods.
During her childhood, a smoked meat shop had stood near her home, selling an array of pork offal, sausages, smoked chicken, and occasionally braised beef. Shen Shaoguang had been a devoted carnivore from an early age. When adults gave her pocket money, she would spend it on the small trinkets other girls coveted, yes, but also at the ice cream parlor in summer and at that meat shop when autumn's chill arrived.
She'd never cared for the braised beef—it lacked tenderness, tasted somewhat dry, and the aroma never quite satisfied. Smoked chicken came only in whole birds, far beyond a child's meager budget, leaving her with pig's head meat and sausages. Of these, pig's head meat held her heart captive.
That shop's pig's head meat underwent braising first, then smoking, rendering it less greasy while imparting an intriguing charred fragrance that set it apart from all others.
On her way home from school, Shen Shaoguang would follow a sacred ritual: first, purchase a freshly baked huoshao flatbread—it absolutely had to be straight from the oven, still releasing wisps of steam when torn open. Then she'd visit the meat shop to buy a small portion of pig's head meat, requesting the owner slice it paper-thin and stuff it generously into the bread. She would cradle it with both hands and take enormous, blissful bites.
She would eat while running through the streets with friends, or find spots to play jump rope and beanbag toss, only returning home when darkness fell to face her parents' inevitable scolding, then hurriedly consume dinner, tackle homework, and wash up before bed.
Years later, after Shen Shaoguang graduated and immersed herself in the culinary world, despite sampling countless masterpieces from celebrated chefs nationwide, she still yearned for that particular shop's pig's head meat. She made pilgrimages there every time she returned home and even contemplated writing a feature article about the elderly proprietress's delicatessen, desperate to uncover what smoking technique created such distinctive results.
She kept postponing the project until one visit revealed the shop had been absorbed by the neighboring grocery store, transformed into an expansive real estate agency. The elderly woman had reportedly relocated overseas to live with her son. The mystery of that incomparable smoked meat became permanently unsolvable.
Shen Shaoguang gazed upward at the wispy white clouds drifting across the deep azure sky, released a quiet sigh laden with nostalgia, then lowered her head to resume preparing the pig's head. Though smoking remained beyond her capabilities here, she excelled at braising meat. She would follow roughly the red-braising method—rich sauce, heavy seasoning, extended cooking time. Done properly, the flavor wouldn't disappoint, even if the preparation proved laborious.
She had specifically paid the butcher extra to ensure thorough hair removal, yet even then, she refused to trust the job completely and personally inspected every inch. The thought of a customer discovering pig hair while eating made her shudder—absolutely revolting.
Despite such vigilant precautions, trouble managed to find her anyway.
The sun still hung well above the horizon when the evening drums began their rhythmic announcement. Two unfamiliar customers entered the shop—one dressed in an elegant blue silk robe, the other in a simple brown cloth garment. Both possessed high-bridged noses, deep-set eyes, and distinctly curly hair. Hu people—foreigners from the Western regions.
Long'an City's streets teemed with Hu merchants and travelers, so their appearance warranted no special attention. Shen Shaoguang greeted them with her customary warm smile, gesturing for them to sit wherever they found comfortable.
The pair ordered generously: agate meat, lion's head meatballs, braised pig's head meat, and pig's feet—a veritable feast of substantial meat dishes—accompanied by three jiao of wine.
One jiao equaled four shengs. Refined gentlemen like Assistant Magistrate Lin typically consumed merely one sheng during a meal, yet these two had ordered twelve shengs total—enough to thoroughly intoxicate themselves.
Restaurant proprietors never fear hearty appetites. Shen Shaoguang efficiently prepared everything and had A'yuan deliver the loaded tray to their table.
The shop gradually filled with the dinner crowd, soon reaching capacity. Customers finished their meals and departed while fresh faces arrived—some settling in for wine and conversation, others simply purchasing jade-tip buns or meat dishes to carry away. The atmosphere buzzed with pleasant energy.
Then, abruptly, a disturbance shattered the convivial mood.
Shen Shaoguang set down her work and hurried to investigate the source.
The two Hu men who'd ordered the excessive wine were now pointing accusingly at their plate, voices raised in indignation. "There's hair in the meat! Your establishment is filthy!"
Though Shen Shaoguang maintained rigorous hygiene standards—always wearing a full apron and sleeve protectors while cooking, with a cloth wrapped securely around her head, and A'yuan similarly attired—what if something genuinely had gone wrong? She approached with an apologetic expression carefully arranged on her face. "Please, gentlemen, there's no need for anger. Where exactly is this contamination you mention?"
The blue-robed Hu man regarded Shen Shaoguang with a sideways glance, one corner of his mouth lifting in what might have been a smile, pointing lazily at the plate that had held the agate meat. "Right here, little miss."
The plate sat completely empty of meat, containing only residual sauce coating the porcelain, and indeed, a single strand of hair lay visible in the dark liquid.
Several remaining customers ceased eating, either turning away in distaste or gathering closer to witness the confrontation.
The blue-robed Hu man released a loud belch, his wine-soaked breath washing over Shen Shaoguang's face in an unpleasant wave. "Well now, little miss? What do you have to say?"
The agate meat preparation involved serving portions fresh from the clay cooking pot directly onto individual plates. For enhanced visual appeal and intensified flavor, an extra ladleful of sauce accompanied each serving. Given this straightforward process, if hair had somehow contaminated the plate, both Shen Shaoguang and A'yuan would have needed to be completely blind to miss it.
Observing the table laden with mostly demolished meat dishes and emptied wine vessels, understanding crystallized in Shen Shaoguang's mind—these scoundrels intended to cause trouble after gorging themselves at her expense.
The Hu man pressed his advantage, voice carrying throughout the shop. "Little miss needs to provide us with a satisfactory explanation, or when we spread word about this establishment outside…" He pivoted toward the surrounding diners with theatrical flair. "What do all of you think about eating at a place that serves hair with the food?"
Some customers began frowning uncertainly, examining their own plates with newfound suspicion, while others directed questioning looks at Shen Shaoguang.
A'yuan burst out anxiously, "That's impossible! Our shop is absolutely spotless—how could there possibly be hair in the food?"
The brown-robed Hu man's eyes flashed with aggression. "Then how exactly do you explain this hair lying right here in the plate?"
Shen Shaoguang examined the strand carefully, then smiled with unexpected serenity. "No need for concern, gentlemen. Allow me to demonstrate a small trick that will reveal precisely how this 'contamination' arrived in your plate."
At the mention of a demonstration, those customers who'd been nervously inspecting their own plates paused and turned their full attention to Shen Shaoguang.
"A'yuan, fetch two white porcelain bowls—fill one with clean water. Also bring a pair of chopsticks, some bath beans, and a fresh white cloth."
A'yuan moved swiftly, returning moments later with all the requested items arranged on a tray.
Every eye in the shop fixed on Shen Shaoguang with rapt attention.
What brilliant solution could Shen Shaoguang possibly employ? Simply wash the hair.
Adopting the theatrical manner of a street magician, she first invited everyone to inspect all the items thoroughly, ensuring no deception. Then she cleaned the hair meticulously with bath beans, rinsed it under fresh water until no trace of sauce remained, gently patted it dry with the white cloth, and finally placed it in the empty bowl with a flourish.
"Can anyone observe what's remarkable about it now?" Shen Shaoguang inquired with a knowing smile.
Some observers saw nothing particularly noteworthy—it was merely a hair, wasn't it? But others blessed with sharper vision exclaimed immediately, "It's curly and has a yellowish tint! That's hair from one of these Hu men!"
The hair's true characteristics had been obscured by the dark sauce, but once cleaned and displayed against white porcelain, its original form became unmistakable.
The crowd's gaze shifted between the two Hu men, then to Shen Shaoguang and A'yuan's distinctly black, straight hair, then back to the damning evidence in the bowl. Even the slowest minds present now grasped the situation—this was nothing less than a calculated extortion attempt!
"How does yellow hair prove it belongs to us?" the brown-robed Hu man protested, anxiety bleeding into his voice.
One customer drawled with barely suppressed amusement, "Well, that's certainly true—it could just as easily be from a stray cat or dog... or perhaps some other animal."
The shop held its collective breath for a heartbeat before erupting in laughter directed squarely at the two would-be extortionists.
The men were already well into their cups, and being thus humiliated by the crowd while confronting what they'd assumed was a helpless woman, they abandoned all pretense of civility. "Your food is contaminated, and now you're falsely accusing us!" they bellowed, lunging forward to overturn the table in a show of rage.
Fortunately, the table's length and its secure attachment to the wall prevented their efforts.
Several righteously indignant customers moved to physically restrain the troublemakers, but A'yuan proved faster. Her strong hand seized the blue-robed man by his hair while the other clamped onto the brown-robed man's collar. Caught completely off-guard, both men stumbled awkwardly as the robust girl yanked them off balance with surprising force.
They attempted to struggle free, but being firmly controlled at vulnerable points and thoroughly intoxicated besides, they couldn't break A'yuan's iron grip.
The crowd unanimously stepped back, creating a clear arena for A'yuan's intervention, and those customers who'd intended to help sheepishly withdrew their half-extended hands.
Shen Shaoguang, who excelled at rhetoric rather than physical confrontation and had been genuinely anxious when violence seemed imminent, now relaxed considerably. "Drag them outside!"
As the commotion spilled into the street, the ward constables happened to be making their evening rounds nearby.
Shen Shaoguang rushed forward to explain the situation, and with other customers eagerly corroborating her account, several constables efficiently hauled away the two still-cursing troublemakers.
While the crowd remained gathered and attentive, Shen Shaoguang seized the opportunity to thoroughly inoculate her reputation against future false accusations. She needed to clear her name completely and explain everything with perfect clarity, ensuring no one would credit similar accusations in the future.
First, she established the contingency that had saved her. "Observe, everyone—if these men hadn't been Hu people with distinctively yellow, curly facial hair, or if these scoundrels had instead thrown a fly or moth into the sauce, how could I possibly have cleared my name from such an accusation today?"
Heads nodded throughout the gathered crowd—the point was undeniable.
Then she invited their own observations as evidence. "In my modest establishment, even during the hottest summer weather, my servant and I wear complete protective aprons and coverings from head to toe. You're all welcome to inspect the kitchen yourselves—aren't our standards impeccable?"
Regular customers nodded again with conviction—this fact could not be disputed.
Finally, she appealed to their sympathy and sense of justice. "I'm merely a woman alone who found herself in this city, fortunate enough to receive the neighborhood's generous support, making an honest living selling some pastries and prepared dishes. I never imagined I would encounter something like this…"
The crowd's sympathy swelled palpably, their hearts moved by the recognition that this Miss Shen truly faced considerable hardships.
Meanwhile, a servant dressed in gray robes approached a lacquered carriage parked discreetly beneath the shade of street-side trees, reporting quietly, "Young Master, I've already put in a word with the constables, requesting they conduct a thorough investigation."
Lin Yan's gaze remained fixed on Shen Shaoguang, who maintained her pitiful expression while addressing the assembled crowd at her shop's entrance with calculated effectiveness.
"Thank you, gentlemen, for your keen judgment and invaluable assistance in resolving this matter…" Shen Shaoguang offered a graceful courtesy bow to the crowd.
Although the audience had merely been spectators "witnessing a miracle" of sorts, they now felt as though they had personally participated in apprehending the criminals and rescuing this pitiable young woman. They returned her bow with genuine warmth.
"Young Master, shall we still purchase the lion's head meatballs and orchid beans?"
Lowering the carriage's window curtain with deliberate finality, Lin Yan issued his command. "No need. Let's depart."
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