Shen Shaoguang squinted as she held a pair of tweezers, crouching beside the water vat in the narrow alley behind her shop, meticulously plucking stray hairs from a pig's head.
In this dynasty, pork was already considered far from refined or high-class, and pig's head offal was even more lowly and despised. Yet Shen Shaoguang adored these humble ingredients.
When she was little, there had been a smoked meat shop near her home that sold all kinds of pork offal, sausages, smoked chicken, and occasionally braised beef. Shen Shaoguang had always been a meat lover. The pocket money her family gave her—aside from being spent on little trinkets girls liked—went to the ice cream parlor in summer and straight to this meat shop when the weather turned cool.
She never cared much for the braised beef, finding it too coarse, a bit dry and tough, and lacking in flavor. The smoked chickens were sold whole, far beyond what a child’s allowance could afford, leaving her with only pig's head meat and sausages as options. And between the two, she loved the pig's head meat best.
The shop’s pig's head meat was first braised and then smoked, making it less greasy and carrying a peculiar, smoky aroma.
On her way home from school, Shen Shaoguang would first buy a freshly baked flatbread—still steaming hot when torn open—then head to the shop for a small piece of pig's head meat. She’d ask the shopkeeper to slice it thinly and stuff it into the flatbread. Clutching it in both hands, she’d take big, eager bites.
Munching away, she’d run around the streets with her friends, or find a spot to jump rope or play sandbag toss. By the time dusk fell, she’d hurry home, only to be scolded by her parents before hastily eating dinner, doing homework, and washing up…
Later, after graduating and entering the culinary world, Shen Shaoguang sampled countless masterpieces from renowned chefs across the land. Yet she still yearned for that shop’s pig's head meat. Every time she returned to her hometown, she would visit. She even once considered writing a little article to promote the elderly shopkeeper’s deli and uncover the secret behind her unique smoking method—what made it so different from others.
She kept putting it off until one day, when she went back, she found the shop merged with the neighboring grocery store, transformed into a sizable real estate agency. The elderly shopkeeper, it was said, had moved abroad to live with her son. The mystery of how that meat was smoked became an unsolved case forever.
Shen Shaoguang gazed at the wisps of white clouds streaking across the deep blue sky and sighed wistfully before lowering her head to continue cleaning the pig's head. Though she didn’t know how to smoke it, her braising skills were excellent—following the general red-braising method, rich in sauce and spices, simmered long enough to ensure a deep, satisfying flavor. The only trouble was the tedious preparation.
She had even paid the butcher extra to scrape the pig’s hair more thoroughly. Still, she didn’t trust it entirely and had to inspect it again herself. If a customer found a few stray hairs while eating… that would be utterly revolting.
Yet despite all her caution, trouble still found its way in.
The sun was still high when the evening drum began to sound. Two unfamiliar customers walked in—one in a blue silk robe, the other in plain brown linen, both with high noses, deep-set eyes, and curly hair. They were foreigners.
Foreigners were common in Chang’an, so Shen Shaoguang paid it no mind. With a smile, she greeted them and invited them to sit wherever they liked.
They ordered the signature dishes: Agate Meat, Lion's Head Meatballs, braised pig's head meat, and trotters—all heavy, meaty dishes—along with Triangle Wine.
One jiao of wine equaled four liters. Even a refined gentleman like Lord Lin only drank one liter, yet these two were ordering twelve liters…
A restaurant owner never feared big eaters. Shen Shaoguang swiftly prepared the dishes and had A Yuan carry them over on a tray.The shop quickly filled with more and more customers. Some finished their meals and left, while new ones arrived. Some came to drink, others just to buy jade tip noodles or meat dishes—it was bustling with activity.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from inside.
Shen Shaoguang set aside her work and went to investigate.
It turned out to be the two foreigners who had ordered Triangle Wine, pointing at their plate and shouting, "There's hair in the meat! This place is filthy!"
Though she prided herself on cleanliness—wearing an apron and sleeves while cooking, covering her hair with a cloth, and ensuring A Yuan did the same—what if something had slipped through? Shen Shaoguang stepped forward with an apologetic smile. "Please don’t be upset, honored guests. Where exactly is the offending item?"
The blue-robed foreigner gave her a sidelong glance, curling one side of his lips into a smirk. He pointed at the plate of Agate meat. "Right here."
The meat on the plate had already been eaten, leaving only some sauce—and sure enough, a strand of hair lay within it.
Many of the other customers stopped eating, turning their heads or gathering around to watch.
The blue-robed foreigner let out a belch, his breath reeking of alcohol as it hit Shen Shaoguang’s face. "Well? Little miss?"
The Agate meat was always freshly plated from the clay pot just before serving, then drizzled with a spoonful of sauce to enhance its color and flavor. For a hair to end up in the dish at this stage, Shen Shaoguang and A Yuan would have to be blind.
Glancing at the nearly empty plates and drained wine cups, Shen Shaoguang understood—they had eaten their fill and were now looking for trouble.
The foreigner pressed on relentlessly, "You owe us an explanation, little miss. Otherwise, if we go out and start spreading the word..." He turned to the surrounding diners. "What do you all think?"
Some frowned and inspected their own plates, while others turned their gazes to Shen Shaoguang.
A Yuan protested anxiously, "Impossible! Our shop is the cleanest. How could there be hair?"
The brown-clad foreigner glared. "Then explain this hair in the plate!"
Shen Shaoguang examined the strand closely and smiled. "No need to worry, honored guests. Let me perform a little trick, and we’ll see how this impurity ended up here."
At the mention of a trick, even those checking their plates stopped and focused on Shen Shaoguang.
"Bring two white porcelain bowls—one filled with clean water—along with a pair of bamboo chopsticks, some Washbean, and a clean white cloth," Shen Shaoguang instructed A Yuan.
A Yuan hurried off and soon returned with the items.
All eyes were fixed on Shen Shaoguang.
What was she going to do? Simply wash the hair.
Mimicking a magician, she first had everyone inspect the items. Then, she rubbed the strand with Washbean, rinsed it clean, gently patted it dry with the cloth, and placed it in the empty bowl.
"Does anyone notice anything unusual?" Shen Shaoguang asked with a smile.
Some, less observant, saw nothing special—just a strand of hair. But the sharper-eyed among them exclaimed, "It’s curly and slightly yellow! It’s the foreigners’ hair!"
In the sauce, the hair’s original appearance had been obscured, but now, washed clean, its true nature was revealed.
The crowd studied the two foreigners, then Shen Shaoguang and A Yuan’s hair, comparing them to the strand in the bowl. Even the slowest among them now realized—this was a setup, an attempt at extortion!
"How do you know yellow means it’s ours?" the brown-clad foreigner snapped.
A customer remarked dryly, "True. It could also belong to a cat or dog."Everyone was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter at the two foreigners.
Already drunk and provoked by the crowd, the two men saw Shen Shaoguang as a delicate young woman and decided to act shamelessly. "Your food is unclean, and now you're framing us!" they shouted, attempting to overturn the table.
Fortunately, the long table was fixed to the wall, and their attempt failed.
Several brave customers immediately stepped forward to subdue them, but A Yuan was quicker. She grabbed the blue-robed man by the hair and seized the brown-robed foreigner by the collar. Caught off guard, the two stumbled from the hefty girl's grip.
They struggled, but A Yuan had them firmly by their vulnerable spots, and their drunken state made it impossible to break free.
The crowd instinctively stepped back, giving A Yuan space to handle the situation. Those who had intended to help sheepishly withdrew their hands.
Shen Shaoguang, who was all talk and had been nervous when the fight broke out, now composed herself and ordered, "Drag them outside!"
As the commotion continued at the entrance, the neighborhood guards arrived.
Shen Shaoguang hurried forward to explain, and the crowd chimed in to support her. The guards hauled away the two cursing troublemakers.
Seizing the moment before the crowd dispersed, Shen Shaoguang took the opportunity to preempt future false accusations—clearing her name thoroughly and explaining the situation plainly, ensuring no one would believe similar slanders in the future.
First, she laid the groundwork: "Imagine if they weren’t foreigners with yellow, curly beards, or if these scoundrels had tossed a fly or moth into the dish—how could we ever clear our name today?"
The crowd nodded in agreement—it was indeed true.
Next, she appealed to reason: "In our shop, even during the hottest days, my maid and I wear full protective aprons and sleeves. You’re all welcome to see for yourselves—isn’t our shop clean?"
Regular customers nodded again—this point was undeniable.
Finally, she played the sympathy card: "As a lone woman, stranded here and relying on the kindness of neighbors to sell pastries and vegetables, I never expected to face such trouble..."
The crowd’s compassion swelled, feeling that Young Lady Shen truly had it hard.
...
A gray-clad servant approached a carriage parked under a tree by the street and reported softly, "Sir, the message has been passed—they’ll interrogate them carefully."
Lin Yan glanced at Shen Shaoguang, who stood at the shop entrance with a sorrowful expression.
"Thank you all for your keen judgment in helping me clarify the truth..." Shen Shaoguang gave a slight bow to the crowd.
Though they had merely been spectators witnessing the spectacle, the crowd now felt as though they had actively helped catch the troublemakers and aided the poor young lady, returning her courtesy with nods and murmurs.
"Sir, shall we still buy the Lion's Head Meatballs and Orchid Beans?"
Lowering the carriage’s window curtain, Lin Yan ordered, "No need. Let’s go."
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