On the second day of the new year, Shen Shaoguang spent half a day visiting Yuanjue at the Luminous Nunnery.
Yuanjue had completed the initial draft of her Classic of Cakes , which included all manner of boiled cakes, pan-fried cakes, steamed cakes, and baked cakes. There were the ox-heart-and-bear-fat cakes favored by noble households in the capital, the peach-blossom-and-apricot-petal cakes from small taverns in the south, and even the massive sesame flatbreads weighing over ten pounds, made by bearded men near the Yang Pass.
The elder nun didn’t just describe the various cakes—she also wrote about people and local customs, recounting the golden years that could never be reclaimed. To Shen Shaoguang, the pages brimmed with the splendor of the Great Tang’s golden age.
This time, Shen Shaoguang didn’t even bother with flattery. She simply sighed softly, “So beautiful, so beautiful…”
Yuanjue looked at her and smiled slowly.
On the third day, Shen Shaoguang couldn’t escape the New Year’s custom of visiting neighbors, exchanging greetings, delivering small gifts, and sampling their sweets.
The Qiu family from the tofu shop insisted on hosting her for a New Year’s feast. The Qiu Family Woman stewed young hen with wild mushrooms, using far fewer seasonings than Shen Shaoguang’s elaborate methods, serving up a heaping bowl of tender meat in thick, rich broth. She also prepared dishes like fried tofu and steamed lamb.
The elderly Qiu woman kept urging her, “Young Lady, try this chicken!” “Young Lady, see if this lamb is tender enough!” “Young Lady, you must taste our daughter-in-law’s delicious meatballs!”
Shen’s Shop was a major client of the Qiu family’s tofu business, and Shen Shaoguang had taught them how to season their products and develop new varieties like tofu skin, dried tofu, and bean curd sheets, which had earned them a tidy profit. This feast was their way of thanking her properly for the New Year.
The Qiu Family Woman, though plain-faced, had a silver tongue: “Mother-in-law, you jest! How could my cooking ever compare to Young Lady Shen’s?” Turning to Shen Shaoguang, she added, “It’s rough fare, but please don’t disdain it—eat your fill!”
To show genuine appreciation for the Qiu Family Woman’s cooking, Shen Shaoguang ate heartily and praised the dishes lavishly, making the woman beam until her eyes crinkled into slits.
After stuffing herself at noon, she only had a bowl of millet porridge for dinner, accompanied by the pickles Princess Yu San had prepared.
Princess Yu San had a noble flair when it came to pickles—six or seven varieties arranged in small dishes: pickled cabbage, radish, cucumber, and purple ginger, some shredded, some cubed, some minced, some dressed with sesame oil, others with vinegar, and some mixed with sesame paste and mashed garlic.
Shen Shaoguang took a couple of bites of each, finishing her porridge comfortably.
After several more days of idle leisure, her muscles growing lazy, the sixth day finally arrived—the day to reopen the shop. In this dynasty, there was no tradition of welcoming the God of Wealth on the fifth day, so most businesses reopened after the fifth, with many even waiting until after the Lantern Festival.
Shen Shaoguang, A Yuan, and Yu San cleaned the shop inside and out, lit firecrackers at the entrance, and thus began the new year for their little tavern.
As soon as Shen’s Shop opened, regular customers began trickling in.
Shen Shaoguang exchanged New Year’s greetings with them, and they returned the wishes, adding, “We’ve truly missed your dishes these past days. Yesterday, at a New Year’s feast, they served hot pot, but it was nowhere near as good as yours.”
“These past few days, it’s been nothing but rich meats—I’ve been craving Yu Sanlang’s sweet-and-sour cabbage!”Some even moved their planned New Year's home feasts here, ordering classic signature dishes like "Agate meat," "Lion's Head Meatballs," "Fried Spring Chicken," "Hibiscus Pork," and "Eight Treasure Tofu," accompanied by a jug of freshly brewed green ant wine. The feast would conclude with two steamers of jade tip noodles, leaving both hosts and guests thoroughly satisfied.
The first day of business was so busy that Shen Shaoguang didn't have time to cut paper decorations until evening.
By later generations, the seventh day of the new year—Human Day—had gradually declined in importance and was no longer a nationwide festival. But at this time, it was still celebrated with great fanfare.
The so-called "Human Day" supposedly originated from the legend of Nüwa creating life. It's said that on the first day, Nüwa created chickens, on the second day dogs, followed by pigs, sheep, oxen, and horses on subsequent days. On the seventh day, having accumulated enough experience, she finally created intelligent humans—hence the name "Human Day."
During Human Day, the most popular custom was crafting colorful paper decorations from gold foil, silk, or colored paper—either by cutting, folding, or tying—and then pasting them on screens, windows, or wearing them in one's hair.
The imperial palace placed great emphasis on these exquisite, skill-displaying ornaments. The palace maids would come up with new designs every year, partly to showcase their craftsmanship and amuse their superiors, and partly to pass the time.
Shen Shaoguang had allocated all her skill points to cooking, with a few spare ones for reading and calligraphy. She wasn't particularly adept at traditional women's crafts like needlework and embroidery, but she excelled at paper-cutting. Therefore, she firmly believed she had nimble fingers—her poor needlework was simply due to lack of practice.
Back in the palace, Shen Shaoguang's paper-cut designs of bountiful harvests and assorted fruits and vegetables had been the signature decorations of the imperial kitchens. Every official who came to collect meals would click their tongues in admiration.
While other palace maids' human and floral decorations tended to be small and delicate, Shen Shaoguang's creations were larger in scale—not just bigger, but also more intricate and detailed. Her fruit and vegetable designs featured no fewer than twenty types, with grapes nestled beside pears and watermelons partially obscuring cherries, all arranged in harmonious disorder without any confusion.
Her ability to create such complex designs was largely thanks to her excellent art education. Once the composition was set, it was just a matter of meticulous execution—the techniques of combined cutting and carving weren't particularly difficult to master.
Shen Shaoguang first casually cut a few simple flowers to warm up. Noticing A Yuan nearby, she mischievously cut out a chubby little human figure with double buns and hands on hips for her.
A Yuan was utterly enchanted, carefully cradling it. "So pretty... so pretty..."
Yu San and A Chang were both surprised by Shen Shaoguang's skill. Yu San picked up a freshly cut lotus design and gave her a look. "You can do this too..."
A Chang also smiled. "Who would have thought the young mistress had such deft hands?"
A Yuan looked up from her treasured paper-cut, her expression one of absolute conviction. "What's so surprising? The young mistress can do anything!"
This blind admiration from A Yuan made Shen Shaoguang feel slightly pressured. Just as she was about to offer some modest explanation, Yu San remarked drily, "Yes, anything. Even the fluttering banners outside are weeping."
Shen Shaoguang: "..."
A Chang stifled a laugh.
A Yuan bristled with indignation. "What's wrong with the banners? What's wrong with them? As long as they flutter, isn't that enough?"
Witnessing the fervor of her fan, Shen Shaoguang decided against explaining further. Smiling contentedly, she focused on cutting out her intricate fruit and vegetable design.Since it wasn't the first time cutting this design, and the intricate patterns had already been sketched out during the casual days of the New Year, all that was needed now was patience to slowly carve them out with scissors and engraving knives.
Even so, it took until the wee hours to complete. Shen Shaoguang told A Yuan not to stay up with her, but A Yuan, steadfast in her role as a devoted fan, refused to budge. Wrapped in a quilt, she sat on the bed watching Shen Shaoguang work, until she could no longer keep her eyes open and slumped onto the pillow.
Early the next morning, A Yuan didn't even eat breakfast before bustling about to paste up the colorful paper-cuttings.
A Yuan asked Shen Shaoguang where to put them. Shen Shaoguang smiled and said, "Paste them on the outer wall, the same spot where the old man posted his lost dog notice and Miss Chu put up her missing person notice the other day."
"Got it!"
The smaller floral cuttings were pasted on the shop windows and small partition screens inside—except for the plump human-shaped one, which was hidden away.
The fiery red paper-cuttings were eye-catching. Everyone passing by on the street would turn to look, and then they'd know Shen Ji Tavern was open again. That would remind them of all the delicious food Shen Ji had to offer. The craving bug is like this—it lies dormant until teased out, and once awakened, it won't subside until satisfied. After not eating at Shen Ji for so many days around the New Year, people were genuinely missing it.
If yesterday's visitors were Shen Ji's die-hard fans, today marked the official return of the fanbase. Shen Ji was packed once more.
Cloud Arriving Tavern hadn't reopened yet—during the New Year, most people chose to host guests at home, so dining out was less common. They usually didn't reopen until after the tenth day of the lunar month. Manager Feng was strolling around the neighborhood when he spotted the vibrant red paper-cuttings of persimmons, loquats, and watermelons on the wall, along with the steady stream of customers coming and going. He shook his head helplessly and walked away.
Author's Note:
① The small dishes of pickles were inspired by Ye Guangqin's "Drunk and Bored."
Don't scrutinize the paper-cutting superpower too much—just enjoy it for fun.
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