After the Dragon Boat Festival, the true heat of summer arrived. The sun blazed brightly, baking the ground until it was scorching hot, raising a thin layer of burning dust. Dogs dug pits in the shade of walls and lay listlessly, even the flock of chickens became more subdued, no longer constantly scheming to hop the fence and wreak havoc in the vegetable garden.
During this season, everything else took a backseat. Shen Shaoguing holed up in the shop every day, surviving solely on well-chilled fruit drinks and fruits from the backyard well. Breakfast and dinner were manageable, but for lunch, she'd only nibble like a cat.
Whenever Yu San saw Shen Shaoguang eating lunch, she would frown. Shen Shaoguang would offer an ingratiating smile and force herself to take a few more bites. She understood—slaving over a hot stove in the sweltering kitchen to prepare a meal, only for others to lack appetite, was intolerable for any chef!
A Yuan and A Chang, however, had hearty appetites year-round, undeterred by greasy foods. Even in such heat, when hunger struck mid-morning or mid-afternoon, A Yuan could devour two sesame flatbreads stuffed with minced agate meat or a whole steamer of jade tip noodles—A Chang was the same, their snack routines perfectly synchronized.
Since joining Shen Ji, A Chang had gained considerable weight, though his height remained stagnant. A Yuan, however, had one last growth spurt in her late teens, shooting up several inches in a year.
Converting to modern measurements, Shen Shaoguang estimated her own height at around 165 cm, while A Yuan stood a good half-hand taller—easily over 175 cm, with an even broader frame. Princess Yu San's prophecy had come true—A Yuan was indeed lamenting her "summer sorrows" of June, July, and August.
Yet customers found this perfectly acceptable. "Just looking at your staff proves how delicious the food is! See how robust they all are."
The less "robust" Shen Shaoguang and Yu San: "..."
The two would then bicker like petty rivals—one accusing the other of eating plenty yet failing to gain weight, thus disgracing the chef's honor; the other routinely mocked for eating less than a cat, despite being picky and gluttonous...
Shen Shaoguang felt half-wronged: while eating little was true, being picky and gluttonous wasn't! Just look at her daily sustenance—plain congee and side dishes to barely stay alive.
Shen Ji's congee selection rotated between plain rice, rice-mung bean, rice-lily seed-lotus seed, lotus leaf, and vegetable-pork versions.
Side dishes included seasonal summer vegetables and preserved specialties: Princess Yu San's aristocratic-style pickled cabbage, radish, cucumber, purple ginger, along with "preserved delicacies" like pan-fried fermented fish with rice wine, stir-fried cured meat with dogwood sauce, and salted eggs.
Defying the "quantum Zeno effect," Shen Shaoguang still periodically inspected her curing ham. While fantasizing about the taste of Mr. Tang Lusun's ham with shepherd's purse paired with congee, she mimicked Yu San by poking it with a bamboo skewer—yet gleaned no revelations. Clearly, the transformation from fresh meat to alluringly aged cured meat was a lengthy process requiring patience.
Shen Shaoguang then recalled the "two-year cured leg"—Lord Lin. He was probably around twenty-five or twenty-six? By age and appearance, still quite fresh, but his "exceptional innate qualities" had accelerated the curing process through his unflappable demeanor...
Thinking of his recent gaze that seemed to conceal endless words, the slight upturn at his eyes when he smiled, the bead of his lips after sipping broth, and those arms and waistline—Shen Shaoguang felt a flush of heat. Steady now, my morals and boundaries!Finally, Shen Shaoguang grew tired of pickled vegetables and turned her sights toward other living creatures.
One morning, after the fish vendor delivered his catch, Shen Shaoguang smiled and asked, "Could you bring some grasshoppers and cicadas next time? The cicadas should be freshly emerged from the ground before molting—the ones that can already fly aren't as tender and tasty."
The fish seller laughed, "Young mistress, you're a city noble—how did you get the idea to eat these? These are wild things we country folk only eat during famine years to survive."
"They're delicious. Just catch some for me," Shen Shaoguang insisted.
It wasn't just Shen Shaoguang—who'd been a commoner before transmigrating and now ran a tavern—even the true nobility of this dynasty ate such things. Take Emperor Xuanzong, or the current emperor's grandfather, for example.
It was said that during the locust plague of the fourth year of Kaiyuan, Emperor Xuanzong angrily caught and ate locusts, declaring, "You devour my people's grain like you devour my own heart and lungs," leading officials and commoners alike to overcome the disaster.
Of course, Kaiyuan was long past, and the emperor's locust-eating held heavy political symbolism. The true gourmand of insects was the current emperor's grandfather.
According to old palace chefs, that venerable ruler particularly loved cicada meat—grilled, steamed, or blanched, then seasoned with vinegar, sauce, coriander, and smartweed. Every summer without fail. Many officials followed suit back then, though the previous and current emperors showed little interest.
Wondering if high officials still enjoyed such delicacies, Shen Shaoguang thought she might ask Lord Lin about it later.
The fish seller was primarily a farmer who'd started supplying Shen Ji after bringing catches to town last year. Business had been good these past months, and helping a young mistress satisfy her cravings was no trouble—especially when she offered to pay.
The next day he brought a jar of cicada nymphs—what Shen Shaoguang's hometown called "monkey cicadas"—and a dozen grasshoppers strung on straw stems. He explained his children had dug up the cicadas at night, while the grasshoppers were caught at dawn.
Touched by the children's effort, Shen Shaoguang paid generously. "Please thank your young ones for me," she said, adding some Flower Cakes as appreciation.
Beaming, the seller departed as Shen Shaoguang prepared her "bugs."
Unlike the emperor's elaborate cicada preparations, she opted for simplicity: deep-frying them whole.
Cleaning was crucial. After a brine with Sichuan pepper, she dried them thoroughly before frying—first at low heat until cooked through, then again at high temperature for crispiness.
A sprinkle of pepper and cumin made them perfect for snacking, drinking, or stuffing in Sesame Flatbread.
Yet neither Yu San nor even A Yuan and A Chang would touch them.
A Yuan nearly tried, but the bugs' lifelike claws and whiskers made her recoil.
Though abstaining, she praised her mistress: "Young mistress is so brave!"
Shen Shaoguang: "..."
She happily devoured her lunch—finally feeling full—until an early customer caught her mid-bite. It was a regular, the very one who'd inscribed verses praising spring plates on their wall: "Tender greens on jade plates, Fragrant meat in emerald pots."This gentleman later wrote poems praising Shen Ji's pastries, jade tip noodles, and cold noodles, all inscribed on the wall, almost serving as Shen Ji's part-time creative advertising director.
Being a scholar, he immediately quoted Cao Zhi's "Ode to the Cicada": "Entrusting its body to the cook, returning to fiery coals to be roasted," giving Shen Shaoguang's gluttony some historical pedigree.
Under such circumstances, how could Shen Shaoguang not share some with him? Adding small dishes like stir-fried cucumbers and pig ear salad, along with a cup of fresh green-ant wine, the scholar ate and drank merrily. Drunk, he pounded the table and sang, then imitating Cao Zhi's "Ode to the Cicada," composed an "Ode to Eating Cicadas and Locusts."
This "Ode to Eating Cicadas and Locusts" diverged from the melancholy of "Ode to the Cicada," instead praising the peace and prosperity of the times, stating that golden cicadas and locusts—once famine relief—were now mere drinking snacks. Though the subject was cicadas and locusts, the language was fresh and elegant, blending parallel prose with free verse, reminiscent of Six Dynasties essays.
Shen Shaoguang nearly clapped her hands red—this style and theme were perfect for advertising. If it had been full of melancholy, like the Luoyang scholar's "Who believes in my purity? Who will speak for me?" she would have consoled him, let him get thoroughly drunk, but never allowed it on the wall—far too disharmonious.
After scraping off the old poem, the drunken scholar took up his brush and, with lively cursive strokes, inscribed the ode on the wall.
Shen Shaoguang sighed—if only the ingredient supply could keep up, with such advertising, she could earn several more bushels of profit.
Unbeknownst to her, her little tavern had a koi-like luck. Later, Lord Li saw this ode while dining and mentioned it casually to the emperor. The scholar was then recruited into Lord Li's household and eventually became the emperor's Hanlin Academician.
Though the Hanlin of that era wasn't as prestigious as in later times, it was still a position close to the emperor. After years of failing the imperial exams, this scholar entered officialdom through an ode about food—such are the whims of fate.
But that was all later.
While Shen Shaoguang was busy frying cicada nymphs, Lin Yan was at Song Shilang's office in the Ministry of Justice.
"Since Minister Fan has been unwell, it took until now to retrieve the case files on Shen Qian that An Ran requested earlier," Song Shilang said with a smile, sliding a scroll across the desk.
Lin Yan nodded solemnly and thanked him.
Song Shilang chuckled, "It's just a copy—the original couldn't possibly leave the archives."
"I understand. This is already a great favor."
Sealed case files like these were stored in special archives. The original rule was that they couldn't be borrowed without signatures from all the chief ministers of the Secretariat.
But in practice, to avoid such hassle, a compromise was made: the borrower could sign, the Vice Minister of Justice would review, and the Minister would approve for reading within the ministry—Song Shilang had exercised a bit of extra authority to have a copy made for Lin Yan.
"For An Ran to go to such lengths to help retrieve old case files, the Shen descendant who requested this must be quite remarkable. If he comes to the capital, you must introduce him," Song Shilang said with a smile.
Lin Yan smiled faintly, "Certainly."
When Lin Yan had initially asked Song Shilang for help, he'd claimed it was for a nephew of Shen Qian who wanted to know more about the past. This nephew was fictitious, but now Lin Yan suddenly saw another layer of meaning...Song Shilang and Lin Yan had entered official service around the same time. When Minister Cui encountered trouble, Song knew Lin had exhausted himself running about to help—this was when he first felt the man was worth befriending. Recently, while reviewing Shen Qian's old case files, Song found himself deeply moved by this Lord Shen's story. Knowing Shen had left no close male heirs behind, he realized those Shen clansmen still investigating the case must be driven purely by righteous indignation. Truly, "birds of a feather flock together"—these were all men who valued justice over profit.
Though sometimes such righteousness comes at too high a cost. "After Lord Shen and his son died, his wife and daughter were consigned to the palace servants' quarters. Those noblewomen accustomed to luxury must have..."
Here Song abruptly stopped speaking, suddenly recalling rumors about Lin Yan's betrothed. Feeling awkward, he took a sip of tea to cover his discomfort.
Lin Yan also drank his tea, his gaze warming at the thought—A Qi was living well, radiant as spring scenery, though she deserved even better. If someday Lord Shen's name could be cleared...
Setting down his cup, Lin Yan rested his hands on his knees. The Longevity Thread hidden in his sleeve brushed against his skin with a faint, persistent itch—an itch he chose to endure.
Author's Note:
Lord Lin: "I am practically Lord Shen's nephew—after all, a son-in-law is half a son."
Song Shilang upon learning the truth: "...Is this split personality thing fun for you?"
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①Method referenced from Qimin Yaoshu (Important Arts for the People's Welfare)
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