A Record of Lingering Flavors

Not a mindless power fantasy. A rigorous Ming-dynasty case mystery, micro-detail sleuthing, no golden finger, and a slow-burn, realistic pace.

Yunniang is dead, with half an orange still in her mouth.

The crab-stuffed oranges on the table have all been eaten, but the one Shen Qingwu made for her remains untouched in its food box.

So who brought the orange found on the dead woman's table?

Shen Qingwu runs a small eatery in South Lane with only four tables, one stove, and a recipe book passed down for three generations. She knows how to pick crab meat and simmer soup. She also knows how many hands a meal passes through, from buying the ingredients to clearing the bowls, and how many lies can be hidden along the way.

A food box delivered to the wrong person, a jar of wine no one claims, a New Year's Eve dinner awaiting a host who will never come... She follows the smoke from the stove and the scent of food to investigate, while local investigator Pei Yue helps her question those whose stories were never finished.

One case after another is solved. Nanxun House adds new dishes and loses business along the way. Some people can finally eat in peace, while others will never get the bowl of noodles they were promised.

Shen Qingwu gradually finds people she wants to save a meal for, and the old case of her father's famine-relief meals begins to reveal suspicious details.

And Pei Yue's name is in that old case file.