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It is advisable to prepare ample amounts of fermented grain residue (Zao, 糟) and vinegar. For paper used to line the body, only Tenglian paper (藤连纸) and Baichao paper (白抄纸) are suitable; if bamboo paper is used, it will rot excessively when exposed to salt and vinegar, potentially eroding or damaging the corpse.

Place the corpse on a level, well-lit ground, and conduct an initial examination before rinsing with water. Next, wash off dirt and grease from the corpse using soapberry (Sapindus mukorossi), then rinse thoroughly with clean water. (During washing, place door panels or bamboo mats underneath to prevent contamination with dust.) After washing, wrap and compress the head and body of the corpse with warm fermented grain residue and vinegar according to proper procedures. Cover the entire body with the deceased's clothing, pour boiled vinegar over it, and cover again with straw mats for an extended period. Once the corpse becomes sufficiently pliable, remove the coverings, rinse off the residue and vinegar with water, and then proceed with the formal examination. Do not trust the claims of runners (Xingren, 行人, often referring to forensic assistants or executioners in this context) that merely splashing wine and vinegar will hide injuries and make marks invisible.

In early spring and winter, it is appropriate to heat the vinegar and roasted fermented grain residue until hot. In mid-spring and late autumn, slight warmth is sufficient. During summer and autumn, the residue and vinegar should be only slightly warm, as high temperatures might damage the skin and flesh. As autumn deepens into winter, use heat; place fires three to four chi apart on either side of the hands and ribs of the corpse, due to the cooling climate. In severe winter cold with snow, the corpse becomes stiff and frozen. Even with extremely hot residue and vinegar, layered clothing and compression may fail to soften the corpse adequately. In such cases, dig a pit larger in length and width than the corpse, about three chi deep. Line the bottom with charcoal and firewood, and burn them until red-hot. Pour abundant vinegar onto the hot coals to generate vigorous steam. Then, place the materials used for wrapping and compressing on bamboo mats, position the corpse inside the pit, cover it with clothes and blankets, and douse it thoroughly with hot vinegar. Place fires two to three chi away on both sides of the pit to continue heating. Once the desired softness is achieved, remove the fire sources, extract the corpse, and conduct the examination. In late winter and early spring, digging a pit is unnecessary; simply heat the sides with fire and adjust according to seasonal conditions.

In Hunan province, local custom dictates digging a deep pit beside the corpse for examination. The pit is heated red-hot by fire, the fire is removed, and the corpse is placed inside. Fermented grain residue and vinegar are poured over it, and fires are placed around all four sides for a prolonged period to force-heat the body before carrying it out. This practice sometimes occurs when perpetrators dispute injury evidence or relatives refuse to acknowledge the body, leading to multiple re-examinations involving placing the corpse back into the fire pit two or three times. Repeated exposure to fire causes the flesh to turn charred and red, making injuries indistinct, allowing clerks to commit fraud. If the body remains unexamined for one to two months, the flesh decomposes. By the time a lawsuit is filed and a collective examiner is dispatched months later, only skeletal remains remain, and any injuries on the flesh are irretrievably lost. The "fire pit" method is unique to Hunan, and local officials should be aware of this.