As honored guests in the village, Leonard and his team enjoyed an exceptionally sumptuous dinner by the local standards. Their hosts had even prepared a few pork pies to welcome them.
Raising pigs in the desert is not an easy task, but for the Coptic people, keeping and consuming pork serves as an important means of differentiating themselves from mainstream Egyptian culture.
The Coptic people's dining habits somewhat resembled those of some rural areas in China—when there were esteemed visitors in the village, the entire village would gather to eat together.
Toward the end of the meal, Leonard noticed that several children had been milling around near him, with expressions suggesting they wanted to say something.
"What's the matter?" Seeing the mouths of the curious and worried expressions on the children's faces, Leonard waved them over and asked.
