"Actually, one of our elders has a very fitting analysis regarding this Chinese greeting custom."
"He said that the Chinese nation is a united one, kind-hearted, righteous and with great empathy. In ancient times, it was very difficult for common people in any country to have enough to eat."
"The Chinese people, at that time, used to greet each other by asking if one had eaten, regardless of whether they knew each other or not. If someone said they hadn't eaten, and the person asking was eating, they would definitely invite the other person to join them for food."
"This is a very precious national quality, something many other nations lack. Some civilizations have not been able to carry on, partly because of this reason!"
Sean Knight had not expected Elder Hassan to understand the "Have you eaten?" greeting in such a way, which came as a surprise to him.
