"The boy sat cross-legged in the middle of the gilded platter, golden brown and oozing sweet-smelling oil, a giddy smile frozen on his face. Lovely, naive. Around him was spread a garland of green vegetable leaves and bright red radish blossoms. The stupefied investigator swallowed back the juices that rumbled up from his stomach as he gawked at the boy. A pair of limpid eyes gazed back at him, steam puffed out of the boy's nostrils, and the lips quivered as if he were about to speak.... The investigator thought he must be dreaming. He opened his eyes to survey the scene; the boy was still sitting cross-legged on the platter. "After you, Comrade Ding, old fellow", Diamond Jin said. "This is a famous dish in these parts", the Party Secretary and Mine Director said. "... It's a dish they won't forget for as long as they live, one that has drawn nothing but praise. We've earned a lot of convertible currency for the nation by serving it to our most honored guests. Such as yourself, sir." ... The boy exuded a powerful, irresistible fragrance."

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Added on April 10, 2026
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Original Language: English

Sources

The Republic of Wine, ch.3

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Cannibalism_in_literature