"Eat in silence, sleep without speaking." Those were the words of the ancient sages.
Yet, strangely enough, Chinese people almost never actually do this.
A meal at a workplace in the Celestial Empire feels more like a formal meeting. First the leader speaks. Then the second-in-command speaks. They talk about the present, review the past, and look toward the future. Then, one by one, the subordinates chime in with their own remarks. After that comes the endless round of toasts, filled with polished, polite pleasantries. It just goes on and on, with spittle flying everywhere.
Chapter 179