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Yiyun Li, "The Man Who Eats"

Novelist Yiyun Li writes about her grandfather, his times, and his relationship with food.

Food and Famine During the Cultural Revolution

The God of Lightning does not hit the man who eats, my grandfather often said when we were young. The lesson? Eating was a virtue. Grandpa could go on for hours citing Confucius and his disciples on the merit of eating. Sometimes, to make us appreciate food more, he told my sister and me hunger stories.