Elephant Meat in Childhood

This article was written on July 8, 2013

Author: Lü Jianfeng

Just while washing up, I remembered a great dream from my childhood.

Our family lived in the countryside, and before I was 10, we basically couldn't eat meat, only when there were guests at home, when we went out as guests, or during festivals. At an age when eating was the main focus, I couldn't resist the temptation of meat. I wanted to eat it and would ask the elderly every day how we could eat meat often. I certainly wouldn't dare ask my parents. Among them, there was a saying that all the kids in our village around my age believed at the time: an elephant can have a catty of meat cut off each day, and it would grow back at night, so the next day it could be cut again. We kids were excited and agreed that when we grew up, we would definitely raise an elephant so we could eat meat every day.

Later, I learned it was a well-intentioned lie. Later, we could eat meat every day. Later, I went to see an elephant. Later, it seemed like I had no goals. Later, I often remembered the elephant meat of my childhood...