"What should I serve you, ma'am?" A young male waiter approached Harriet and asked. He handed over the paper menu to her, but she declined, saying she wanted to be served a plate of fried rice and chicken, which happened to be her favorite. A few minutes later, the waiter came back with a plate full of rice and some wine, which was always given for free to their customers.

Harriet munched on the food like a hungry pig that had been starved for years, but by the time she was done, her stomach was so full that she doubted if she would be able to walk back to the...