Some years ago I was dining out alone at a small Lanzhou Mien restaurant in Northern China. A beggar with an ape and a kind of musical horn entered and played a song while singing. The ape danced and the restaurant boss gave him a 1 RMB bill and was in the process of shooing him away when I beckoned the old man to my table and passed him the menu while placing a 10 RMB bill on the table. I offered him a cigarette while he was checking the menu. The restaurant boss was rather annoyed - you could see it on his face. By contrast, my fellow diners were greatly amused. The poor old beggar didn't order anything to eat, handing the menu back to me. I ordered a glass of baijiu, which was served to me in a medicine glass. I passed the baijiu to the old man, and we did a 'bottoms up'! A bottle of beer down the hatch while the old man drunk up the baijiu. The old man, 11 RMB richer, and the ape left. The old man was very happy!