[Scene: A small noodle shop in Beijing. Li Wei and Chen Hao are sitting at a corner table, slurping noodles. A half-eaten plate of crispy roast chicken sits between them.]
Li Wei: (grinning) You see, Hao, I told you — chicken on my birthday! That’s why I’m still full of energy. Thirty-two today, but I feel like twenty-two!
Chen Hao: (raising an eyebrow) Uh-huh. Pretty sure it’s the double shot of espresso you downed this morning, not the chicken.
Li Wei: No, no, no! You don’t understand. Ever since I was little, my grandma made sure we had chicken on our birthdays. It’s for huó lì — liveliness, vitality! Without it, I swear, people get sluggish. My cousin skipped it last year — spent the whole day moping in bed. Coincidence? I think not.
Chen Hao: (chuckling) Or maybe your cousin was just hungover from celebrating too hard the night before? Come on, Wei, you’re one of the most energetic people I know — chicken or no chicken.
Li Wei: (waving chopsticks dramatically) Don’t underestimate the old ways, my friend. There’s wisdom passed down for generations! Chicken means you keep flying forward, not crawling like a turtle.
Chen Hao: (leaning back) Look, I get the cultural part. It’s a nice tradition — it brings people together, there’s meaning, nostalgia. But scientifically, there’s zero evidence that eating chicken has anything to do with your “vitality.” It’s just protein. You could eat tofu, pork, even eggplant, and still have energy — as long as you’re getting your nutrients.
Li Wei: (mock gasp) Blasphemy! You’d replace birthday chicken with eggplant? You’ll anger the ancestors!
Chen Hao: (grinning) I’m pretty sure the ancestors are too busy to check our dinner plates. Listen, I love tradition too — my family always eats longevity noodles on birthdays. But I know the noodles don’t literally extend my lifespan.
Li Wei: (nodding thoughtfully) Hmm… okay, fair. But don’t you ever think, just maybe, there’s something science hasn’t explained yet? Like… some mysterious chicken energy?
Chen Hao: (laughing) Mysterious chicken energy? What’s next, rooster yoga?
Li Wei: (playfully defensive) Hey! You laugh, but remember last month when I had that presentation? Ate chicken the night before, crushed it. You told me yourself I did great.
Chen Hao: Sure, you did great. But you also practiced for a week, rehearsed in front of your mirror, and made me listen to your speech three times. Maybe give your hard work some credit, not the chicken leg.
Li Wei: (smiling sheepishly) True… but the chicken helped.
Chen Hao: (smirking) Fine, let’s do an experiment. Next birthday, no chicken. See how you feel.
Li Wei: Are you trying to kill me?!
Chen Hao: (laughing) No! Just test the hypothesis. You like science experiments, right? It’ll be fun. I’ll even make you a tofu birthday cake.
Li Wei: (groaning) You’re cruel, Hao. Very cruel.
Chen Hao: (grinning) But you love me.
Li Wei: (grinning back) Only if you bring chicken next year.
Chen Hao: Deal. But I’m slipping a multivitamin in your drink, just in case.
[They both burst out laughing, clinking their teacups together as they finish the last of the noodles.]
Science Vs Superstition 
Tell Us What You Think