When Hanfu got home, he found the two old men, Inoue Gekko and Matsushita Gekko, at it again—mooching a meal.
"Keiko, add plenty of chili, ginger, and garlic when you stir-fry the crayfish."
"And don't forget the scallions! They make it smell amazing!"
The two old men stood outside the kitchen like guardian gods, talking as they drooled.
Inside the kitchen, the rich aroma of braised crayfish wafted out in waves.
Hanfu swallowed, feeling rather gloomy. The crayfish hadn't even had offspring yet, and these two old men were already gorging themselves. He was genuinely worried that the crayfish, whose fate had been so rocky, would ever manage to reproduce.
So Hanfu went over and asked, "You two gentlemen, how's the crayfish farming coming along?"
"Oh, little Hanfu's back! Haha!" Inoue Gekko grinned. His wrinkles creased together like tangled tree roots, making him look especially ugly.
"Don't worry, little Hanfu. We've hired plenty of fishermen to look after the crayfish. There won't be any problems!" Matsushita Gekko said with a smile. "Once the crayfish are ready to supply the izakaya, you can eat at the Gekko Izakaya whenever you like, little Hanfu. It won't cost you a thing!"
Hanfu declared righteously, "I'm doing all this mainly to ease the burden on our clan. Eating at the izakaya is just a bonus."
"Little Hanfu is getting more and more sensible!"
As usual, the two old men showered him with praise.
Before long, Keiko came out carrying a basin of crayfish, fragrant with a rich, spicy aroma.
"Dinner's ready!"
Hanfu turned and went to the backyard to call in his little brother, who was still punching the wooden post.
Once they sat down to eat, the two old men unceremoniously pulled the crayfish over in front of themselves. They sipped their liquor