Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

"Done."

Fang Yu breathed a sigh of relief as he finished the last stroke.

Just then, a loud voice came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Xiaoyu! Is she home yet?"

It was accompanied by a creaking sound.

The iron gate of the Fang family courtyard was pushed open.

Old Zhang, the father of my childhood friend Zhang Tiezhu, walked in with a ruddy complexion, wearing a Lei Feng hat.

As soon as you enter the room, a chilling aura fills the air.

Old Zhang carried two bottles of Yuxi cigarettes and a bottle of Beidacang liquor in his left hand, while struggling to lift a large, covered black bucket with water splashing inside.

"Uncle Zhang, are you here to pick up the invitation?" Fang Yu greeted him with a smile.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

Old Zhang chuckled as he placed the cigarettes and liquor on the table, rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, and glanced at the table.

Although he didn't understand what the "Slender Gold" style of calligraphy was, he could still distinguish between good and bad examples.

The characters look elegant and classy.

"My goodness, look at this handwriting! So impressive!"

"Xiaoyu, I really have to thank you. You've done the Zhang family a huge favor!"

Fang Yu waved his hand.

"Uncle, you're too kind. It's just a matter of writing a few lines."

"One thing at a time!"

Old Zhang pushed the cigarettes and alcohol on the table toward Fang Yu, then turned around and picked up the large black water bucket with both hands.

"Keep the tobacco and alcohol for smoking and drinking."

"And this, this is the real good stuff!"

"Uncle specially had someone prepare this; have a taste!"

Upon hearing that it was "good stuff," especially since it was packaged in a large bucket, they were immediately excited.

Liu Yifei, who was standing next to her, immediately brightened up.

The last time I was at Fang Yu's maternal grandfather's house, there was a similar big bucket.

What was inside at the time was live forest frogs, which looked somewhat frightening.

But after Fang Yu deep-fried it, the crispy outer shell crackled and the tender, fragrant meat was amazing.

Even now, just thinking about it makes her swallow hard.

Liu Yifei has now been completely assimilated by the cuisine of this black soil region.

In her eyes, the black bucket didn't contain anything scary, but rather an unknown delicacy like a blind box!

This size...this noise...what delicious food is inside?

Full of anticipation and an irrepressible foodie spirit.

Liu Yifei couldn't wait to go over, lifted a corner of the bucket lid, and peeked inside.

The next second, she froze.

"Why?"

Liu Yifei blinked and blurted out:

"crayfish?"

The viewers who had been watching the live stream intently were also filled with questions upon hearing this.

What is that? Crayfish?

[No way? Where would they get fresh crayfish in this freezing Northeast?]

Isn't crayfish a staple of summer street food stalls? At minus thirty degrees Celsius, won't the crayfish freeze solid?

Old Zhang's thank-you gift is a bit cheap; crayfish aren't exactly rare, are they?

Hearing Liu Yifei's exclamation, Fang Yu also curiously came over.

He looked down into the bucket.

After just one glance, Fang Yu's eyes widened instantly, and he became completely alert.

Inside the bucket, most of it was teeming with arthropods covered in bluish-black hard shells, waving their large pincers.

It does look quite similar to the bright red crayfish you see at summer night markets.

But upon closer inspection, their shells are smoother and their pincers are thicker.

"Fairy Sister, this isn't a crayfish."

Fang Yu corrected, "These are called crayfish! Also known as Northeast black swamp crayfish!"

"Crawfish?" Liu Yifei was a little confused.

Fang Yu pointed to the top of the bucket with his finger, explaining to Liu Yifei and the viewers in the live stream:

"Don't confuse this thing with the crayfish you see in the market."

"Crayfish are very hardy. As long as they have saliva, they can live and jump around even in a stinky ditch."

"But these crayfish are different! They're a perfect test of water quality!"

"Their requirements for water quality are ridiculously demanding."

"It must be a clear, unpolluted mountain spring deep in the mountains!"

"If even a tiny bit of pesticide, fertilizer, or even shampoo foam gets into the water, they'll all die off in large numbers right now!"

"They used to be plentiful in the mountain gullies of Northeast China, but now, due to the impact on the ecological environment, they've almost disappeared. There's nowhere to catch them anymore!"

"Right now, wild crayfish cost around 200 yuan per pound on the market!"

"Moreover, it's so rare and expensive that you might not be able to buy it even if you have the money! This is absolutely the pinnacle of Northeast China's river delicacies!"

After listening to Fang Yu's hardcore science explanation, the viewers in the live stream went wild.

Holy crap! Two hundred yuan a pound?! That's so expensive?!

[A water quality test stone? Wow, that's something! Isn't that the epitome of pure, natural, and pollution-free?]

[Sorry, Old Zhang, I was too loud! This half-bucket of thank-you gift is pretty substantial!]

[It's not crayfish, it's the Northeast black claw shrimp! That name sounds so powerful!]

I really want to try this top-quality river seafood! It must taste so much better than crayfish!

When Liu Yifei heard the keywords "two hundred yuan per catty" and "top-grade river delicacies", her eyes shone even brighter.

Staring at the crayfish wriggling in the bucket, I could almost see them turn into plates of bright red, fragrant delicacies.

Fang Yu put the bucket lid back on and looked at Old Zhang.

"Uncle, you're going to spend too much."

"This half-bucket of crayfish must cost at least several hundred yuan, right?"

"Tiezhu needs money for his wedding, why are you thanking me with this?"

Old Zhang, however, looked completely unconcerned and laughed heartily:

"Hey! This is nothing! It didn't cost much!"

At this point, Old Zhang suddenly changed the subject, and a fawning smile appeared on his wrinkled old face.

"Xiaoyu, besides picking up the invitation, I actually have another favor to ask of you today."