They only realized upon entering the courtyard that only the elderly couple lived in the home, their son and his wife residing in town, seldom returning.
The courtyard was small, likely because they had few children, a son and a daughter, who now lived in town.
Although they were merely lodgers, the elderly couple still fulfilled the duties of a landlord, arranging their horses in their donkey stable and feeding them hay.
Inside there was a donkey; the yard also had a cart that was seemingly used daily to sell tofu, with the donkey also needed to grind the tofu.
By now, the sky had turned dark, but seeing that they were young and polite, having traveled a difficult journey, he prepared for them a meal of bean dregs porridge and a chilled tofu block (stored in the well), the flavor was pure and perhaps because they were famished, they found the tofu exceptionally delicious.
