Future Pet Shop

Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Happy Farm Upgraded

Shen Yibin got out of the car and walked into the shop with Hah’Er and Maphario. The owner immediately greeted him warmly. "Bin, what are you thinking of getting for lunch? We’ve still got some fresh bamboo shoots!" That’s right, the place Maphario had led them to was none other than the fruit and vegetable shop next door where Shen Yibin often bought his groceries.

"I’ll take some of those, then. I’ll see what else you have." ’Since Maphario insisted on coming in, I might as well let it wander around and see what it wants me to buy!’

"SQUEAK SQUEAK!" Standing on Hah’Er’s shoulder, Maphario pointed toward the fruit section. Hah’Er obediently walked over, picked up a bunch of grapes, and offered it to Maphario. Maphario squeaked twice more, shook its head, pushed Hah’Er’s paw aside, and pointed its own paw at the cherries next to them.

’Huh? I thought this little guy only liked nuts. Why is it suddenly interested in fruit?’ Shen Yibin forgot all about picking out his own ingredients and just stood there, staring blankly at the two of them.

"Hmph!" Hah’Er immediately understood Maphario’s intention. It waddled over, stared for a long while before picking out the biggest cherry, and handed it to Maphario. This time, Maphario reached out its paw and took the cherry, but it didn’t eat it. Instead, it hugged the cherry carefully in its arms and pointed at the rest of them.

"Ma’am, I’ll get some cherries weighed." ’Since it likes them, I might as well buy a bunch. If you can’t finish them, Hah’Er and all the girls at the shop can help. It won’t go to waste.’ Shen Yibin stepped forward, grabbed a plastic bag, and filled it to the brim with cherries.

After the cherries were chosen, Maphario still seemed unsatisfied. It urged Hah’Er over to the pomegranates and started squeaking nonstop around the largest one.

"Ma’am, I’ll take a few pomegranates, too." ’If it likes them, I’ll buy them. It’s just some fruit, right? Could you possibly be more expensive than Cheeky was? I even bought those pricey Amazonian fruits. What’s a few pomegranates in comparison?’

"And this... let’s get some strawberries... The apples look good, I’ll grab a few... These loquats are huge, let’s buy some to try... And lychees, yes, those too... Let’s skip the pears..." Shen Yibin followed behind Hah’Er and Maphario, continuously bagging up the fruits Maphario picked out. Soon, his arms were too full to carry anything else.

"Alright, that should be enough. I’m going to go pick out some meat." After one more plastic bag was filled with apricots, Maphario finally stopped. So far, it had chosen seven types of fruit: cherries, pomegranates, strawberries, apples, loquats, lychees, and apricots. Even if Maphario only took one bite of each, the little guy’s stomach would probably be stuffed round.

After buying some fresh lamb and a few side dishes, Shen Yibin brought his things to the owner to pay. As usual, she gave him a generous discount and even asked with concern, "What other fruits do you like? I can have my old man go pick some up for you tomorrow."

"No, no, this is fine for now. If there’s anything else we like, I’ll be sure to let you know." Shen Yibin quickly waved his hands in refusal. He wasn’t sure if Maphario had him buy all this fruit out of curiosity or because it genuinely liked eating it. He couldn’t let the owner go through all that trouble for nothing. It was better to wait until he got back and figured things out.

Carrying bags big and small, he returned to his shop. He handed the fruit to Xia Shixuan to wash and went back to the kitchen to start cooking. By the time dinner was served, however, he was a little frustrated. All that fruit was laid out on the dining table, but Maphario didn’t touch any of it. It just sat there, hugging its little bowl and crunching away on its various nuts. CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

’If that’s the case, then why the heck did you make me buy so much fruit?’ Shen Yibin couldn’t figure it out. Even after everyone had finished eating and started clearing the table, Maphario showed no interest in trying the fruit. Shen Yibin had no choice but to call out to the others, "Help yourselves to some fruit! See what you like, and I’ll buy more for you all tomorrow!"

"Boss, you’re so thoughtful! I could just kiss you!" Xia Shixuan blew him a kiss and was the first to pick up a large cherry. Li Shiqing and the others weren’t far behind. "These heart-shaped cherries are so expensive! A small box like this must cost over a hundred yuan, right? I’ve been craving them for ages but couldn’t bring myself to buy any. We’re really lucky to have you as our boss today!"

Just a moment ago, Maphario had been lounging lazily on the little chair Mr. Hou made for it, digesting its meal. But the second it saw them start eating the cherries, it perked right up. It scrambled down from the chair and stared at them without even blinking.

Xia Shixuan had just finished her first cherry and was about to spit the pit into the trash can when Maphario rushed over to stop her, pointing at the pit in her hand and squeaking frantically.

’Huh? Could it be that Maphario wanted me to buy this fruit not to eat, but for the seeds?’ A glimmer of understanding dawned on Shen Yibin. He quickly found a few clean paper cups and put them on the table. "Here, put all the pits in these after you’re done! Don’t just throw them anywhere."

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Hearing this, Maphario nodded its head repeatedly. It seemed Shen Yibin had guessed correctly.

And so, the girls ate one cherry after another, dropping the pits into the paper cups. Maphario stood before the cups, peering inside at the pits as if comparing them to see which was better.

"I’ll go wash these." Soon, they had half a cup of cherry pits. Xia Shixuan got up, took the cup to the sink, and washed the pits carefully several times before bringing them back to Maphario to choose from. The unwashed ones were a bit unsanitary.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Maphario squeaked a few times at Xia Shixuan, as if to thank her. Then, it poured the cherry pits onto the table. After painstakingly sorting through them for a long time, it finally selected five plump, perfect seeds. It held them joyfully in its arms, then scurried down a branch that reached the second-floor railing, disappearing in a flash into the Happy Farm below. Shen Yibin and the others hurried to follow.

Ever since the last harvest of vegetables and fruits, Hah’Er had been helping Maphario chop up the leftover stalks and withered leaves and bury them in the soil to continue providing it with necessary nutrients.

Now, Maphario was digging holes in the farm again. It looked like it was planning to plant cherries. This made Shen Yibin curious. ’Didn’t it used to specialize in planting annuals? Why the sudden interest in perennials? Could it be that it’s now aware its lifespan has been extended, and it’s preparing to upgrade the farm? Too bad I have to head to the film set soon, or I’d really want to study this properly.’

Once Maphario had buried the five cherry seeds, Shen Yibin quickly got ready to leave with it. Before he left, he didn’t forget to remind the others, "Make sure you guys finish all this fruit this afternoon! And save all the seeds!"