Future Pet Shop

Chapter 334: Chapter 334: Monkey Wine

Damn, what a stench. Shen Yibin pinched his nose with one hand while using the other to laboriously pry open the monkey’s mouth. He tossed the pill in, then sat there quietly, waiting for the medicine to take effect.

The drunk monkey shivered but continued to lie there sleeping. It was hard to tell if it was still passed out from the alcohol or if the pill was taking effect. After watching for a bit, Shen Yibin grew bored and glanced back at Hah’Er. He saw the panda having a grand time with a cat teaser wand, while the poor Clouded Leopard darted left and right, relentlessly chasing the fluffy ball at its tip.

Maphario stood on Hah’Er’s head, squeaking nonstop with excitement. The monkeys in the trees were just as worked up, hopping up and down on the branches, anxiously scratching their ears and cheeks. It looked like they wanted to go down to the rock and take the cat teaser from Hah’Er to play with, but the threat of the Clouded Leopard kept them from daring to descend.

’Oh well, he’s taken the medicine. There’s no point in me staying up here,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’I might as well go down and watch Hah’Er to make sure nothing unexpected happens.’ With that, he slid down from the tree and ambled over to the rock. He noticed the Clouded Leopard’s movements had slowed significantly; it seemed exhausted.

’Man, something bad is going to happen if this keeps up.’ Shen Yibin didn’t dare wear out a Class I protected animal, so he took the cat teaser wand from Hah’Er and waved at the Clouded Leopard, motioning for it to be on its way.

Without the cat teaser to distract it, the Clouded Leopard refocused its attention on them. It crouched down, arching its back in a classic attack posture. Shen Yibin quickly shielded Hah’Er behind him.

But that last chase had drained most of the Clouded Leopard’s energy. Besides, these two didn’t look like an easy fight. After a brief standoff, the leopard chose to retreat, its slow steps carrying it back into the forest, presumably to find food elsewhere.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" The monkey nimbly leaped up to the crown of the tree. It shaded its eyes with a paw and stared for a long while in the direction the Clouded Leopard had vanished. Only after confirming it wasn’t coming back did the monkey climb down. It limped over to the rock, picked up the can of luncheon meat Shen Yibin had left by his feet, and sniffed it all over, even sticking its tongue inside to lick it clean.

’Look at you, you little glutton.’ Shen Yibin was touched. ’This little guy wouldn’t even abandon the drunk monkey in a crisis.’ Plus, now that he had found his target, he could head back soon, so there was no longer a need to ration food. He pulled another can of luncheon meat from his backpack, opened it, and used his knife to slice off a piece for the monkey.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" The monkey held the luncheon meat in both paws and nodded repeatedly, as if to thank Shen Yibin.

"Go on, eat up," Shen Yibin replied with a smile. After speaking, he cut a piece for himself and one for Hah’Er. As for Maphario, the little fellow was still working on his sugar wafer. And so, the three of them sat cross-legged atop the large rock, savoring and sharing the can of luncheon meat.

After eating two pieces, upon receiving its third, the monkey licked its lips and glanced back at the large tree where the drunk monkey lay. After a moment’s hesitation, it stood up and carried the luncheon meat in that direction. It looked like it was taking another tasty treat to the drunk monkey. ’Is that thing its father? It’s so devoted! If that’s the case, maybe I should take you with me when I leave?’

His curiosity piqued, Shen Yibin followed with Hah’Er and Maphario. Upon reaching the base of the large tree, Shen Yibin and Hah’Er each found a spot and started huffing and puffing their way up. To Shen Yibin’s dismay, Hah’Er was unexpectedly climbing even faster than he was! On flat ground, the panda waddled along, but its movements were incredibly swift when it came to climbing trees.

By the time a winded Shen Yibin hauled himself onto the tree branch, Hah’Er was already sitting there comfortably. It curiously sized up the drunk monkey, covering its nose with a paw, obviously unable to stand the alcoholic stench. The other monkey, meanwhile, was holding the piece of luncheon meat to the drunk monkey’s mouth and nudging it gently, trying to wake it up to eat.

"Give it a minute. It’ll probably be asleep for a while longer," Shen Yibin said. He remembered that both Shi Gaofei and Maphario had slept for a long time after taking their pills, so this one was far from waking up. And so, Shen Yibin, Hah’Er, and the monkey sat in a row on the branch, quietly waiting for the drunk monkey to awaken. As for Maphario, it had eaten its fill and was now fast asleep in Hah’Er’s pocket.

About ten minutes later, the drunk monkey finally stopped snoring and opened its eyes. The little monkey immediately hurried forward and offered up the luncheon meat as if presenting a treasure. The drunk monkey sniffed it a few times before snatching it, tossing it into its mouth, and swallowing it whole. The little monkey watched nervously. Seemingly satisfied with the taste, the drunk monkey nodded, shifted its body, and revealed a tree hollow it had been covering.

Then, from somewhere, it produced a short bamboo tube, which it stuck into the hollow and stirred a few times. An intoxicating aroma of wine wafted out. The little monkey became even more eager, its eyes glued to the bamboo tube.

’Holy crap! So that’s why you wanted the energy bar and the luncheon meat—to trade this guy for a drink!’ Shen Yibin finally understood the monkey’s previous actions. ’And here I thought you were some devoted child. Turns out you’re just a little boozehound with a habit!’

’So this is the legendary Monkey Wine? It smells pretty good,’ Shen Yibin thought, unable to resist taking a good sniff. He then looked at the little monkey, who now had the bamboo tube. It cradled the tube carefully, taking small, delicate sips. It would occasionally raise its head and smack its lips, completely captivated by the flavor of the Monkey Wine.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Just as Shen Yibin was engrossed in the scene, the drunk monkey called out. Shen Yibin glanced over. It pointed to the tree hollow, pantomimed drinking, and then pointed at Shen Yibin, as if asking if he also wanted to try the Monkey Wine.

’Even a master connoisseur like Linghu Chong said Monkey Wine was delicious, so it must be good, right? Should I try some?’ His own craving was piqued, and he nodded eagerly.

As soon as Shen Yibin agreed, the drunk monkey bared its teeth and shrieked at the smaller one. Not daring to dawdle, the little monkey quickly gulped down the remaining wine and returned the bamboo tube. The drunk monkey dipped the tube back into the hollow, stirred it a few times, and then handed Shen Yibin a full serving of Monkey Wine.

"Thanks!" Shen Yibin hurriedly took it with both hands. The wine certainly smelled incredible; a faint, fruity fragrance was hidden within the alcoholic aroma, creating a truly refreshing scent.

But the appearance was absolutely terrible. The smell was one thing, but the moment Shen Yibin saw the color of the wine and the state of the tube, he found it a little hard to stomach. The liquid was a pale yellow with bits of debris floating in it—he couldn’t tell if it was fruit pulp or something else. On top of that, the bamboo tube was just plain filthy.

’So, do I drink it or not?’