Future Pet Shop

Chapter 335: Chapter 335: Coming Out of the Mountain

"Hah’Er, you like to drink, don’t you? Why don’t you try it first!" After hesitating for ages, Shen Yibin still couldn’t bring himself to do it. So, he passed the bamboo tube to Hah’Er. In that moment, he completely ignored the fact that Hah’Er only liked beer, not other kinds of alcohol, and made the panda his scapegoat.

"Hmm~" Hah’Er seemed quite interested in the Monkey Wine. It took the bamboo tube, sniffed it, then lifted it and downed the contents in one gulp.

"Mmm!" Just like the first time it tasted beer in Shen Yibin’s shop, Hah’Er wiped its mouth after finishing the wine. With its eyes gleaming, it handed the bamboo tube back, clearly wanting another taste of the Monkey Wine!

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Seeing that someone appreciated its craftsmanship, the drunk monkey grinned from ear to ear. It took the bamboo tube, reached into the tree hollow, filled another one, and handed it to Hah’Er. The little monkey to the side watched, utterly dejected. ’I have to go through hell and high water, risking my life to find you tasty things, and you only ever spare a tiny drop for me. Why is it that as soon as this fatso shows up, you’re giving it away freely? I strongly protest this unfair treatment! I want to drink too!’

Unfortunately, its protest was completely useless. The drunk monkey bared its teeth and glared, and the little monkey dejectedly shrank to the side and squatted down. Hah’Er happily accepted the second tube of Monkey Wine.

"Hey, you can’t drink anymore! If you get drunk, I won’t be able to carry you!" Shen Yibin tried to stop Hah’Er, but it was too late. Hah’Er had already chugged the second tube of Monkey Wine. GLUG, GLUG. It then handed the empty tube back to the drunk monkey, clearly eager for another round.

’Letting Hah’Er take the drink for me was a huge mistake.’ Shen Yibin now regretted his earlier decision. ’I should have just closed my eyes and downed it myself. If Hah’Er gets drunk, there’s no way we’re leaving today. There are Clouded Leopards around here; this is definitely not a good place to spend the night.’

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" While Shen Yibin was lost in thought, the drunk monkey filled a third tube of Monkey Wine and held it out. This time, there was no way Shen Yibin was letting Hah’Er drink any more.

"You’ve had plenty! It’s my turn!" Feigning annoyance, he snatched the bamboo tube from the drunk monkey’s paw, closed his eyes, and drank it all in one go.

"This wine..." The moment it touched his lips, a flavor that was both fruity sweet and headily alcoholic bloomed on his tongue. A warm sensation spread throughout his body. "This is... this is delicious!" Shen Yibin couldn’t help but exclaim. No wonder Hah’Er had been so into it.

Shen Yibin was no stranger to fine spirits. When Sylvie was around, she often produced top-tier red wines for them to sample. The sake Sakai Kaori let Egg enjoy was the work of a renowned Japanese master brewer. Xu Ye would also occasionally bring a couple of bottles of aged liquor to his shop for barbecue, drinks, and bull sessions.

But all those other liquors paled in comparison to the Monkey Wine. Right now, you could offer him a bottle of ’82 Lafite and Shen Yibin wouldn’t even consider a trade.

"Great wine! This is truly great wine!" Shen Yibin wasn’t a man of many words and couldn’t think of any eloquent praise. He just shouted his approval and gave a big thumbs-up. Of course, he didn’t forget to hand the bamboo tube back to the drunk monkey for a refill. All his previous concerns about hygiene were now completely forgotten.

"Oh, you were asleep for so long, you must be hungry. I’ve got some food here. See if there’s anything you like." Remembering how the little monkey had traded food for a drink from the drunk monkey, Shen Yibin quickly opened his backpack and pulled out energy bars, canned luncheon meat, and various other snacks.

"I’ve got some booze here too. How about you try some of mine?" While rummaging for food, Shen Yibin found the can of beer he always kept for Hah’Er. He pulled it out, popped it open, and offered it to the drunk monkey.

Normally, if Hah’Er saw Shen Yibin giving away its beer, it would have raised a huge fuss. But now, it didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. The drunk monkey curiously took the beer can, sniffed it, and then took a careful sip.

"PFFT! PFFT!" After a single small sip, the drunk monkey reacted as if it had eaten something rotten, spitting frantically. It then hurled the beer can straight into the valley below, where Shen Yibin knew he’d never be able to find it.

The drunk monkey then grabbed a bamboo tube, filled it with Monkey Wine, and took several large gulps—GLUG, GLUG—to wash away the unpleasant taste. However, the food Shen Yibin had offered was quite tasty, so it decided to forgive him.

Shen Yibin took a few cups out of his backpack and arranged the food on a thick tree branch. The group gathered in a circle, kicking off an impromptu treetop picnic. Snacking and drinking, they were having the time of their lives.

Unfortunately, the drunk monkey’s supply of Monkey Wine was limited, and they finished it all before they had their fill. Then again, that was probably for the best. If there had been any more, they all would have likely ended up drunk.

Shen Yibin let out a contented burp, patted his stomach, and looked at the drunk monkey. "So, what do you say? Come with me, out of these mountains. I’ll find you a huge tree with all the fruit you could ever want. You can brew as much Monkey Wine as you like." He finished with a few gestures, pointing toward the world beyond the mountains.

’The big tree in my shop actually has a few hollows. Plus, the renovations next door are almost finished, and they’ve left a space by the pool for trees and bamboo. I’ll just have to tell Li Zhen to pick out a few big trees the drunk monkey would like. I can guarantee it’ll have a place to brew its wine.’

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" The drunk monkey seemed to understand him. It looked at the little monkey, then in the direction where the troop had vanished, and then toward the world outside the mountains, apparently finding it hard to decide.

’Both Shi Gaofei and Maphario had been solitary creatures, without the baggage of a troop. This drunk monkey was different. It was obvious it enjoyed a comfortable life with the other monkeys and had formed deep bonds with them. The sudden prospect of leaving naturally made it reluctant.’

The little monkey seemed to realize what was happening. It rushed forward, grabbed the drunk monkey’s arm, and refused to let go, glaring daggers at Shen Yibin.

The drunk monkey reached out a paw and patted the little monkey’s head. The two chattered back and forth, SQUEAK SQUEAK, and though it was impossible to know what was said, the little monkey finally let go, albeit reluctantly. The drunk monkey stood up, scrambled to the top of the tree in a few quick movements, and let out a loud shriek in the direction the troop had fled. A moment later, a chorus of calls answered from the distance. The bushes rustled, and dozens of monkeys appeared.

’Uh, are they holding a farewell party for it?’