Future Pet Shop

"Don’t move! Let me see if you’re healed!" Shen Yibin didn’t dare let them get up. He rushed over and pushed the two rascals back down onto the sofa. He parted Xiaoliu’s fur to see if he was still bleeding, then checked to see if the lump on Shi Gaofei’s head had gone down. He had to admit, even though the Future Pet Shop charged an arm and a leg and had terrible customer service, their products were undeniably effective. That was true for the cat teaser wand before and the medicine this time.

In just that short time, Xiaoliu’s wounds had already closed, and even the scars had all but vanished without a trace. ’If any girls obsessed with beauty saw this miraculous effect, they’d go crazy for it.’ The lump on Shi Gaofei’s head was gone, too. Shen Yibin found the spot from memory and pressed down. It felt exactly the same as the areas that hadn’t been hit. Shi Gaofei didn’t seem to be in any pain, either, as if it had never been struck at all.

’Sigh, you poor thing. It seems you have no affinity for Buddhism. Not a single root of wisdom to be found.’ Shen Yibin patted Shi Gaofei’s head and let out a long sigh of relief. ’As long as there are no lasting injuries, everything’s fine.’

"You two stay put and be good. I’m going to make you some food. Hah’Er, Hong Mian, keep an eye on these two. Don’t let them start fighting again." Once the check-up was complete, Shen Yibin stood up. "They’ve only just recovered, so they shouldn’t move around too much. It’s best if they keep resting for a while."

With that, Shen Yibin went into the kitchen and got busy. Hah’Er liked bamboo shoots, Shi Gaofei liked sweets, Maphario preferred nuts, the Bald Qiang couple ate only tender buds and leaves, and Xiaoliu couldn’t live without fruit. Just thinking about it gave Shen Yibin a headache. They were all such picky eaters; it really wasn’t easy to whip up a table of dishes that would satisfy everyone.

Fortunately, their preferences could be combined. He could make candied apples, which both Xiaoliu and Shi Gaofei would eat. A nut brittle would please both Maphario and Shi Gaofei. A simple stir-fry of bamboo shoots would be devoured by Hah’Er and the Bald Qiang couple. And a few servings of honey-glazed BBQ pork would have Hah’Er and Shi Gaofei eating so happily they couldn’t close their mouths. Shen Yibin was practically a Michelin-star chef now; a small problem like this was nothing to him. After a flurry of activity, he had a table full of food ready.

"Good thing I had the foresight to buy an extra-large dining table, or else this really wouldn’t have been big enough." Shen Yibin looked with satisfaction at the large round table in the middle of the terrace. Eating today were Xiaoliu, Hah’Er, Shi Gaofei, Maphario, Bald Qiang, and Gao Lujie, plus himself and the four girls from the shop, not to mention Hong Mian and Wen Yuan’s family of three. That was over a dozen people in total; a regular dining table really wouldn’t have seated them all.

"Huh? Is that a new friend?" Wen Yuan’s child greeted Shi Gaofei with curiosity as soon as he saw him. He seemed to be wondering just what kind of animal it was.

"Hmph~" Shi Gaofei snorted disdainfully. With its pride, it couldn’t be bothered with children. Hong Mian smiled apologetically. "His name is Shi Gaofei. He’s a friend from the great African savanna."

"Here, why don’t you sit next to Hah’Er?" Shen Yibin, afraid the boy might not know any better and provoke Shi Gaofei, quickly used Hah’Er to divert his attention. Children are easily distracted, and the moment he saw Hah’Er, he rushed over to sit by him.

Nearby, the Bald Qiang couple’s eyes were gleaming as they stared at the mahogany table legs, seemingly contemplating the most convenient spot to start chewing. Shen Yibin had to urge them several times before they reluctantly tore their eyes away and climbed onto their special chairs. ’Sigh, I wonder when these two will ever get over this bad habit of gnawing on any wood they see.’

"Come on, let’s have a toast! To welcome Shi Gaofei back for a visit!" Shen Yibin brought out the last of the shop’s Monkey Wine and filled a glass for everyone who could drink.

"Grr~" This time, Shi Gaofei seemed to understand. Or perhaps it had simply been staring longingly at the wine ever since it climbed onto the table. The moment Shen Yibin raised his glass, Shi Gaofei hugged its bowl of wine and started chugging it down. GULP, GULP, GULP.

"Ever since he drank the wine you mailed us last time, he’s been begging to come back for a visit every day," Hong Mian said with an embarrassed smile. If Shi Gaofei hadn’t insisted, she really might not have been able to find the time.

’Well, another one conquered by Monkey Wine.’ Shen Yibin wasn’t even surprised anymore. Anyone who took a couple of sips was bound to love the stuff. Shen Yibin filled its bowl again, then pointed at Xiaoliu and said, "See that? He’s the one who brews this wine. If you want to keep drinking it in the future, you can’t fight with him anymore!"

"Grr~" Shi Gaofei glanced at Xiaoliu and bared its teeth. Not to be outdone, Xiaoliu glanced back at its nearby staff. It seemed the two of them were still upset that they hadn’t been able to finish their fight.

’Uh, I guess that was pointless.’ Shen Yibin shook his head, at a complete loss for what to do. Fortunately, the two of them had some sense of propriety and didn’t cause a scene at the dinner table. But the moment dinner was over, one carrying a staff and the other baring its teeth, they staggered toward the open space by the pool, apparently intending to resume the fight that had been cut short.

’I see how it is. If I don’t let them fight it out, neither of them is going to back down.’ ’Since I can’t prevent the fight, I’ll just have to make sure it happens under controlled conditions!’ Shen Yibin told Hah’Er to watch them and make sure they didn’t start, then rushed to the storage room and came back with a big pile of stuff.

First, he wrapped Xiaoliu’s staff with several layers of thick cloth to reduce its striking power. Then, he took out a pair of gloves to cover Shi Gaofei’s sharp claws and fitted it with a muzzle. Now, no matter how fiercely they fought, they wouldn’t get too badly hurt.

When he was done, Shen Yibin felt like he was still forgetting something. He scratched his head, then went and found some talcum powder. He smeared it on Xiaoliu’s staff and on Shi Gaofei’s gloves and muzzle.

"Alright, you can start now. You’ll fight for six two-minute rounds. The first one who can’t fight anymore loses. If you’re both still standing after six rounds, then whoever has fewer white marks on them is the loser." ’I went to college, after all. I still remember that scene from *Water Margin* where Yang Zhi sparred with Zhou Jin, Suo Chao’s disciple, at Daming Prefecture under Liang Zhongshu. A contest like this won’t cause any serious injuries, but it will still decide a winner. It’s perfect for this situation.’

Xiaoliu and Shi Gaofei seemed to understand Shen Yibin’s rules. They took their positions, sized each other up for a moment, and then lunged at each other. In an instant, a cloud of dust billowed up by the pool, forcing the spectators to keep backing away.

The two were truly well-matched, an even fight between titans. Their battle was spectacular and intense, and the crowd watched with mouths agape, not daring to blink for fear of missing a single incredible moment.