Future Pet Shop

"Boss Shen, you’re here? Manager Liu has already arrived. I’ll go get him!" At the construction site entrance, the gatekeeper, Uncle Qin, immediately welcomed him warmly. He opened the gate for Shen Yibin and prepared to call the construction manager.

"No need. I’m here on my own business today, so I won’t disturb him!" Although that’s what he said, it would have been highly inappropriate for Manager Liu not to appear now that the client’s top boss was on-site. So, by the time Shen Yibin and his group reached the base of the Heaven-Reaching Tree, Manager Liu had also rushed over.

"Mr. Shen, look, this is the elevator we’ve installed. You just need to press this button to reach the very top in one minute. Once you’re there, you can work directly from the elevator. You can also adjust its height according to the project’s progress. It’s protected by railings on all sides, making it not only convenient and fast but also extremely safe. Come on, let me take you up for a test run!" Manager Liu enthusiastically explained the elevator’s features.

Shen Yibin, along with Wen Yuan, Hah’Er, and the others, put on their hard hats and rode the elevator. In no time, they reached the very top. The elevator was built to encircle the Heaven-Reaching Tree, wrapping around it 360 degrees. This meant carving could be done from any angle from within the elevator, which was indeed exceptionally convenient.

"You see, this button is for going up, this one is to stop, and this one is for going down. Our construction elevator is different from the ones in residential buildings. It doesn’t just stop at the next floor; you can stop or start it at any time..." Manager Liu demonstrated the controls for Shen Yibin and the others.

"Yes, Manager Liu, you’ve been very thoughtful. This thing is really useful," Shen Yibin praised with a nod. Soon, they were at the very top. Looking out, no building or tree was taller than the Heaven-Reaching Tree. The beautiful scenery stretched out before them, with the Yunshui River and the sprawling orange groves in full view. It was a refreshing and breathtaking sight.

"Ooh~" Hah’Er leaned against the railing, its mouth agape. The Bald Qiang couple forgot their fear. Xiaoliu leaped directly onto the very top of the Heaven-Reaching Tree, grabbing the lightning rod with one paw and placing the other over its brow to shield its eyes, like a scout surveying the land. Marc, however, remained completely unfazed and, with a PECK PECK PECK PECK PECK, began to sketch out the lines.

"We’ve all got the hang of it. I’ll take you down now!" Shen Yibin pressed the button, following the method Manager Liu had just shown them, and the elevator began to descend slowly. Hah’Er and the Bald Qiang pair went down with them, while Marc and Xiaoliu stayed at the top. After all, one of them could fly and the other was an expert climber, so there was no need to worry.

After seeing Manager Liu off, Shen Yibin started the elevator again. A minute later, they were back at the very top. Now, they could officially begin carving the Totem Pole.

"KIK! KIK!" Marc chirped at the Bald Qiang couple, pointing to the lines it had just sketched with its sharp beak. It was signaling for the pair to gnaw along the marked lines.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Having worked together many times before, the Bald Qiang couple was already familiar with this routine. They immediately embraced the massive trunk of the Heaven-Reaching Tree and began to gnaw. Wood shavings drifted down like snowflakes. Hah’Er, meanwhile, pulled out a bag and a broom. Once the couple finished gnawing in one section, it followed Maphario’s directions, carefully sweeping all the wood shavings together and collecting them in the bag.

When soaked in water, the wood shavings could not only serve as a base soil for planting but also as fertilizer to promote plant growth. All of it was to be collected and spread in Maphario’s orchard. Hah’Er was also carrying a bag full of seeds, waiting to be sown.

After watching for a while, the outline of a woodpecker’s head gradually began to appear on the tree. Once the broad strokes were sketched out, it was Marc’s turn to do the detailed work. The sound of PECK PECK PECK PECK PECK echoed from the treetop once more. Shen Yibin, on the other hand, sat on a wooden plank and took out his phone to play. It was interesting at first, but after watching for a while, he inevitably grew bored. He opened a little game to pass the time. To avoid running out of battery, he had even brought two extra power banks.

Hah’Er looked at Marc, then at Shen Yibin. ’They all have something to do, but I’m just squatting here like an idiot. This is so boring!’ So, it tugged on Shen Yibin’s clothes, apparently wanting to use his phone to watch cartoons.

’Hey, if I give it to you, what am I supposed to do? It’s so boring just sitting here!’ Shen Yibin instinctively pulled back, but Hah’Er’s pitiful expression made him soften. He looked around and suddenly had an idea. He stood up and said to Wen Yuan, "How about you keep an eye on things up here, and I’ll go down and help with the planting? This bag of wood shavings is full, so it’s time to take it down anyway!"

"Sure, I’ll take you down!" Wen Yuan wasn’t bored at all. He was completely engrossed in studying Marc’s exquisite skills. You could have left him up there all day, and he wouldn’t have minded.

"Then I’ll leave them in your care. I’ll take Hah’Er and Maphario down with me." The Bald Qiang couple and Marc had work to do, and Xiaoliu seemed to be enjoying the feeling of being up so high. So, Shen Yibin took the other two down in the elevator, emptied the wood shavings onto the ground, and handed the bag and broom back to Wen Yuan, leaving him in charge of sweeping up the rest of the shavings.

The elevator ascended back into the clouds. Shen Yibin, along with Hah’Er and Maphario, got busy in the garden. First, he fetched a bucket of water from the creek to soak the wood shavings. Once they were thoroughly soaked, he added a fertilizer accelerant and piled them next to the garden to ferment. This process would take several days.

After finishing that, he started helping Maphario dig holes in the ground. As he watched Maphario bury the seeds one by one, he tried his best to identify them. ’This is a walnut, from that tree we ate from in the Qinling Mountain Range, right? This one’s a blueberry seed, I think? From the ones we ate in Sokovia? Wow, and an olive? We found this in the garden of Sylvie Palace...’

These seeds came from all over the world. Seeing them, Shen Yibin was reminded of all the journeys he had taken with Maphario. It was all turning into wonderful memories.

It took a great deal of effort, but they finally managed to bury all the seeds. These seeds came from different places, each with its own growing habits and requirements for climate and soil. Someone else would probably have a hard time making them all thrive in the same patch of land, but Shen Yibin had complete faith in Maphario. It definitely had the ability to do it.

Huh? Isn’t this where they buried the Heaven-Reaching Tree seed yesterday? ’I wonder if it’s sprouted yet?’ Shen Yibin quickly walked over.