Future Pet Shop

Shen Yibin had read online yesterday that Heaven-Reaching Tree seeds could sprout one to three days after being planted. When he crouched down to get a closer look at the patch of soil, he saw four tender green shoots that had already pushed the seed pod out of the ground. A Heaven-Reaching Tree fruit typically contains one to three seeds, so this one had really outdone itself. As expected of a seed chosen by Maphario, it certainly didn’t disappoint Shen Yibin. Perhaps one day, he would see four Heaven-Reaching Trees growing in his garden.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Maphario scampered over too. It lay on the ground, carefully examining the relationship between the sprouts and the seed pod. When multiple seeds sprouted at once, the one with the strongest radicle would grow fastest. It would lift the seed pod—along with the slower-growing seedlings and their radicles—out of the soil, leaving them suspended in the air. Therefore, after a certain period, the seedlings would need to be separated and replanted. According to his research, this process usually needed to be done in about fifteen days, so there was no rush right now.

Maphario was also delighted to see them sprout so quickly. It promptly grabbed its miniature watering can and began to carefully water the four tender shoots, hoping they would grow up strong and one day become towering trees. Perhaps, in the future, these four trees might even grow taller than the Totem Pole.

"Tired? Here, have something to eat!" After watering, Maphario sat on the ground and refused to get up. Shen Yibin smiled, pulled out a pine nut, and offered it over. Between the planting and the watering, even with his and Hah’Er’s help, the little guy was quite worn out. It was time for it to get some proper rest.

"Mmm!" Hah’Er heard this and came over. It carefully cupped Maphario in its paws, then placed it in its pocket so it could rest comfortably.

"Time for lunch. I’ll call them down. Let’s head back, have lunch, and rest for a bit. We can come back this afternoon and get back to work!" Seeing that it was getting late, Shen Yibin called Wen Yuan. After a few words, the elevator slowly descended, and Bald Qiang, Marc, Xiaoliu, and the others were back on the ground.

"Alright, let’s go get lunch!" Shen Yibin took the bag full of wood shavings from Wen Yuan and set it aside. He led everyone back to the car and started driving toward the city. "By the way, I forgot to go up and check. How’s the progress?"

"It’s going pretty fast. Bald Qiang and his mate have already gnawed out the woodpecker’s outline, and Marc is making quick work of detailing the head. I estimate the woodpecker’s form will be finished in four or five days!" Wen Yuan said gleefully.

"That really is fast!" Shen Yibin did a quick calculation. ’There are nine animals in total. If each one takes four or five days, that’s about forty days, which is just enough time. Even if we run into some bad weather and can’t work, there’s a good chance we can finish the project within two months.’

’Sigh, when other guys come to the store, they get treated to good food, good drinks, and lots of fun. But you have to work hard the moment you arrive. It’s a tough lot!’ Shen Yibin felt a little sorry for Marc. However, the woodpecker didn’t look wronged in the slightest. On the contrary, it seemed exceptionally energetic. The bird just loved pecking wood everywhere, and the job Shen Yibin had cooked up for it was right up Marc’s alley.

’This is a good thing, too. Otherwise, I’d probably be the one suffering!’ Shen Yibin suddenly recalled the times he had painstakingly honed his cooking skills for Hah’Er, learned to pant like a dog from Cheeky, been forced to run laps around the lake by Shi Gaofei, and been whipped with branches by Xiaoliu. He quickly suppressed the guilt that had just surfaced and sped up the car.

Back at the store, to reward Marc, Shen Yibin sought out some rare ingredients and prepared a few special dishes for it. In addition to the steamed bee pupae and fried silkworm pupae it had eaten before, he added a new dish: pan-fried bamboo worms.

Bamboo worms are insects that live inside bamboo stalks. They are white all over, look a bit like cordyceps, and live by gnawing on tender young bamboo shoots. They are a famous delicacy in certain parts of Southwest China. To prepare them, the bamboo worms were washed and marinated in salt, pepper, and white wine. Then, a cucumber was cut into sections resembling bamboo joints, and the flesh in the middle was scooped out. The marinated bamboo worms were then deep-fried until cooked and drained.

Next, he pan-fried some river shrimp, added a little broth to draw the umami flavor of the shrimp into the liquid, then added the bamboo worms to let them soak up the unique, savory shrimp essence. Finally, he placed the bamboo worms inside the hollowed-out cucumber sections, and the specialty dish was complete.

"Hey, Bin, your cooking is getting more and more intense! If this keeps up, I’m afraid I’ll have to start eating out." The silkworm and bee pupae were one thing, but the appearance of this bamboo worm dish was truly a bit frightening. Xia Shixuan couldn’t quite stomach it.

"If you’re scared, then don’t eat. I was just worried I didn’t have enough to go around anyway," Shen Yibin said, taking the first bite. Mmm, it was incredibly fragrant, crispy, and delicious. It had both the fresh aroma of bamboo shoots and the savory taste of river shrimp. It was a truly supreme delicacy.

"Here, Marc, give it a try and see if you like it." Shen Yibin added a couple of chopsticks’ worth to Marc’s food bowl, and it polished off the whole portion in no time. It seemed the woodpecker also found the dish quite tasty.

"Mmm! Mmm!" How could good food ever escape the clutches of a foodie like Hah’Er? The big guy stared eagerly at Shen Yibin, who had no choice but to give it some as well. Hah’Er immediately began to eat with great relish. This creature loved both meat and bamboo shoots, so an insect that tasted like bamboo was a perfect match for its palate.

"Uhh, maybe I’ll try a little!" Seeing how happily everyone was eating, Xia Shixuan couldn’t resist any longer. She boldly picked up a piece with her chopsticks. Under the watchful eyes of Li Shiqing, Gao Shu, and the others, she mustered up her courage, brought it to her lips, and took a small bite.

"Shixuan, how is it? Is it actually edible?" Li Shiqing couldn’t help but ask when she saw that Xia Shixuan had no reaction for a long moment after eating it.

"It’s not good at all. You guys shouldn’t even bother trying it!" Xia Shixuan said, even as she quickly reached out with her chopsticks, grabbed another full mouthful, and popped it into her mouth.

"Hey! You liar!" At that, how could anyone not understand? The women’s chopsticks descended like rain as they scrambled for the delicacy. Before Marc could have more than a few bites, the entire plate of bamboo worms had been snatched clean by them.

"Hey, that’s going too far! I made this for Marc, and you all snatched it away before he even had a few bites!" Shen Yibin was speechless.

"Where did you buy the ingredients? I’ll go out and buy more later, and we can have this again tonight!" Xia Shixuan said, staring at the empty plate, clearly not having had her fill.

"Heh. And who was it that found them so disgusting just a minute ago?" Shen Yibin sneered. ’That’s not what you were saying at the beginning!’

"Aiya, I was wrong, okay? Bin, can you forgive little old me?" Xia Shixuan’s voice took on a wheedling tone again.