After a moment of thought, Shen Yibin figured out Xiaoliu’s system for sorting the fruit. Softer, juicier fruits like grapes, strawberries, and peeled tangerines and oranges were piled into one tree hollow. Harder fruits with relatively less juice, such as apples, pears, and apricots, were piled into another. ’This is probably because the fruits ferment at different rates,’ he surmised.
Of course, not every single fruit was sorted this way. Occasionally, Xiaoliu would mix in one or two other types of fruit. ’Perhaps to adjust the flavor?’ he wondered. Just imagine: a Monkey Wine made mainly from grapes and strawberries with a hint of apple, or a Monkey Wine made primarily from apples and pears with a whisper of grape. It would definitely enrich the wine’s flavor profile and offer a completely new sensation.
Recalling the taste of the Monkey Wine from the valley on Emei Mountain, Shen Yibin couldn’t help but swallow. He grew impatient, eager to see this batch of Monkey Wine finished. At the same time, he became more and more anxious for Li Zhen to find a suitable large tree so Xiaoliu could brew even more of the wonderful wine. The yield from just these two tree hollows was nowhere near enough for the heavy drinkers at the store, and that wasn’t even counting all the other people Shen Yibin wanted to share it with.
The Monkey Wine’s alcohol content wasn’t high. Even Hah’Er, a lightweight, could drink three or four bowls, to say nothing of Shen Yibin himself. Xia Shixuan frequented all the major bars in Yunzhong City and had an incredible tolerance for alcohol. Plus, Xiaoliu would be drinking some itself. At this rate, even if Xie Nannan, Li Shiqing, and Gao Shu couldn’t drink much, this batch of Monkey Wine probably wouldn’t even be enough for a single round of drinks.
’Egg has always liked to drink, so I’ll definitely have to mail some to Japan for it to enjoy. Cheeky loves fruit, so it’ll probably love this fruit wine, right? I’ll have to mail some to Sun Qian, too. And Sylvie sent me so many bottles of fine red wine; I have to return the favor somehow.’
’Also, I should invite Bai Yanni, Qiao Wenqi, Mo Xiaomo, and Xu Ye to the store for a nice drinking session. Oh, right! The next time I go to Shanghai to continue filming *Panda Hero*, I must remember to bring a jug for Director Kong. After all, he brings Hah’Er a gift every time he comes over from Xiangjiang.’
Huh? Speaking of Cheeky, a new idea popped into Shen Yibin’s head. The fruit he’d just bought were all common domestic varieties. ’I wonder if Xiaoliu could make wine with the Amazonian tropical fruits that Cheeky likes? What would that kind of wine taste like? Just thinking about it is exciting!’
’There are so many fruits in the world; I could have Xiaoliu try them one by one! Haha, what a blessing for us drinkers!’ At the thought of the endless variety of fine wines in his future, Shen Yibin couldn’t help but swallow. This was truly a life to look forward to.
’Sigh, just thinking about it is useless. When is Li Zhen going to find those big trees?’ Speak of the devil. Just as Shen Yibin was thinking about Li Zhen, his phone rang. It was him. "Mr. Shen, hello. I’m at the nursery right now. I’ve found a few promising large trees. Would you like to come over and pick one out?"
"Great! Send me the address on WeChat. I’ll be right there." ’Talk about getting what you wish for,’ Shen Yibin thought as he immediately got up. "Hah’Er, Xiaoliu, we’re going out!" Hearing this, the two critters immediately followed Shen Yibin to the car. Maphario, done with its business, scrambled into the pocket on Hah’Er’s chest and lay down comfortably.
He opened his navigation app, entered the location Li Zhen had sent, and drove as fast as he could. Xiaoliu leaned against the window, curiously observing the tall buildings outside. Having just come from Emei Mountain, it was curious about everything in the city, though it was a little disappointed that there was no fruit to be seen anywhere.
Before long, the car pulled up to the entrance of the nursery. Li Zhen and the company’s manager welcomed Shen Yibin and his companions inside. The nursery’s manager, Bai Jingxiang, was a graceful woman with a mature charm. She looked quite surprised to see Hah’Er and Xiaoliu, so Li Zhen quickly made the introductions. "Boss Shen owns a pet store. This is Hah’Er, and this is Xiaoliu. They’re his pets. Have you seen that promotional video for Yunzhong City? Hah’Er was the star." He didn’t notice Maphario sleeping in the pocket.
"Hello, Mr. Shen." Having navigated the business world for many years, Bai Jingxiang quickly regained her composure. She led Shen Yibin onto the grounds. "Are all these trees for them?"
"Yes, I’m looking for a suitable one for Xiaoliu to play in. What’s a monkey without a tree?" ’Hmm? Maybe I should stop and buy a hammock for Xiaoliu on the way back. I could hang it in the tree. The little guy doesn’t like sleeping in beds; for the past few days at the base, he’s been sneaking outside to sleep on tree branches.’
A short while later, they arrived at the main area of the grounds, where several rows of large, recently transplanted trees stood. Shen Yibin patted Xiaoliu’s head. "Go see which ones are a good fit. We’ll move them to the store."
Xiaoliu seemed to vaguely understand what Shen Yibin meant. Although it couldn’t quite comprehend how a large tree could be moved, it obediently climbed up the trees, inspecting them one by one. Before long, Xiaoliu had selected three. Shen Yibin carefully examined its choices. Almost every one had tree hollows; the one with the fewest had two, while the one with the most had an incredible four. This left Shen Yibin extremely satisfied. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about running out of Monkey Wine.
"Alright, these three it is. Manager Li, please be extremely careful during transport and transplanting. They can’t be damaged in the slightest," Shen Yibin added, not forgetting a word of caution after making his choice.
These weren’t just simple ornamental plants; they were crucial production tools for expanding Xiaoliu’s Monkey Wine brewing operation. There was no room for carelessness. If anything went wrong, Shen Yibin would be heartbroken.
"No problem," Bai Jingxiang replied. "Our company is very experienced with transport and transplantation. Furthermore, if any of the trees don’t survive within three months of being moved, we guarantee a replacement." This sort of thing was her responsibility, after all.
"Thank you very much, then." With the matter settled, Shen Yibin politely declined Bai Jingxiang’s invitation to stay for a meal. He drove back to the city with Hah’Er and Xiaoliu, stopped by an outdoor store to buy a hammock, and then finally returned to his shop.
He made a sumptuous dinner and brought out some beer along with the red wine Sylvie had given him. In the past, Shen Yibin and Hah’Er would have been thrilled to eat and drink like this, but now that they had tasted the wonderful flavor of Monkey Wine, these other beverages seemed to be lacking something.
Shen Yibin couldn’t help but gaze at the tree hollows stuffed with fruit. ’Please, let the wine finish brewing smoothly and quickly,’ he prayed.