Chapter 112 Chocolate Prodigy

"Ning Jia, I think this pig's trotter is even tastier than pork!"

Daoya licked the soup from her lips, still savoring the taste, and came over to say something.

The other little figures nodded in agreement. This pig's trotter smelled so good! It was so soft and melted in your mouth. It was absolutely delicious!

"Ning Jia, you're amazing! Can we still eat this tomorrow?"

Shi Ying looked at the last remaining half of the pig's trotter and reluctantly took a small bite.

Xuecao looked at the empty plate and shouted:

"Ning Jia, you're the best! I want to eat this pig's trotter every day!"

He Meng followed suit, "Ning Jia, can we have pig's trotters tomorrow too? Thank you so much!"

Ning Jia teased them deliberately, "Do you know how much this braised pig's trotter cost today?"

"Just buying these pig trotters cost 140 yuan."

Wow, that's so expensive!

The little ones stared wide-eyed, thinking, "No wonder this pig's trotter tastes so good; it's so expensive!"

Xuecao was even more shocked. She looked at her empty plate, then enviously at the unfinished pig's trotters on other people's plates, and suddenly said:

"140 is 140, I think it's fine! Anyway, we have money now, can't we even afford pig's trotters?"

The other children looked at her in surprise, while Ning Jia gave her a thumbs up:

"Xuecao is right. We earn money to live a better life. Since we don't need money for the time being, we should spend it as we should. There's no such thing as expensive or not expensive."

"But ha—"

Ning Jia pretended not to see the expectant looks in the little ones' eyes, and changed the subject:

"Eating greasy meat like pig's trotters occasionally is fine, but it's definitely not good for your health if you eat them often."

ah? ? ?

The little people's hopes were completely shattered, and they all showed expressions of disappointment.

However, Ning Jia was already very familiar with their tendency to like everything they tried, so she said with a smile:

"However, each season has its own special delicacies. Autumn is just around the corner, and there will be many more delicious things to enjoy then."

Wow—autumn delicacies, that sounds amazing!

The little ones were instantly appeased again and happily began discussing what delicious things would be available in autumn.

...

After finishing their meal and cleaning up the kitchen, Ning Jia, seeing the little ones who were stuffed, decided to add some after-dinner entertainment for everyone.

She solemnly took out the still-warm package she had just picked up from the courier station, and from it took out a food scale that was slightly larger than the palm of her hand.

"Hey hey, the new scale's here! Anyone want to weigh themselves?"

What?

The little ones all swarmed around, and after Ning Jia explained the specific terms, they all became happy:

Wow, this scale is so convenient to use! They don't need Ning Jia's help; they can weigh themselves all the time. It's really great!

"I want to weigh myself!" "Me too!" "Me first, me first!" "Don't push, don't push, line up one by one!"

The little people eagerly lined up next to the food scale, one after another, to weigh themselves.

Quartz looked dejected: "Why am I still 43 grams? I thought I'd gained at least a gram or two more = ="

He Meng beamed with pride: "Haha, I've become 43 grams! Hehe, I'm the heaviest now!"

Daoya said nonchalantly, "I haven't been eating much meat lately, so I'm probably going to lose weight...wait, 44 grams?!"

Shi Ying and He Meng were both shocked: "What's going on? You only weigh 44 grams? Impossible, this scale must be inaccurate!"

Daoya looked puzzled: "How about... I weigh it again?"

Rice Sprout was both surprised and delighted: "Huh, still 44 grams? Haha, I've gained weight, I'm the strongest now!"

Quartz and He Meng looked dejected: "Ahhh, how could this happen?! They're not the heaviest people anymore TT"

The other little people were also either happy or worried, and for a while they were all talking about the weight.

Juye was probably the only little person who wasn't in a hurry to weigh herself.

She stood next to the food scale, head down, holding her little notebook and pencil, jotting something down every now and then, muttering to herself:

"The rice sprouts weigh 44 grams, which is heavier than before... um, 2 grams."

"Quartz, 43 grams, same as before, no change..."

"He Meng, 43 grams..."

The others curiously crowded around to take a look, and exclaimed, "Huh, when did she memorize the weights of so many people in her tribe?"

Without looking up, Ju Ye scribbled in her notebook:

"I've kept track of everyone's weight because I want to study how our weight changes and why it changes."

"Because the clan chief said that changes in weight are changes inside the body, which are quite important."

Ning Jia nodded repeatedly, watching Ju Ye's serious expression, and then went on to explain the relationship between diet and weight, such as why you shouldn't eat braised pork trotters every day.

Since it concerned their own weight, everyone listened with great interest, and some even asked:

"Then why did Daoya gain two grams in weight when everyone was eating the same food, while others didn't change at all?"

He Meng quickly added, "I gained a gram too!"

Ning Jia thought for a moment:

"Our weight is not static, and it is normal for the numbers to fluctuate a little."

"For example, if you weigh yourself before and after a meal, you might weigh more after eating. People who are physically active might weigh less than those who are not. Also, you might feel a little lighter after using the toilet..."

One of the children chimed in, "What if you can't poop for a few days? Won't your weight increase?"

Ning Jia nodded. "Very likely."

"Huh? I haven't pooped yet today!"

He Meng looked like the sky had fallen. She had finally grown to 43 grams, and she thought it was because she ate a lot, but she didn't expect it was because she hadn't pooped.

Seeing the conflicted expression on her face, Ning Jia completely understood her thoughts and quickly said:

"Don't hold it in, or you'll get health problems!"

"Besides, didn't you dislike getting fat before? Why are you starting to compare your weight?"

Ning Jia reasoned according to the Lilliputians' thought process and suddenly realized:

Do you all think that the heavier a person is, the stronger they are?

Seeing that the little ones all had "that's not how it is" expressions, Ning Jia's face immediately darkened.

"That's not how it works."

She quickly went on to share some health tips, and Canglan, who had arrived at some point, nodded while touching her chin.

"Lord Ningjia is right. Weight is just a number. Whether someone is strong or not depends on their mental state, strength, agility, and so on, rather than just their physical weight."

Ning Jia wasn't sure what the standard weight for the dwarf race was, so she simply suggested:

"Chief, since we don't have anything to do today, and the children are about to go out again, why don't you take their pulses this afternoon, just like a routine check-up?"

A physical examination? What is that?

After Ning Jia briefly explained the specifics of the physical examination, Cang Lan, Ze Lan, and the others' eyes lit up. They immediately adopted Ning Jia's suggestion and decided to conduct the physical examination after lunch break.

Juye volunteered to act as a health check assistant, recording the health status of the tribespeople.

...

At 2:30 p.m., Ning Jia, who had just woken up, groggily came out of her room and found that the first physical examination of the little people had officially begun.

The physical examination was conducted on the coffee table in the living room.

Chief Canglan, as the main doctor in charge of the examination, sat on a cardboard stool, solemnly taking the pulse of a small figure sitting opposite him.

Sitting next to her was a small figure, Ju Ye, her assistant who was in charge of taking notes.

Seeing Canglan silently taking the pulse, her brows furrowing and relaxing intermittently, the little one being examined was terrified, his face turning deathly pale.

The other little ones who hadn't yet had their turn lined up quietly, their little faces filled with inexplicable tension.

"Ahhh, I'm so scared!"

Xuecao subconsciously shuddered. Although she was very certain that she was quite strong, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Even He Meng, who was recognized as having the highest combat strength, was so frightened that he didn't say a word and was trembling as he leaned against Bai Su.

Bai Su comforted one person and reassured another, and although she was quite nervous at first, she was no longer nervous.

Ning Jia watched the little figures waiting anxiously from the side, and the sense of déjà vu was so strong that she couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she quickly went to the kitchen to prepare afternoon tea.

Meanwhile, Canglan continued her diagnosis slowly and calmly:

"Hmm, it should be fine. Let's move on to the next one."

The little one, relieved after the checkup, grinned and quickly left the dreadful "makeshift clinic."

I never want to have a physical exam again, never again...

All petty people, whether they have problems or not, think the same way.

After the medical examination was completed, the tense atmosphere in the living room relaxed, and Ning Jia came out of the kitchen with a big cardboard box in her hand.

"Everyone has worked hard. Let's have some afternoon tea."

After Ning Jia carefully placed the large cardboard box on the coffee table, she immediately opened the outer box—

An exquisitely crafted eight-inch chocolate cake appeared before the little people.

Wow, it's so big! It looks delicious!

Although they didn't know what kind of food it was, the little people immediately cheered happily.

Ning Jia pointed at the enormous thing and said:

"This is a chocolate cake that Zhou Chi specially made for us. It takes a lot of effort to make."

The little people immediately thanked Zhou Chi warmly, and then, holding their little plates, began to enjoy the delicious chocolate cake.

"Oh my god, what is this? Why is it so sweet and delicious?"

Shi Ying took only one bite and looked at Ning Jia with wide eyes and a look of shock as if she was about to faint from how delicious it was.

"Is...is some kind of magic used here?"

The other little people were also eating chocolate for the first time, and they all looked amazed and captivated by it!

Ning Jia was enjoying a large piece of cake when she heard this and chuckled.

"Maybe it's because it's made of chocolate."

Moreover, it must be a very expensive and high-quality chocolate.

"However, this chocolate cake is also very high in calories, so you can only eat a small piece each."

Ning Jia finished the cake on the plate in a few bites, and amidst a chorus of disappointment, took away the rest of the cake. Soon after, she brought over freshly heated milk.

"Ta-da! We're going to drink milk from our new cups today!"

Dongkui immediately ran over and helped Ning Jia distribute the small enamel cups, earning an approving pat on the head.

The little people's attention was drawn to the pristine white new cups:

"Wow, this new cup is just like Ning Jia's, you can hold it with one hand."

A tiny figure stretched out its slender fingers, tried to grasp the cup handle, and easily lifted the small cup steadily, taking a delicious sip of warm milk.

Everyone else thought the cup was great; it was both beautiful and convenient, and it seemed quite sturdy!

Ning Jia said with a smile:

"I was thinking that it will get cold soon and we will need to drink hot water at home. Glass cups are not very convenient, so I bought this new cup for everyone to use. If our hands get cold, we can warm them up."

"And these cups are very cheap, only one dollar each, isn't that great?"

Wow, it's so cheap?!

The little ones' eyes lit up, and they nodded vigorously, "Great job! Great job!"

...

After everyone finished afternoon tea and placed the brand-new little cups on the coffee table, Gancao suddenly said to Bai Su:

"Bai Su, your new clothes are finished, would you like to try them on?"

He looked a little embarrassed.

"Luckily you made it in time, otherwise you wouldn't have any new clothes to wear tomorrow, and I was really worried you'd catch a cold."

Su Mu's little face showed a hint of pride:

"We added some new designs to this dress, which is why it took so long to make."

He Meng suddenly realized, "No wonder there was no more activity after we finished making the dresses for Guo Guo and the others."

Bai Su was also full of anticipation. After thanking Gan Cao and Su Mu, she quickly went to the fitting room to change into her new dress.

Bai Su, wearing a light blue dress, attracted everyone's attention as soon as she appeared.

With a fair, rosy face, soft light brown hair, large, round eyes, and a quiet demeanor... paired with a light-colored new dress, she's such a sweet and adorable little girl.

Ning Jia watched from the side and suddenly became a little worried:

Can such a cute little thing really survive alone in the woods of a park for a week?

When Bai Su came running over like a whirlwind, her nimble figure dispelled Ning Jia's previous concerns.

Bai Su's small face was so deceptive that it always made people forget that no matter how cute she was, she was, after all, one of the top warriors among the younger generation of the dwarf race.

"Bai Su, you look so beautiful!"

He Meng praised loudly, then leaned closer with great interest, looking at it from left to right, and then asked curiously:

"Hey, isn't this the same dress as Guoguo's and the others'?"

Xuecao looked at Bai Su's little dress with the same puzzled expression and asked the same question:

"Where exactly is the new design that Gan Cao is talking about?"

Bai Su smiled slightly at them, bent down, lifted her skirt, and showed it off briefly. Everyone's eyes widened, and they immediately understood.

It turns out that this is actually a little dress made of three layers of fabric!

The innermost layer is the same as before, still breathable and sweat-absorbent white cotton fabric, while the middle layer is a new fuzzy fabric that feels light and soft to the touch, yet warm!

Seeing everyone touching the velvet fabric with curiosity, Gan Cao explained from the side:

"This is a new fabric that Ning Jia bought, called... Derong. She asked me to see if I could make clothes from it. I thought the fabric was quite warm, so... I sewed it inside."

Ning Jia then interjected:

"Actually, this German fleece isn't the warmest."

"The main problem is that people don't know how to knit yet. When it gets colder, we can buy some high-quality cashmere and knit a cardigan, sweater, hat, or something. That'll be really warm."

The little people only half understood the words Ning Jia used, nodding blankly as they continued to admire Bai Su's new dress.

Inagiya curiously reached out and touched the outermost layer of the skirt, exclaiming in surprise:

"Wow, this fabric is so stiff! It's much stiffer than cotton!"

Su Mu, the young seamstress who sewed the outer layer of the denim, immediately introduced:

"This is denim. Ning Jia said it's very durable and won't get damaged easily if it gets scratched by tree branches or something outside."

"And this fabric can be removed separately."

Then everyone realized that the outermost denim fabric was not a single piece, but rather divided into a top and a skirt.

Bai Su had noticed this clever design when she put it on. Now, she deftly pulled the belt and unfolded the outermost denim skirt, turning it into a large piece of fabric.

Su Mu puffed out his little chest again and said with particular pride:

"This fabric is very thick, so it can be used as a blanket, laid on the ground, or used to wrap luggage. There are so many things you can do with it."

Wow, that's amazing!

The little people were stunned for a moment, then immediately burst into enthusiastic applause.

Ning Jia was also clapping enthusiastically:

Because she suddenly realized that the little dress designed by Gancao and Sumu perfectly matched the recently popular "sandwich style" of dressing, they were simply geniuses!!

It's practical, aesthetically pleasing, and multifunctional... All this talented designer needs is a good sewing machine!