Chapter 69 The Big Rice Ball Opens a Blind Box

Bai Su knew some of the inside story regarding Xuecao's question:

"It seems that Ning Jia gave her some kind of points system. Every time you help her with something, you get new points, which can be accumulated and redeemed for snacks, such as shaved ice and cream and pork floss cakes."

"No wonder!"

Xuecao remembers Hemeng's obsession with cream and pork floss cakes very well; after all, it's always unforgettable when someone suddenly vomits in front of you.

"The world of giants is really full of tricks. It doesn't take much effort to get He Meng to work willingly," Xuecao exclaimed.

"Yes, that's a really impressive method. Even the clan leader couldn't do that."

Bai Su seemed lost in thought, her face showing a thoughtful expression.

He Meng, who was working hard for points, had no idea that she had been tricked. She excitedly led Su Mu and Dong Kui to tidy up in the living room, and then dragged the packed cardboard boxes to the "storage room" again and again.

Ning Jia, who was preparing dinner in the sweltering kitchen, kept using ice cubes and a fan to cool herself down, but after an hour, she couldn't help but stop and go to the living room to enjoy the cool air.

"Phew...that feels so good."

Ning Jia tugged at her sweat-soaked T-shirt, gulped down a glass of lemonade, and before she could even sit down on the sofa, He Meng and two assistants came over eagerly to claim credit:

"Ning Jia, I've tidied up everything in the living room. Come and see how it looks!"

"So fast?" Ning Jia was shocked. "Is everything packed?"

“Yes,” He Meng nodded, “Besides the stationery, which Bai Su and the others had to pack themselves, we did everything else. Aren’t we amazing?”

Ning Jia looked around the living room and, sure enough, the floor was now completely empty again. She said sincerely:

"That's really impressive, incredibly impressive."

"Then you'll have to give me more points this time."

He Meng proudly raised her little head, not forgetting to remind Ning Jia about this.

Ning Jia was just teasing her, so she immediately held out a hand and said, "Okay, I'll give you five points this time."

Wow, really?

He Meng was so excited that she did a backflip on the spot and jumped around, even happier than if she had eaten a cream and pork floss pastry.

The two boys standing nearby also became envious upon seeing this, "Sister Ningjia, we want points too..."

"What are points?" "What are points?" "It seems like a good thing, I want some too." "I want some too."

He Meng's unusual behavior caught everyone's attention, and they quickly gathered around.

Ning Jia was dumbfounded and had to explain the points game between herself and He Meng. When she mentioned that the accumulated points could be exchanged for different benefits, the little people all showed a curious expression.

Since summer is boring anyway, why not stir things up? Ning Jia's eyes lit up and she suddenly had an idea.

...

It was past 5 p.m., and dinner was ready, but it hadn't been served yet.

The little people weren't in a hurry. Each of them held a small card in their hand and excitedly huddled together, whispering among themselves.

Bai Su looked at the card in her hand, glanced around speechlessly, and couldn't help but complain:

"I didn't expect the clan leader to join in the commotion. Now, everything is tied to points. It's terrifying to think about."

Snow Grass also vaguely sensed something was wrong, but still said optimistically:

"Don't think too much about it. Ning Jia wouldn't hurt us. Just treat it as a game we're all playing together."

As they were talking, Ning Jia came out of the kitchen carrying a large iron steamer that was completely covered. She placed the steamer on a small stool next to the coffee table and sat down on the sofa.

She looked at the cards in each of the little figures' hands. "Did everyone bring their points cards?"

"We brought it!" the little people said in unison.

"Then today's gourmet auction is officially beginning," Ning Jia announced.

"The rules of our auction are very simple. I will announce a starting price for each dish, such as 1 point. Those who want to eat it will increase the price by 1 point. For example, you can bid 2 points, 3 points, and the person with the highest bid within one minute will win the dish... Is that clear?"

"I understand." "I understand." "You...know...?"

The little people discussed among themselves for a while and gave a jumbled reply.

Ning Jia looked around and then nodded. "Okay, let's start the auction now."

As she spoke, she lifted the pot lid, took out a plate from the top, and placed it in the middle of the coffee table:

"The first dish, shrimp and egg stew, is delicious and nutritious, a truly exceptional summer treat! Starting price: 1 point!"

The children didn't rush to raise their hands. They carefully examined the exquisite transparent glass wine glass on the plate, praising the engraving on it.

"So beautiful!" "So pretty!" Licorice even reached out and secretly touched the pattern on the cup, wondering if she could embroider such a pattern on a sachet.

This liquor glass was also left by the landlord, carefully stored in a cardboard box, and has never been used. Ning Jia has always kept it in the kitchen.

Seeing the little ones marveling at the glass, clearly enjoying it so much, she regretted not having brought it out to use sooner and immediately said:

"I have many of these small cups at home. After I wash and disinfect them, everyone can use them."

"Wow, yay!" "Great job!" "We have cups now!"

The little people cheered enthusiastically.

After admiring the small glass cups, they began to observe the food inside:

The pale yellow steamed egg custard, served in a clear glass, looked smooth and delicious.

The eggs were drizzled with a little sesame oil, and they smelled delicious.

The shrimp meat, barely visible, exudes a fresh aroma; these were live shrimp that Ning Jia bought from the market and peeled one by one by hand.

"Two points!" He Meng couldn't help but be the first to raise her hand.

"3 points!" "4 points!"...

In the end, He Meng won the shrimp and egg stew with a high price of "5 points".

She was overjoyed, proudly took the dish away, and immediately began to eat it with a small wooden spoon:

"Mmm, it smells so good! It's so delicious!"

Her act of inciting hatred was unanimously condemned by everyone.

The little ones, their bellies empty, became envious and urged eagerly:

"Ning Jia, Ning Jia, keep going, keep going!"

"She's an idiot for spending so many points on the first dish."

Bai Su secretly complained to Xue Cao from the side.

Xuecao also felt that the 5 points were not worth spending, but seeing Hemeng enjoying his meal, the two of them secretly swallowed.

I don't know if it's because my value has increased to 5 points, but this shrimp and egg stew looks especially delicious. I really want to eat it.

It seems that the other clansmen felt the same way. Before He Meng had finished his shrimp and egg stew, Ning Jia brought out five more servings of shrimp and egg stew, which were quickly auctioned off at high prices of 5 points and 4 points respectively, and sold out in just a few minutes.

I also managed to snag a portion of rice sprouts and orange leaves.

The two, who were still growing, were already hungry. They huddled around the steamed egg, taking turns spooning it down while waiting for the next dish.

Not far away, Gancao and his two roommates were also eating voraciously, occasionally keeping an eye on Ningjia's movements.

"Eat slowly, don't choke."

Ning Jia offered some advice, finding it somewhat amusing.

These little guys are really clever; they actually thought of teamwork, which increases their points and makes them more competitive than playing alone.

Canglan and Zelan also noticed this. The two of them held small wooden cups, drinking lemonade and chatting:

"Young people these days are all very thoughtful."

"Yes, I never taught them any of this. It's truly remarkable."

As they chatted, they started thinking about the future of the Lilliputians.

Perhaps one day, these young people will truly be able to lead their people back to that dense forest...

Meanwhile, the young people on whom they had placed such high hopes were still happily eating...

...

The first batch of miniature figures that were successfully auctioned off were almost finished eating.

"Okay, let's continue."

Ning Jia cleared her throat, immediately opened the steamer, and brought out the second dish:

"This dish is called Blueberry Yam. It's made with blueberries, yam, cream, and other ingredients. It has a delicate and soft texture, and a sweet and sour taste—absolutely delicious! The starting price is also 1 point. Please place your bid!"

"Wow, it tastes a bit like shaved ice, it must be delicious."

The little creatures looked at the miniature snow-capped mountains of blueberry yams piled on small plates, licked their lips, and wondered what they tasted like.

A little character who loves blueberries was the first to raise his hand, "2 points!"

The others weren't to be outdone, shouting, "3 points!" "4 points!"

Juye quietly tugged at Daoya, who was about to raise her hand, and said, "Don't take a picture yet, let's take a second one."

She had already discovered that the first serving of each dish was usually the most expensive; look at Bai Su and Xue Cao, they didn't even raise their hands.

In the end, the first portion of blueberry yam was auctioned off for a high price of "5 points", and the remaining portions were quickly divided up.

Because the items were so popular, Ning Jia suddenly felt that being an auctioneer was too easy and not challenging at all.

However, the next one—she chuckled, deftly lifted the lid, and took out the rice ball placed on the third layer of the steamer.

The rice balls, shaped into small dumplings, are placed neatly on a small plate, and all you see is rice, rice, and more rice.

The appearance of this ordinary rice ball caused the enthusiasm that had just risen to vanish like air leaking from a balloon.

What?! It's rice!

One little person, clinging to a sliver of hope, asked:

"Ning Jia, is this rice ball made of sweet glutinous rice?"

If so, then it's similar to zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and quite delicious.

"No, it's just a rice ball made from rice."

Seeing the disappointment on everyone's faces, Ning Jia suddenly smiled slyly:

"But this rice ball isn't solid; it contains other food."

What? What's in the rice ball? The little people all looked at her curiously.

"As for what exactly is in it, I can't reveal that for now. I can only tell you that the food in each rice ball is completely different."

One child wondered, "What if I take a picture of food I don't like?"

Ning Jia chuckled, "That's what makes it exciting. Maybe we can even film some new flavors we've never tried before."

"Two points!" He Meng suddenly raised her hand.

She doesn't know what's inside the rice ball until she tastes it, which is such an interesting concept! She loves it!

Anyway, there's nothing she doesn't like to eat, so she won't lose out by taking pictures of anything!

"3 points!" Shi Ying, standing to the side, was not to be outdone.

He stared at the rice ball on the plate, which was bigger than his head, his curiosity reaching its peak.

The other little people also realized what was happening and started raising their hands to increase the price:

"4 points!" "5 points!"...

Ultimately, the first rice ball was acquired by another little person who hadn't used any points yet, for a high price of "6 points," which also broke the auction record for the night.

"Eat up, eat up! Look what's inside!!"

As soon as the little man sat down with the plate in his arms, everyone urged him impatiently.

The little one grunted, picked up the big rice ball from the plate, and took a big bite—

Hmm, I didn't get any filling.

"Eat quickly, eat quickly!"

The little people with their long necks watching looked disappointed but continued to urge him on.

The little person chewed so fast he almost choked, then quickly picked up the rice ball and took another big bite.

This time, he was not disappointed. The rice mixed with filling filled his mouth, and the taste was so delicious that his eyes lit up.

The children watching, eyeing the colorful fillings peeking out of the rice balls, whispered among themselves:

"Ah, corn kernels~" "There seem to be carrots too!" "I see cucumbers!" "Is that yellow stuff meat floss? It looks so delicious~"

Hearing the exclamations of his clansmen, the rice ball in the little boy's mouth tasted even better.

Oh dear, I was a little regretful just now, wondering if I had spent too many points. I didn't expect there to be so much delicious food in one rice ball. It's so satisfying to eat!

The rice was also topped with lots of crunchy sesame seeds and a sweet and fragrant sauce that I'd never tasted before!

The little figure savored the taste of the rice ball and revealed a happy, silly smile.

The first blind box rice ball was so successful that subsequent rice balls were also sold out at high prices.

The little people also successively opened up rice ball fillings such as cumin fried small fish and mashed potatoes, black pepper beef and carrots, taro paste and salted egg yolks, fruit salad and raisins, broccoli and braised beef, and cheese-filled cucumber, egg and ham, with shouts of "Wow!" rising and falling.

After this round of auctions ended, almost every character used their points to win their own dinner, and the atmosphere was filled with joy.

Everyone excitedly ate the delicious dinner they had "earned," their little faces beaming with happiness and satisfaction.

Just then, Ning Jia suddenly chuckled and lifted the pot lid again—

Oh? There's food too?

Many of the little people were dumbfounded.

They thought the rice balls were the last dish, and they had already used up all their points!