Chapter 81 Small Pancakes for Breakfast

Huh, how come we suddenly realized that this Angelica dahurica is real?

Bai Su explained to the bewildered onlookers:

"What Xuecao just said about licorice must have been made up by her. If it were a fake Aunt Baizhi, she definitely wouldn't have discovered that these things simply don't exist..."

Wow, what a clever snow grass!

Everyone suddenly realized.

On the other side, Xuecao and Gancao, looking at Zhou Chi's phone screen, stopped crying with Baizhi's comfort, but still kept wiping away their tears with their little hands.

"Mommy, I miss you so much, waaaaah!" "I miss Mommy too!"

This scene was incredibly moving, and even the other villains couldn't help but have tears welling up in their eyes.

Snow grass and licorice root vied to tell Angelica dahurica about their current lives:

"Mom, we're having a great time here! We've eaten lots of delicious food!"

"I've even learned the giants' writing system!"

Bai Zhi looked pleased and said, "Our Xuecao is so smart and capable!"

Not to be outdone, Gan Cao chimed in, "Mommy, Mommy, I'm learning embroidery! I embroidered many of the words on the sachets!"

Bai Zhi praised earnestly, "Wow, our licorice is amazing too!"

The mother and her two children poured out their longing for each other and, after confirming that everyone was doing well, at Bai Zhi's suggestion, stopped hogging the phone screen and let the other little ones who were eagerly watching also quickly meet their relatives and friends online.

So, another group of little people gathered around the phone and started crying their eyes out. Zhou Chi, watching from the side, seemed to remember something, and his eyes also became moist.

Here, wipe it clean.

Ning Jia stuffed a tissue into his hand, then casually squatted back down by the coffee table and continued to cry with the little people.

Zhou Chi was stunned for a moment, looking at Ning Jia, who looked particularly large next to the little people, blending in without any sense of incongruity, sometimes crying and sometimes laughing with the little people, completely becoming one with them, and his eyes revealed deep envy.

At this moment, the little people were immersed in great joy and sorrow:

"Waaaah... I'm so happy to see you're alright..."

"Waaaaah... My child, you've suffered so much... Hey, Dongkui, have you gained weight?!"

"Hahaha... Everyone come and see He Meng, she's even fatter than me now!"

"Waaaaah... Haha, Daddy, your clothes are so weird..."

"...Hahaha, why are you all wearing giant clothes? How strange!"

Oh my god, this is so touching!

Ning Jia patted this child's head for a while, then handed that child a small tissue. Suddenly, she wiped her red eyes and secretly got up and went to the kitchen.

Luckily, I almost forgot to cook before eight o'clock!

After the touching scene of relatives and friends reuniting ended, Zhou Chi's phone was almost out of battery. Everyone waved goodbye to the people on the screen with reluctance, and then, like deflated balloons, they all collapsed wearily onto the coffee table.

Whew, I'm so tired...

Having just exhausted their emotions, the little people were completely unwilling to speak. They stared at the ceiling, silently savoring and pondering.

Ning Jia, wearing an apron, suddenly appeared and said with a smile:

"Now that we've met everyone, how about... we have breakfast first?"

"..."

Amidst the warm aroma of food wafting from the kitchen, the little ones slowly came to their senses and suddenly felt an unusual emptiness in their little bellies!

"So hungry! So hungry!" "I'm so hungry!" "Ningjia, I want to eat eggs!" "I want to eat eggs, corn, pumpkin, sweet potato..." "I, I want to eat everything!!"

The little ones immediately perked up and sat up while shouting.

"that……"

Zhou Chi, who was lying on the sofa, couldn't help but interrupt everyone's conversation:

"Could you untie me first? I need to go to the bathroom..."

"Oh oh oh!"

The little people realized what was happening and quickly ran over from the coffee table, saying, "Sorry, we all forgot about you!"

"……fine."

Zhou Chi's hands and feet were quickly untied, and he slowly got up from the sofa, his face flushed. Seeing that he was struggling, Ning Jia generously extended her hand to him:

Do you need help?

"Thank you, but no need, I can manage on my own."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Zhou Chi's face, while Ning Jia raised the corners of her mouth and went back to the kitchen.

After Zhou Chi resolved the most pressing issue and was washing his hands at the sink, he glanced up at himself in the mirror and his eyes widened in shock. He was utterly horrified.

Heavens above!

No wonder Ning Jia's expression towards him was so strange...

Anyone who could resist laughing at his miserable and pitiful state would be considered kind-hearted.

...

When Zhou Chi limped back to the living room, the last bit of his composure vanished, and he felt much more relaxed.

Seeing his battered and bruised state, the children, remembering what happened last night, gathered around him apologetically. Some asked him if he was in pain, while others brought fruit to give him.

"Everyone, please make way, I'll apply the medicine to him first."

Canglan came over carrying a glass bottle, and also asked a few little figures to help:

One little person wiped the tiny wound clean with a wet wipe, while another little person took a cotton swab, dipped it in the little people's secret medicine from a bottle, and handed it to Canglan, who then carefully applied it to the wound.

Another small figure stepped on Zhou Chi, searching for any bruises that might bleed, and then applied bandages to them.

Canglan explained as she applied the medicine:

"You were drugged with aphrodisiac last night, which is why you were unconscious for so long. This is the antidote. Just apply it and rest for a bit, and you'll be fine."

"Yes, thank you for your help."

Zhou Chi nodded, lay quietly on the sofa, letting the little people take meticulous care of him. He felt a soft feeling in his heart, and his wounds didn't hurt so much anymore.

Canglan carefully applied the medicine while saying:

"I'm so sorry that you suffered so many injuries."

The little people all showed expressions of remorse, and seeing this, Zhou Chi quickly said:

"It's okay, it's all a misunderstanding."

He Meng, standing to the side, asked curiously:

"You're a strange giant. We've hurt you so badly, aren't you angry at all?"

"……hiss."

The little figure applying the band-aid accidentally pressed a little too hard, and Zhou Chi grimaced and cried out, but his face remained all smiles as he said happily:

"As long as your clan can be reunited as soon as possible, this injury is nothing."

He Meng stared at him for a while, and seeing that the gentle expression on his face seemed genuine, she immediately said happily:

"So you're a really good person, just like Ning Jia!"

The other little people nodded as well, "What a great person!"

The young man, who had never heard such praise from a dwarf, was momentarily stunned.

Why are these petty people so affectionate towards him after only meeting him for the first time?

He put in a lot of effort to gain Bai Zhi and the others' trust...

Just then, Shi Yingkeng came over carrying a small bowl:

"Lord Zhou Chi, are you thirsty? Would you like some water?"

Zhou Chi's eyes were almost overflowing with emotion. Seeing that Shi Ying was about to bring the bowl to feed him, he quickly reached out and took the small bowl from her.

"Thank you, I can do it myself."

He added, "No need to be so polite, just call me Zhou Chi."

"oh oh."

The little people naturally changed their way of addressing him, surrounding Zhou Chi and calling him "Zhou Chi" repeatedly. Zhou Chi's lips curled up slightly and never lowered.

...

"Friends, breakfast is here!"

As a strong female voice rang out, Ning Jia, wearing an apron, quickly came out of the kitchen.

She was carrying a large plate in one hand, which contained a mixed grain platter of corn, pumpkin, sweet potato, boiled eggs, yam, taro, and other vegetables.

After placing the plate on the coffee table, she brought over a full pot of red bean porridge, skillfully spreading out small dishes on the coffee table and ladling out the porridge in a row with a large spoon.

"Everyone must be starving, let's eat quickly."

"It smells so good!" "I'm so hungry!" "Ning Jia, you eat too!" "Great, great, there's porridge!"

The little children sat skillfully in front of their small plates and began to eat one after another.

The red beans, cooked until soft and sticky, blend perfectly with the tender rice, and the addition of milk makes it incredibly sweet and delicious.

Some of the little ones were still drinking with small spoons, sip by sip, while the impatient ones had already picked up the small plates and were drinking in big gulps.

Canglan only looked up and reminded him, "Don't eat too fast or too hastily, be careful not to burn yourself," before continuing to eat.

Xuecao sat in front of the small plate, took a sip of the hot, milky red bean porridge with a small spoon, and immediately sighed comfortably, feeling all her fatigue disappear!

She suddenly put down her spoon and looked at Zhou Chi on the sofa:

"Hey Zhou, are you hungry? Would you like some porridge?"

By now, the effects of the anesthesia on Zhou Chi had mostly worn off, and he felt much more energetic. He quickly sat up and smiled:

"Thank you, Xuecao. Don't worry about me, you eat first."

Before Xuecao could say anything more, Ningjia had already brought over a rice bowl, filled it with more than half a bowl of red bean porridge, and placed it in front of Zhou Chi:

"I'm so sorry I accidentally hurt you last night. Would you like some porridge?"

"It's nothing, it's all a misunderstanding."

Smelling the aroma of the porridge in front of him, Zhou Chi's stomach rumbled. His face flushed slightly with embarrassment. Just as he was about to say something, he looked up and saw that Ning Jia had already returned to the kitchen, while the other little ones were all slurping their porridge, completely oblivious to his predicament.

Zhou Chi smiled slightly, picked up the bowl, and drank.

The moment the soft, well-cooked red bean porridge touched his lips, his eyes widened in surprise—

Before he knew it, he had finished most of the bowl of porridge. Zhou Chi's stomach felt much better. He reluctantly swallowed the last mouthful of porridge and muttered to himself in surprise:

"How do you make something so thick and sweet from just ordinary red beans and rice?"

"The ingredients are basic, but the cooking method is not."

Ning Jia emerged from the kitchen at some point, just in time to overhear his words, and gave him a half-smile:

"It seems your cooking skills are quite good; you can even tell whether the red beans and rice are ordinary or not."

Zhou Chi was startled. How could he have blurted out his thoughts?

His face flushed again, and he hurriedly explained:

"No, I just think your red bean porridge is especially delicious, it's just as good as porridge made with high-end ingredients..."

For example, the bird's nest porridge he made for the little ones at home.

He quickly changed the subject, saying, "By the way, do you usually make this kind of food for the little people?"

"More or less, but it may vary depending on what you have at home."

"If I'm in a good mood, I'll also make some other snacks."

After saying that, Ning Jia turned her head and said to He Meng, who was engrossed in eating a piece of corn:

"Don't eat too much, there will be dessert later."

Dessert after dinner? What kind of dessert?

He Meng swallowed the corn kernels in her mouth, staring blankly at Ning Jia, not reacting for a moment.

Ning Jia tapped her little head, "No matter how forgetful you are, you shouldn't forget this."

"Ahhh!"

He Meng finished the corn in a few bites, then jumped up and cheered:

"It's mini muffins! My cream mini muffins!"

Ning Jia snapped her fingers at her, "Bingo!"

"Wait here, I'll be right there."

...

Ning Jia went to the kitchen with a smile and soon returned with a large plate of round, golden-yellow pancakes.

Zhou Chi couldn't help but take a look and thought to himself that this was just a basic version of pancakes. There were no fruits or nuts, let alone mayonnaise, caviar, or shrimp. It was much simpler than the ones he made for Bai Zhi and the others.

But the little creatures present didn't think so. They all rushed over in a flash, letting out a series of exclamations:

"These mini pancakes seem different from the ones I've had before!" "They look so delicious!" "Ning Jia is amazing!"

Ning Jia smiled slightly, took a clean small plate, placed a round little pancake on it, and then took out some honey and poured a little on top.

Once the honey had spread evenly over the surface of the muffin, she placed another small muffin on top...

This process was repeated many times until the pancakes were piled up in layers, about 1.5 times the height of a hem, before they stopped.

Finally, she picked up the piping bag and piped seven white butter flowers in a staggered pattern onto the top of the muffin, and a butter muffin was ready.

"Wow--"

The little people looked up at the huge pancake tower in front of them, speechless with amazement.

He Meng stared longingly at the huge pancake tower in front of her, not even noticing that her mouth was watering.

Ning Jia smiled and pushed the plate of pancake tarts in front of her, then handed her a knife. "Want to try cutting it yourself?"

"Waaaaah, Ning Jia, you've worked so hard, you're so kind!"

He Meng nodded vigorously. She hadn't had cream pancakes in a long time, and she was so happy she almost cried.

Ning Jia couldn't help but pat her head again, then leaned down and whispered in her ear:

"You did a great job last night, this is a reward you deserve."

He Meng nodded with tears in her eyes. The thought that the exquisite delicacy before her was something she had earned through a brave battle made it even more delicious and tempting.

She happily picked up the knife, stood on the inverted cup she used to stand on tiptoe, and began to earnestly cut the mini butter muffins in front of her:

Mom got one piece, I got one piece, the clan chief got one piece, I got one piece, Bai Su got one piece, I got one piece...

Before she even got a bite of the pancake, He Meng was as happy as a squirrel with hundreds of nuts on its plate, her smile never fading the entire time.

Zhou Chi, standing to the side, looked on, still puzzled:

On weekdays at home, the afternoon tea he makes for Bai Zhi and the others is always a three-tiered English pastry tower, not only rich in ingredients but also beautiful in appearance and taste, but...

He thought sadly, why didn't they show such a happy expression like this little man?

Seeing that Zhou Chi was staring at He Meng, Ning Jia assumed he also wanted some pancakes. After making several tall and beautiful cream pancake towers for the little ones, she took the remaining pancakes and brought them over.

"Would you like some? We still have honey and cream; please add as much as you like."

Zhou Chi hesitated for a moment, then, remembering that Ning Jia hadn't had breakfast yet, shook his head and declined.

"I'm already full, so... you can eat."

Ning Jia looked at him with surprise:

Such a tall person, yet has such a small appetite? This is less than a third of what she usually eats.

"Don't be shy, guests are welcome, please eat if you want."

Zhou Chi shook his head. "You eat it."

Ning Jia didn't insist anymore. After thinking for a moment, she used her chopsticks to take away most of the pancakes, leaving one for him on the plate, and added some honey and cream.

As for herself, she unceremoniously squeezed a huge mound of cream onto the muffin, drizzled some honey on top, and then enjoyed it immensely.

Mmm, it's been so long since I've had cream. The texture is so smooth and refreshing.

Zhou Chi, standing to the side, touched his stomach, which was only three-tenths full, and quietly swallowed.

Seeing that everyone else was enjoying their food, he tried to resist, but in the end he couldn't hold back any longer. When no one was looking, he quickly grabbed the pancake from the plate and stuffed it into his mouth.

Perhaps because he moved too hastily, and it aggravated the wound on his face, he grimaced and looked quite disheveled.

Ning Jia, who had already started drinking her porridge, inadvertently looked up and saw this scene. She couldn't help but find it a little funny. She finally remembered the pitiful face.

...

After breakfast, seeing Ning Jia go to answer the phone, Zhou Chi offered to help clear the dishes.

He had just placed a small dish into the kitchen sink when four or five little figures climbed onto the counter, urging him:

"Are you done? We need to wash the dishes!"

What? Zhou Chi thought he had misheard, "...You guys, you're going to wash the dishes?"

The leader, Quartz, thought he hadn't heard him clearly, and repeated it loudly:

"Okay, we need to wash the dishes!"

Zhou Chi curiously stepped back, letting the little figures jump into the sink, and then methodically began cleaning the small dishes...

Zhou Chi watched from the side, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets in astonishment:

They...they were actually washing dishes!!

In just a few hours, he seemed to have already experienced too many visual and mental shocks here!

Ning Jia had already finished her call and came over. Seeing Zhou Chi wiping the stove, she quickly took the rag from him and told him to go back to the living room to rest.

"He's a guest, after all. How can we let you do the work?"

"……oh."

Zhou Chi responded, then glanced at the sink. The last little person on the dishwashing line was already wiping small plates, and couldn't help but ask:

Why would they wash dishes?

As Ning Jia wiped the stove, she said, "If they don't wash it, am I supposed to?"

Zhou Chi was speechless for a moment.

In his home, he always did all the cooking and washing of dishes by himself. So, it's possible to do that?

...

After the dishes were cleared away, Ning Jia discussed with the children about going to Zhou Chi's house:

“Alright, then most of you can stay here. Chieftain, Snow Grass, Licorice… you few come with me.”

"Yes, don't worry, we'll make sachets at home."

The little people were even more motivated when they thought of their clansmen whom they hadn't seen in a long time.

Zhou Chi looked at them in surprise:

"Aren't we all going together? It's only a two-hour round trip, we can do it on the way back."

"That won't do!"

The little ones shook their heads disapprovingly, "We've received so many orders, we can't afford not to hurry up and finish them!"

"Besides, I still need to earn a living for my people!"

Zhou Chi asked again, puzzled, "Living expenses?"

"You...you're going to earn your own living expenses?"

Hearing this word from the mouth of the little people always feels strangely out of place.

Snow Grass nodded naturally:

"Yes, with so many people in the family, don't they have to spend money on food and lodging? It's a huge expense!"

Orange Leaf added from the side, "Sometimes we also need to buy stationery and books!"

“Yes, yes, yes,” Xuecao sighed very maturely, “and there’s that interest development thing… just buying practice equipment costs a lot of money!…”

Zhou Chi listened from the side, his expression growing increasingly confused:

Why would a newly adult dwarf know such detailed information about household items?

Seeing the undisguised surprise on Zhou Chi's face, Ning Jia blinked in confusion, gave him a very subtle look, and interrupted Xue Cao:

"Alright, we'll talk about that later. Everyone, hurry up and get ready. We'll be leaving in a bit."