Chapter 92 The New Sachet Requires a Frugal Spice!

What does it mean to "not make sachets too cute"?

Ning Jia's words caused another uproar!

The little children frowned and began to chatter amongst themselves:

If I can't make cute sachets, am I supposed to make uncute ones?

This is so illogical!

In the minds of the naturally cute little people, it's truly incomprehensible how to make a sachet not cute...

Moreover, many petty people asked with suspicion:

"Ning Jia, didn't you say before that our sachets are so popular because they're so cute?"

"What if I don't do a good job this time, and the customers dislike me, and I don't make any money in the end?"

Surprisingly, the little people are quite self-aware of how cute they are.

Ning Jia suppressed a laugh and reassured everyone:

"Don't worry, if this plan fails, I'll buy all the unsold sachets myself. I absolutely won't let you lose a single penny!"

Upon hearing this, the little people looked at each other, and instead hesitated:

"Isn't this a bad idea? Ning Jia, aren't you short of money?"

"It's alright, it's alright, I still have this much money."

It's unclear whether Ning Jia's expression was too confident or if something was amiss.

The little people whispered among themselves for a while, then suddenly said:

"If the sachets don't sell, that's fine, you don't need to buy them... We all trust you!"

After all, the little people were secretly thinking:

Given Ning Jia's stingy nature, it's really strange that she would actually pay out of her own pocket to cover their expenses!

Therefore, only one possibility remains:

That is, Ning Jia is really confident in this cat and dog sachets.

After the little people carefully reasoned and understood Ning Jia's psychological state, the voices of opposition weakened, and almost no one protested anymore.

The little figure who had asked the question earlier, still with a puzzled look on its face, continued to press for an answer:

"Ning Jia, you still haven't told me how to make an unlovable sachet?"

Ning Jia chuckled and suddenly asked a strange question:

"You all usually say you hate cats and dogs, so how deep is your hatred?"

The little ones nodded vigorously without even thinking:

"Of course!!!" "I hate it!" "I especially hate stinky dogs!"

"That's fine then."

Ning Jia laughed and said, "Although I'm making cat and dog sachets, I don't need you to like them."

"On the contrary, since you hate cats and dogs, then hate them all you want."

"Don't you always say that cats and dogs are your enemies?"

Ning Jia coaxed patiently, "Then turn your enemies into fat, stupid cloth heads, and let those stinky cats and dogs have nightmares about them!"

What?

The little people were all stunned for a moment, as if Ning Jia had just said something incomprehensible, and they couldn't react for a long time.

"—Wonderful!"

In the crowd, the shy, quiet little girl with short orange hair, Cang Lan's younger sister Mu Xi, suddenly waved her little hands excitedly and said with great enthusiasm:

"If we could turn all those cats and dogs into ugly sachets and make them earn money for us, just thinking about it would be so awesome and exciting!"

As she spoke, she blinked her big eyes and looked at Ning Jia with admiration:

"Ning Jia, you're so smart!"

The eyes of the other tribesmen all turned to Osmanthus at once.

She then realized what she had done, and embarrassed, she withdrew her hand and hid behind Canglan, her face flushed.

Canglan patted her head, also surprised that her usually shy and timid younger sister would suddenly say such things.

She touched her chin and whispered a few words in Muxi's ear. Muxi's eyes widened immediately:

Will this work?

Canglan, Zelan, and Baizhi all looked at her with smiles and nodded encouragingly.

Over there, perhaps startled by Muxi's words, the little people slowly came to their senses, following the opposite logic, and then their big eyes lit up.

"Chief, I want to make a stinky cat sachet!"

A little person raised their hand high.

Soon, one little hand after another was raised:

"I want to make a stinky dog ​​sachet!" "I want to make a stinky cat sachet!" "Let me do it, I hate stinky cats the most!" "I want to go to the sewing group to make a stinky dog ​​sachet!" "Embroidery group, don't come and mess things up!"...

Gan Cao, the embroidery group leader standing to the side, glanced at her group member who had "betrayed" her in a second and sighed inwardly:

Actually, he also wanted to switch groups to make stinky cat sachets!

Ning Jia seemed to notice Gan Cao's disappointment, immediately beckoned him forward, and announced:

"Don't worry, embroidery team members, there are new challenges waiting for you here too!"

As she spoke, Ning Jia glanced at Yun Zhu, who then gently patted Bai Su:

"This is your idea, so you should tell me yourself."

...

Bai Su briefly introduced her sachet upgrade plan. Gan Cao scratched his head and asked uncertainly:

"You mean, we should embroider patterns on the sachets?"

Bai Su corrected, "Not all sachets need to be embroidered with patterns."

"For cute pets like cats and dogs, you only need to embroider the eyes and mouth, so you don't need to do that. Let the sewing team do it themselves."

"Only those with simpler shapes, such as clouds or small flowers, need to be embroidered with patterns as decoration."

Licorice looked dazed, still thinking she had misheard, and hesitated before saying:

"Will this... will this work?"

Xuecao immediately stepped forward and slapped him with a look of exasperation:

"You're usually quite good at embroidery in your game room, so why are you being so modest now?!"

Although Ning Jia had never been to Gan Cao's game room, she looked at him encouragingly.

"Licorice, don't you think your current job is too easy for you?"

"Now is a great opportunity! Go for it, it's time to show your true skills!"

Seeing that Gan Cao seemed to be persuaded, Ning Jia pressed on and continued to persuade him:

"Give it a try. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just make a few simple samples first, and you'll definitely be fine!"

"...Okay, I'll give it a try."

As soon as Gan Cao nodded, the team members who had been contemplating "betrayal" suddenly gathered around again, chattering away:

"Licorice, I want to embroider stars!" "I want to embroider sunflowers!" "I want to embroider dandelions!" "Then, then I want to embroider a tree!"...

He was stunned. "Aren't you all supposed to go to the sewing group?"

"I'm not going! I'm not going!" "Actually, embroidery is a lot of fun!"

Gancao's lips curled into a wide smile. "Then let's go embroider it now!"

"Um!"

Over there, the little embroidery team had already excitedly rushed back to the work area and were creating with great enthusiasm.

Cang Lan, who was temporarily acting as the sewing group leader, smiled slightly as she looked at the eager expressions on her team members' faces.

"Alright then, since everyone wants to make cat and dog sachets, let's all try making them tonight."

"Yay~~"

The little sewing team members cheered in unison, jumped off the coffee table, and ran towards their workstations.

As for Muxi, she stood there anxiously, and under Canglan's warm gaze, slowly walked up to Ningjia:

"Um, I...I also want to join the planning team!"

...

On a late summer morning, the sun was still shining brightly.

A few rays of bright sunlight shone through the narrow gaps in the curtains and onto the floor of the room.

Ning Jia lay on the bed, staring blankly for a while before sitting up.

So much has happened these past two days. I slept soundly, it felt like I just turned off the lights and lay down, and when I opened my eyes it was already morning.

She rubbed her eyes and walked out of the room, thinking that the little people must be just as exhausted as she was these past two days, so she slowed her pace...

As soon as she stepped into the living room, she realized that everything she had done earlier was completely unnecessary!

All the little people were full of energy, sitting intently in the work area, as if they had drunk ten times the strength of espresso, making sachets with great enthusiasm.

"……morning?"

Ning Jia's appearance made the little people excitedly raise their heads:

"Ning Jia, you're finally awake!" "We've all been waiting for you for so long!" "We were so anxious waiting~"

Seeing the expectant expressions on everyone's faces, Ning Jia immediately understood:

"The new sachet is finished?"

"Yes!" "It's been ready for a while!" "I've made several!"

Seeing Ning Jia's "let me see" expression, Cang Lan immediately gave Shi Ying a wink, and he pushed a large plastic box over.

This plastic box has no lid and is usually used to store finished sachets. At this moment, the top of the box is covered tightly with a small floral cloth, giving it a mysterious feel.

Shi Ying gestured "please" to Ning Jia, and the other little people put down what they were doing and gathered around.

Under the watchful eyes of the villains, Ning Jia also felt a surge of anticipation and quickly unveiled the cloth.

"Wow--"

This time, it wasn't the dwarfs who exclaimed in surprise, but Ning Jia.

With a trembling hand and a heart full of excitement, she picked up the outermost cloud-shaped dark blue sachet and examined it closely:

Well, first of all, the colors used for the sachets this time are quite bold.

Previously, the little people mostly chose fresh and elegant colors, but this time they chose a deep blue color that is more intense and eye-catching!

On the sachet, which was made into the shape of a cloud, several small stars were embroidered with gold and silver threads, and a crescent moon was surrounded by the stars.

Upon closer inspection, the stars and moon are even embroidered with silver thread, creating a hazy starlight effect that looks exceptionally dreamy against the deep blue background!

An endless starry sky is embroidered on a small sachet, full of fairytale charm.

Ning Jia stared silently at the sachet, then suddenly sighed.

"What's wrong? Is it not good-looking?"

The designer of this sachet, Gan Cao, asked nervously, sweat already beading on her forehead.

Really?

Didn't Yunzhu and her planning team confidently tell him that this sachet was beautifully made and would definitely sell?

Was it because it didn't look good, and you couldn't bear to tell him, so you lied to him...?

In an instant, Gan Cao's mind conjured up a whole bunch of random thoughts. She grabbed the little yellow hair on her head and was almost crying.

Ning Jia remained silent, only sighing sadly again, which frightened Gan Cao so much that her face turned pale.

"Why!"

At this moment, Ning Jia felt nothing but regret—extreme regret, a hundredfold regret, and ten thousandfold regret!

I used to think that 129 yuan was not cheap for a sachet blind box, but now it seems that the price is too low!

Such exquisite and imaginative sachets could easily fetch three to five hundred yuan each!

Bai Su noticed that Gan Cao's expression was off and quickly reminded her:

"Ning Jia, you can raise any opinions now. There's still time to make changes."

"No objections, not at all!"

Ning Jia snapped out of her reverie, "I just feel that such a fine sachet was priced too low before."

So that's how it is!

I knew it! They all thought the sachets were beautiful, so how could they not be cute?

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but Gan Cao's legs went weak and she almost collapsed to the ground.

Dongkui and Sumu quickly grabbed one of Gancao's arms each and helped him up.

"Brother Gancao, are you alright?"

"……fine."

Gan Cao slowly straightened up and saw that Ning Jia had already put down the "Starry Sky in the Clouds" sachet and picked up a small flower-shaped sachet. Her heart, which had just been put down, instantly jumped up again.

Those sachets were made by the members of their embroidery team...

...

At this moment, Ning Jia looked at the small white flower in her hand, which resembled a small round cake, and subconsciously counted the outermost wavy petals:

One, two, three, four... a total of eight petals, hmm, a very auspicious number!

Take a closer look at this round little sachet:

On a light white background, the trunk of a small tree and two outstretched branches are embroidered with light brown thread. At first glance, there is nothing special about it.

But with fine green thread embroidered among the branches of this little tree, many round and cute little leaves were instantly brought to life!

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that these small leaves were not all the same shade of green.

The varying shades and gradients of green bring the image on the sachet to life instantly. A small green tree is embroidered with lush greenery and vibrant life!

"Wow, this is amazing too!"

Ning Jia exclaimed sincerely.

Gan Cao relaxed, and the weight that had been hanging over her heart was lifted.

The design on this sachet was Su Mu's idea.

Everyone worked very hard and for a long time to embroider their favorite trees beautifully.

After Ning Jia put down the "Summer Green Trees" sachet and looked at all the new works from the embroidery group, she said with some regret:

"To be honest, you all embroidered so well, it completely exceeded my expectations. I don't even want to sell them."

She had never doubted the Lilliputians' aesthetic sense, but the speed was just too fast.

She originally planned to let everyone take their time to think about it, and just make a simple sample in a day or two to see how it goes.

I never expected the little guys to be so amazing. In just one night and a little while this morning, they've produced so many exquisite works!

Ning Jia glanced at the small faces of Gan Cao and the others:

"It must have taken a lot of effort to make such a beautiful sachet, right?"

Licorice, winter melon, and the other members of the embroidery group proudly raised their little heads and said loudly:

"No, we're not tired!"

Ning Jia stared at Gan Cao suspiciously for a while. Gan Cao, as expected, couldn't hold back any longer. She tugged at her little yellow hair, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

Embroidering these sachets... is a bit tiring, but—

He looked at the happy faces of his group members and emphasized:

"This little bit of tiredness is nothing, since everyone is having a great time!"

Ning Jia smiled slightly and was about to touch Gan Cao's head, but when she thought of how much her light yellow hair had been abused by its owner, she withdrew her hand.

"Can I make a small suggestion?"

"I'm glad that this new plan will inspire everyone's enthusiasm for work. However, enthusiasm alone is not enough to do something for a long time."

"The initial enthusiasm will eventually burn out. Not only will our inspiration dry up, but we will also be physically exhausted. That is not what we did for the sake of this job."

"So, I have a small suggestion."

Ning Jia looked apologetically at the enthusiastic little figures, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

“These sachets that require meticulous embroidery… are just too time-consuming. How about we make fewer?”

"I think so too!"

After enduring for a long time, finally seeing that Ning Jia had finished looking at all the sachets, Yun Zhu felt she no longer needed to hold back and immediately stood up and said:

"Our planning team unanimously agreed that such exquisite sachets should absolutely not be sold in large quantities. Firstly, it's time-consuming and labor-intensive, and secondly, there's that..."

"Once we sell too much, customers will feel that it's not as good as it used to be!"

Ning Jia couldn't help but chuckle. Goodness, this Yun Zhu is definitely a marketing genius; she even knows about scarcity marketing.

It's unclear whether Yunzhu discussed it with the clansmen beforehand, but no one seemed to have any objections.

Therefore, the policy of "reducing the rate of leaving the box of exquisitely embroidered sachets" was immediately added to this plan.

Ning Jia took out her notebook and scribbled down notes on it.

At the same time, Bai Su put down the small notebook that was half the height of a dwarf, spread it out on the floor, quickly turned to a page, picked up the "mini pencil" that was stuck on it with washi tape, and started writing.

However, Ning Jia wrote in plain text, while Bai Su recorded some simple drawings and the winding script of the little people.

Once both the adult and the child had finished recording, Xuecao was already impatiently urging them on:

"Ning Jia, please keep reading!"

"Yes, look!" "Look, look!"

The little people, seemingly having thought of something, urged him on impatiently. Even the most composed middle-aged little people looked at Ning Jia with anticipation.

Ning Jia suddenly realized, "Oh right, there are still some cute pet-themed sachets I haven't looked at yet."

...

Inside the plastic box, another layer of floral cloth was laid out, completely covering the sachet underneath, making it look very mysterious.

Ning Jia slowly reached into the box for the floral fabric, and under everyone's tense gaze, she lifted it...

It wasn't opened.

"Could there be something terrible down there?"

Ning Jia became alert.

"How is that possible?!" "Look!" "We worked so hard to make it!"...

The little people chattered amongst themselves.

"Then I'll watch it."

Ning Jia took a deep breath and suddenly ripped open the floral fabric—

...

Silence, a long silence, nothing but silence.

"Um……"

Ning Jia shifted her gaze slightly, avoiding the visual stimulation coming her way, feeling as if her mind had been suddenly knocked out of control and veered off course.

My goodness!

Family members, who understands that absurd feeling of seeing so many ugly cat and dog heads at a glance...

Ning Jia was so shocked that she couldn't speak.

She had said before that she wanted to make some ugly cats and dogs, but she thought that, given the previous style of the Lilliputians, they wouldn't be too ugly.

She even considered showing them the ugly things sold online to give them some inspiration.

Surprisingly, they actually made it!

It's the kind of ugliness you'll never forget after just one look—it's so vividly ugly!

Ning Jia closed her eyes, finally getting used to the genetically mutated art style, and picked up one of the cat-head sachets to examine it closely.

Wow, that's amazing!

The little people didn't make abstract cat heads; in fact, they were a bit too realistic. Through simple sewing and embroidery, they even captured the cat's whiskers and the fluffy texture.

To be fair, the dwarves really do have a very thorough understanding of their enemies.

Even when creating ugly cat designs, they do it so convincingly.

Take this cat head in her hand, for example. Judging from the color scheme, it's definitely a black and white tuxedo cat. The shape is chubby, and the fluffy feeling is very realistic.

Logically speaking, a cat head like this should be very cute and adorable.

But no!

This fluffy cow cat was transformed by the Lilliputians into a form that is not only undeniably ugly, but also has a shifty, rat-like appearance.

Ning Jia stared intently, even noticing a hint of mischief in the cat-headed creature's expression.

This was completely beyond her imagination!

...

Ning Jia stared at the cat head in her hand for a long time, her face expressionless, but hundreds of thoughts were already running through her mind:

Ugh, this cat is so ugly!

And he's so cheeky, he looks like he deserves a beating!

Are they really going to sell such a visually jarring cat head to customers...?

Hmm, that's strange. It seems like I'm getting used to it after looking at it for a while.

Hmm... it's definitely not as ugly as it was at the beginning!

Haha, I suddenly find this cat really interesting, what's going on?

I look, I look, I look again!

...To be honest, after looking at this cat head for a while, it's not bad-looking at all (just kidding).

Oh my god, am I possessed? I actually think this cat is kind of cute!

But it's really funny, hahaha! I was a little sleepy at first, but now I'm wide awake from laughing.

No wonder! As the saying goes, cute cats are all the same, but it's the uniquely ugly cats that can truly captivate people!

...I'll just say one thing: Ugly Cat is the best!

...

Seeing Ning Jia holding the cat-shaped sachet, standing there blankly with a blank expression, the other little ones became uneasy and worried about her mental state.

Bai Su quietly asked Cang Lan, "Clan leader, is Ning Jia alright?"

Canglan was also a little unsure, "Is everything... alright?"

Just then, Ning Jia suddenly let out a silly laugh, startling all the little people.

She suddenly came to her senses:

"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about something!"

She cleared her mind of all thoughts, resisted the urge to continue admiring the other ugly cats and dogs in the box, and nodded very firmly:

"I think this is worth selling!"

"Really?"

The little sewing team members cheered, but then said somewhat shyly:

"Actually, these cat and dog sachets aren't as elaborate as those made by Gancao's group. They're quite simple, and you can finish one in no time."

"Yes, yes, making ugly dog ​​sachets is so satisfying! I want to make them every day!"

He Meng and Xue Cao also jumped out to claim credit:

"That's all thanks to me!" "Me too, me too!"

He Meng: "I tried really hard and told everyone a lot about the smelly cat!"

Snow Grass: "I tried so hard, telling everyone so many stories about that stinky dog!"

The two of them said together triumphantly:

"Thanks to our efforts, the tribespeople were so angry that they made so many sachets in one go!"

"Yes, those two have really worked hard."

Ning Jia almost died laughing at these two clowns. She tried her best to hold back her laughter and said in a serious tone.

She was still a little uneasy, so she checked with the sewing team members again:

"Is making these cat and dog sachets really that simple and easy?"

"Of course!"

Another little person exclaimed, "Now, whenever these things are mentioned, my hands itch, and I want to sew an ugly sachet right away before I feel at ease."

Ning Jia was deeply moved upon hearing this:

Is it true that only extreme love and hate can ignite a person's creative desire?

She couldn't resist picking up another small dog-head sachet and admiring it.

This dog's head is also very distinctive:

The chubby head, pale yellow fur, and small black nose are all rendered very realistically.

But with those wise eyes and silly expression, he doesn't look very smart, and he's even a bit sleazy.

Ning Jia stared at the dog's head for a long time, and had to admit:

This bizarre dog head is even more mesmerizing than that Shiba Inu dog head that's all the rage online!

At first glance, it's ridiculously ugly; upon closer inspection, it's not only ugly but also incredibly annoying; and upon even closer inspection, it's not so ugly anymore, and even kind of adorably cheeky...

Seeing the ugly dog's defiant little eyes, she suddenly suggested:

“I said… since these sachets are so easy to make, why don’t we just make more cat and dog sachets?”

The little people all thought it was a great idea.

The few people on the planning team nodded vigorously, it seemed they had thought of what Ning Jia said.

Thus, the final blind box contents were determined: mainly ugly cat and dog sachets, supplemented by cute food sachets, and a few exquisitely crafted sachets.

...

"Everyone has worked hard, let's have some breakfast first."

Seeing that it was getting late, Ning Jia hurriedly went to the kitchen, took out the last bottle of yogurt and a few bunches of grapes from the refrigerator, and used all the remaining eggs to quickly stir-fry a large plate of scrambled eggs with scallions.

"We only have this much food at home, so let's make do for now. We'll have a big meal for lunch."

"It smells so good~~"

The little ones got up early to make sachets, and by then they were all starving. They were eating voraciously, and the food tasted delicious.

Upon hearing Ning Jia mention a big lunch, some of the children immediately cheered:

"Ning Jia is the best!" "Thank you, Ning Jia!"

Others, however, wore worried expressions and did not forget to give instructions:

"Ning Jia, don't buy too much food. Don't forget to be frugal, be careful."

Ning Jia responded with a mix of amusement and exasperation:

"Don't worry, you can still make a great meal without spending too much money."

Now everyone felt relieved and buried their heads back in their dishes to continue eating.

After all, if Ning Jia really got serious about being stingy, what couldn't he do?

While they were eating, Ning Jia quietly asked Cang Lan:

"Chief, are there enough rooms in the new house?"

The new room she was referring to was the cubicles she had created in her wardrobe.

Last night, she used the newly bought wardrobe storage baskets to stack them one by one in the wardrobe, like building blocks, which divided the two hanging clothes areas into about ten squares.

Afterwards, mosquito nets were put up around the cubicles, and clean handkerchiefs, blankets and pillows were placed in each cubicle.

In this way, the problem of housing shortage for the Lilliputians was solved.

Canglan nodded:

"The new room is great!"

"Although it's not as spacious as the old room, it's brighter and more airy, and everyone is quite satisfied. Thank you for your hard work this time."

Ning Jia waved his hand, "It was nothing."

"Our living conditions are still a bit basic. Actually, there's still some space in the second bedroom. I was thinking, why don't I pay for two more large ones for everyone..."

"Absolutely not."

Canglan resolutely refused, and looked at Ningjia with a subtle gaze:

“Ever since we visited Zhou Chi’s house, you’ve mentioned several times that you want to buy us a big house.”

Canglan spoke with obvious anguish:

"You have always been a person of principle. You must not change your original intention because of others!"

“You are well aware of the rules of the Lilliputians, so I won’t go into detail. I think you will understand what I mean.”

Ning Jia understood perfectly.

She chuckled, "Chieftain, don't worry, I haven't changed."

"Actually, it was Zhou Chi who suddenly asked me this morning if we had any plans to buy another dollhouse..."

Canglan asked in confusion, "His two big houses haven't been sold yet?"

Ning Jia laughed and said, "It's only been less than a day, how could it be that fast?"

“I’ll get back to him about this later and let him list it online to sell himself.”

Canglan nodded, then emphasized:

"Everyone is living quite well now, there's no need to buy new houses!"

Ning Jia smiled and nodded, "I will never mention it again."

...

After finishing breakfast, Ning Jia hopped on her beloved electric scooter, grabbed her shopping bags, and headed out.

This morning, she had a very heavy workload.

Not only do they need to go to the market to buy twice as many vegetables as usual, but they also need to buy some flour and oil, and pick up the security camera at home on the way.

Most importantly, she decided to give herself a little challenge:

With less than 100 yuan for groceries, I made a super lavish meal for the little ones!

This kind of challenge, which involves spending money, sounds really interesting!

Ning Jia rode her bicycle out full of anticipation. He Meng, who was standing on the courtyard wall, saw this and seized the opportunity to shout loudly:

"Ningjia, the clan leader, asked me to tell you—"

"Remember to be careful with your money!"

Ning Jia, wearing a helmet, nodded to the little figure holding a spear:

"Okay!"

-----------------------

Author's Note: Canglan: I never said that!!

Today's chapter is incredibly delicious! [heart][heart]