Chapter 14 Snacks: Cream and Pork Floss Cake
"Wow, what are all these?"
In the small garden, Guoguo held Xingxing's hand, and the two little ones blinked their big round eyes, staring intently at the pile of novel foods that Ningjia had brought.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the little people were most active. Almost the entire tribe came out, even the tiny little ones who had just learned to walk came out and ran around in the grass that was several times their own height.
Guoguo was playing hide-and-seek with Xingxing among the flowers and plants when she suddenly saw Ningjia appear. Her first reaction was that there was more delicious food, so she quickly pulled Xingxing over.
"I was thinking, you guys eat fruit every day, it would be nice to change things up once in a while, right?"
Ning Jia then confirmed with Cang Lan, "Clan Chief Cang Lan, these... children should be able to eat them, right?"
"The desserts I made this time are all low in sugar and low in oil. In our world, children can eat these desserts too."
Canglan looked at the pastries, smelled them, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, saying, "Eating a little should be fine."
Having received the clan chief's approval, the two little ones who had been watching eagerly cheered and ran to the glass box full of snacks. They stared at it with wide eyes for a long time, feeling overwhelmed and having no idea which one to choose.
Ning Jia opened the lid and patiently introduced each item to them:
"These are ladyfingers, and the red part on top is my homemade strawberry jam, it's delicious! This is a cheesecake, and the white part on top is cream..."
The two listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion, inhaling the sweet aroma of the pastries through their noses. Gradually, Xingxing's gaze was drawn to another pastry. Curious, she ran over and exclaimed, "Wow, it's a little flower!"
Ning Jia laughed, "These are cheese cookies, just shaped like flowers. Aren't they cute?"
"Um!"
Xingxing nodded earnestly, then asked shyly in a low voice, "May I have a flower-shaped cookie?"
"Of course you can."
After talking to the two adorable figurines for a while, Ning Jia's tone became increasingly firm, until one of the clumsy figures, running too fast, almost fell headfirst into the cream cake.
Ning Jia: ...
Is He Meng a reincarnation of a starving ghost? He's always so eager when he sees food, as if he's afraid of missing out on a single bite.
"He Meng, what's the rush? I've already reserved enough for all of you."
He Meng seemed not to hear, her eager eyes darting between the pastries. "I don't care, I want to eat now!"
Ning Jia: ...
"Hello, He Meng, has she caused you any trouble?"
A round-faced little figure with a gray-white low ponytail witnessed what had just happened, slowly walked over, and greeted Ning Jia.
"Uh, no, no, He Meng is very cute."
Ning Jia asked instinctively, "Are you a member of He Meng's family? I don't think I've seen you before."
The gray-haired little woman had long, narrow eyes and gave Ning Jia a gentle smile, saying softly, "My name is Zhe Lan, and I am He Meng's mother."
"Ah, so it's He Meng's mother."
Ning Jia suddenly felt like she was meeting a friend's parent, and her tone became much more respectful without her noticing.
"Ah... Hello, I'm Ning Jia."
Wearing a thick grass skirt, Zhelan was noticeably less lively and active than the other little people. Her expression was quiet and gentle, and she spoke slowly.
“I’m not in very good health and don’t usually go out much. Thanks to you, I’ve been eating enough food lately and I feel much better, so I came out to get some sun today.”
Ning Jia was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected that He Meng, who was as solid as a rock, would have such a gentle and frail mother. She didn't know what to say for a moment. "...Life will get better and better in the future, and your health will be too."
Zhelan smiled and glanced at He Meng, who was sitting on the grass, engrossed in eating snacks, and said, "Thank you for your kind words."
"Mom? Why didn't you tell me you were coming out?"
After finishing her snack, He Meng looked up and saw Zhe Lan chatting with Ning Jia. She jumped up and ran to Zhe Lan's side in the blink of an eye, looking her up and down. "Are you feeling alright? Is there anything wrong?"
Zelan affectionately brushed the crumbs of pastry from her lips and gently shook her head, saying, "Don't worry, I feel great today, much better than before."
"That's good," He Meng snuggled into Zhe Lan's arms and kept reminding her, "But don't go too far. The clan leader and I are going to a park that's far away. It's not very safe outside."
"Okay, I'll go for a walk and then head back."
Zhelan tapped Hemeng's nose, "Go out and do your job well, don't cause trouble."
"Yes, definitely."
He Meng, who was usually as wild as a runaway horse, suddenly became as docile and obedient as a kitten. This terrifying visual impact made Ning Jia, who was standing next to her, almost have her eyes pop out of their sockets.
After Zhelan left, Hemeng instantly returned to normal, quickly ran to the snack box, and shouted, "Ningjia, Ningjia, what's that round thing? I want to eat that!"
“This is a cream and pork floss pastry,” Ning Jia said, handing her one. “You and your mother have such a good relationship.”
"Of course!" He Meng puffed out her chest proudly. "Who can blame me for being so outstanding and so likable?"
After saying that, she asked curiously, "Don't you and your mother have a good relationship?"
Ning Jia was speechless after hearing her words and didn't know how to answer. She lowered her eyes and suddenly said, "Actually, I am not my mother's biological daughter."
Perhaps because she was facing not "giants" but dwarfs, Ning Jia blurted out the secret very naturally, startling even herself.
He Meng didn't react at all, and instead lowered her head to eat the soft and delicious cream and pork floss cake with great concentration, as if she hadn't heard what Ning Jia had just said.
Damn it, I finally managed to show my true feelings and open my heart, but it seems like the other person didn't receive the signal.
“He Meng, as I just said, I am not my mother’s biological daughter,” Ning Jia emphasized again.
"Oh, what's wrong?" He Meng was still munching away when she took a moment to offer her opinion, "Ning Jia, could you make more of this dessert next time? It's so delicious!"
Ning Jia was speechless, took a deep breath, and said, "I mean, I am not my mother's biological daughter."
"Yes, I heard you."
This time, Meng finally stopped eating because she had already finished the whole cream and pork floss cake.
She licked the crumbs of pastry still clinging to her little hands and arms, then looked up and asked in confusion, "Why do you say the same thing three times?"
"My mother isn't my biological mother either, isn't that normal?"
...
As Ning Jia rode her bike against the fierce spring wind, her feelings were still somewhat complicated.
It turns out that He Meng's parents were warriors in their tribe, but they sacrificed themselves to protect their people when a catastrophe struck the forest, leaving behind only He Meng.
As a close friend of He Meng's parents, Zhe Lan did not remarry but instead adopted He Meng and raised her. Therefore, Zhe Lan is not He Meng's biological mother.
"So what if I'm not her biological daughter? My mother loves me, cares about me, and we are mother and daughter."
He Meng's words kept echoing in Ning Jia's mind.
Before I knew it, I had already ridden to the park entrance.
Ning Jia snapped out of her daze, quickly parked the electric car, and notified the little people in the "carriage": "Dear passengers, we have arrived at our station."
After a few trips, Ning Jia had become a skilled little people bus driver. She would first open the basket lid to let the little people catch their breath and breathe some fresh air, then carry the "little people carriage" into the park and head directly to their secret base.
Ning Jia was feeling a bit tired, probably because of her emotional fluctuations earlier. She had lost the enthusiasm she had when making desserts, so she didn't go with Cang Lan and the others to look for the Devil's Grass. Instead, she found a shady spot, sat down, and started scrolling through her phone while drinking yogurt.
The weather is nice today, warm and bright, I might as well take a nap here.
Ning Jia yawned, casually glanced at the WeChat group messages, and nearly choked on her yogurt. "Huh? No way?!"
"I'm back!"
He Meng dragged a plastic bag many times larger than herself, easily traversing the grass, and soon brought the bag of devil grass to Ning Jia's side.
"The chieftain said I can eat first."
After He Meng finished speaking, she couldn't wait to jump onto the picnic mat. First, she put her hands behind her back and looked around at the various fruits and snacks like a king. Then she made a serious judgment before choosing a... cream and pork floss cake.
Ning Jia: "Didn't you just eat this in the small garden this afternoon?"
"I like this!" He Meng mumbled, munching on a pork floss pastry. "Make some more of this next time, Ning Jia."
“Making desserts is no problem, but will Chief Canglan let you eat that much?” Ning Jia asked with a doubtful look.
“Oh right…” He Meng puffed out her cheeks and froze, forgetting to chew the snacks that were stuffed in her mouth: she had actually forgotten such an important thing!
Canglan had repeatedly reminded them that the diet of the dwarves was very different from that of the giants. For the sake of the dwarves' health, these snacks should not be eaten in large quantities, but only in small amounts to taste.
He Meng's face fell as she realized she wouldn't be able to eat such delicious food for several more days, and the pastries in her mouth suddenly didn't taste so good anymore.
Seeing He Meng turn sad in an instant, with her lips drooping, Ning Jia chuckled, "If there are no snacks, there's still fruit to eat. Next time I'll bring you imported bananas, which are even tastier than regular bananas."
"Okay, sure." He Meng's heart had already left the banana and gone to the cream dessert, so she agreed somewhat reluctantly.
But no one in the clan dared to disobey Canglan's suggestion.
It wasn't that Canglan was particularly fierce, but rather that she was the leader and strategist of the tribe, always able to strategize and avoid harm. Anyone who disobeyed Canglan's advice ultimately suffered. At first, some people didn't believe her, but over time, everyone became obedient.
It seemed this meal might be the "last feast." He Meng felt a pang of sadness, then decisively said, "Ning Jia, stop talking to me. I need to hurry and eat some snacks."
Before she finished speaking, she had already picked up a round cream and pork floss pastry, opened her mouth wide and took a big bite, then lowered her head and continued to immerse herself in the sweet taste feast.
Ning Jia watched her tirelessly munching away, and her own appetite was whetted. She picked up a pastry and started eating it herself.
After He Meng quickly finished eating a cream and pork floss pastry, the other little people returned one after another.
"Everyone has worked hard. Take a rest and have something to eat and drink."
"Mmm," "Okay," "I'm so thirsty, have some yogurt, please"...
While the little ones were enjoying their afternoon tea, Ning Jia packed all the small bags of herbs they had brought back into a large bag, and weighed it in her hand—it was quite heavy.
It seems they've gained even more today than before; Canglan and the others are truly full of energy.
"Ah!" Ning Jia suddenly remembered something and said to Cang Lan, who was elegantly eating her snacks, "Clan leader, stop eating! Something terrible has happened!"
Canglan gracefully wiped the crumbs from her lips with her small hand and smiled slightly at Ningjia:
"Don't rush, let me finish eating before we talk, okay?"
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