Chapter 23 A Bountiful Harvest - What a coincidence!
"Did you buy the wrong thing?" Ning Jia wondered, but remained outwardly calm. "Sister, what exactly happened?"
“The flower wreath bracelet in this picture,” the girl showed her her phone screen, “I thought it was sold at the store up ahead, but it seems I made a mistake.”
Ning Jia recognized the person in the picture, then slapped her forehead, "This blogger bought from me! They said they were from some kind of club and bought a lot."
The girl suddenly realized, "No wonder when I bought it from that handsome guy in front of me, he said he couldn't find the one in the picture. Turns out it wasn't sold by him at all!"
Ning Jia smiled and said, "Our flower wreath jewelry is made of 100% natural raw materials. Even the rope used to string the flowers in the middle is made of twisted grass stems, so it's easy to recognize."
Upon hearing this, the girl immediately raised her wrist and gently brushed aside the flowers on the bracelet. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be just an ordinary rope, and she was instantly furious.
"It turns out it's a counterfeit. I even spent 80 yuan on it!"
A small floral wreath bracelet, and the other party is actually selling it for 80 yuan each? Ning Jia was shocked when she heard this.
Actually, anyone can make these kinds of flower jewelry, so it's hard to say whether it's copying or not. But Ning Jia is quite certain that she was the first person to sell flower garland jewelry in this handmade market. Before another shop appeared, she was absolutely unique, otherwise she wouldn't have had so many repeat customers.
Assuming that shop really is a counterfeit, that's quite impressive. After all, she only started selling in the morning, and before evening, the other party had already produced the same product, even selling it for a higher price! With such lightning-fast thinking and efficiency, it's no wonder they're making money through dishonest means.
Before Ning Jia could even respond, the girl grew increasingly angry. After asking Ning Jia to leave her a blue floral wreath bracelet, she stormed off to the front.
What good people could someone who runs a shady business possibly be? Ning Jia tried to stop her but failed. Just as she was about to go over and check on things, before she had even packed up her stall, the girl rushed back.
"Oh, I was wrong!"
The girl had completely lost her earlier fierceness; her face was flushed, and she looked very embarrassed.
"Luckily, that handsome guy had a good temper, otherwise I would have been so embarrassed."
Before Ning Jia could ask, she explained the situation:
It turned out that when she went over to confront the vendor, the one selling the "knock-off" goods was also surprised. He said that everything on his stall was absolutely original and handmade, and that the bracelet, apart from the ordinary rope, had flowers that he picked himself.
Upon closer comparison, the stall owner quickly pointed out that Ning Jia's stall used wildflowers, while his stall used fresh flowers that he cultivated himself. Although the colors were similar, the varieties of flowers were completely different. He thought the other stall's flowers looked like a certain variety, and that selling a bracelet for 80 yuan was quite cheap.
"The owner also showed me his little garden, which was really beautiful, with lots of flowers blooming inside. It looked very expensive..."
The girl shrank her neck guiltily as she spoke, realizing that she had indeed acted too impulsively. But who would have thought that such a uniquely styled floral wreath jewelry would be sold by two different vendors in the same market?
"Boss, you really don't know that boss over there?"
Ning Jia shook her head. She was actually quite shocked too! She had thought her product was "one of a kind," but someone else had come up with the same idea, and most importantly, used the same technology. What a coincidence!
"These little flowers all look pretty much the same, so it's normal to not be able to tell the varieties apart. As long as the misunderstanding is cleared up, it's fine."
Ning Jia comforted the girl for a few words, while also becoming curious about the stall owner who had the same stall as him.
After a busy day, all the jewelry on the stall was sold out, with only a few sachets left. Seeing that it was getting late, Ning Jia quickly packed up and left.
As she walked out of the market with her bag, she vaguely felt that she had forgotten something, but because she was in a hurry to go back and settle the accounts, she put the thought out of her mind.
The weekend stall was a great success, with a turnover of nearly 20,000 yuan. Ning Jia, as a partner, received nearly 6,000 yuan, which dispelled the gloom of impending unemployment.
If I'd known street vending was so profitable, why would I still be working a regular job! (Just kidding)
With this income, Ning Jia felt less anxious, and her previous enthusiasm returned. Within a few days, she thoroughly cleaned her new home and prepared to move in.
Hiring someone to move things would cost at least several hundred yuan, even if there weren't many items. Ning Jia was reluctant to spend that money, so she thought she might as well do it like ants carrying their own things, making trip after trip, and she should be able to move everything herself.
Before Ning Jia even started moving, she received a WeChat message from a customer who had previously visited the market, asking if she did custom jewelry orders.
It turns out that a friend of this customer was having a wedding over the weekend. Seeing the floral wreaths and jewelry she bought from Ningjia, she wanted to order some floral wreaths, rings, and bracelets as gifts for her relatives and friends attending the banquet, with a quantity of about 100 pieces.
100 floral wreaths? That's a huge order!
Ning Jia was so excited that she forgot about moving and rushed to the park by bike as soon as she got off work.
"Hey everyone, how have you all been lately? Making so many flower wreaths must be tiring, right?" Ning Jia asked somewhat guiltily.
The little ones all smiled and said, "Not tired at all! The trees here are beautiful, the flowers are beautiful, the grass is beautiful, the sunshine is beautiful, everything is beautiful!"
"That's good," Ning Jia breathed a sigh of relief and told them about the large order. "The other party needs it in a bit of a hurry. Can everyone finish it?"
One of the little figures said, "Although there is one less laborer, she is not the main force, so she should be able to finish the job."
"Who's missing?" Ning Jia asked He Meng, who was standing beside her, completely bewildered. "Is someone sick?"
He Meng opened her mouth with a strange expression, but didn't say anything for a moment.
Xuecao, ever the outspoken one, said, "Someone ate mushrooms from the forest and got poisoned."
What? Mushroom poisoning?
Ning Jia blurted out instinctively, "That person, could it be Gan Cao?"
"Thank you for your concern," Gan Cao suddenly appeared and said quietly, "It's a pity it wasn't me this time."
"No, no, that's not what I meant," Ning Jia quickly waved her hand. "Who got mushroom poisoning anyway?"
"It's Bai Su." Cang Lan's appearance promptly cleared up Ning Jia's confusion.
Bai Su? How could that be? Ning Jia was extremely surprised, her first reaction was that Cang Lan was joking with her.
Canglan sighed, "That child was too impatient. He said you've been busy lately and it's too much trouble for you to keep bringing food, so he's been looking for something to eat nearby. He didn't expect that he would get poisoned while tasting mushrooms."
Ning Jia froze, a strange feeling welling up inside her. "Is Bai Su... alright?"
Canglan calmly stroked her chin. "Don't worry, I induced vomiting in her. She'll be fine after a few days of rest."
"Actually, I've already decided to hire someone to move, so I'm not that busy at all."
Ning Jia sighed, "He Meng, could you please tell Bai Su to take good care of herself? Once I move in, I'll invite everyone over to have some fun."
Wow, great!
"I really want to visit Ningjia's new home soon!"
Upon hearing this, all the villains cheered with anticipation.
Ning Jia chuckled, "Of course, before that, everyone has to work hard and finish this order as soon as possible."
On Saturday morning, Ningjia officially moved.
When I asked the movers to come up and move my luggage, the noise was a bit loud, and my roommate next door opened the door and looked out.
Ning Jia handed her a bag of homemade snacks. "Sorry to disturb your rest, we'll be done moving soon."
My roommate hesitated for a moment, then accepted the snacks. "Actually, if you were willing to cook dinner for me, you wouldn't have to move out..."
Ning Jia was too lazy to explain that she actually had money, let alone mention that she had found a more spacious place to stay. She simply said "Goodbye," dragged her suitcase, and left without looking back.
Ning Jia didn't have much stuff, so she quickly packed most of it, slung her bag over her shoulder, and went out for a stroll, taking the opportunity to familiarize herself with the surrounding area. Most importantly, she wanted to get acquainted with the local prices.
Just as the real estate agent had described, the area around their new home was indeed a bit old in terms of infrastructure and lacked many chain brands popular with young people. However, it was full of simple, unpretentious shops and stalls, exuding a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere, and the prices were reasonable. Ning Jia expressed great satisfaction with this.
She also found a fruit shop at the alley entrance that offered good quality fruit at reasonable prices, and generously bought two large bags of fresh fruit to treat her guests the next day.
On Sunday morning, Ning Jia went to the market early and bought a week's worth of groceries.
Aside from the 20 yuan worth of pork (which she had already asked the butcher to mince), she bought seasonal vegetables: onions, amaranth, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic sprouts... all fresh and cheap.
To celebrate moving, she even splurged on some freshly harvested edamame, which were tender and bright green; they would surely taste delicious stir-fried with shredded pork.
After putting all the vegetables in the refrigerator (except for root vegetables like onions and tomatoes), Ning Jia wrote a "Refrigerator Ingredient List and Corresponding Recipes" and stuck it on the refrigerator door with a refrigerator magnet. That was it.
It was only a little past nine o'clock, and Ning Jia decided to make herself a cup of coffee and enjoy the leisurely weekend.
Boil water first thing in the morning. Using electricity before 8 a.m. saves a lot on electricity bills. Pour the boiled water from the kettle into a 2L thermos, which is enough for drinking during the day. Boil another half kettle of water after 8 p.m. to prevent thirst in the middle of the night.
Ning Jia stood by the kitchen table, patiently pouring hot water slowly into the filter paper. The brown coffee powder was quickly soaked in water, and soft, rich foam expanded, filling the entire kitchen with a rich aroma.
These drip coffee bags were a thank-you gift from a client. Ning Jia had worked overtime to revise a proposal for them, and they sent over a large box of coffee. Since it was a portion for each member of the team, it wasn't taken by their boss.
As expected of a wealthy and generous client, the coffee they provided looked quite high-end, with a lot of crema and foam, and it smelled incredibly fragrant. Ning Jia had looked up the price of this brand of coffee online, and could only say, "Enjoy it while you can."
A clean, ordinary white porcelain cup filled with freshly brewed coffee, plus a little bit of discounted fresh milk from the supermarket, makes for a delicious and pleasant drink.
Ning Jia sat at the dining table, holding a cup, sipping her freshly brewed coffee with a relaxed expression.
It's wonderful to be able to sit here quietly without worrying about someone suddenly appearing and breaking the peace.
Golden sunlight streamed through the window and onto the dining table. Ning Jia leaned back in her chair, stretched her arms and legs, and lazily yawned, feeling an indescribable sense of joy welling up inside her.
Of all the new houses, Ning Jia's favorite part is the kitchen.
Unlike the small kitchens in apartment buildings, this place is large and bright, big enough to fit a dining table (a wooden round table left by the owner). It's well-lit, with views of the blue sky and green trees through the windows. It's fully equipped, including a double-door refrigerator. The only downside is the security bars on the windows, which slightly obstruct the view.
However, in older neighborhoods with few security cameras, and especially in single-story houses, installing burglar bars on windows is still very necessary. As a single woman living alone, Ning Jia plans to install several more security cameras in her home as a precaution.
Ning Jia's time to rest alone came to an end quickly. Satisfied, she stood up, pushed a... tricycle out of the yard, and leisurely rode towards Plum Blossom Park.
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Author's Note: Congratulations to Jiajia on moving to her new home!
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