Chapter 3 Red Strawberry: This round was a complete disaster.
The next day, Ning Jia worked a short overtime shift. Although it wasn't very late, there wasn't enough time to go to that cheap supermarket. She could only bring the remaining fruit from home and hurriedly go to the small garden.
To her surprise, her adorable daughter, Guoguo, also appeared this time.
The three little figures peeked around cautiously from the bushes, observing their surroundings before finally revealing themselves to Ning Jia.
"Good evening." Ning Jia squatted down, her voice softening. "Guoguo said she liked fruit, so I brought some extra."
In fact, she packed all the fruit she could bring from home, but they were mostly inexpensive fruits, such as bananas, pears, and the last precious Fuji apple.
The apple must have tasted delicious before. As soon as Guoguo saw Ningjia, she showed a grateful smile. Her clear, big eyes and bright smile made her heart feel as if it had been massaged, soft and pliable.
He Meng was still holding the long branch, looking around nervously. Ning Jia had already realized that the branch was her weapon for self-defense.
Seeing Ning Jia staring at the weapon in her hand, He Meng straightened her body and, half-threateningly and half-boldly, shook the branch at Ning Jia, "The tip of this spear is a thorn from a Blackthorn Plum, it's very sharp, one prick and you'll draw blood!"
"Wow, that's amazing!" Ning Jia praised without any emotion.
He Meng snorted, "Good to know!"
"Giant, what are you trying to do by coming here every day? Are you planning to capture us all once we lower our guard?"
“How could that be?” Ning Jia shook her head. “I just think you guys are cute and I want to be your friends.”
Making friends? He Meng had already accepted this suggestion, but she still thought about it seriously for a moment before nodding and saying, "Okay, I allow you to be my friend."
Guoguo, who was standing next to her, nodded vigorously. This giant sister gave her an apple to eat; she was a good person!
Bai Su, who had been silent, glanced at He Meng, pondered for a moment, and nodded.
"Wow, I'm so honored."
Ning Jia felt a surge of joy at the little creatures' approval. She immediately took out a banana and placed it next to them, saying, "Now that we're friends, can I offer you some fruit?"
He Meng sniffed the aroma of bananas, but still maintained a straight face and went through the motions, "We little people don't eat them..."
"You won't eat food offered with contempt, right?"
Ning Jia directly filled in the second half of her sentence, "Then you can exchange it for vanilla."
“But,” He Meng’s wheat-colored face was almost scrunched up, “there are too few herbs here, and we can’t afford to replace them.”
Let alone you guys, if we keep changing things a few more times, my budget for this month will soon be over.
Ning Jia silently complained, then thought for a moment, "Besides vanilla, is there anything else I can trade?"
Bai Su, who had been silent until now, suddenly said, "How about floral dew? I can put it on my face before going to bed. It smells nice and feels very comfortable."
Flower Dew? Ning Jia, who had been sleeping well for several days, now had some trust in the Little People's Selection and nodded expectantly, "Okay."
She thought for a moment and added, "Anything you think is good can be exchanged for food; we can cooperate long-term."
He Meng and Bai Su exchanged a glance, their small faces becoming serious as they seemed to be deep in thought.
Only Guoguo blinked her big eyes, unaware of what those words meant. After fidgeting for a moment, she suddenly made a request:
"Giant sister, can you bring red-spotted berries next time?"
Huh? Ning Jia was taken aback. "What are red-dot fruits?"
"It's red, it looks like this, and it has lots of little dots on it!"
Guoguo gestured anxiously for a long time, and Ningjia, guessing and trying to figure it out, suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Ah, are you talking about strawberries?"
“It’s a cranberry,” Bai Su explained. “Is it called a strawberry in the world of giants?”
"Yes, and we have many varieties of strawberries, all of which are delicious."
Guoguo's mouth watered as she imagined it. "Wow, I really want to taste the strawberries from the Giants' World!"
"Isn't that easy?" Ning Jia patted her chest and assured Guo Guo, "Don't worry, I'll definitely bring strawberries next time."
Last night, after exchanging some fruit with the little people for fragrant flower dew, a faint fragrance lingered throughout Ning Jia's room.
When she woke up in the morning, bathed in bright sunlight, she had a fleeting illusion that she was living amidst birdsong and fragrant flowers.
This is a humble abode, but my virtue makes it fragrant.
She'd been living here for quite some time now, and while she'd never had any particular feelings for this small single room, she felt a warm sense of happiness right now.
It seems that this is all thanks to the flower dew of the Lilliputians.
With such a pleasant floral fragrance, Ning Jia was in a good mood all day at the company, without the occasional irritability and anxiety. Her work went smoothly, and she even left work on time.
On the way back, Ning Jia rode her electric bike slowly forward when a gust of wind blew by, almost blinding her.
Spring has finally arrived; the wind is really strong...
Braving the strong spring wind, she turned at the intersection ahead. Today wasn't Wednesday, so the supermarket near her home wasn't having a sale on fruits and vegetables. The supermarket that was having a sale was quite far away, about half an hour's drive away.
However, compared to the money saved by the discount, an extra hour of cycling round trip is nothing.
Soon, she arrived at the Haoduoduo supermarket.
Haoduoduo is a fruit and vegetable supermarket that mainly sells local and surrounding agricultural products. The fruits and vegetables on the shelves are fresh and look very fresh, exuding a pure natural atmosphere.
Since we've come all this way, we might as well buy more.
Ning Jia thought back to the family's supplies. Hmm, the few fruits left had all been given to the little people yesterday, and there weren't many vegetables left either, just some eggs and lettuce...
Her gaze fell on the bright red tomatoes, ignoring the boxed tomatoes of a certain brand, and went straight to the bulk section. She picked up a round tomato, squeezed it, and put a few that she thought were good into the bag—tonight we'll have tomato and egg noodles.
She bought some ginger, scallions, and garlic, a box of discounted minced meat, two medium-sized potatoes, a few green peppers, and a bunch of celery... She silently compared these ingredients with what she had at home, and thought, "Hmm, no problem," and prepared to pay and go home.
"I really want to eat red-dot berries, the kind that are red with little dots and a few small leaves on top..."
A voice suddenly flashed through her mind, and she abruptly stopped in her tracks.
Oh, I almost forgot about that!
Guoguo's drooling mouth as she described it really impressed her. This child must really want to eat strawberries.
If the child wants something, then give it to them!
Ning Jia didn't hesitate any longer, picked up her shopping basket, and turned to go to the fruit section.
Being the most visually appealing fruit, she quickly spotted the strawberries on the shelf without much effort:
There are many varieties of strawberries, including pink strawberries, cream strawberries, red strawberries, and Snow White strawberries. They are all very appealing, with the beautiful fruit carefully packaged in transparent plastic boxes, exuding a refined air. And the price, of course, matches the exquisite packaging.
Ning Jia glanced at the price quickly, immediately thought of something else, and wanted to turn around and leave.
These newly harvested strawberries are way too expensive!
But thinking of her promise to a certain little one, she steeled herself, looked around, and finally picked up the cheapest box of Red Beauty strawberries.
A box of strawberries weighing only 300g costs 38.9 yuan, and that's after a discount. Ning Jia couldn't help but feel a little pained.
Oh well, I'll splurge once in a while. Anyway, I still have some budget left over this month.
At 8:30 p.m., Ning Jia was very satisfied after finishing a bowl of sweet and sour tomato and egg noodles.
She leaned against the table, feeling a little weak, and her gaze suddenly fell on the two boxes of strawberries placed side by side on the table. She sighed in frustration.
I originally only wanted to buy some strawberries for my little friend Guoguo, but I couldn't resist the temptation and bought an extra box for myself. Adding in a few other kinds of fruit, my monthly budget suddenly increased by a whopping 100 yuan, making me feel a bit strapped for cash. I can't be so extravagant anymore.
However, these strawberries were red and large, and neatly arranged in the box, looking truly vibrant and beautiful.
She couldn't bear to eat the strawberries right away. After admiring them for a while, she put them in the refrigerator, planning to eat them tomorrow.
There's still some yogurt at home, so I can use it to mix with strawberries tomorrow morning. I also have some heavy cream left, which would be great for making a cream and strawberry sandwich.
She pondered a recipe for strawberries, washed the pots and pans in the communal kitchen, tidied up, and then went out with the remaining box of strawberries.
Wow, it really is a red-spotted fruit!
The little person named Guoguo exclaimed in surprise when he saw the strawberries Ning Jia brought, which attracted the attention of the other little people as well.
Although they had already made exchanges with Ning Jia, everyone still remained somewhat wary of the giants and didn't get too close to Ning Jia. Only Guo Guo always felt that Ning Jia was definitely a good person and had no suspicions.
"These are Red Beauty strawberries, which have just come into season, so I brought a box with me."
Ning Jia gave a brief explanation, initially intending to offer it to Guo Guo, but remembering the rules of the Little People, she changed her mind and said, "If you want some, you can exchange them."
"I want it! I want it!"
Guoguo's cheeks were puffed out, and she stared at the strawberry without blinking. She even overcame her fear of giants and walked directly to Ningjia's side, staring at the strawberry up close, her mouth practically watering.
Seeing how enthusiastic the little one was, Ning Jia couldn't help but smile slightly. She took the... straw bag that Guo Guo had used in exchange and let her choose a few strawberries she liked.
Without the slightest hesitation, Guoguo picked up a strawberry, held it in front of her with both hands, and took a big bite.
To a little person, this strawberry was as big as a watermelon.
Ning Jia couldn't help but chuckle, "How is it? Delicious, isn't it?"
Guoguo didn't say anything, but took another bite of the strawberry, chewing it repeatedly before commenting, "It's alright, a bit sour. Not as good as the red-dot Guoguo from the forest~"
Ning Jia retorted instinctively, "Impossible, these strawberries are expensive, a box cost me almost forty yuan."
Guoguo, who had no concept of money, asked while munching on a strawberry, "Does a strawberry that costs more money taste better?"
"Uh, it doesn't seem like it?"
Ning Jia was suddenly stumped by the question. Yes, expensive doesn't necessarily mean delicious.
She paused for a moment, picked up a strawberry, tasted it, and then paused again: the taste was indeed just so-so...
The thought of spending so much money only to buy a box of strawberries that didn't taste very good made Ning Jia's heart bleed.
Her mind had already started doing the math: a box of strawberries for 38.9 yuan = nearly 10 small Fuji apples = more than 20 tomatoes = enough green vegetables, lettuce, green beans, carrots and chives to eat for a week = a big bag of rice... This is a huge loss!
Guoguo didn't notice Ning Jia's expression. She had already finished eating the strawberries in her arms in small bites. She wiped the strawberry juice off her mouth, and although she complained, she obediently reached for a second one. "Having some fruit to eat is better than nothing."
"Eat up, eat more, there won't be any left next time," Ning Jia said quietly.
She realized she had made an impulsive purchase, like foolishly giving money to a child who throws a tantrum. She decided to wait until strawberries were plentiful and the price dropped before buying.
Looking at He Meng next to her, she was sharing a banana with Bai Su. Each of them was holding a piece of creamy white banana, eating it with great relish. One couldn't help but sigh:
"Bananas are still the best. They're not expensive, and the taste is consistent. You generally won't be disappointed."
Although He Meng didn't quite understand, she still ate and chimed in, "That's right, bananas are so delicious, so delicious, mmm, so delicious."
"If it's delicious, eat more!"
"Mmm, bananas are great, and so are you!" He Meng was still munching on a banana.
Ning Jia couldn't help but smile, her fragile heart was healed a little, and she immediately decided that she would buy more bananas for the little people next time.
Under the gentle night sky, a group of adults and children were enjoying a meal and conversation when suddenly a gentle yet authoritative female voice rang out:
"He Meng, Bai Su, what are you doing?"
A note from the author:
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