Xiao Qing also remembered, "Oh, you mean that—"
Lian Hua quickly interrupted, covering her ears, "Ah, don’t say it, don’t mention that name, it makes me sick just hearing it."
Whenever that name was mentioned, she thought of that clear, sticky substance, and the thought alone made her nauseous.
Interestingly, she normally felt fine during her pregnancy, except at the beginning when the strong fishy smell made her queasy, but otherwise, she seldom experienced morning sickness.
Even now, the fishy smell couldn’t make her vomit, but things like winter melon soup, for some reason, made her want to throw up just by looking at them, reminding her of children’s snot, which was extremely disgusting.
Xiao Qing quickly covered her mouth and shook her head, daring not to speak anymore.
Since that time, Canglan Court had never seen winter melon soup again, nor dared to speak its name, fearing the master might feel nauseous.
The Bird’s Nest Soup indeed looked very similar; at first glance, they were identical. No wonder His Majesty felt nauseous. She had thought it was the taste of the winter melon soup that made her uneasy, but it turned out it was the look of the stuff.
Finally, Lian Hua completely suppressed the nausea, propped up her head, and asked Xiao Qing to sit down as well. The two stared wide-eyed at the bowl of Bird’s Nest Soup.
Xiao Qing suggested, "Your Majesty, why don’t you close your eyes and eat? I can feed you."
Lian Hua shook her head, "That won’t do, I’ve seen it already, and the thought of eating this makes me nauseous."
Moreover, she remembered that Bird’s Nest Soup was supposedly made from the saliva of swallows, which made it even less appetizing for her.
Xiao Qing said worriedly, "What should we do? Nanny Qi especially prepared it to nourish you and moisten dryness."
"Yes, what should we do?" Lian Hua switched the hand supporting her head, her brows furrowed in worry.
Nanny Qi had specifically made it for her, and if she didn’t drink it, Nanny might get angry. She had even reminded her before leaving.
Looking at the chubby handles of the soup bowl, she felt it was not cute at all, but rather headache-inducing.
The more she looked, the worse she felt, so she finally said, "If it really won’t work, I’ll just down it like medicine!"
A fully grown person won’t be choked to death by Bird’s Nest, after all.
She stood up and lightly tapped the table, suddenly filled with courage.
Xiao Qing hesitated, "Your Majesty, what if... you throw up?"
The courage she had mustered up instantly deflated, and Lian Hua couldn’t help but sit down and start pulling at her hair.
What to do, how to both drink the Bird’s Nest and not vomit?
If she threw up, it would be such a waste, and more importantly, Nanny Qi and His Majesty would definitely be worried.
She looked at Xiao Qing, who was frowning and worried just like her, when suddenly an idea struck her, "That’s it, Xiao Qing, you drink it!"
Exactly, that was the solution!
"Ah? Your Majesty, but..." Xiao Qing was horrified; this was Bird’s Nest Soup meant for His Majesty, so precious, how could she dare?
"No buts, it’s best if you drink it. It won’t be wasted, I won’t feel nauseous, Nanny Qi won’t worry, and His Majesty won’t worry. It’s killing four birds with one stone, perfect, don’t you think?" Lian Hua spoke more and more confidently, her eyes bright, having found the perfect solution.
Xiao Qing listened and nodded repeatedly; what her master said was indeed very reasonable, but, "Your Majesty, Nanny Qi..." meant for your nourishment...
But before she could finish speaking, Lian Hua also remembered, clapping her hands, "Right, you wait here."
It was still Xiao Qing who was attentive. One must be the lookout when committing a stealthy act, mustn’t let anyone find out, otherwise, if Nanny were told, she would be unhappy about training her and would worry about her.
Saying this, she stood up and walked to the door, sneakily peering out. There was no one outside; it was the perfect time for some mischief.
She watched outside, calling out to Xiao Qing, "Quick, I’m on the lookout. Drink it now."
"Ah?" That wasn’t what she meant, Xiao Qing was puzzled and hesitated.
Lian Hua turned her head to look back, becoming somewhat anxious, and urged, "Hurry, drink it quickly, no one will find out. If you drink it, it’s as if I have drunk it. Go out and say I drank it, and that settles it."
Driven by the urgency, Xiao Qing hastily responded, "Yes, my lady."
Lifting the lid, she held the soup bowl by its two thick ears and, without even using a spoon, gulped it down noisily.
Lian Hua hurriedly looked away; even a brief glance had caused a big reaction, she dared not watch anymore.
After finishing, Xiao Qing put down the soup bowl, wiped her mouth, and told Lian Hua that she had finished.
Lian Hua breathed a sigh of relief, walked back, and lamented that drinking Bird’s Nest Soup was as tense as fighting a battle, sweating from her forehead nervously.
She sighed, thinking that in this lifetime she wouldn’t be able to afford expensive delicacies, only able to enjoy tender lamb, roasted chicken, and grilled pork belly.
Alas, it was a pity she couldn’t eat grilled pork belly anymore, with the "melon" in her belly not due to be "unloaded" until next year.
Looking at the empty soup bowl, she asked curiously, "Xiao Qing, what did it taste like?"
Xiao Qing recalled, "Sweet, smooth, and also a bit...I can’t quite describe it; I ate it too hurriedly to taste it properly."
That was hastily eaten without tasting, just as the saying goes.
Lian Hua had a sweet tooth, but the smoothness made it feel a bit too much like that...
She shook her head, dismissing the thought, and comforted Xiao Qing, "Don’t worry, there will be more tomorrow. We’ll think of a way for you to taste it slowly."
What is learned with pleasure is never forgotten; the first time being a thief was too nerve-wracking, tomorrow her courage would be fattened up a bit.
"Ah, my lady, you’re still going to let me drink it?" Xiao Qing was startled.
"Of course, you are our court’s number one brave soldier, you must share my worries."
"Yes!" Xiao Qing cheered up; she was Canglan Court’s bravest soldier, if not her, then who?
Lian Hua was very pleased, watching her appreciatively, "Once you go outside, say it was I who drank it, and don’t tell anyone else about this, not even Xiao Jizi and the others, just you and me know."
Their whispering conversations gradually ceased.
Lian Hua’s eyelids began to droop; she took off her shoes and socks, climbed onto the soft bedding Nanny Qi had recently changed, and fell deeply asleep.
Xiao Qing also rested on the table, her body covered with a blanket.
An hour later, Xiao Qing woke up from a light sleep, feeling a severe cramp in her abdomen, covering her stomach with unbearable pain and breaking out in cold sweat.
She tightly pressed her lips together, making no sound, afraid to disturb her mistress inside.
The discomfort in her abdomen grew worse, as if a hot stream was flowing downward, making her stomach feel heavy.
Her first thought was that something was wrong; it felt like diarrhea, but also felt like needing to urinate, causing anxiety to rise in her heart, yet the pain was so severe she couldn’t stand up.
After this hot flow was released, her stomach felt somewhat better. She hurriedly got up quietly and looked inside.
Seeing she hadn’t disturbed anyone, she felt a bit relieved.
She walked gently to the door, looked outside, and saw Xiao Jizi and Xiao Linzi squatting not far away, talking.
She waved to them; the two men, mid-conversation, saw her and walked over.