A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 399: Chapter 399: Almost Bland as a Bird in the Mouth

Fearing she might get dirtied with something undesirable.

Under the meticulous care of Zi Yue and the others, the two cats grew rapidly. The one named Little White had already developed the magnificent beauty of a Persian cat. With a pair of big eyes and four little white paws, she was so cute! Of course, the most important thing was that they were clean and healthy!

Seeing the pitiful look on Little White’s face, Xia Ruqing’s heart softened. ”Alright, alright, you win!”

Little White’s eyes instantly lit up. She let out a series of MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOWs, happily circling Little Bun. Only then did she settle down in a cozy corner next to him. She squinted her eyes and licked her fur, comfortably rolling over to reveal her pink belly.

Xia Ruqing found her adorable and gently poked her. ”Little White...”

Da Bai came in from outside. Right away, he noticed an extra Little Bun next to Little White. And then... Da Bai seemed a bit wounded, his eyes filled with sorrow. Wife? If you like, can we also have a few? he seemed to ask.

Little White was intently watching Little Bun with her two pink ears erect, completely ignoring Da Bai. Tired of watching, she even let out a yawn! Yep, she yawned without giving Da Bai a glance. His heart suffered ten thousand points of damage.

When Xia Ruqing looked up, she caught Da Bai’s sorrowful expression. ”PFFT...” Xia Ruqing laughed and teased him, ”Da Bai, your wife doesn’t want you anymore...”

Da Bai let out a MEOW and glared at Xia Ruqing before silently settling down beneath the bed, directly across from Little White’s spot. The room had a Ground Dragon, and the floor was covered with thick woolen blankets. It was warm and not a bit cold. Xia Ruqing was not worried. As for that glare... Da Bai had always been aloof; she was used to it. He was part of the aloof cat overlord series!

Outside the room, the wind was bitterly cold, but inside, it was warm as spring. The two Whites were napping, and so was Little Bun. Xia Ruqing, who hadn’t finished her postpartum recovery, easily grew tired and she too began to feel sleepy. The only issue was that the belly band wrapped around her waist was too tight, making it uncomfortable to lie or sit.

Just then, Sister Huang came in, and Xia Ruqing hastily asked, ”Sister, this belly band is a bit tight, and it makes sleeping difficult!”

Sister Huang hurried over to check. She lifted the blankets, felt around Xia Ruqing’s waist and abdomen, and even stuck her fingers in through the seam to probe. After checking, Sister Huang said, ”It’s not tight... it’s not a problem... You must endure, Mistress. The first month is the best time to tighten the abdomen. If you delay this month, it won’t be as easy to tighten later...”

Xia Ruqing touched her belly, which had already become considerably firmer. In my mind, two little people are fighting! In the end, the one who preferred beauty overtook the one for comfort. Alright, there will be plenty of time for comfort later. I can endure it for this one month!

Sister Huang smiled and tucked the blankets for her. ”Mistress, if you’re tired, take a nap! Replenish your energy as soon as you feel fatigued!”

Xia Ruqing nodded. Do I even need you to tell me? she thought. Now she didn’t even have to walk; she just ate until full, slept, woke up, and ate again! In a word: comfortable.

By lunchtime, Xia Ruqing awakened from her sleep. Xiao Xizi had gone to fetch the meal. Zi Yue brought in water for the Mistress to wash her hands and face. Zi Ning stood by with a pair of thick cotton boots for her. Zi Su stood by the bed, supporting her waist with both hands.

Xia Ruqing said with a smile, ”Are you all treating me like a paralyzed patient?”

Zi Yue was both annoyed and amused. ”My lady... you... you can’t say that.” Still in confinement, how inauspicious!

Xia Ruqing smiled helplessly. ”Alright, alright, I won’t say it.” That’s right, cursing oneself isn’t good! she thought.

After getting dressed, Xia Ruqing got out of bed. Xiao Xizi just happened to return with the food. Zi Yue laid out the steaming hot meal, one dish at a time.

A woman’s body replenishment mostly involves the same few things. Imperial Doctor Zhang had also drafted a dietary plan; common ingredients like red dates, goji berries, chicken soup, and wood ear mushrooms went without saying. The expensive items included bird’s nest, Lingzhi, Ginseng, and silver fungus, all top-grade. Many of these things were priceless; even with silver, one couldn’t buy them. But for Xia Ruqing, she could eat them as she pleased. Of course, one couldn’t really overindulge. Moderate consumption was key.

Looking at the table full of delicious dishes, Xia Ruqing felt hungry, but... her appetite was not very good. Picking up her chopsticks, she couldn’t bring herself to eat for a long while.

”My lady, why aren’t you eating?”

Xia Ruqing looked outside the window with a worried face and sighed. ”I want to eat hotpot...”

Since getting pregnant, she had craved sour flavors as if her life depended on it, not caring much for spicy foods. And now, after giving birth and being in confinement, anything sour, spicy, or stimulating was totally off-limits! All day long, she had been eating these foods that lacked oil and were low in salt. Her mouth felt incredibly bland. In terms of color, fragrance, and flavor, this table of dishes, at most, only looked appealing. For a super foodie, it was truly... a fatal torment!

Zi Yue just laughed. ”My lady... just another half a month, and once you are out of confinement... Right now, we must ensure your body is well-nourished!”

With Zi Yue saying so, Sister Huang and Sister Jiang also came to persuade her.

Sister Huang said, ”My lady, you don’t need to breastfeed, so once you are out of confinement, you can eat whatever you want... Just look at Sister Liang... feeding the child... she has even stricter dietary restrictions! The Imperial Physician’s diet plan focuses on foods that facilitate lactation; whether she likes them or not, she has to stick to it, and... it’s for three years! One has to keep at it until the child weans off at three years old...”

Xia Ruqing was shocked and wide-eyed. ”Three years...”

In modern times, three-year-old children go to kindergarten. In ancient times, they were still breastfeeding at the age of three... It’s fair to say, being a mother was even harder in ancient times!

Xia Ruqing fell silent. Shut up and eat obediently! she told herself. Someone else is nursing your child and has to eat this kind of food for three years. I only have to eat it for a month; what’s there to complain about?

She ate her noon meal.

Xia Ruqing lay back in bed, looking mournfully at Little Bun. ”Son, look at how many people are suffering for you... Your own mother... I... haven’t eaten anything delicious for a whole year!” After saying that, she patted Little Bun’s head. ”Hmm, lucky for you your mother has done well with her dietary control; my hair is still not bad!”

Little Bun moved his mouth and blew a bubble. He put his little hand into his mouth, sucking away sweetly and contentedly.

Seeing the adorable child, Xia Ruqing’s heart melted into a puddle of water. Son, I must have owed you in a previous life! Raising a child was just like that. He didn’t have to do anything, just inadvertently be cute, and he could capture your heart, making you willing to give everything for him!

After lunch, she continued to doze. Little White and Da Bai had been taken away by Xiao Zhu Zi for their meal. The Little Prince woke up, and Sister Liang fed him. After eating his fill, Little Bun went back to sleep. Sister Huang stayed behind, while Sister Liang and Sister Jiang went to rest. Zi Yue sat on the heated brick bed doing needlework; the room was warm and cozy.

Xia Ruqing soon fell into a peaceful sleep!