Hearing this, Jiang Si's lips curled slightly in a smile. To her, there were no words more pleasing than "you deserve it."
Though she didn’t quite understand why Huo Tingzhou was so certain, that didn’t stop her from feeling happy about it.
However, her joy didn’t last long before her smile faded.
As soon as they stepped out of the regimental headquarters building, Jiang Si caught a faint, unpleasant fishy odor in the air.
The further they walked, the stronger the smell became.
By the time they reached the open area in front of the residential compound, they could see several women bustling around a large iron pot, stirring something vigorously.
Huo Tingzhou noticed his wife staring and explained, "They’re rendering whale oil."
Jiang Si frowned. "No wonder it smells so pungent."
"Regimental Commander Huo—"
"Comrade Jiang—"
Just as the two were about to take a detour home, a woman’s voice called out from behind.
Jiang Si turned and recognized the speaker—Director Pan, who had previously delivered the health examination forms to their home.
Seeing her approach with a basket in hand, Jiang Si asked, "Director Pan, is there something you need?"
Director Pan beamed. "A whale washed ashore today, and we were early enough to get a good share of the oil."
"Take this back with you. Once rendered, it makes excellent lamp fuel—very bright."
"You can also use it to make soap. It cleans clothes even better than regular soap."
Though the Huo couple had never mentioned it, Director Pan still felt guilty about her earlier blunder—showing up unannounced to propose a matchmaking arrangement without understanding the situation.
Not wanting them to feel obliged, she added, "This was free, so don’t worry about payment."
Despite the kind gesture, Jiang Si had never rendered oil before, let alone made soap.
And that smell…
Just as she was about to politely decline, a sudden wave of nausea hit her.
Huo Tingzhou immediately noticed her discomfort and leaned in. "What’s wrong?"
"My stomach feels off," Jiang Si managed before doubling over in dry heaves.
Director Pan was startled and quickly moved the basket behind her back.
The smell of whale meat was strong, but those accustomed to it could tolerate it.
She hadn’t expected the regimental commander’s wife to react so severely.
Before she could say anything, Huo Tingzhou had already scooped Jiang Si into his arms.
"Apologies, Director Pan. My wife isn’t feeling well. We’ll take our leave."
Without another word, he carried her toward the military hospital.
"I’m fine. Let’s just go home, no need for the hospital."
But her pale face and weak state suggested otherwise.
Huo Tingzhou gave her a worried look, his voice gentle. "A quick check-up won’t take long."
Jiang Si shook her head. "The whole compound reeks of that smell. If you don’t take me back now, I’ll vomit right here!"
She wasn’t exaggerating. The stench was worse than gutter oil—no, a hundred times more revolting.
Covering her nose, she slumped weakly. "I just need to rest at home."
Rest was an excuse; what she really needed was a few sips of her spiritual spring water.
Unable to argue, Huo Tingzhou turned back.
The moment they entered their courtyard, Jiang Si’s feet touched the ground, and she immediately vomited.
Uncle Zhong and Third Grandpa rushed out at the commotion. Seeing Jiang Si hunched over, her face ghostly pale as she retched uncontrollably, they panicked.
"What happened? Why is she vomiting like this?"
"She was perfectly fine when she left earlier!"
Too weak to speak, Jiang Si could only wave a feeble hand.
"Here, rinse your mouth." Once the worst had passed, Huo Tingzhou held a cup of warm water to her lips, his other hand rubbing her back soothingly. "Feeling any better?"
Jiang Si nodded. "A little."
She glanced at the worried faces around her. "The whale oil smell was too strong. I just needed to get it out of my system. Don’t worry."
But how could they not?
Third Grandpa fretted, "Your face is drained of color. Let’s get you to the hospital."
Jiang Si refused. "The smell of disinfectant is just as bad."
Even the thought of it made her stomach churn again.
Now Uncle Zhong and Third Grandpa were truly at a loss. She’d barely stopped vomiting.
If she started again at the hospital, her body wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Huo Tingzhou stayed silent, but the crease between his brows never smoothed.
She’d been perfectly fine before, with no signs of morning sickness.
Why had it hit her so suddenly? Was this normal?
What if she kept vomiting like this?
The more he thought, the more uneasy he grew, his own face paling.
"Rest in bed for now. I’ll go consult a doctor."
Jiang Si knew there was no point arguing. She nodded weakly.
Once in her room, she quickly drank a cup of spiritual spring water.
Back when Sister Hu suffered severe morning sickness, the preserves made with this water had eased her symptoms almost instantly.
Surely it would work for her too.
Feeling somewhat recovered, she confidently opened the window and took a deep breath—
Only to slam it shut a second later.
After emptying her stomach completely, Jiang Si finally felt alive again.
But she couldn’t understand it.
If the spiritual water hadn’t helped, was something else wrong with her?
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Huo Tingzhou was asking Doctor Jiang the same question, his words rushed with urgency.
"Doctor Jiang, my wife was completely fine before—no vomiting at all."
"She only smelled the whale oil and suddenly started retching."
"And now even the thought of disinfectant makes her nauseous."
Remembering how wretched she’d looked, his heart clenched.
"Will vomiting this much harm her health?"
"Hold on, don’t panic." Doctor Jiang gestured for him to sit.
The man had burst in looking like the sky was falling, startling her at first.
"Don’t worry. Your wife’s condition is perfectly normal."
"Normal?" Huo Tingzhou hesitated. "But she was fine before."
Doctor Jiang explained, "Morning sickness varies in timing and intensity. Some start vomiting the moment they conceive; others experience it later."
"In your wife’s case, she might just be particularly sensitive to strong odors, hence the severe reaction."
"When will it improve?"
"Hard to say."
Doctor Jiang repeated, "It’s different for everyone. Some stop after a few episodes."
"Most recover by the third month."
"But a very small number may vomit all the way until delivery."
Noticing Huo Tingzhou’s uneasy expression, Doctor Jiang reassured him, "Your wife is likely just having an acute reaction. It’s not too serious."
"Try to keep her away from the smell of whale oil these next few days."
"Find some fresh-smelling things for her, like oranges or lemons—those should help."
At this point, Doctor Jiang emphasized another point.
"Some women experience changes in their sense of smell and taste during pregnancy."
"For example, they might suddenly crave unusual foods or develop an aversion to things they used to love."
Everything sounded normal until Doctor Jiang added one last remark.
"That includes people too."
Huo Tingzhou frowned. "People too?"
"Yes." Doctor Jiang nodded seriously. "I’ve encountered several pregnant women who were perfectly fine otherwise."
"But the moment they saw their husbands or caught a whiff of their scent, they’d start vomiting uncontrollably."
"!!!"
Huo Tingzhou’s face stiffened.
Unaware of his reaction, Doctor Jiang continued.
"Also, be mindful of her eating habits. Don’t let her overeat in one sitting."
"Avoid too much liquid-heavy food. Stick to drier meals if possible."
"If she still feels nauseous, try massaging here for her."
Doctor Jiang pointed to the spot between Huo Tingzhou’s thumb and index finger. "This is the Hegu acupressure point. Apply firm pressure—it helps relieve nausea."
Seeing how tense he was, Doctor Jiang smiled reassuringly.
"Don’t worry too much. As long as she isn’t vomiting nonstop or unable to keep anything down, it’s usually nothing serious."
"Go home and try these methods first. If the vomiting persists, bring her back for another check-up."
"Alright. Thank you, Doctor Jiang."
