After dinner, Ayako's parents still had things to do, so after a brief rest, they left the mansion.
As for the others who were full, they decided to play mahjong to pass the time, since there were exactly four of them.
Occasionally, they would use playing mahjong as a way to pass the time, a habit that started after the case of the "Bandage Monster" in the mountain villa.
At that time, everyone was feeling low, and it was Senichi's suggestion to play mahjong together that lifted their spirits.
It was also their first encounter, although the experience of their first meeting wasn't particularly pleasant, he still left a deep impression on her.
At that time, neither of them had thought that they would come to this point in the future.
Sitting down at the mahjong table again, both of them couldn't help but recall the first time they played mahjong together and exchanged a smile.
On the side, Sonoko looked at the couple showing affection with dead fish eyes, looking like she had been fed up with it.
Playing mahjong and showing affection, do they think this is "Affectionate Mahjong"?
Sonoko complained while still playing her tiles, but since playing mahjong was so enjoyable, she naturally couldn't stop just because of this small matter.
As they played mahjong and drank tea, and occasionally savored a macaron or freshly baked French dessert, they didn't realize the time had passed until it was already 3:30.
"It's already this late, the paintings should be in the warehouse by now." Suzuki Jirokichi stood up and stretched his stiff limbs due to his old age. "Let's call it a day for today and continue next time."
"Huh? But I haven't finished playing yet."
Today, Sonoko, who had experienced setbacks in love, became the only winner in this round, making Senichi suspect that she had somehow absorbed Ran's luck from spending so much time with her.
"You won all the rounds, of course you want to continue." Ayako rolled her eyes at Sonoko angrily.
"Yeah, playing cards sucks." Senichi echoed the complaint on the side.
I never thought that even with my card counting there would be a day where Sonoko would dominate. Indeed, luck is the king...
"Haha~ I am the Mahjong Queen~"
Thinking about the various divine tiles from before, Sonoko's delighted expression could easily serve as an emoji pack, almost resembling Mouri Kogoro's ultimate smug expression with his tongue fluttering like waves.
"Rein it in a bit, how can a girl make such expressions?" Seeing her own sister with the triumphant face of an old man winning money, Ayako couldn't help but glare at Sonoko.
"Hehe..." Sonoko also knew she was being a bit excessive, but she just smiled brightly without saying anything.
After tidying up, the group followed Suzuki Jirokichi out of the door, where a long luxury car was already waiting for the four of them.
The driver, dressed in a suit with white gloves, respectfully opened the car door, and shortly after the four got in, the car began to move slowly.
The warehouse wasn't too far away, just about a twenty-minute drive, and upon arrival at the warehouse, the administrators and personnel responsible for escorting were waiting there, waiting for Suzuki Jirokichi's instructions to open the outer safe.
After Suzuki Jirokichi inputted the password, the security personnel brought out a smaller iron box, which didn't have an electronic lock but was fixed directly with iron.
Just like sealing an ancient envelope with wax and stamping it to ensure it hasn't been opened before delivery, this second layer of lock operated on the same principle.
However, this one was made of iron, probably pressed together forcefully by a machine, ensuring both safety and acting as a "wax seal stamp."
Under everyone's gaze, this "iron seal stamp" was directly cut open with force, then Suzuki Jirokichi, wearing white gloves, stepped forward and lifted the paintings from the safe, displaying them in front of everyone.
The colorful lakes reflected in everyone's eyes with the various colors shining like a brilliant starry sky.
Each color was distinct, and even shades of the same color had subtle differences. Yet, with such a multitude of colors, they converged into an incredibly harmonious whole.
"So beautiful." Sonoko couldn't help but exclaim at the scene resembling a starry sky reflected on the surface of a lake.
"Such beautiful colors, it's really hard to imagine there were so many colors back then." Ayako looked at the painting and sighed with emotion.
"The colors back then were different from now."
Saying this, Suzuki Jirokichi looked at Senichi and smiled, "Senichi-kun, you also study paintings, and you should be familiar with the pigments used. I know you have a keen sense of smell; you can try to make a comparison."
Upon hearing this, Senichi nodded and said with a smile, "Let me try."
With that, Senichi approached the painting, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. In an instant, the scent of pigments, aged by time, entered his nostrils.
Different from the familiar smell of acrylic, the scent on the painting seemed quite mixed. Even with various scents blending together, there was no pungent smell of chemical pigments.
"How is it, brother-in-law? Do you notice any difference?"
Seeing Senichi open his eyes, Sonoko couldn't help but curiously ask.
"The difference is significant." Senichi nodded. "It's almost like the difference between the scent of nature and factory processing."
"Huh?" Sonoko looked at Suzuki Jirokichi in surprise when she heard this and said, "Uncle, why is there such a big difference?"
"After all, that time was not like now. The pigments are all made up of various chemical substances now." Suzuki Jirokichi stroked his beard and smiled. "But these are all made from natural pigments."
"Natural pigments? Like the colors from plants?" Sonoko guessed.
"Something like that, but using them is much more expensive." Suzuki Jirokichi laughed. "The uniqueness of oil painting pigments lies in their composition.
The use of natural pigments in oil painting has a long history. Plants, like you mentioned, Sonoko, are just one type, such as Brazil wood or madder root.
Of course, sometimes even insects are used."
"Huh!? Insects?" Sonoko exclaimed in surprise. "No way!"
"Of course it's true, like cochineal insects." Suzuki Jirokichi looked at his niece with a mischievous grin. "Speaking of which, you've probably used them before, maybe even eaten them."
"Eh, eh, eh!!??"
Hearing what Uncle Jirokichi said, Sonoko couldn't help but scream in disbelief, "How could that be!?"
And hearing this, Senichi already knew what Suzuki Jirokichi wanted to say, and even foresaw Sonoko's reaction.
Sure enough, after Suzuki Jirokichi finished speaking, Sonoko's expression instantly turned ugly.