Not only did Sonoko's expression turn ugly after hearing Suzuki Jirokichi's words, but Ayako's complexion also looked somewhat unpleasant after listening to her uncle's powerful statement.
This was because Suzuki Jirokichi's words just now had quite an impact...
Insects are the natural enemy of every woman.
But who could have thought that something that usually can't even be looked at would actually be used in products that women use daily?
Yes, cochineal, cochineal insects. Just hearing this name, you probably already understand its connection to women.
And indeed, it's true. Cochineal insects are not only used in pigments but also in women's lipstick.
As for what lipstick means to women, I probably don't need to say much about that.
Of course, there's no need to feel disgusted, because these little insects are quite expensive. The lipsticks of the general price range are made from chemical gelatin and industrial pigments.
Only some very expensive lipsticks would use such purely natural and harmless materials.
But ordinary people can't afford them. However, for the Suzuki sisters...
That's just a drop in the bucket.
But Ayako's mental resilience was quite good. She quickly accepted this raw material, while Sonoko, perhaps because she was still a student and didn't use makeup much, had a deeper memory of lipstick.
And as everyone knows, people tend to associate things, especially the more they associate with disgusting things, the more disgusted they become...
And Sonoko fell into this strange cycle, covering her mouth and retching a few times, sinking into disgust.
"Alright, alright, don't feel uncomfortable."
Seeing his niece feeling a bit queasy, Suzuki Jirokichi quickly continued speaking, trying to divert her attention. "These natural animals and plants were used in ancient times by extracting their juices and applying them to clay to make pigment paste.
But these were all cheap."
Seeing Sonoko's attention drawn by himself, Suzuki Jirokichi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Take ultramarine, for example. In the earliest days, it was made by grinding natural 'semi-precious' gemstone lapis lazuli,
Its color was very beautiful and translucent, but the price was also one of the highest."
"What about now?" Sure enough, Sonoko's attention was caught, and she curiously asked, "Do they still use these materials now?"
"Nowadays, it's impossible to use such expensive materials anymore. Most of them are synthetic ultramarine." Senichi explained with a smile, "The advantage of this synthetic ultramarine is its strong stability, but the disadvantage is its mediocre coverage and poor adhesion. It dries slowly and is suitable for transparent painting techniques."
"Besides that, what else is used? Apart from these?" Sonoko hadn't expected such complexity from a simple oil painting pigment and couldn't help but ask.
"There are still many others, such as sienna, which is a mixture of brown iron oxide and manganese oxide." Senichi saw Sonoko's genuine interest and continued with a smile, "And madder lake is a hydroxide compound of a resin-like substance."
"So, does that mean animals, plants, minerals, gems, and waxes are all involved?" Sonoko counted the introductions Senichi had given earlier, "Just five colors use so many things, then all these colors are..."
"Exactly, that's another precious aspect of 'Mirror Lake.' Each color stroke on it is precious even by today's standards. No, it was equally precious in ancient times.
For example, sienna was mined in Italy a long time ago, while madder lake was brought from Damascus in Syria.
Even though time has made the colors of the pigments age, the passage of time brings a unique beauty to them."
Suzuki Jirokichi's face was full of pride, evidently satisfied with obtaining this precious artwork.
"All right, we've seen the painting. Let's go." Suzuki Jirokichi smiled at Sonoko, who still wanted to linger a bit longer, "You can appreciate it properly at the upcoming oil painting exhibition. There will be many other excellent and precious artworks there, just like 'Mirror Lake'."
"Really? Then I look forward to it." Sonoko nodded at the words, then immediately walked towards the exit of the warehouse.
Suzuki Jirokichi nodded to the security personnel nearby, signaling them to double-seal the artwork according to the previous procedure.
After the painting was sealed again, Suzuki Jirokichi walked out of the warehouse with peace of mind.
Later, the group went home, and Senichi took Ayako out for a date after retrieving his car. Originally, Ayako wanted to invite Sonoko along, just for a casual shopping and movie outing. However, due to not wanting to be a third wheel, she politely declined her sister's invitation.
After watching a movie, they didn't dine out for dinner; instead, they had dinner together at the Suzuki family mansion.
As for what happened afterward...
Hehehe... naturally, Senichi escorted Ayako back home.
The next morning, Senichi woke up from the warmth of the bed, got up, and began to freshen up, welcoming a new week.
Sometimes, the repetitive cycle of day-to-day life felt boring and bothersome, but at other times, it brought a sense of peace inexplicably.
Which attitude prevails often depends on the mood of the day, perhaps that's why people are accused of being fickle.
Senichi distributed the tickets for the oil painting exhibition to his companions, not surprisingly, only a few showed interest, and the others planned to give them to interested friends.
Due to the exhibition running for many days, those interested didn't plan to go on the same day.
However, judging from the situation, Takagi and Sato definitely planned it as a date day, while Shiratori surely intended to eavesdrop on the "top-secret information" and disrupt the couple's plans.
Perhaps because of the calm before the storm, the past week was unusually quiet. Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the exhibition.
To be on the safe side, on this day, Senichi and Ayako accompanied Sonoko to the exhibition hall.
And sure enough, accompanying Ran was the 'Grim Reaper' Conan.
Seeing this, Senichi couldn't help but activate his super sense of smell to survey the area for any anomalies.
After confirming that there were no suspicious smells, Senichi chatted with the others and entered the exhibition hall.
And the first painting displayed in the hall was the artwork "Mirror Lake."
However, just as Sonoko enthusiastically shared knowledge with Ran and Conan, recounting what she had heard from Senichi and Jirokichi.
Senichi looked at "Mirror Lake" in front of him and became serious.
Although the painting before his eyes remained beautiful, the oil paint still exuded a sense of time.
However, the pungent smell filling his nostrils told him that the aroma from this "Mirror Lake" was completely different from the one he had smelled in the warehouse.
In other words, this painting is a fake! !