Miss Star, spoiled by her father and brother

Chapter 596 Ambergris

There were two irregular fist-sized objects in the box, dark gray in color and with a wax-like texture.

The old lady, who had seen a lot, recognized it immediately: "Is this 'gray amber'?"

Haisang replied, "I think that's what people call it outside. I don't understand, but I thought it was a specialty of ours, so I gave two pieces to you and Auntie. It smells great when heated, and we usually use it for aromatherapy."

Xu Weiwei felt a little unfamiliar with the name "Gray Amber" for a moment, but when she heard the word "whale", she immediately understood.

Isn’t this ambergris?! Another name for ambergris is gray amber!

It is more precious than gold and can only be produced in the bodies of sperm whales. They prey on squid and octopus for a long time. The bones of these animals are difficult to digest and sometimes they are absorbed into the intestines, stimulating the intestines to secrete waxy substances to wrap them. Then, through the action of various enzymes and bacteria, they solidify and clump.

"Compendium of Materia Medica" mentions that it "activates blood circulation, benefits essence and marrow, assists yang channels, and promotes blood circulation."

Its rarity is evident from its source, just like tiger bones and tiger penises. While relatively easy to obtain in ancient times, they have since become protected species. While synthetic alternatives exist, their medicinal value is undoubtedly far inferior to that of pure natural products.

Xu Weiwei had only heard about it from her mentor and had never seen real ambergris. She never expected that she would now have the opportunity to share the same treatment as the emperor.

She picked up a piece directly, looked at it carefully, and took a deep sniff of its scent.

The butler suggested with a wink: "Miss, shall we light it for you now?"

Xu Weiwei's eyes lit up and she looked at Haisang: "Is it okay?"

Hai Sang laughed. "Of course, I have no objection. It's just that it's already been sent out. Do you want to ask Auntie and the others?"

"Mom~~~~~"

Mrs. Seaforth smiled happily: "Some, give her some."

"Wait—" The old lady stretched out her hand to stop her, her expression very worried.

"I remember it seemed to be poisonous."

"Poisonous?!" everyone exclaimed.

Hai Sang was terrified. "How could this happen?! We use it all the time, and we've never heard of any cases of poisoning. Did you...did you encounter this somewhere?"

The old lady reminisced and said slowly, "When I was young, about twenty-four or twenty-five...I went to visit an elder's home. She used to burn this kind of incense."

"Everyone was chatting normally, but suddenly, her daughter-in-law started bleeding, staining the sofa red. The three or four-month-old baby also miscarried..."

"Later, no one dared to use this thing on the Imperial Capital Star."

Haisang's throat was dry, and his mind was blank. He had never encountered such a situation before, and he didn't think the old lady was lying to him. But how could he explain all this...

Xu Weiwei put her hand on Haisang's shoulder and patted him, then smiled soothingly: "Let me explain."

"Ahem, actually, my master taught me. Gray amber was originally called ambergris. In the past, it was a precious spice that only the emperor could use. It is also a precious medicinal ingredient. One of its uses is to promote blood circulation."

"If pregnant women smell it for a long time, it may cause faster blood circulation and lead to miscarriage. For other people, there will be no problem, and it is good for the body."

"As for why the Mengmed people are fine - it may be because of their strong physical fitness, coupled with long-term use, which has produced antibodies. Another reason is the difference between viviparity and oviparity... I guess... hey, are you oviparous?" Xu Weiwei poked Haisang.

Haisang was no longer nervous. He was looking at Xu Weiwei who was speaking for him the whole time, his heart already soaking in the hot spring.

"If both spouses are mermaids, then they lay eggs. If the other spouse is of another species, then it could be something else."

Xu Weiwei spread her hands: Let’s see.

Everyone felt relieved and said calmly, "It turned out to be a misunderstanding."

"Can we order now? I haven't smelled what ambergris smells like yet." Xu Weiwei's face was full of anticipation.

The old lady raised her hand to signal.

The butler immediately said, "Please leave it to me, I'll take care of it." After saying that, he went downstairs holding the gift box.

"What's wrong with you? I don't get any of this good stuff, right?" Xu Weiwei put her hands on her hips, pretending to be angry.

Haisang raised his hands in surrender, a smile uncontrollably on his lips. "Unjust! How would I have known you liked this? Otherwise, I would have just packed a sack and brought it to you."

"Ah~ That's so sorry~ I've already paid the market price. From now on, your Xingxun name will be changed to 'AAA Mengmed Specialty Purchasing Agent Xiaohai'. How about that? Hahahaha!"

"Weier, don't be rude to your brother's friends." Mrs. Sivers scolded.

Xu Weiwei was obedient for a second.

"It's okay, Auntie. I like people joking with me." Hai Sang quickly defended her, then turned to Xu Weiwei and said, "Whenever you want it and how much you want, just tell me. Don't give me money. This thing is not uncommon in our place."

Xu Weiwei did not continue on this topic. Money was a sensitive topic by nature, so it would be better for her to find an opportunity to discuss it with Haisang privately in front of so many people.

"This is for you." Haisang then opened the box below.

A fiery red scale is embedded in the black velvet cloth, shining brightly and making people love it at first sight.

Xu Weiwei's pupils shrank, and she stared at Haisang without blinking. She looked surprised, not happy. However, everyone was so absorbed in the scales that they didn't notice her abnormality.

Ganz stared intently, and a long and vague memory gradually became clear in his mind.

Ten years ago, Wei'er had given him something similar to choose from. Among the many colorful options, he immediately fell in love with the red ones because they easily reminded him of Wei'er's hair color. However, he was told that they had special meanings.

Now, looking at that familiar little object, Ganz suddenly had an epiphany. The two events instantly connected, and the long time span made him feel inexplicably uneasy.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Looking at Xu Weiwei's expression, Haisang's heart skipped a beat.

"No, how could that be?" Xu Weiwei forced a smile and closed the box.

This is not the reaction to liking someone.

Haisang's heart tightened, and a flurry of thoughts suddenly filled his mind: Was this gift too ordinary? Or had she already had so many that she was tired of them? No surprise? ...

At this time, the housekeeper came over with a palm-sized purple clay incense burner.

The interior of the incense burner is divided into two layers. The bottom is used to place charcoal fire, and the metal gasket above supports solid spices.

By heating the ambergris granules, their scent is released, filling the room with fragrance.

Xu Weiwei was astonished. This scent was so oriental. Complex and ancient, solemn and mysterious. If the great halls of the Ninth Heaven had incense, it would probably smell like this.

The richness of agarwood, the warmth and spiciness of sandalwood, the bitterness of myrrh, the agility of musk, and the sweetness of frankincense, flowers and fruits...

Numerous scents are fused and wrapped together, releasing layers of magnificent beauty like ocean waves.

"When that unique fragrance, a blend of the vastness of the ocean, the warmth of sunlight, the sedimentation of time, and the echo of life, wafts again, it tells not only the ancient story of whales and the ocean, but also an enduring legend in the long history of human civilization, about smell, imagination, power, elegance, and eternity."*

Xu Weiwei recalled a description she had read about ambergris. Only today did she feel the reality of the text.

Ryan came back from school and as soon as he entered the house, he saw a group of people sitting in the living room. His sister was facing him with an "intoxicated" expression on her face.

He walked over quietly and suddenly said, "Hey! What are you doing? Are you high?"

Xu Weiwei was startled and angrily threw a pillow at him.

Mrs. Seaforth also scolded him: "You are so outspoken, and you are such a scoundrel..."

Before she could finish her words, her voice suddenly got stuck in her throat and her body stiffened.

"I remembered that I forgot to turn off the light in the bedroom. I'll go up and turn it off."

"Why not let the servants handle this little thing..." Ryan muttered as he looked at his mother's back.

"You're the only one who likes to order people around."

"I won't talk anymore, okay..."

"Okay, this is what you said, you have to remember..." The old lady also froze, then stood up slowly.

"The one in my room doesn't seem to be turned off either..."

Ryan was stunned. He pointed at his grandmother's back, bewildered. "Am I some kind of amnesia cure? How come their memories have improved since I came here?"

Xu Weiwei is also a girl, and she is the only one who guessed what happened.

It seems that Mom and Grandma's menstrual period hasn't passed yet. As I just said, one of the significant effects of ambergris is to promote blood circulation, so the two of them must have "broken the dam"...

Anyone who has experienced this momentary panic and stiffness will understand...