Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Hundred Children Zitan Bed

Tang Xiaonan clamped her mouth shut, not wanting Adrian Hawthorne to see the gap in her teeth. ’It would totally ruin my cute image!’

A smile flickered in Adrian Hawthorne’s eyes. He was about to bring up the second matter—the real reason he had made a special trip here today—but…

“Daddy, the bed smells nice! It’s a big treasure too,”

Tang Xiaonan reminded Felix Thorne.

Felix Thorne grew even more excited. He thought so too, but he didn’t know anything about such matters, so he forced a smile at Adrian Hawthorne. “We have a bed at home. Would you like to take a look?”

Adrian Hawthorne was a little surprised. ’The Thorne family has been farmers for generations. How could they possibly have a purple sandalwood bed?’

He followed Felix Thorne into the bedroom and saw the large, carved bed, which looked completely out of place in the simple room. Just by looking at the carvings, he could tell its origins were anything but ordinary. Adrian Hawthorne felt the wood and then sniffed it. Now he was sure.

“Brother, where did you get this hundred-children bed? The carving is incredible,” Goldie Thorne said, stroking the bed excitedly. Such exquisite patterns could only have been made by a master craftsman; even his own master couldn’t produce work like this.

Only then did Tang Xiaonan notice that the pattern on the bed was a “hundred children” motif. The room was dim, and the bed’s color was dark, making it hard to discern without looking closely. Tang Xiaonan examined the carvings in detail. The children were incredibly lifelike, their expressions vivid and natural. This was definitely not the work of an ordinary artisan.

“I got it from somewhere else,” Felix Thorne said vaguely.

It wouldn’t do to broadcast the bed’s origin; he was afraid of attracting trouble.

Adrian Hawthorne stated with certainty, “It’s purple sandalwood. A bed this size is extremely valuable.”

The Thorne family’s eyes lit up. They didn’t know the first thing about purple sandalwood, but they knew that “valuable” meant it was a treasure. Phoebe Huxley caressed the bed in disbelief. ’I actually slept on a treasure for four years, and I even thought about chopping it up for firewood! Oh dear… what a terrible waste!’

Adrian Hawthorne glanced at the couple’s hefty figures and offered a subtle reminder. “Purple sandalwood is sturdy, but it’s best not to sleep on it. The better it’s preserved, the more valuable it will be.”

The two of them together had to weigh three or four hundred pounds; he was genuinely worried they would crush the bed.

“We won’t sleep on it anymore! I’ll wipe it clean in a bit and store it away. We’ll need to get some insect repellent, so termites don’t get to it.” Phoebe Huxley wouldn’t dare sleep on a treasure now; she’d rather sleep on the floor.

“You don’t need insect repellent. Purple sandalwood is naturally insect-resistant and won’t rot for centuries. Why do you think they call this stuff a treasure!” Goldie Thorne said.

Felix Thorne and his wife turned in unison to look at Adrian Hawthorne. Compared to the lackadaisical Goldie Thorne, they trusted the boy more.

Adrian Hawthorne nodded. “It’s true, you don’t need any treatment. The fragrance of purple sandalwood itself is an insect repellent. In the old days, emperors liked to use this wood for their dragon thrones.”

Felix Thorne’s expression changed. He believed he carried the weight of past bloodshed and was very superstitious in his speech and actions. The moment he heard it was the material of an emperor’s throne, he grew fearful, worried that his own meager fortune wasn’t enough to handle such an object. He called for Goldie Thorne and the others to move the bed to the storeroom.

“What’s the rush? Let me wipe the dust off and cover it with a cloth first.”

“It’s something an emperor would use, and you… you dare to sleep on it? Don’t bother wiping it down.”

Felix Thorne was adamant, his voice rough as he insisted on moving it. Phoebe Huxley retorted, annoyed, “So what if an emperor used it? The Qing Dynasty fell ages ago. Even the emperor would have to work for a living like us these days. Besides, you’ve slept on it for four years, and our family has been doing just fine, haven’t we?”

Felix Thorne hesitated. It was true that he’d had fewer nightmares over the past four years. His body felt healthier than before, and things had been going smoothly for the family. They had lived their lives in peace. If the bed brought bad luck, they would have run into misfortune long ago.

Adrian Hawthorne smiled and said, “The fragrance of purple sandalwood has a calming, soothing effect on the mind. It’s excellent for people who suffer from nightmares or are prone to overthinking. In the past, emperors and nobles all loved to sleep on purple sandalwood beds for their health benefits.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep