The word "birthday" struck him so hard that he was momentarily stunned.
In his past life, he was alone and never celebrated his birthday.
In this life, the original owner's birthday is...
It seems like it really was the same day in my past life?!
Zhou Yang was an unexpected coincidence; they shared the same name, looked identical, and even shared the same birthday.
Apart from being a few years younger than his previous self, he was almost identical to the original owner of this body.
This is such a damn coincidence!
Moreover, Zhou Yang subconsciously calculated the date in his mind.
Today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow... three days, only three days left until his birthday!
He looked at Xu Yao, whose cheeks were flushed, whose eyes were somewhat evasive yet filled with anticipation.
"how?"
Zhou Yang's lips curled into a smile, his eyes carrying a hint of mockery. "So... you're planning to celebrate my birthday?"
He thought Xu Yao would deny it somewhat shyly, or just laugh it off in response to his joke.
However, Xu Yao raised her head and looked at him earnestly with her clear eyes.
There was no hesitation whatsoever; on the contrary, it carried a sense of unwavering certainty.
"yes!"
She nodded gently, her tone incredibly sincere, "Zhou Yang, you've been so good to me, you've helped me so much..."
"I want to do something for you, to celebrate your birthday, isn't that the least I can do?"
Her voice was soft, yet it was like a warm current that unexpectedly entered Zhou Yang's heart.
Is that right?
Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat.
The word "should" was too extravagant and too foreign to him.
No one ever felt that it was "right" for Zhou Yang to do something for him.
He looked into Xu Yao's clear, unadulterated eyes, which reflected his somewhat dazed face.
That pure kindness and sincere care softened his heart.
"cough……"
Zhou Yang coughed lightly, concealing the emotional fluctuation that momentarily occurred.
"Alright, since the beautiful Xu Yao has spoken, I have to give her face."
He paused, tapped his chin with his finger, and said mysteriously, "Remember this, my birthday is in three days. As for the gift... hehe, it's up to you. Guess!"
"So close!"
Xu Yao quickly wrote it down, then frowned slightly and muttered softly, "How could I possibly guess what you like..."
But looking into Zhou Yang's smiling eyes, she nodded vigorously.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely give you a surprise!"
Although she readily agreed verbally, Xu Yao had already begun to frantically plan things out in her mind.
Three days are needed to prepare a birthday gift that Zhou Yang will like...
This level of difficulty is exceptionally high!
...
The next day, at 10:30 a.m.
The sun was shining brightly in the square, and the crowds gradually dispersed.
At Zhou Yang's braised food stall, the last portion of braising broth was packed up and taken away, signifying that today's supply was sold out ahead of schedule.
Many fans who were unable to purchase the items also left disappointed.
"Closing up! Closing up!"
Zhou Yang greeted Xu Yao in a good mood, "You're quite efficient today, even half an hour earlier than yesterday!"
Xu Yao packed her things quickly, a satisfied smile on her face.
Looking at the long lines that form in front of her stall every day, and at the satisfied expressions on the faces of the diners, she feels that life is full of energy and hope.
Just as the two had almost finished packing their things and were about to leave with the cart, a familiar mechanical prompt sounded in Zhou Yang's mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host, on completing this week's task! The "Mastery of Appraisal Techniques" has been sent to your system space. Please check your system!]
It's here!
Zhou Yang's spirits lifted!
The weekly system rewards are what he looks forward to the most!
Master of all treasure appraisal skills?
That sounds interesting. Is this a way to train him to be a master at finding bargains?
He immediately calmed himself down and mentally activated the golden skill icon labeled "Master of Appraisal".
Buzz—!
In an instant, Zhou Yang felt an indescribable torrent of information rushing into his brain like a flood bursting its banks!
Ceramics, bronzes, jade, jadeite, calligraphy and paintings, ancient books, coins, wood carvings, lacquerware, enamelware, gold and silver wares, gemstones, pearls, amber, dzi beads...
From Neolithic painted pottery to Shang and Zhou bronze ritual vessels, from Spring and Autumn and Warring States jade discs to Qin and Han roof tiles.
From the splendor of Tang tri-color pottery to the elegance of the five great kilns of the Song Dynasty (Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun, and Ding), from the unrestrained style of Yuan blue and white porcelain to the intricate details of Ming and Qing porcelain...
Methods for identifying various materials, craftsmanship characteristics of different eras, differences in marks, the charm of patina, the judgment of "fire" (a type of heat or luster), historical background, cultural connotation, market conditions, and counterfeiting techniques...
Countless pieces of knowledge, images, data, experience, and skills, as if they came to life, rushed in, intertwining, colliding, and merging wildly deep within his consciousness!
This amount of information is even more terrifying than him taking the driver's license theory test eight hundred times!
"Well……"
Zhou Yang felt as if his head had been forcibly stuffed into a universe, making him dizzy and seeing stars.
He couldn't help but groan, stumbled, and almost fell to the ground.
"Zhou Yang, what's wrong? Why is your face so pale?"
Xu Yao was startled and quickly helped him up, asking him with concern.
"No...it's nothing..."
Zhou Yang waved his hand, enduring the dizziness that felt like his head was about to explode, leaned against the stall cart, and closed his eyes to recover for a while.
It took more than a minute for the surging torrent of information to gradually subside.
Like rivers flowing into the sea, it orderly merged into the depths of his memory, becoming a part of his body and instincts.
call--
Zhou Yang exhaled a long breath, and when he opened his eyes again, although his face was still a little pale, his eyes were surprisingly bright, filled with indescribable excitement and agitation!
Master of all treasure appraisal skills!
This thing... it's simply divine skill!
This means that from then on, he could see antiques and collectibles as if he had X-ray vision, and he could tell their authenticity, age, and value at a glance!
Find a bargain! Make a fortune!
A raging fire instantly ignited in Zhou Yang's heart.
Now I don't have to worry about how to make money quickly. What about buying out the formula for 500 million? I can just take a stroll through the antique market and maybe find a priceless treasure.
"Xu Yao, since we still have plenty of time today, let's go check out the biggest antique market in Jindu! Maybe we can find a great bargain!"
Although Xu Yao didn't know much about antiques, seeing how interested Zhou Yang was, she naturally didn't object and obediently nodded: "Okay."
The two pushed their tidied-up stall cart toward the famous antique market in Jindu.
The antique market in Jindu is extremely large, covering a vast area.
Not only are there stalls and shops, but there is also a jade and gemstone trading market of similar size next door, which is a well-known cultural and artistic distribution center in the entire East China region.
As soon as Zhou Yang stepped into the antique market, he felt like he had been injected with adrenaline, his eyes shining as he began scanning like a radar.
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