Hearing Gu Xingzhao’s response, Lu Qing visibly relaxed. He looked at his nervous son and daughter-in-law, then smiled and said,
“The ancestor was very pleased, especially with the jade pendant from the second daughter-in-law. He even expressed his gratitude to her.”

Everyone, still reeling from what they had just witnessed, felt a weight lift off their chests upon hearing that the ancestor wasn’t displeased. This was especially true for Madam Xu.

She had worried that a deity, being above worldly things, might not appreciate mundane offerings, and that giving such items might offend the ancestor. But to her surprise, the ancestor liked it very much.

Madam Xu felt a bit of relief and joy.

Meanwhile, Gu Xingzhao couldn’t wait to return to the present with the items. As she had expected, the moment she arrived back in the modern world, the items underwent rapid changes!

The once vibrant green jade earrings had turned yellow and looked dirty, though fortunately, there were no cracks in the jade.

The mutton-fat jade pendant, which Gu Xingzhao was so fond of, had also become dirty. Not only was the color less refined, but there was now a crack near the hole where the string had been threaded.

Good thing she had been prepared. It turned out her decision to save the offering points was the right one—she wasn’t about to let that stingy system have its way.

She checked and saw that she had 230 offering points left, just enough for one repair.

After a moment’s thought, Gu Xingzhao decided the earrings could wait—she could always take them to an antique shop later. But it would be a shame not to repair such a beautiful jade pendant.

“System, I want to repair the artifact.”

[Artifact repair function consumes 200 offering points per use. Please select the artifact you wish to repair.]

Four images appeared before her as options: two were the jade earrings, one was the jade pendant, and the last was the tattered old garment she had stashed in storage long ago.

Without hesitation, Gu Xingzhao chose the jade pendant.

[Activating artifact repair function. Deducting 200 offering points. Remaining points: 30.]

[Repairing artifact…]

A bright light flashed, and Gu Xingzhao instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes. When the light faded and she lowered her hand, she saw that the jade pendant on the table had returned to its original state, looking just as pristine as when she first received it. Even the string had been restored to its original condition.

Gu Xingzhao was overjoyed and kissed the pendant several times. She absolutely adored this piece of jade.

Just then, the system’s voice chimed in again:
[Host, you can trade this jade pendant with the marketplace, which would clear your existing debt of 66,666 yuan.]

Gu Xingzhao nearly rolled her eyes. Did the system think she was stupid? Why would she trade something she had just spent 200 offering points to repair?

[Additionally, we can offer you a free activation of the Divine Manifestation Gift Pack, valued at 3,000 offering points, along with 300,000 yuan in cash and a bonus pair of Glazed Feather Boots.]

Gu Xingzhao blinked in surprise. She knew about the Divine Manifestation Gift Pack—it was expensive. The only thing she had unlocked from it, despite her 60,000+ yuan debt, was the Lightning Manipulation skill.

“What are Glazed Feather Boots?”

The system quickly brought up the product description: a pair of shimmering boots, resembling both feathers and glazed glass, beautiful beyond compare.

Gu Xingzhao was instantly captivated. The product description read: “Wearing the Glazed Feather Boots allows one to travel a thousand miles in a single step. When paired with the Glazed Feather Robe, Glazed Feather Crown, and Glazed Feather Fan, one can fly through the air, impervious to blades, bullets, fire, and water, with the added benefit of being cool in summer and warm in winter.”

Gu Xingzhao rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “So, without the full set, the boots are just boots—not much use.”

The other items would cost over 10,000 offering points in total to redeem, and she didn’t even want to think about how many zeros were behind the cash price.

Internally cursing the stingy system, Gu Xingzhao thought, If the system had offered the full set, I might have considered it. But just a pair of boots? Who are they trying to fool?

Running a thousand miles? I can just take a taxi for that.

But on the other hand, if the miserly system was offering to clear her debt, give her a Divine Manifestation Gift Pack, and throw in the Glazed Feather Boots, then this jade pendant must be something truly special!

Gu Xingzhao immediately put the jade pendant around her neck and decided she wouldn’t take it off, even while sleeping.

…

The next day, Gu Xingzhao took the two pairs of earrings to the antique market in the city.

She had never been there before, as she had never had a need to. The previous night, she had done a lot of research on antiques and jade, trying to learn as much as she could.

Because it was the New Year, the antique market was particularly lively. There were families out for a stroll and people in traditional Chinese clothing taking photos.

In addition to the shops, the street was lined with stalls, with enthusiastic vendors eager to make a sale. If they caught your eye, they would launch into a lengthy pitch, especially if you didn’t seem to know much about their wares.

Knowing she wasn’t an expert, Gu Xingzhao didn’t linger at the stalls. Instead, she chose a shop with modest décor and a moderate number of customers and went inside.

The shop was quiet, with only a young man, who looked to be in his early twenties, sitting and playing a game. He didn’t even look up when he heard her footsteps. “I’ll be done in three minutes. Feel free to look around in the meantime.”

Gu Xingzhao was patient, so she wandered around the shop as he suggested, checking out the items. She couldn’t tell their value, but they all looked appealing to her.

She had heard that this business could be quite tricky. Although the young man seemed young, the fact that he was left alone to watch the shop meant he was not to be underestimated.

True to his word, the young man finished his game in three minutes, put down his phone, and turned to look at her. His eyes lit up as soon as he saw her.

He immediately brewed a pot of tea and smiled at her. “Did anything in the shop catch your eye, ma’am?”

Gu Xingzhao smiled lightly and shook her head. She took out a small box, placed the two pairs of jade earrings on the table, and asked, “Do you buy these?”

The young man glanced at the earrings and then carefully pulled out a pair of gloves from the drawer, put them on, and gently picked up the box. After examining the earrings closely, he narrowed his eyes. “Ma’am, these are excellent pieces, quite old. Where did you get them?”

As he spoke, his eyes drifted to the jade pendant hanging around Gu Xingzhao’s neck. The warm white jade, with its complete seed shape and fine texture, was a rare, naturally colored treasure, the kind that couldn’t be easily priced.

Anyone wearing such a valuable item around their neck, and casually offering well-preserved antiques, had to come from a wealthy background. But who was this person? He had never seen her before.

Gu Xingzhao maintained a natural expression. “They’re family heirlooms. Are you interested?”

“Of course. What price do you have in mind?”

Gu Xingzhao hesitated for a moment. “You…”

The young man smiled. “My name is Xu Shisan.”

Xu Shisan’s eyes remained fixed on Gu Xingzhao, trying to gauge her.

Gu Xingzhao could sense his probing and steadied herself. “What price can you offer?”

Xu Shisan quickly understood and smiled. “I can offer 120,000 yuan per pair of earrings. For both pairs, I’ll give you this amount.”

He brought out a calculator and showed her the number.

Gu Xingzhao swallowed nervously, unsure of herself, but still summoned the courage to haggle. “For both pairs, I want 280,000 yuan.”

Xu Shisan grinned, revealing two small tiger teeth. “Deal!”

“…” Seeing his reaction, Gu Xingzhao cursed inwardly: Damn, I asked for too little!