The system forced me to blow up the female lead's fishpond.

Before the words had even finished, a dark figure appeared like a ghost, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said, "Master!"

Shen Zhizhi stared at his greasy mouth, her lips twitching involuntarily. "I'm having trouble figuring out a birthday gift for Lord Zhang. Do you have any good ideas?"

Xue Liao lowered his head, pondered seriously for a moment, then resolutely raised his eyes, "This subordinate does not know."

Shen Zhizhi roared in fury: "I don't know what you've been thinking about for so long! You've been holding back for so long, what are you going to do to me?!"

Xue Liao felt wronged, but he didn't say anything.

Shen Zhizhi was utterly defeated by him. She waved her hand and continued to ask, "What about you? What gift would you most like to receive?"

Xue Liao grinned, revealing his adorable little white tiger teeth. "If it were me, I would naturally hope to receive a bunch of meat buns... Ah!"

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Zhizhi raised her hand and gave him a hard slap on the head.

Xue Liao winced in pain, quickly covering his head and grimacing, "Master, why did you hit your subordinate?"

"Eat, eat, all you know is eating. Do you think everyone is like you, with nothing but food on their mind?" Shen Zhizhi glared at Xue Liao fiercely, then turned around and continued to wander among the stalls.

Various exquisite objects flashed before her eyes, but Shen Zhizhi still couldn't make up her mind. She bit her lower lip, her brows furrowed, and she became increasingly anxious.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: Zhang Jiali was a year older than the original owner of this body.

Why not prepare all the birthday gifts he has received over the past seventeen years to make up for the missing ones? This way, you won't have to worry about what to choose, since there's bound to be something he likes among the seventeen items.

Shen Zhizhi had an idea in mind, and her eyes lit up instantly. Suddenly, her gaze was drawn to a jade flute on a stall.

The jade flute was crystal clear, smooth and delicate, and emitted a soft glow in the sunlight.

Shen Zhizhi's heart stirred. The original text seemed to have mentioned that Zhang Jiali was somewhat skilled in music, and this jade flute would surely suit his taste.

She picked up the jade flute, examined it closely, and liked it more and more the more she looked at it.

Upon seeing this, the stall owner quickly praised, "Young lady, you have excellent taste. This jade flute is carved from the finest jade, and its tone is clear, melodious, and rare in the world."

Shen Zhizhi smiled slightly and asked, "How much silver?"

"Twelve taels."

Shen Zhizhi was slightly taken aback; the price wasn't cheap. But thinking of Zhang Jiali's joy upon receiving the gift, she gritted her teeth and said:

"Okay, I want it."

One gift after another was collected by her, and as the number of gifts increased, Shen Zhizhi had to call Xue Liao to help carry them.

Xue Liao stared in astonishment at the mountain of goods. "Master, are you going to buy the entire market and give it to Lord Zhang?"

Shen Zhizhi rolled her eyes at him, "What do you know? These are all my sentiments for Lord Zhang."

With only one gift left to choose from, Shen Zhizhi continued to wander through the market. Suddenly, a chessboard on a nearby stall caught her attention.

The chessboard was made of high-quality wood with a fine texture and a faint woody fragrance. The black and white chess pieces were round and smooth, like stars and the moon in the night sky.

Her eyes shone brightly as she immediately approached the stall, gently stroking the chessboard as if she could feel the marks of time etched upon it.

Seeing Shen Zhizhi's actions, the stall owner enthusiastically introduced, "Miss, this chessboard is made by a famous craftsman, with excellent workmanship, and the chess pieces are also made of fine jade. It is a treasure among chess pieces."

Shen Zhizhi was overjoyed, convinced that this was the perfect gift for Zhang Jiali.

Zhang Jia is highly skilled in chess, and this exquisite chessboard will surely be a good way for him to pass the time.

At this point, all seventeen gifts have been collected.

As the sun gradually set and night fell, Shen Zhizhi, clutching her gifts, ran towards Zhang Jiali's house with great anticipation.

When they arrived at Zhang Jiali's courtyard, they were about to knock on the door when they saw that the gate was half-open and not closed tightly.

She gently raised her hand and carefully pushed the door open, afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the place.

The door opened slightly, and Zhang Jiali was seen sitting under the osmanthus tree. He was dressed in a plain robe, his black hair was casually tied up, and he was holding a wine pot in his hand.

As the evening breeze swept by, countless osmanthus blossoms drifted down like golden rain, falling gently onto his shoulders, creating a scene reminiscent of a dynamic painting.

He seemed to be drowning his sorrows in alcohol, one cup after another, as if trying to drown all his pain in the fragrant liquor.

Shen Zhizhi approached quietly, her steps as light as flower petals, as if afraid of breaking the sorrow that filled the courtyard.

"Lord Zhang?" After a moment of silence, she finally couldn't help but call out.

Zhang Jiali slightly raised his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them as his gaze met hers, then quickly masked by a sense of desolation. "Miss Shen?"

Shen Zhizhi put the gift aside and squatted down next to him.

Then, he reached out and snatched the wine pot from his hand, asking, "Why is Lord Zhang drinking here alone?"

Zhang Jiali paused slightly, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he did not reply.

Shen Zhizhi pursed her lips, not daring to ask any further, but based on her guess, it must be because of his mother, right? After all, on his birthday, he should have had family members celebrating with him, but because of this unfortunate fate, he lost his mother at a young age.

"What brings Miss Shen here today?"

Zhang Jiali shifted half an inch to the side, his stray hairs fluttering in the evening breeze, revealing his forlorn eyes.

"Ah! That's right!" Upon hearing his question, she quickly handed him the large bundle of gifts wrapped in cloth behind her. "Today is Lord Zhang's birthday, and Zhizhi has come to celebrate with you."

Zhang Jiali was slightly taken aback. He looked in the direction she was pointing and his pupils contracted sharply at the mountain of gifts.

He suddenly turned his head and met a pair of bright eyes. Those starry eyes looked at him with watery eyes, glistening in the lingering night.

Zhang Jiali's fingers, hanging by his side, twitched almost imperceptibly. After a moment of contemplation, he smiled slightly and asked, "Is all that in such a large bundle a birthday gift?"

Shen Zhizhi subconsciously turned her head to look at him, and happened to meet his smiling eyes. She couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, and hurriedly unwrapped the bundle. "There are just too many items, and some of them could not be found in gift boxes, so they were wrapped like this."

His eyes curved into a smile, sparkling with light. "I am curious, indeed."

After Shen Zhizhi laid out all the fabrics, Zhang Jiali stared at her with surprise at the dazzling array of birthday gifts.

Shen Zhizhi smiled brightly, picked up a tiger-head hat first, and scratched her head in annoyance.

"This is a gift for a first birthday, although Lord Zhang no longer needs it. But I think Lord Zhang's mother would have liked to make a tiger-head hat like this for him back then, wishing him a lifetime of courage and fearlessness."

Then, she picked up a wooden rattle drum. "This is a gift for your second birthday. May Master Zhang's childhood be filled with laughter and joy, as clear and melodious as the sound of this rattle drum."

"At three years old, you are a silver peace lock, wishing you a lifetime of peace and safety, free from disasters and difficulties."

......