The guests at the banquet, upon hearing this, immediately brightened. They all understood what the City Lord intended. The test had arrived! As long as one could display literary talent, they would undoubtedly leave a good impression on the young lady. After all, what young maiden didn't appreciate someone with profound knowledge?
Thus, the banquet attendees immediately began to rub their hands together, eager to seize this opportunity to let their children showcase their abilities.
Alas, the young boys, those who were unmarried, were mere teenagers, hardly knowledgeable in poetry! Especially after two years of the doomsday, there had been no chance for diligent study. Knowing "The bright moon before my bed" was already quite an achievement; as for other poems, they were beyond imagination.
Li Zhenli also took this opportunity to say, "My dear brothers and sisters, I haven't read many poems, but I've seen plenty about flowers and moonlight, and I particularly like those about rivers. After all, outside Wanzhou City lies the Yangtze River. Du Fu once wrote, 'Boundless falling leaves rustle down, the endless Yangtze rolls on.' I find that particularly well-written. Perhaps you all could recommend some favorite poems."
As she spoke, Li Zhenli descended from the stage and mingled amongst the banquet. People immediately brought their children forward, hoping their offspring would say something pleasing.
In truth, Li Zhenli had initially intended to have these people compose poems. However, she recalled that most of them had barely attended school. Despite wearing suits, their educational attainment was very low, with many not even graduating from junior high. Asking them to compose poems would be too difficult. Thus, she lowered the requirement, only asking them to recite a few lines from other famous poets.
Immediately, a father turned to his son and said, "The young lady has stated her request. Hurry up and answer!"
However, the young man scratched his head and couldn't think of anything. He looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, having never truly attended junior high. Now, pressured by his father, he had no choice but to rack his brain. Finally, he managed to recall a line: "White sun sinks behind the mountains, the Yellow River flows into the sea."
This was a poem learned in primary school, and the only one the young man could recall at that moment.
"Mmm, yes, that's a famous line too!" Li Zhenli said perfunctorily, a polite smile gracing her face.
Seeing this, other parents grew anxious. Look, other children had already received praise from the young lady. Why did their own children seem so incapable?
"Aren't you going to recite a poem? Did you go to primary school for nothing?" a parent berated.
The child said aggrievedly, "The line I knew was already recited by someone else, and I don't know any others!"
"You child, you're truly dull-witted. Is this the only line you know?" The parent was angry and scolded the child in a low voice.
"Isn't my older brother a high school graduate? Wouldn't it be better for my brother to answer?" the boy asked, feeling wronged.
"Your brother is already married. What business does he have here?" the parent said angrily, truly feeling a sense of disappointment in his son's lack of progress.
Shen Feng, having finished his meal, sat in a corner, wearing a mask, and watched this farce. Seeing a group of primary school-educated youths struggling to recite poetry, he couldn't help but find it amusing.
Initially, Shen Feng had expected to see elegant and unique performances in such a luxurious setting. Wouldn't the alliance of prominent families be particularly spectacular? But now, it seemed like a complete farce. Although Shen Feng was only an undergraduate who hadn't graduated, his literary level was more than enough to outshine these ten-year-old youths.
"Pfft..." Shen Feng couldn't help but laugh, leaning back in his chair, feeling the absurdity of it all.
Unexpectedly, Shen Feng's laughter was heard by those around him, immediately drawing glares. They were already anxious for their children, and now someone dared to mock them. This person was getting bolder and bolder. They had long disliked him, his attire being so unkempt. It was one thing to sneak into the banquet for free food, but now to mock their children was simply unbearable!
"You! Stand up! What nonsense are you spouting?" A burly parent walked over, pointing a finger at Shen Feng, demanding he stand. Judging by his agile steps, he was likely an evolved individual.
Shen Feng leaned back in his chair, his feet resting on the table. He was the only one at this table; most others preferred not to sit with him.
"I didn't say anything. I just laughed. What, are you going to control my laughter too, like you control funerals and mourning attire?" Shen Feng asked directly.
"That's right, you are not allowed to laugh at this moment, otherwise, I will assume you are mocking my son! You'll regret it!" the burly man said furiously.
Shen Feng shrugged. His masked face revealed no discernible expression, but he spoke mockingly, "As the saying goes, a broad mind can contain the world's uncontainable matters; a smiling mouth can laugh at all laughable people. I never thought that laughing now would be a crime. If it weren't for seeing these children's lack of culture, would I have laughed?"
Li Zhenli, upon hearing the couplet Shen Feng casually uttered, her eyes lit up. She thought, "This fellow's literary talent is quite good. He can casually come up with such excellent content, and it fits the current atmosphere perfectly."
Li Zhenli also felt like laughing. She saw many parents quietly whispering poems to their children, while others asked older siblings to prompt them with lines they could recall. This behavior struck Li Zhenli as akin to covering one's ears while stealing a bell.
However, Li Zhenli also knew that if she were to laugh out loud, it would be considered impolite and would embarrass most people present. Thus, she restrained herself.
Hearing Shen Feng speak like this, the burly man felt that he was implying his son was laughable and immediately prepared to throw a punch.
Fortunately, at this moment, the frail Li Mo rushed out from the side, anxiously exclaiming, "Stop, stop! This gentleman is a guest specially invited by our City Lord. Please do not harm the harmony. Fighting would be bad for everyone. For the sake of my old face, let this matter be dropped!"
Li Mo's forehead was already covered in sweat. He was extremely nervous because he knew the truth of the matter. The person before him might be the City Lord of Yuzhou, Lord Shen Feng, who had returned from the dead. If a fight broke out and Shen Feng became enraged, he might go on a killing spree, and no one at the banquet would survive!
When Li Mo stepped forward, the burly man indeed stopped. He knew that the person before him was Li Xin's third uncle. If he showed no respect, he wouldn't be able to get by in Wanzhou in the future. Therefore, he could only reluctantly stop.
Although he stopped, the burly man was not polite with his words. He directly said to Shen Feng, "Today, I'll let you off because you are a guest of the City Lord. But don't let me see you again in the future. Otherwise, every time I see you, I'll beat you up. Hmph, you fellow who hides your face!"
Shen Feng did not reply. He continued to watch the banquet, wanting to see clearly what further tricks these gluttonous fellows would play.
Meanwhile, the parents, taking advantage of the burly man's commotion, quickly passed on the poems they knew to their children. However, some couldn't remember anything, and their children knew nothing. In this competition of literary talent, they held no advantage at all!
Subsequently, some parents who felt a sense of crisis immediately shifted the topic: "I say, everyone, aren't we putting the cart before the horse? This is the apocalypse. Competing in literary talent is useless. Can reciting poetry drive away mutated beasts? Impossible. It's better to look at practical matters. For example, let's see which of your children can fight better!"
This statement immediately drew much agreement. Many parents also realized that their children were not at an advantage in a literary competition, so they immediately changed their strategy, asking their children to directly compete in their areas of expertise!
"That's right, let's see which child can fight better. Only with strength can we protect what's most important. This is undeniable!" everyone quickly agreed.
Li Zhenli did not expect the pleasant literary competition to be turned into a strength contest by a group of people. She was at a loss for words. The banquet was already noisy and impolite, and now they were going to compete in strength. Was this going to be a boxing match with referees on stage?
"How do we compete? If they start fighting, and any child gets injured, won't it damage the harmony?" someone raised a question.
This was indeed a problem. If they truly competed, and the children were not careful with their strength, causing serious injury, wouldn't that be a major issue?
Then, someone immediately said, "That's simple. Let's compete in physical strength. Bring over some barbells and see who can lift them the most times." someone suggested.
This suggestion was immediately adopted. These parents also had great faith in their children's physical strength. They doted on their children and had always provided them with mutated beast meat, thus turning them into evolved individuals. Although these children were young, they were basically all evolved individuals, with some even being third-tier evolved individuals. In short, their minds might not be sharp, but their physical strength was definitely good!
For a long time, these children had received ample resources, which manifested as strength far exceeding that of ordinary people. An ordinary person would need a week of labor to afford a piece of mutated beast meat, and it was uncertain whether they would even evolve. However, the youths at the banquet could eat mutated beast meat freely, and their progress in strength was naturally rapid.
Shen Feng watched as they actually went to find barbells and couldn't help but laugh. Clearly, he was amused by the scene. Relying solely on barbells would only identify children who possessed brute strength. Were these youths truly the most outstanding?
At this point, no one reacted to Shen Feng's laughter. They all knew that he was a guest of the City Lord. One must consider the host even when dealing with a guest's dog. If they were to offend this man, it would likely cause the City Lord to lose face. To avoid displeasing Li Xin, they decided to pretend not to hear.
A group of youths took turns grabbing barbells in the banquet hall and began lifting them. Their speed was not slow. Soon, these youths were covered in sweat. Some could lift the hundred-pound barbells more than thirty times, while others managed eight or nine. Their physical strength was evident at a glance.
However, Li Zhenli had lost interest. What was the point of watching a bunch of stinking men lifting barbells? With this thought, Li Zhenli walked to the corner and asked Shen Feng, who was lounging leisurely, "My friend, may I know your name? I see you seem to have a great understanding of poetry. I wonder if you could spare some time to discuss it with me!"
Li Zhenli was the protagonist of the banquet. As long as she could win his favor, she would undoubtedly have the power to command influence in Wanzhou. Therefore, every move she made was closely watched by others. Her approaching a man at this moment was naturally noticed by those with ulterior motives.
In response to Li Zhenli's inquiry, Shen Feng leaned back in his chair and said indifferently, "I wouldn't dare claim literary talent. I have a wife who is in the literature department, and she constantly recites poems about flowers and moonlight, and about the sorrow of spring and autumn. I know a little. If you wish to discuss poetry, I cannot help you!"
"Uh, you're married?" Li Zhenli was immediately surprised by this answer. She hadn't expected this man to be already betrothed.
At this moment, others finally breathed a sigh of relief. They had worried for nothing, thinking the young lady might be charmed by some unknown man. Now that he was married, wasn't he no longer a threat?
"That's not important. If you truly like poetry, look in this box here. It contains Su Shi's authentic calligraphy. It depends on whether you can appreciate it!" Shen Feng said calmly.