Chu Chaoyan did not have much time to attend to the matters of the banquet. He handed over all the arrangements to Xiao Long and Xiao Hu, telling his brothers, "You two are grown now, one is fifteen and the other thirteen. At this age, you can handle things independently. This time, you are responsible for hosting the children at the banquet. You must complete this important task. As for how the adults perform, there will be dedicated observers!"
Du Fansheng said confidently, "Second Mother, please rest assured. I will definitely complete this. No matter who comes, I will greet them with a smile and ensure everyone attending the banquet is happy!"
Shen Xingzhi, however, was somewhat absent-minded. Recently, Shun Feng had taken in a godson, which made him feel threatened, especially seeing how much the child resembled his father, even more so than himself. This made him feel uneasy.
When the banquet began, the people of Shazhou were all engaged in cheerful conversation, with smiles on everyone's faces. Whether these smiles were heartfelt or feigned was unknown, as all the attendees were young boys and girls. Although they were young, they had been educated by their parents from a young age, knowing that no matter how angry they felt outside, they should not show it, but rather face everyone with a smile.
These young boys and girls also had their own tasks. They had long learned the truth of the banquet from their parents: it was meant to gather suitable young boys and girls together to deepen their relationships. Notably, among the attendees were several children of the City Lord.
The young boys had all received orders from their parents to perform well at the banquet, hoping to win the favor of the eldest and second young ladies.
Many young girls also had tasks. "You must behave gracefully and elegantly at the banquet, striving to win the affection of the eldest young master. Once you marry into the City Lord's mansion, you will have a life of ease and prosperity, and our families will flourish as a result. You should understand the significance of this!"
Thus, these young men and women had all mustered their resolve. During their studies at home, they had learned about music, chess, calligraphy, painting, astronomy, and geography. Especially when conversing with others, they could display their extensive knowledge. Therefore, by simply showcasing their strengths in front of the young masters and ladies, they were sure to leave a good impression.
However, as these young men and girls searched for the young masters and ladies, they found that the two young masters were still present, as was Shen Feng's godson, Shen Bowen. But a strange thing happened: the two young ladies had disappeared, and no one knew where they had gone. A search of the entire Shazhou yielded nothing.
"Alright, the two young ladies are missing. We must find them quickly!" someone reported the issue immediately upon discovering it, and eventually, the matter reached Xiao Long.
Du Fansheng, upon hearing this, was at a loss for words. He frowned and said, "These two little rascals are causing trouble for me. They know this is my first time completing a task, yet they have to add to the chaos!"
Du Fansheng thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Hu, you stay here and host the banquet. I will lead a group of people to search. First, we will check the surveillance, then find their whereabouts, and bring them back to the banquet. This place is left to your care!"
Shen Xingzhi heard this and said, "You are older than me, so it is more appropriate for you to host the banquet. Leave the search for Sister Hongxiu and Shishi to me!"
Du Fansheng said seriously, "Don't forget that I am an ability user now. No matter what situation I encounter, I have the ability to protect myself. You have not yet received the ability serum, and you are still an ordinary person. If something unexpected happens to you outside, I cannot bear the responsibility. So, I should be the one to search. There is a very complete security system here, and no one can harm you. You should understand what I mean."
"I understand what you mean, but if I don't do this, it means I am completely disregarding the safety of my two sisters. So, I must go too!" Shen Xingzhi said.
Just then, Shen Bowen passed by. Although he came to attend this banquet, he understood that he did not belong here. So, he wandered around casually like a guest, and no one else approached him to talk. He was happy to have some leisure and found some snacks to taste.
"Shen Bowen, come here!" Xiao Long said in a commanding tone.
Upon hearing this, Shen Bowen felt a bit angry, as he felt treated like someone who could be summoned and dismissed at will. However, he could not retaliate because he knew his status was inferior to the other. Although he was Shen Feng's biological son and the other was just a godson, his current status was worse than the other's. Thus, he could only suppress his anger and walked over, asking, "Brother, what is it?"
Du Fansheng said, "Next, we need to go search for those two missing sisters. However, we cannot leave this place without someone to host the banquet. The adults at home are all busy and cannot come here. Therefore, you will host the banquet. This matter is entrusted to you. If you do not perform well, I will hold you accountable!"
Shen Bowen heard this and wanted to refuse the responsibility, as he did not know if he could handle it. Hosting such a banquet was not easy, and doing so in an unfamiliar place would also attract criticism from others.
Before he could object, he saw the two brothers holding hands and walking away, with several ability users protecting them.
So, Shen Bowen could only shake his head and say in a low voice, "It seems this is what they call being forced into a position. I don't know if I can complete this task. I can only do my best."
At this time, Shen Feng's two daughters and Yue Hengyi's two children had already arrived in the suburbs. They were all wearing hats and masks, as well as ordinary clothes. This way, they looked like ordinary people in the wilderness and would not be suspected by others. In the city, they might be recognized by familiar people. Thus, after arriving in the suburbs, they could see the different scenery of the outside world.
The four young boys and girls walked around in the suburbs, enjoying the scenery. It was summer, and although the temperature was still relatively low, many grasses had grown in the suburbs, and there were many dandelions. They couldn't help but grab a handful of dandelions and blow hard, sending many seeds flying into the distance.
Shen Yishi suddenly said, "Why don't we play soccer? Fortunately, there are many grasslands in the suburbs, and this place is a good choice for playing soccer!"
"Don't talk nonsense. Where can we find a ball to play with here? Let's just walk around the suburbs and go back, so as not to worry the adults. If we leave without a word, our families will be worried!" Yue Cangshan said.
Shen Yishi heard this and said indignantly, "Isn't there a soccer ball over there? Look, that white thing is!"
As she spoke, she pointed towards the grassland in the distance. Upon closer inspection, there was indeed a white leather ball lying there on the grassland.
Yue Cangshan nodded and said, "I wonder whose ball this is. Since there's a ball, let's divide into two teams and play soccer!"
Shen Yishi walked over and kicked the white ball without thinking. However, the ball did not roll far before it stopped. Upon closer inspection, it was not a leather ball at all, but a white, grinning skull. No one knew who had died here, leaving only half a head. The white skull looked like a ball from a distance.
"Ah!" Yue Bitao had always been timid. Upon seeing this horrifying object, she couldn't help but scream.
But Shen Yishi became interested. She found a branch from the nearby grass, walked over, and poked the skull with the branch, muttering, "I wonder how you died. Did you do many evil deeds and were found by your enemies, then killed and dumped in the wilderness? Or were you just an ordinary passerby who was ambushed and left here? Or were you an innocent person whose organs were harvested, leaving only this head!"
Yue Cangshan saw this scene and felt his scalp tingle. Most children, or rather, most girls, would immediately distance themselves upon seeing a skull. Yet, the girl opposite him was poking the skull with a branch, completely unafraid. What was going on?
"This young lady is too brave. She looks one or two years younger than me, yet she speaks without any fear!" Yue Cangshan thought to himself.
Yue Bitao said, "Please stop playing with such terrifying things. Let's go quickly. A place with unburied skulls must not be a good place!"
Shen Hongxiu had been educated by her mother long ago. She continued, "My mother once told me that human fear comes from the unknown. So, you don't know whether humans become vengeful spirits after death or simply disappear, which is why you have this fear. But if you think about it carefully, humans have never been resurrected after death. This means we don't need to be afraid of these motionless skulls, do you understand? Come, touch it, and strengthen your courage!"
After saying this, Shen Hongxiu held the white, grinning skull and walked towards the Yue siblings.
Yue Bitao immediately began to scream, and although Yue Cangshan could still maintain his composure, his face had turned pale. He had no courage to touch the skull and could not imagine that the girl opposite him could hold a skull without changing her expression.
"Take this thing away first. We don't need to temper our courage with this. Also, you need to show more respect for the deceased and stop playing with people's skulls!" Yue Cangshan said seriously.