The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 58 - Men, All Are Men!
Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Men, All Are Men!
Chapter 58 -58: Men, All Are Men!
Afterward, Pei Yang told her about some of the strange tales he had encountered at sea, as well as the customs and habits of foreign countries, and Shen Mingzhu slowly drifted off to sleep to the sound of the man’s deep and mellow voice.
As the light and even breathing sounds came from the other side of the bed, Pei Yang’s lips curved into a slight smile, and he soon closed his eyes to sleep as well.
When she woke up the next day, Pei Yang had already gotten up, and the foldable bed by her side had been put away.
Seeing her awake, Pei Yang smiled.
As if not to disturb Pei Ziheng, who was still asleep, he deliberately lowered his voice.
His naturally deep and magnetic voice somehow became a few shades more indulgent, “You can sleep in a bit longer.
I’m going to the office for a meeting.
I should be back around 10 o’clock.
When I return, I’ll take you both out for a stroll.”
Shen Mingzhu hummed in agreement and got out of bed as quietly as possible.
If Pei Yang hadn’t come back, she could have continued to sleep in comfortably.
But with Pei Yang around, she always felt somewhat restrained.
She had slept in her pajamas and didn’t feel it was appropriate to change clothes in front of Pei Yang, so she casually draped a cotton coat over her shoulders, planning to wash up before changing.
But as soon as she opened the door to the communal bathroom, Shen Mingzhu was taken aback.
Men, they were all men!
Standing in front of the washbasins were seven or eight vigorous young men.
In the dead of winter, one wore only a tank top and shorts, some even shirtless, their solid pectorals and abs gleaming in the open, the communal bathroom filled with a thick air of male hormones.
As Shen Mingzhu looked at them, they also looked back at her.
“Where did this woman come from?”
“Seems like it’s Brother Yang’s wife…”
Shen Mingzhu was looking intently when suddenly her vision went dark.
Someone had covered her eyes, and before she could react, her waist was gripped tight, lifting her feet off the ground.
By the time her vision returned, she had been carried out of the bathroom into the corridor.
Pei Yang, tall and imposing, stood in front of her with his arms crossed, his deep and handsome face shadowed with a glint of irritation.
“Had your fill of looking?”
Shen Mingzhu wanted to say no, but she didn’t dare.
“I didn’t mean to peep; they were standing right there.
How could I pretend to be blind and not see them?”
Pei Yang, grinding his teeth, “Even if it was accidental, couldn’t you have looked away?
If I hadn’t come over, were you planning to stare until the end of time?”
Possibly, oh.
Pei Yang didn’t know her inner thoughts and, assuming her silence meant she realized her mistake, he softened his tone, his reprimand tinged with a hint of teasing.
“Can’t you show a bit of womanly virtue?
You’re married now.
You stare at other men without even blinking an eye.
Are they that good-looking?”
“It’s because I haven’t seen before, so I couldn’t help but take a few extra glances.”
Pei Yang was amused by her justification, and with a big hand, he patted her head, speaking as if coaxing a child, “Be good, and when we get back, I’ll let you have a proper look.”
“…”
Is that what she meant???
Moreover, she wasn’t so starved for sights that she’d want to look at any man.
At the very least, they had to have six-pack, no, at least four-pack abs.
In just two seconds, countless R-rated images flashed through Shen Mingzhu’s mind, yet she didn’t have the courage to ask Pei Yang if he had abs or how many.
Seeing her cheeks flushed with a delicate hue, like that of a blush peach, Pei Yang thought she was shy, and his heart itched as if tiny cat’s claws were scratching at it.
“You go back to the dormitory first.”
Shen Mingzhu stood still, her watery almond eyes looking misty as if veiled in a layer of water, her voice soft and coquettish, “I haven’t freshened up yet.”
He took the washbasin from her hands, “Wait in the dorm.
I’ll bring water back for you.”
“But I also want to use the bathroom.”
“Hold it!”
“…”
After Shen Mingzhu walked away, Pei Yang turned around to push open the bathroom door, only to discover a group of young guys hiding behind it eavesdropping.
Caught red-handed, the group wasn’t the least bit ashamed but started joking around, chuckling and laughing.
“Yang, you’re so petty, hiding your sister-in-law like she’s some kind of treasure, as if you’re afraid we’ll get a glimpse of her.”
“Nonsense, why should my wife be on display for you to see? fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Go home and look at your own wife if you want to!”
Pei Yang cursed and joked for a bit before taking a basin to the sink to fetch water.
“Yang, why are you using a pink washbasin?”
“You don’t know jack.
This is my sister-in-law’s basin.
Look, I’m getting water for her to wash her face, right, Yang?”
Seeing that Pei Yang didn’t deny it, the bunch of young men burst into laughter and started to tease.
“Yang, who would have thought?
You really dote on your sister-in-law.”
Nonsense, it wasn’t easy for him to marry such a delicate wife; of course he had to cherish her and hold her dear.
After getting the water ready, Pei Yang urged the young men hastily finishing their washing to get dressed and then he carried the full basin of water back to the dorm.
Once inside the dorm, Pei Yang set the basin on the balcony rack for Shen Mingzhu’s convenience.
After Shen Mingzhu finished washing her face, Pei Yang’s gaze lingered on her egg-white-like complexion for two seconds before he spoke.
“Mingzhu, have you seen my seaman’s certificate?”
Shen Mingzhu shook her head.
Pei Yang, puzzled, rubbed his forehead, “I clearly left it in my luggage, but now it’s gone.”
Upon hearing him say the seaman’s certificate was lost, Shen Mingzhu immediately started searching all over the dorm.
Pei Ziheng, who had been playing with a yo-yo on a wooden chair, also hopped down to join the search.
They searched high and low, turning the dorm upside down, but to no avail— “It probably is truly lost.”
“Can it be replaced?”
“There’s no time, I’d have to go back to Fengcheng, and even if I made it back there, the Maritime Office would be closed.” Pei Yang’s face showed a rare hint of distress.
“Then what can we do?”
Meeting Shen Mingzhu’s concerned and gentle almond-shaped eyes, Pei Yang smiled reassuringly at her, “Don’t worry.
I’ll go to the company for a meeting first.
Once it’s over, I’ll discuss a plan with the master.
If you get bored, you can go out with Ziheng.
Meet me at the port at 10:30, and I’ll take you to have some local specialties.”
Shen Mingzhu nodded.
After Pei Yang left, Shen Mingzhu asked Pei Ziheng to wash up in the bathroom while she searched the dorm again thoroughly.
Naturally, it was impossible to find.
Pei Yang acted as if it were no big deal in front of Shen Mingzhu, but as soon as he stepped out of the staff dormitory’s gate, his expression turned serious.
Within Ocean Shipping Company, losing a seaman’s certificate was a very serious dereliction of duty, with consequences ranging from demotion and salary cuts to reassignment or dismissal.
The seaman’s certificate was effectively their passport, allowing them unrestricted access to domestic and international ports.
If it were to fall into the hands of someone with malicious intent, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Upon learning that Pei Yang had lost his seaman’s certificate, Lin Guofu, who always looked after him, gave him a severe scolding.
“You’re an experienced sailor, how could you make such a rookie mistake?
This was a golden opportunity for you to be promoted to first officer, an opportunity I secured for you with great effort.
And now look at what you’ve done; you’ve lost your seaman’s certificate.
Not only is the promotion out of the question, but even your current position as second officer is in jeopardy!”
Pei Yang sincerely accepted the rebuke and admitted his mistake, “Master, it’s all because of my negligence.
Please calm down, it’s not worth it to harm your health over my mistake.”
“How can I not be angry?
Do you know how much effort I put into your promotion to chief mate?”
After chewing him out, Lin Guofu looked at him for a while and then suddenly asked, “Pei Yang, you wouldn’t have done this on purpose, would you?
So smitten by your new wife that you can’t find your way anymore?”
Pei Yang was stunned for quite a while before he realized Lin Guofu suspected him of intentionally hiding his seaman’s certificate to avoid participating in the voyage to Manila scheduled to depart in two days.
A son bearing the brunt for his father’s debts, Pei Yang carried this black mark with not a hint of injustice.
