Chapter 8: Only after a full meal can one have the strength to fight against a bad woman.
Seeing his son stubborn and unwilling to apologize, Pei Yang had no choice but to apologize to Shen Mingzhu himself.
"Mingzhu, I'm sorry. I've been away for so long, and Xiaohuan has always been living with my parents. He's been spoiled by them. Please be a bit more patient with him. When I get back, I'll make sure to discipline him."
"Oh, and how do you plan to discipline him?"
As she asked, Shen Mingzhu glared at her stepson, who glared back fiercely, looking like a little wolf cub ready to pounce at any moment.
"It's up to you, as long as you can calm down."
Pei Yang said this on the other end of the phone, his deep voice filtered by the electromagnetic waves, somehow carrying a touch of indulgence.
Shen Mingzhu was satisfied.
"Pei Yang, although I'm not Xiaohuan's biological mother, I wouldn't do anything to wrong him."
"Mm, I believe you. Is everything okay at home?"
"It's fine. I was just about to tell you, I'm planning to replace some of the old furniture in the room with a new dressing table..."
Before she could finish, Pei Yang interrupted her, "These little things, you can decide on your own."
The man's trust made Shen Mingzhu feel valued, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up, teasingly she said, "Aren't you afraid I'll blow through your modest savings?"
"Not mine, ours. If it's really gone, you'll just have to live a harder life with me."
The two of them continued to chat back and forth on the phone like this, while Pei Ziheng on the sofa looked like an inconspicuous piece of set decoration.
Just before hanging up, Pei Yang finally remembered his son.
"Mingzhu, hand the phone to Xiaohuan, I want to say a few words to him."
"Your dad wants to talk to you."
After saying this, Shen Mingzhu put down the receiver and twisted her body towards the kitchen.
When Shen Mingzhu emerged from the kitchen with a dish in hand, she saw her stepson slumped on the sofa, dejected like a frostbitten eggplant.
He must have gotten a scolding from Pei Yang. Serves him right!
Shen Mingzhu could not help but feel a burst of schadenfreude, "Dinner's ready."
In stark contrast to Shen Mingzhu's joy, Pei Ziheng was full of gloom.
He had warned his dad of the danger, but his dad didn't believe him, instead telling him to listen to the bad woman.
What to do?
Was he supposed to just watch as his dad, like in his previous life, succumbed to an early death and got buried at sea?
Although harboring resentment towards Shen Mingzhu, Pei Ziheng did not petulantly refuse to eat.
He needed a full stomach to have the energy to fight with the bad woman.
However, he didn't let his guard down, only eating each dish after Shen Mingzhu had taken some first.
He couldn't understand how, but why had the bad woman's cooking suddenly become so delicious? Every dish was so tasty that he inadvertently stuffed his belly full.
So stuffed, so uncomfortable.
The bad woman definitely did this on purpose, making the food so delicious to stuff him to death!
If Shen Mingzhu knew her stepson's train of thought, she would feel sorry for him and would probably pat his forehead, saying: Paranoia is a sickness; it needs to be cured.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Shen Mingzhu went back to the bedroom, applied some Pigeon hand cream, and then went to knock on her stepson's door.
There was no response after several knocks, so Shen Mingzhu shouted, "I'll count to three, and if you don't open the door, I'll call someone to break it down."
She barely reached three when the door clicked open.
Looking into her stepson's piercing black eyes, Shen Mingzhu suddenly realized that his attitude toward her seemed to be more than just rejection and dislike, but more like hostility and hatred.
Yet she had only just arrived at the Pei Family a few days ago, always diligently playing the role of a stepmother, so there was no reason for him to hate her, right?
Could it be that due to the needs of the plot, they were naturally enemies?
If that was the case, the only way for her to save herself would probably be to divorce Pei Yang and step out of the stepmother role.
But the thought of the man's perfect body made Shen Mingzhu quite reluctant to let go.
Moreover, Pei Yang's personality was quite good. At least for now, she had a positive impression of him.
"Come here, let's talk."
Pei Ziheng, with a cold expression on his little face, was doubtful of Shen Mingzhu's motives but still followed her to the living room.
Shen Mingzhu cut to the chase, "You don't like me, and I won't force you. As for the reasons why you dislike me, I won't ask further. Of course, I'm still open to listening if you're willing to share."
Pei Ziheng lowered his gaze, a cold smile in his heart. What a pretentious woman.
Seeing that her stepson had no intention of opening up, Shen Mingzhu continued, "I'm married to your father; legally I am your guardian, and I have the responsibility and obligation to take care of you. Of course, if you really dislike me and don't want to live under the same roof, then I can only send you away."
His dad hadn't died yet, and she was already planning to kick him out of the house!
Pei Ziheng lifted his head, his eyes fierce, "Don't dream. I'm not leaving! This is my home. If anyone has to leave, it's you, the wicked woman!"
Shen Mingzhu snorted lightly, "Your dad and I are legally married. It's only right for me to live here. If you don't want to live with me, then you will have to leave yourself. Of course, if you're willing to put up with me, the wicked woman, and live together, then I'll fulfill my role as a stepmother. So, whether you stay or leave, it's all up to you.
However, if you choose to stay, you're acknowledging me as your stepmother, and as your elder, I have the responsibility to look after you and the right to discipline you. You may not obey, but you must respect me. Otherwise, I won't mind using other methods mothers use to teach their children."
Pei Ziheng was very angry but had no other choice.
He was too weak now and couldn't stand up to the wicked woman. Moreover, his immediate priority was to find a way to prevent his father from encountering a maritime disaster.
----
On Pei Yang's side, even though the phone call had calmed the mother and daughter, he was still worried. He called his elder sister Pei Wenping, asking her to visit home often when she had the time.
After making the call and returning to the dormitory, he freshened up and tidied the room. As the sky darkened, Pei Yang changed his clothes, grabbed his things, and headed to his master, Lin Guofu's house.
"Xiaopei is here, come in!"
Seeing Pei Yang outside the door, Master's wife Wang Huizhen couldn't stop smiling.
As soon as Pei Yang stepped into the Lin Family's home, he saw a tall, young girl standing in the living room. He nodded politely at her before handing the gifts to Wang Huizhen.
"Master's wife, these are some local products I brought for you and Master from my hometown."
Wang Huizhen playfully scolded with a smile, "Why bring things when you're just coming over for a meal? Isn't that a bit formal?"
"Just two bottles of wine, along with apples and fruit candy, all specialties from our area, not worth much."
"Alright, I won't be polite with you, then."
Wang Huizhen happily accepted the gifts, then turned to introduce him to her niece Wang Xiuzhu.
Wang Xiuzhu's face had turned red the moment Pei Yang entered, and it reddened even more when Wang Huizhen introduced them, blushing deeper than the apples Pei Yang had brought.
Looking at Wang Xiuzhu's shy demeanor, Pei Yang's mind inadvertently conjured the image of his new wife's face — almond eyes and snowy cheeks, complexion fair with a rosy tint, like a tender, pink peach, tempting one to take a bite.
After the introductions were made, Wang Huizhen excused herself to the busy kitchen, leaving the two of them alone.
Seeing that Pei Yang showed no intention of striking up a conversation, Wang Xiuzhu bit her lip and bravely started one herself, "I'm 20 years old this year, a senior in International Trade at Maritime University. What about you?"
Pei Yang smiled, "Coincidentally, you're the same age as my significant other."
Wang Xiuzhu was taken aback, then covered her mouth with a playful giggle, "I haven't agreed to be your significant other yet."