It's time to give out the rings, Admiral!

The girl understood, but then suddenly felt embarrassed. It was perfectly normal for ship girls to give away their admirals for free, but when she realized that she wanted to give them away for free, she suddenly found that she didn't know how to treat her admiral.

If she gives herself away too quickly, will the admiral think she's a girl who doesn't respect herself? But if she gives herself away too slowly, will the admiral not realize his feelings for her?

The girl sighed softly, unable to help but start to struggle with her decision. But before she could figure out how to treat her admiral, she noticed that Marani was staring blankly at her face. The boy habitually reached out and gently ruffled Marani's light purple hair.

"What's wrong, Marani? Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

"!!"

She was still in a daze when she heard her admiral's voice and was patted on the head. She was startled and felt the warmth of his hand. She nervously tugged at the hem of her clothes in her hand and shook her head quickly.

"No, it's nothing, Admiral!"

"Really? I thought it was because I hadn't washed my face properly this morning. By the way, Marani, why are you staring at me like that? Or do you not want the pearl necklace but something else?"

The girl pursed her lips slightly, looking at the boy's curious expression. A pearl necklace? She didn't really want that kind of thing. If everyone had a pearl necklace, would Lexington's precious pearl necklace still be considered valuable? But she really wanted it because it was a gift from the admiral.

"No, Admiral, I was just thinking about what to make for you for lunch. Hehe~ Have you been keeping up a good schedule lately, Admiral? Lexington and Illustrious aren't here, so if you feel you can't manage alone, let me help with the household chores~"

It's unclear what suddenly occurred to the girl, but she suddenly gave the boy a dazzling smile. The sea breeze ruffled her hair, and sunlight shone into her beautiful, clear amber eyes, clearly reflecting the boy's image. The boy also noticed some indescribable, yet somewhat familiar, emotions in the girl's eyes.

"Ah, it's inspiration for a new recipe!"

Before the boy could say anything more, the girl suddenly turned around and covered her flushed cheeks with both hands. Holding onto the railing of the boat, she looked at the seagulls flying overhead in the distance, pointed to the increasingly close coastline, and then shouted excitedly.

"Admiral, I can see the port! We're almost at Yong'an!"

As the passengers chattered excitedly as they approached the shore, and the deafening whistle of the ship sounded, the passenger ship, which had been sailing for a night and half a day, finally arrived at the port of Yong'an, dropped anchor, and came to a steady stop on the low but sturdy dock.

Volume 1, Chapter 383: The Scorching Summer

Yongan is a coastal city located several hundred kilometers south of Jinchuan. Because it is located in the south, Yongan's climate is much hotter than Jinchuan's, which has a pleasant climate and is not very hot even in the height of summer.

The morning sun, around ten o'clock, shone on the busy port and docks, making the already noisy bay even hotter. Passengers who had reached their destinations disembarked one after another at the boarding gate on the side of the ship, carrying large and small bags. Meanwhile, people who planned to travel to more distant places with this passenger ship were boarding the ship in an orderly manner at the ticket gate.

The occasional shouts coming from outside the boat caught the boy's attention. He pulled out a small fan from somewhere and started fanning himself and the boy next to him.

However, perhaps because the fan was too small, it was quite difficult to make the breeze cool all three people.

"Brother-in-law, it's so hot here! I didn't feel this hot at sea!"

With her face slightly flushed, Jiajia leaned against the boy's shoulder and fanned herself with her fair hands. In such hot weather, coupled with the fact that the girl was wearing long sleeves and trousers and was completely covered up, it was no wonder that a layer of fine beads of sweat soon appeared on her smooth forehead.

Pulling at the collar of her shirt with her fingers, the young woman couldn't help but complain to her brother-in-law beside her. When she came out with Marani earlier, she had certainly thought about wearing a pretty and cool dress to spend a good day with her beloved brother-in-law, but as mentioned before, the waves on the deck were so big, wouldn't it be easy to accidentally expose herself while wearing a dress?

If I accidentally expose myself, it would be fine if only my brother-in-law saw it, but if someone else saw it, wouldn't I be at a huge disadvantage?

"There's nothing we can do, the weather in Yong'an is just this hot. But thankfully, it won't be so hot once the passenger ship reaches the open sea. Why don't you go back to your cabins to cool off? At least we have fans in our cabins. I'll wait here a little longer and see if anyone boards to sell pearls or anything. Phew, the climate in Tianshui is much better, at least it's not as hot as here in Yong'an."

The boy shook his head. Perhaps because Marani was constantly fanning him with a small fan, there was no sweat on the boy's forehead. After pondering for a moment and glancing at his watch, he made a suggestion to the two girls beside him.

However, before the young man could even ask the girls for their opinions, Jiajia had already shaken her head vigorously at him. No matter how hot the weather was, how could she possibly leave her brother-in-law here alone to suffer in the heat? Not only did she not want to, but if her sister found out, she would definitely be heartbroken and scold her!

"No, brother-in-law! Jiajia wants to stay here with you too!"

Although she was so hot and panting, which was quite cute and endearing, Jiajia still firmly rejected her brother-in-law's suggestion. Seeing her sister-in-law constantly pulling at her collar to cool down, Marani's small, gentle face flushed slightly. She scratched her head, but then suddenly tapped her palm.

"Oh, right, Jiajia! Do you remember where the shop on the ship is? I took a look yesterday, and I think they sell ice cream there. It's so hot, didn't you want some ice cream? Why don't you go and buy some?"

"Okay, leave it to me, brother-in-law! I want strawberry flavor! Where are brother-in-law and Marani?"

"I'm fine with anything."

"Whatever, Sister Jiajia."

Hearing her brother-in-law's words, Jiajia's fair ears, hidden beneath her beautiful long golden hair, twitched excitedly. She stood up, her spirits lifted at the mention of ice cream. She asked the boy and Marani what flavor they wanted, took the money the boy gave her, and then ran swiftly into the cabin.

Although the weather suddenly turned very hot, there were still many people chatting in twos and threes on the deck of the passenger ship. Unlike the first-class cabin where the boy and his girls lived, the ordinary cabins did not have electrical appliances such as fans. The small and stuffy cabins were not necessarily much cooler than the deck.

Only the boy and Marani remained on the bench. Looking at the sun in the sky, the boy couldn't help but mutter to himself. Although he had heard that the temperature in Yong'an was very high, he didn't expect it to be this hot. Fortunately, the passenger ship was only passing through Yong'an and did not plan to stay here for long.

Marani's light purple hair exuded a faint fragrance. After sitting with Marani for a while, several passengers who looked like peddlers finally boarded the passenger ship with their bags on their backs.

They carried trays full of things, mostly local specialties and food, and were hawking their wares to the passengers on deck. Among them, the boy finally spotted a vendor selling pearl jewelry that he had been waiting for.

Buying goods from these vendors on the passenger ship is not only expensive, but the quality is also not guaranteed. However, since he had promised his girls, he had no choice but to keep his word. The passenger ship only made a brief stop at Yong'an Port, and the young man naturally could not take the girls off the ship to Yong'an City to find a proper jewelry store, so he had no choice but to do so.

The boy, carrying a marani, walked toward the young man who was selling pearl bracelets to a middle-aged woman. When he saw the well-dressed Su Yuchen walking toward him with a beautiful marani, the vendor, who was probably not much older than the boy, raised his sun-darkened face and grinned at him.

"Sir, would you like to take a look at these pearls? They were just pulled from the sea not long ago, they're still very fresh! Hey, don't go! Sir, please take a look! They're very cheap!"

The young man's cheeks were tanned dark, but his teeth were very white. Suddenly, the boy was startled by his dazzling smile, which seemed to blind him. He almost wanted to take Marani's hand and turn around and leave. However, looking at the young man's sincere eyes, the boy patiently took a few of the pearls hanging on the tray in front of his chest.

Are all these pearls of yours real?

"Of course! My family's pearls are all sourced directly from nearby fishermen, guaranteeing the best quality! The prices are fair too, and we treat everyone honestly!"

The young man selling pearls patted his chest forcefully, seemingly indignant at the boy's skepticism. The boy ignored him; weren't all vendors like that, boasting about their wares? He glanced at the white beads wrapped in plastic bags on the board, frowned slightly, and then picked up a pair of pearl earrings to examine them closely in the sunlight…

Volume 1, Chapter 384: The Feeling of Heartbeat

The silvery-white pearls emitted a pure yet dazzling halo under the sunlight. Although the boy held the pearl earrings in his hand and pretended to examine them carefully, no matter how he looked at them, he couldn't tell whether they were of good or bad quality.

A mother who is always frugal would never be willing to buy such jewelry that is only pretty and has no other use. For this person, the only pearl jewelry he has ever come into contact with over the years is the pearl necklace that his cousin left at his house when she came to visit him in another world.

Because his cousin was too lazy to come back and get it, the pearl necklace naturally became his "possession". He remembered that the clasp of the necklace was a little loose, and one of the original 52 pearls was missing because of his carelessness. However, before he could give it to someone else, the necklace suddenly disappeared, as if it had vanished into thin air, and he could not find it no matter what he did.

Under the dazzling sunlight, the boy squinted. Although he couldn't tell whether the pearls were real or fake, he was still very pleased with the craftsmanship of the earrings. He imagined how Marani would look wearing them and nodded, then asked the vendor in front of him.

How much do these earrings cost?

The young man was never one to dawdle. If he wanted to buy something, he would ask about the price to see if it was within his budget. The young man in front of him was clearly not one to hesitate either. He noticed that the young man seemed to have his eye on the earrings with two pearls, so he enthusiastically held up two fingers for the young man.

"I found these earrings at a famous jeweler in town. Aren't they well-made? Only two hundred yuan, how about that? Pretty cheap, right?"

Two hundred yuan for a pair of pearl earrings is certainly not expensive; in fact, it's so cheap that it makes one wonder if they're real.

The boy had never bought pearls before, but even if he hadn't eaten pork, he'd still heard a pig run, right? When he and Jiajia were picking out gifts for the girls in the port area in Jinchuan, he had seen pearl jewelry from Tianshui in a jewelry store. Compared to a pair of earrings that cost two hundred yuan, those pieces of jewelry would cost at least a thousand. So it's no wonder the boy was suspicious when a vendor suddenly came up to him and said that such a beautiful pair of earrings only cost two hundred yuan.

"What do you think, Marani? Do you like these earrings?"

The boy didn't speak. He turned to ask Marani, who was beside him. Actually, whether it was true or not didn't matter to him. If his girls really liked it, then even if it cost him money to teach them a lesson, it wouldn't be a big deal for him.

"It's alright, Admiral. Hehe~ I like anything the Admiral gives me!"

Marani didn't care at all. As long as it was a gift from the admiral, even if it was something that could be bought for a dollar at a street stall, it would be a treasure that she, as a ship girl, would cherish for a lifetime.

Looking at the boy's face and feeling his questioning gaze, she tilted her head slightly, blinked her large amber eyes, and gave her admiral a beautiful, gentle smile.

Oh no! It's the feeling of falling in love.

The cute smiling face reflected in the boy's vision, making him suddenly freeze, feeling as if he had a heart attack, and subconsciously clutching his chest.

Admiring how adorable his girls were, the boy abruptly turned his head away, said nothing, and without hesitation picked up the pair of pearl earrings he had just received.

Enough said. For my girls, I'll buy anything, not just pearl earrings, but even the ridiculously rare Oath Ring! Just one earring, and I'll spend all my money on it!

"I'll buy these earrings, two hundred yuan, right?"

Turning around, the boy was about to reach for his wallet, but before he could finish speaking, the man suddenly stopped him. He waved at the boy and, seeing the somewhat bewildered look on his face, asked, "Young man, are you an admiral?"

"Ah...yes, is there a problem?"

The boy paused for a moment, glanced at Marani's equally bewildered expression, and then nodded to the vendor in front of him who was about the same age as him.

"Really? I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't sell you these earrings."

"Huh? Why?"

The young man was a bit confused. Why wouldn't they sell it to him since he was an admiral? It wasn't like he wasn't going to pay. Did the citizens of Yong'an City discriminate against people like us admirals? But before the young man could ponder this for a moment, the young man in front of him quickly waved his hand as if to explain.

"Don't misunderstand, Admiral. I'm not saying I won't sell it to you. It's just that this pair of earrings is actually a defective product. The pearls on it are all second-hand smuggled goods. Since we peddlers sell jewelry on passenger ships, not many people can afford those high-end pearls. So we usually sell these lower-quality ones, and the prices we offer are all worth the price."

"Since it is the Admiral who wants to buy pearls, then naturally we cannot sell them to you smuggled goods! Putting aside other matters, we in Yong'an still have great respect for your Admiral. After all, our pearl industry is so prosperous, and it is all thanks to your protection."

"Well then, I have some pearl jewelry here. These were all salvaged from the sea by my family. After sorting them, I couldn't bear to sell them because they were so beautiful. Since it's rare to meet an admiral on the ship, I don't really need these pearls. I'll give them to you. These pearls are quite suitable for your daughter."

As he spoke, the young man took out a small package from the pocket behind his back. He took it out and spread it out on the tray in front of him. Then, pearls that were much larger, more dazzling and rounder than the pearls on the previous pair of pearl earrings appeared before the boy's eyes.

The round pearls on the tray gleamed with an alluring luster, their beauty instantly catching the boy's eye. Even without knowledge, seeing the pearls the young man pulled from his pocket told him how precious they were. Thinking of the pearls he'd seen in jewelry stores, none of them as beautiful as these, the boy quickly waved his hand dismissively.

"That won't do. How can I take your pearls without paying?"

Not to mention that these pearls would be very expensive if sold in a jewelry store, how could he accept someone else's things without paying? But before he could finish speaking, the young man in front of him interrupted him again.

"Hey, it's alright! Consider these pearls a gift from me to this young lady. Ship girls have protected humanity for so many years, we humans should at least show our appreciation, shouldn't we? However, I haven't dealt with these pearls yet. If you want them made into earrings or a necklace, you'll probably have to find a professional jeweler..."

Volume 1, Chapter 385: No, you don't want to

More than half an hour later, the passenger ship left Yong'an Port and slowly sailed out to sea. After leaving Yong'an, there was no port to dock at for the next day, so the passenger ship sailed far away from the coastline and arrived at the near-shore route.

The pearl seller couldn't refuse the boy's earnest offer, and in the end, he couldn't resist and accepted the pearls. It was just a pity that before he could give the boy any payment, the boy, who was a bit dark-skinned but kind-hearted, ran off the passenger ship as if he were running away.

The young man, who was forced to accept such a valuable gift, was still somewhat embarrassed. He couldn't help it; although it was the young man's way of showing his kindness to him and his girls, as a newly appointed admiral who was even reluctant to let his girls go out to sea, he felt truly ashamed of the young man's generosity.

As an admiral, I am fortunate. These days, my life in the port has truly been like that of a pig in a pig farm. All I do is eat and sleep, and I am pampered by my wives and girls every day! Whether it's food, clothing, or the little things in life, except for going to the toilet, no one asks me anything. Everywhere I go, there are ship girls who care for me like mothers. Even if I am an admiral, do I deserve such respect?

The deep sea was fought by our own team and all the girls who fought alongside us on this deep blue sea. Even if we are to show respect, the ones who should be respected are not us admirals, but those who gave their sweat and even their lives.

Even though being an admiral is indeed more dangerous than other professions, they are compensated by the affection and trust of their ship girls, just like everyone else. Moreover, who knows how many admirals become admirals not to protect humanity, but simply to get close to the ship girls.

"Ah, the refreshing sea breeze feels so good on my skin!"

Marani leaned against the railing of the ship, enjoying the sea breeze in her face, holding a sweet ice cream cone in her hand. The cool sea breeze gently ruffled the girl's long, soft, and beautiful hair.

The heat that had just been scorching at Yong'an Harbor seemed to vanish as the gentle sea breeze swept it all away. A look of pure enjoyment appeared on the girl's lovely face. Breathing in the refreshing sea air, she raised her hand to stretch, but then she caught a glimpse of the boy beside her smiling at her. Suddenly, her face flushed, and she lowered her arm shyly.

I sweated a little at Yong'an Port, and the Admiral was sitting so close to me. If I really stretched, he would definitely smell my sweat!

On the other side, Jiajia, who had just bought her favorite ice cream from the store, sat down next to the boy with a big smile on her face. She wrapped her chubby arms around the waist of the man who was both her brother-in-law and husband, and happily and cutely licked the strawberry ice cream in her hand, one small bite at a time.

Her deep blue eyes would occasionally glance up at the boy, as if she wanted to savor this day without her sister monopolizing her brother-in-law. She raised her arm and took the boy's hand, then asked him in a coquettish tone, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law~ what should we do with all these pearls? You promised to give Jiajia a gift!"

The boy sat in the chair, enjoying the breeze. His sister-in-law, taking advantage of a lull in their conversation, subtly snuggled closer to him. Inhaling the girl's sweet fragrance, the boy patted her head and then shrugged.

"Okay, I won't go back on my word. Didn't we agree that I'd find someone to make pearl earrings for you when we get to Tianshui?"

"Hehe, um! Thank you, brother-in-law!"

The happy girl moved closer again, feeling the familiar warmth from her brother-in-law, and a sweet smile appeared on her pretty face.

"Speaking of which, by the time we arrive in Tianshui, pick up Xiaorou, and return to the port area, it will already be August. What do you want to do after you get back, brother-in-law?"

"What should I do? Hmm... of course, I should study hard at the academy and learn how to become an admiral worthy of you all?"

"Huh? My brother-in-law is already good enough for her! He could just stay in the port with Jiajia and do nothing else, since my sister would take care of everything for him! Hehe. But I thought he would definitely say that when we get back, we'll continue to salvage ships and accumulate resources, and then continue to be a workaholic like before, directing everyone to go out to sea for training all day long~"

"How can that be? If my wife does everything, won't I become a useless person in the long run? Even if I don't take you out to sea as often as before, you still need to continue your studies, right?"

"But isn't that right? My brother-in-law used to delegate everything to my sister, didn't he? He would just sit in his office and tell my sister who was going on an expedition that day, who was taking what equipment and who was taking what people to fish at 6-1. Even for supplies, he would just give a word and let everyone go and resupply fuel and ammunition themselves. Although he always worked long hours, most of the time, he was just waiting for news in his office."

The boy awkwardly touched his nose. Although he had no choice in the past, thinking about his life these past few days, he really didn't have the confidence to refute his sister-in-law's words.

"Ahem, although it was like that before, it doesn't mean I can't be diligent now, right? I, Su Yuchen, also have dreams, okay? For example, to make our port the number one port in the world, I actually want to become a very excellent admiral."

"..."

Jiajia didn't respond. After the boy finished speaking, before he could even finish his sentence, he suddenly noticed that his sister-in-law was staring at him with a serious expression. Her clear, light blue eyes held a hint of emotion that was hard to decipher. Before he could even feel confused, the girl in front of him suddenly reached out and cupped the boy's cheeks, making him look into her eyes.

“No, brother-in-law, if you don’t want to, tell me you don’t want to.”

The girl spoke in a deep voice, her delicate face as calm as still water. The sea breeze blew through her beautiful golden hair, and her voice, each word uttered with an indescribable emotion, reached the boy's ears.

Volume 1, Chapter 386: A Salted Fish

"No, brother-in-law, if you don't want to, just tell me you don't want to. You can just be a good lazy bum and wait for my sister and everyone else to take care of you!"

The girl's clear, azure eyes gazed into the boy's eyes. Her small, fair hands gently cupped his cheeks, making it impossible for him to break free. Her intense gaze carried a unique kind of pressure. Hearing his sister-in-law's words, each one deliberate and somewhat unexpected, the surprised boy was astonished to see Jiajia looking at him with such a serious expression for the first time.

The girl looked at her brother-in-law's eyes, which were filled with surprise and astonishment, and didn't say anything more. She just stared at the boy's face with her deep gaze, as if she was telling him something.

As her and her sister's most beloved brother-in-law and husband, she could accept whatever he did in the port, even if he did nothing all day long after returning home, becoming a lazy bum who couldn't live without her. Even if he bought a lot of rings and got married to a lot of wedding ships, as his beloved sister-in-law, she could accept it. However, there was only one thing she could not accept: she absolutely could not let her brother-in-law be a "workaholic" like before.

Perhaps it was my workaholic brother-in-law who transformed our port from a small naval base into the prosperous place we are today. Perhaps it was his diligence and hard work that made us all so united in the same port, with resources overflowing and no one having to worry about not having the right equipment.

But it was also because my brother-in-law loved his job so much that he stayed in the office so late every day that the tragedy that happened a year ago occurred in our own port. If my brother-in-law hadn't been in the office late at night, if he had gone back to the dormitory to sleep with me and my sister earlier, then the deep-sea attack would never have caused my brother-in-law to disappear from the naval base for so long, and my sister and I wouldn't have been so heartbroken until the day I finally met the brother-in-law I had been dreaming of!