Chapter 557: Chapter 556: Love-Struck at Home 38

Su Man, at her age, is truly in her prime of beauty.

She doesn’t worry about anything and puts all her effort into caring for herself; anyone would believe she’s the daughter of some wealthy family.

However, she hasn’t been happy these past years. Even those who used to be a bit worse off than Jiang Maohua have flourished, but not Jiang Maohua; the factory isn’t doing as well as it once did.

She increasingly couldn’t stand Jiang Maohua, but she had to endure it since Gu Lingfei wouldn’t return for a few more years.

She felt dissatisfied, yet this was Jiang Maohua giving it his all.

Despite being infatuated, Jiang Maohua truly had nothing bad to say about Su Man.

Over the years, Jiang Aiguo and his wife had grown increasingly opinionated about Su Man, not without secretly speaking to Jiang Maohua, but he was adamant, always biased in favor of Su Man, willingly supporting her. He didn’t let her do anything, nor did he care if she earned money.

Seeing their second son so stubborn, determined to treat Su Man like a delicate flower, Jiang Aiguo and his wife couldn’t do anything but let him be.

They had come to terms with it over the years.

The eldest son and his wife, as well as the youngest daughter and her husband, were doing well, which was enough for them.

The second son was simple and honest, but he hadn’t turned bad like some who went off to become hooligans; they should be content.

It was just that Jiang Maohua had taken on everything for Su Man, and his heart was heavy with frustration.

The once young man crazy in love now had eyes losing their sparkle.

After all these years, nothing had progressed between him and Su Man; he could even feel the distance growing between them. But this was the path he chose, as long as Su Man was beside him, he had to fulfill his promise from back then to protect her.

No matter how bitter it felt inside, he could only swallow it down.

Seeing Jiang Maohua’s demeanor, Jiang Maochuan and his wife gently shook their heads; their second brother truly fell hard for Su Man.

The Jiang Family only thought Su Man was like a delicate flower, unaware that she had been married to Jiang Maohua for years without consummating the relationship; otherwise, she wouldn’t be so composed.

The villagers might not have liked Su Man, but they were envious.

Currently, Jiang Maohua isn’t outstanding, not even able to compare with his elder brother Jiang Maochuan, and many young men’s achievements are not as good, but he treats his wife well, caring for her in every way. For many women, such a husband is the most precious.

This meal left the Jiang Family feeling somewhat uneasy.

After the meal, Su Man smiled and bid farewell to everyone, taking Jiang Hongyu back to the old house.

She never stayed here for long unless there was something that needed her attention.

She didn’t like staying here, asserting the notion of conflicting fortunes, which made things easier.

Unbeknownst to her, the Jiang Family thought the same, never keeping her too long.

Chen Xiuying sent Jiang Lan off to the room to watch TV; Jiang Lan loved watching TV and dashed into the room.

Jiang Maohua could sense that the family might have something they wanted to talk to him about.

He instinctively reached for a cigarette, but remembered his younger sister had mentioned the dangers of secondhand smoke, a topic even his father quit smoking over.

Quietly putting the cigarette away, he found himself unsure how to start the conversation.

"Second son, do you plan to carry on like this?" Jiang Aiguo sighed, "Su Man is still young now, in her twenties; haven’t you thought about having a child with her?"

The elders loved children, but the Jiang Family’s situation was unique; Jiang Aiguo and his wife weren’t keen on pushing for more.

Learning that their youngest daughter’s couple aimed only to serve the country, not considering children, they disapproved somewhat but chose not to interfere.

But Jiang Maochuan’s couple wanted to have two more; they liked children.

This was some comfort to Jiang Aiguo and his wife, reducing any thoughts of pressuring for more grandchildren.

Jiang Aiguo’s question caught Jiang Maohua off guard; he felt bitter inside, keeping his words hidden. Of course, he wanted to have a child with the one he loved, but years had passed with no progress between him and Su Man.

He had a feeling that if things continued this way, there wouldn’t be a possibility with Su Man.

Was it because of not liking him?

No matter what he did, he couldn’t win Su Man’s genuine affection.

"Is it you who doesn’t want to have a child or Su Man?" Chen Xiuying asked.

Jiang Maohua quickly responded, "It’s me."

"Mom and Dad, you don’t need to worry about this; I don’t want Su Man to go through the hardships of childbirth, so let’s leave it at that. Having Hongyu is enough."

Jiang Maohua wasn’t clever, but the Jiang Family wasn’t foolish either; they saw that he continued to protect Su Man.

"Alright, it’s up to you then," Chen Xiuying said, dropping the subject without further persuasion.

It wasn’t entirely Su Man’s fault; it was the second son who insisted on the situation. Unless he didn’t want to do all this, Su Man couldn’t force him; he was suffering of his own accord!

"I heard the factory isn’t doing well?" Jiang Maochuan asked, "Have you thought of doing something else? There are plenty of opportunities now, with industries booming."

After all, it was his brother, and though Jiang Maochuan couldn’t solve his brother’s domestic issues, he wanted to help somehow.

Even though he was a teacher, he had gained a lot of experience outside over these years, not intending to remain just a plain teacher.

He and Liu Yujia were both continuing their studies, aiming to maximize their strengths.

With his insights, going into business would be quite promising now; if his brother was willing, he could follow him, and he could help introduce connections and even provide financial support. Despite being in university all these years, he and Liu Yujia did some other things, meeting many people.

Yet seeing his brother’s attitude, he feared he wouldn’t be willing to leave; he couldn’t let go of Su Man.

After marrying Su Man all these years, his brother hadn’t let her do anything, let alone leaving her alone to manage everything.

Sure enough, Jiang Maohua shook his head, "Brother, I really can’t leave, and I’m just not suited for business; even going into it doesn’t guarantee success, and if I fail, I can’t afford to gamble. Besides, if I get busy, what about Su Man? I really can’t let go of her."

Jiang Maochuan frowned, unsure of what more to say.

Honestly, he wouldn’t have raised the suggestion without confidence to help his brother succeed.

Yet to his surprise, things hadn’t even begun, and his brother was already pessimistic. Moreover, Su Man was an adult; before marrying his brother, she did everything at home and wouldn’t starve.

Still, he chose not to say it, knowing his brother wouldn’t listen even if he did.

He urged no further, feeling only helplessness.

As for Ah Chen, she didn’t say a word; advising Jiang Maohua wouldn’t bring happiness.

Lu Yan, as their son-in-law, certainly said nothing.

He felt quite wary of Su Man, and indifferent towards Jiang Maohua.

Currently, his focus was more on his wife and the Jiang Family members his wife cared about.

Over the years, he had sensed quite a bit of malice from Su Man, but she’d never acted on it, so he figured she was more the type to think than act?

Jiang Maohua passed on the opportunity Jiang Maochuan offered, yet Su Man started to show interest in business.

No choice, daily conversations always included stories of which family succeeded, got rich; it’s hard for her not to be tempted.

Yes, knowing the future would be different, why not try?