Chapter 138: Going to the Big City to See

Wang Juhua listened to her son's words; although she thought it was excessive, deep down, didn't she also have a trace of the same regret and resentment?

If she had been nicer to Su Ruan back then, if Yanhua hadn't snatched Liu Wenbin… would the prosperous one now be their old Su family?

That thought made her even more irritable, and she gave Su Yanhua a sour look: "Enough! You come back and start arguing! Still not chaotic enough? Hurry into the house, stop standing here and being an eyesore!"

Su Dazhuang, from start to finish, didn't say a word to Su Yanhua, only silently smoked; that silence was more suffocating than any scolding.

Su Yanhua looked at her parents' indifferent faces, listened to her brother's cutting words, and felt a chill surge from her feet to the top of her head, freezing her limbs and bones into pain.

Is this her natal home, her last only place to reside? Here there is no warmth, no comfort, only contempt, resentment, and bare exploitation!

She originally thought Rebirth was her greatest support, but now she has lost utterly, alienated from everyone.

Even the last shred of familial affection becomes so vulnerable before reality.

On the other side, Su Ruan and Jiang Ran's business has entered a stable phase, continuously bringing in profit.

Douzi and Yaya, under Su Ruan and Jiang Ran's guidance, can now handle things on their own, skillfully receiving clients, taking measurements, and recording requirements.

Wang Shifu and several other master craftsmen, with exquisite Handcraft and tacit coordination, ensured the quality and schedule of the custom garments.

When reconciling accounts each month, seeing the steadily rising numbers in the ledger, Jiang Ran should feel satisfied.

This is countless times better than his previous aimless wandering on the streets or the routine factory job.

He bought a car, bought a house, married his beloved wife, had a pair of enviable children, his parents are healthy, and the family is harmonious.

This is almost the perfect life that ordinary people of this era dream of.

However, at some point, a faint anxiety began, like an undercurrent, silently winding around his and Su Ruan's hearts.

That night, after soothing the two little ancestors who finally stopped crying, Su Ruan and Jiang Ran finally had a rare quiet moment alone.

The two leaned against the headboard, both without drowsiness.

The cold moonlight outside poured in, reflecting Su Ruan's thoughtful profile.

"Jiang Ran," she suddenly whispered, "Do you feel… the shop has been a bit too quiet lately?"

Jiang Ran was aimlessly twirling Su Ruan's hair with his fingers, froze for a moment at her words, then nodded: "Hmm, a bit."

The order volume is stable, but… there seem to be no new variations. Customers who come mostly ask about previously released styles, or just minor tweaks.

This is exactly the source of their anxiety.

Chongsu, relying on unique designs and fine workmanship, opened the market and secured its footing.

However, local purchasing power and aesthetic taste are ultimately limited; after the initial novelty and hype, the market seems to have entered a saturation state.

Customers recognize Chongsu's quality, but the novelty and impact are waning.

They need constant new designs to stimulate consumption, but inspiration… seems to have hit a bottleneck.

Su Ruan's design talent is unquestionable, but being confined to this small town for a long time limits the information, fabrics, and fashion trends she can access.

She, relying on vague memories from her past life and her innate talent, has already tapped the small market's potential to a considerable degree.

Going further, she must either repeat herself or fall into the trap of working behind closed doors.

Jiang Ran is the same.

He went from being a complete outsider to fashion, to now being able to read design drawings, precisely grasp fabric characteristics, and even offer decent revision suggestions, progressing at lightning speed.

But he also feels he has hit a ceiling.

Managing and running a stable small shop is well within his grasp, but how to elevate Chongsu to the next level and take it out of this small town leaves him somewhat bewildered.

"The new season Sketch I drew," Su Ruan picked up a stack of drawing paper from the bedside cabinet, her voice carrying a barely perceptible fatigue, "always feels… a bit lacking. It seems still stuck in the same circle."

Jiang Ran took the paper, examined it carefully in the moonlight. The lines were still graceful, the concept clever, but indeed, it lacked the initial spark that makes one's eyes light up and heart race.

"It's not your problem, daughter‑in‑law." Jiang Ran set the paper down, grasped Su Ruan's hand, "It's that the place we're in is too small. The foreign fashion magazines you look at are also a year‑old stock."

He paused, and a long‑brewed idea finally slipped out: "RuanRuan, let's… go see?"

Su Ruan looked up at him: "Go out?"

"Right!" Jiang Ran's eyes lit up in the moonlight, "Go to the big city! Go to Shanghai, go to Guangzhou!"

"I heard Shi Tou and the others say that over there things change so fast now! The streets are full of fresh stuff, fashionable clothes, and those dedicated fashion malls!"

"We can't stay cooped up here forever; we need to go see what's trending outside, how others do business!"

This idea actually aligns perfectly with the thoughts in Su Ruan's mind.

Even with her vague memories from her past life, she knows the coming ten to twenty years will be an era of rapid economic growth and drastic shifts in fashion concepts.

Clinging to one corner will eventually lead to elimination.

"But," Su Ruan hesitated, "what about the shop? Jinjin and An'an are still so young…"

This is her biggest worry.

"The shop now has Wang Shifu, with Douzi and Yaya watching, regular orders are fine. We're not going for a year or two; we'll just go see, broaden our horizons, at most ten days or half a month."

Jiang Ran had clearly already thought it through.

"As for Jinjin and An'an…"

He leaned close to Su Ruan, his tone turning gentle yet firm: "Mom and Grandma are there; they can't wait to hold the two little darlings all day. We'll go quickly and return quickly, and besides, aren't we venturing out to create a better future for Jinjin and An'an?"

His words moved Su Ruan.

Indeed, a parent's love for their child leads to far‑reaching plans.

They cannot abandon longer‑term possibilities just because of present stability.

"And," Jiang Ran lowered his voice, with a hint of mystery and excitement, "those few houses of ours aren't waiting for a surprise? If… if there really is a chance, then we'll have more capital in hand and maybe can do bigger things! Going out now is a good chance to scout direction early!"

Mentioning those houses made Su Ruan's heartbeat quicken a few beats.

Counting the days, the point in her memory draws ever nearer.

If all goes well, that will be a huge capital.

Under the moonlight, the couple stared at each other, seeing a gleam of eager light and future yearning in each other's eyes.

The anxiety born from stability now turns into motivation to explore outward.

"Alright!" Su Ruan finally made up her mind, nodding heavily, "We'll go take a look!"

In the next few days, the young couple began to quietly make preparations.

First, they had to persuade the heads of the family.

Li Huijuan and Jiang Jianguo heard their plan, and at first were both stunned, especially Li Huijuan, who was very reluctant: "Jinjin and An'an are still so young, and you, as their parents, want to run away? No, no, how can the children be without their mother?"