Chapter 448

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Does Niu Chunsheng still want another son?

To say he doesn't would definitely be false.

As long as he thinks about how the family assets he struggled a lifetime to accumulate might all become a dowry for someone else, a stepping stone for his son-in-law's life, letting an outsider inherit them, he feels a bit uncomfortable.

As a man who grew up on this land, he is more or less still influenced by the idea of continuing the family line.

However, he is also quite open-minded and very much respects his wife's thoughts.

When Lin Xiaofang gave birth to Niu Linxin back then, she nearly lost her life due to difficult labor; fortunately, a timely C-section surgery pulled her through the crisis.

Lin Xiaofang consequently developed a psychological shadow and didn't want a second child; he also respected Lin Xiaofang's thoughts.

So for over ten years now, they haven't tried for a second child.

He once also felt that with Niu Linxin's clever and adorable nature, having this one little padded jacket in the family was already completely enough.

But as Niu Linxin grew older, once she entered junior high and hit puberty, her personality underwent a huge change — she became rebellious, no longer so obedient to her parents' discipline, and at some unknown point she even learned to tell lies nonstop.

Most importantly, her studies plummeted; watching her, even getting into high school looked uncertain, and only then did Niu Chunsheng have to start re-examining this daughter.

That long-sealed thought in his heart sprouted again.

Actually, having a second child isn't out of the question.

It's just paying a fine — what's the big deal.

Only Lin Xiaofang doesn't know if she's willing or not.

Does she still have a psychological shadow from the difficult labor back then?

"I'm asking you, why aren't you answering?"

Lin Xiaofang punched Niu Chunsheng, and only then did Niu Chunsheng snap back to his senses.

He didn't give a clear answer to Lin Xiaofang's question, but countered:

"Do you want a son?"

Niu Chunsheng assumed Lin Xiaofang would mostly refuse, so he didn't hold much hope; after all, giving birth to Niu Linxin nearly cost her half her life back then.

But Lin Xiaofang's answer surprised him:

"If you want one, it's not impossible. Before I felt having Lin Xin was enough, but now as time passes, I suddenly feel having a son would be better. Time flies; before long Lin Xin will be in high school, after high school comes university, and once she graduates she'll probably get married. After she marries she'll rarely come home, the house will only have the two of us — how lonely, we won't even have enough people for the New Year's Eve dinner..."

People's thoughts all change with the passage of time and accumulation of experience; things one absolutely couldn't accept before, perhaps a few years later, or a dozen years later, one will gladly accept.

Lin Xiaofang's current psychological shift, though unexpected, is also an inevitable result.

"What are you thinking? If you're really afraid our daughter will leave us, we can just recruit a live-in son-in-law then, right?"

Niu Chunsheng turned around to comfort Lin Xiaofang.

But Lin Xiaofang said:

"You make it sound easy. Recruiting a live-in son-in-law — how easy is that? Nowadays it's all free love; the one we pick for Lin Xin, she might not like; the one Lin Xin likes, might not be willing to marry into our family; even if he's willing, he's still an outsider, ultimately not as close as one's own biological son."

"You do have a point, but we're both old now." Niu Chunsheng's words everywhere leaned toward him not wanting a second child, completely opposite to his true inner thoughts.

This is an essential quality of a successful businessman — joy and anger not lightly shown on the face.

"Precisely because we're old, we need to decide even faster. In a few more years I'll hit menopause, and even if I want to give birth I won't be able to; as for you, you can still go outside and find some other young woman to have a son — just afraid you'll abandon me for the sake of having a son!"

One must admit, Lin Xiaofang is also wise.

She isn't like some women who are short-sighted, only thinking of the present.

Although she lives in a comfortable, affluent environment, she thinks of danger in times of peace and has a strong sense of crisis.

Having been detached from society as a housewife for many years, if she divorced Niu Chunsheng, her quality of life would plummet, because she long ago lost the ability to go out and work in society.

And the best way to keep her marriage to Niu Chunsheng stable isn't gentleness, isn't virtue, isn't managing the household — it's giving Niu Chunsheng a son.

She actually understands those little thoughts in men's heads very clearly.

Men — they all like young, pretty girls.

Some men, once they have money, mess around everywhere; some men, once they have money, don't go messing around.

Niu Chunsheng belongs to the latter.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't want to go outside and mess around.

The reason he doesn't go outside and mess around is entirely due to the constraint of his sense of responsibility toward the family.

If this constraint fails, he'll definitely let himself go.

"Don't overthink it, I'm not that kind of man."

Niu Chunsheng showed a dry laugh on his face, then said:

"If you want to give birth, I have no objection, but I'm afraid Lin Xin will have a huge opinion. Just now you also saw — Xiao Hua just said a couple of sentences and she panicked; it's obvious Lin Xin doesn't want a younger brother."

Lin Xiaofang sighed:

"That's true."

Niu Chunsheng then said:

"Let's not consider this for now. Next year Lin Xin has the high school entrance exam; if this matter makes her unable to study peacefully and she can't even get into high school, that would be losing more than gaining."

"Also right." Lin Xiaofang nodded in agreement, yet was quite worried: "But once she's in high school, high school is also a critical period; our second child would affect her college entrance exam."

"Then we'll consider it after she finishes the college entrance exam."

"That's four years from now; by then I'll be over forty, and it'll be even harder to give birth..."

"No problem, worst case we do IVF." Niu Chunsheng comforted, "Medical conditions are much better than before; we have money, the childbirth risk will be much smaller."

The two discussed the matter of a second child; although the discussion yielded no result, they came to know each other's true inner thoughts, and since both their stances had loosened, many things afterward might set off a chain reaction.

For example, during intimate contact, they might subconsciously lower their guard and thus not take such strict protective measures...

That evening, after Wang Xiaohua finished tutoring Niu Linxin and Wang Xiaoqian on their homework, he said goodbye and left.

After taking a shower, Niu Linxin returned to her room to sleep; the words Wang Xiaohua had casually said to her still tangled in her heart, leaving her restless and unable to fall asleep even late into the night.

This night, she suffered from insomnia.

By the next morning, she was dragged out by Lin Xiaofang to eat breakfast with dark circles hanging under her eyes.

"How come you look so listless first thing in the morning?"

Seeing her daughter like this, Lin Xiaofang asked with concern.

Niu Chunsheng, for his part, said with concern:

"Play less on your mobile phone from now on, go to sleep earlier; you're at the age when you're growing, you need to maintain sufficient sleep, otherwise you'll become ugly."

Niu Linxin looked up at Niu Chunsheng and Lin Xiaofang and suddenly said:

"Dad, Mom, can you guarantee me that you won't have a second child?"