The male supporting character was actually myself.

Isn't Dong Muqian concerned about his image?

Did he plan a proposal? Even just buying a silver-plated fake ring at the night market as a token of his affection?

Stop making excuses for him!

I'm a man, how could I not understand his thoughts? Dong Muqian only married you because he thought you were pretty and easy to bully, and even offered to pay you with his savings!

Try asking him for a dowry of 20,000 or 30,000 yuan.

To put it bluntly, he's already tired of you and is just waiting to dump you and then accuse you of being a snob.

If I truly love you, how could I bear to see you suffer so much?

Thinking back to when I was a sophomore in college, quite a few girls wrote me love letters and confessed their feelings to me. When you teased me about finding a wife and dating, what did I say to you?

If you don't have the ability to bring happiness to the other person, letting go is the best option.

I would never flirt with any girl before I could even afford to rent a place and get married. Which girl isn't a precious treasure to her parents? If I loved her, how could I bear to let her suffer with me, living in a dilapidated house without even a private bathroom?

Yu Chuchu was speechless after hearing what he said, and her eyes welled up with tears because she was already feeling wronged.

When she argued with her mother-in-law and was blamed by her husband for being unfilial, and when she secretly shed tears every night while her mother-in-law slept on the other side of her husband's bed, she couldn't help but wonder if her sacrifices were meaningful.

Although she is not a fashionable and hot beauty, she is twenty-four years old and in the prime of her youth. She believes that she has a pretty face and outstanding temperament.

In addition, with a master's degree from a top university and excellent grades, he stayed on as a teacher, a job that many people envy.

Even the principal wanted to introduce her to a rich and powerful second-generation boyfriend.

But she still followed Dong Muqian, who had nothing, without hesitation.

There was no grand wedding that every woman dreams of; no wedding dress; no wedding ring; no car, house, or savings; not even a proposal surprise. She simply got married off hastily.

I thought my understanding and maturity would earn me my husband's understanding and consideration, but we've only been married for less than a month...

"I only like ready-built houses, fully furnished by the developer. The overall style is quite good, and the quality is guaranteed. Once I choose one and pay, I can move in quickly. Sister, don't you think it's very convenient to work from here?"

Yu Chuchu was still lost in her memories and daydreaming when she was suddenly interrupted by her younger brother's voice. She looked up and saw that the two of them had walked to the sales office of a high-end residential complex diagonally opposite the university!

There are top-tier middle and primary schools near Lingnan University, making it a truly top-tier school district property.

"How much would it cost to buy a house here?" she couldn't help but exclaim softly, covering her mouth.

Since having the idea of ​​starting a family, Yu Chuchu, who longed for a stable and comfortable home of her own, had looked at many houses online. However, she didn't even dare to inquire about the prices of such high-end communities. The location, the size, and the environment were absolutely astronomical for her!

“Don’t worry about money. I was too busy working hard to take care of you before, but from now on I will be your biggest support. As long as I like it, any amount of money is worth it.” Jiang Chen pulled her arm and walked into the sales office. Sales staff had already come up to greet them warmly, inquire about their intentions, and introduce the specific apartment layouts in the community.

Yu Chuchu's heart trembled as she listened to the price of over 20,000 yuan per square meter!

Even the smallest three-bedroom apartment is 120 square meters. How much would that cost?

University teachers are not allowed to run tutoring classes. With various subsidies and overtime pay, they receive about six thousand yuan a month. Dong Muqian's salary is not reliable. He wants to pursue a doctorate and occasionally sends money to support his half-siblings back home. His mother-in-law, being very powerful, has a firm grip on his salary card and will never let go.

With a salary of 6,000 yuan, how much money can you save in a year after covering food, clothing, and daily expenses?

The smallest and cheapest house costs nearly three million. Unless you hit the jackpot and win the lottery, you wouldn't even dare to dream of it!

"Sis, what do you think of this apartment? It has four bedrooms, two living rooms, two kitchens, and three bathrooms. There are two suites, one secondary bedroom, and a study. It's well-lit with large floor-to-ceiling windows facing north and south. Except for the secondary bedroom, all the other rooms are sunny. The twelfth floor is also a good floor."

Jiang Chen looked around and immediately chose a large house in the king of buildings.

“Our community doesn’t have large single-level apartments, but it has three elevators serving two households per floor. One of the elevators is the same standard as a top-tier hospital, so it can directly push in an ambulance stretcher; it has hotel-style entrances, and the community is equipped with 24-hour dedicated butler service. There is separation between people and vehicles, and even electric vehicles have dedicated underground parking and separate exits…”

The salesperson was still enthusiastically recommending the property, but Yu Chuchu was completely bewildered.

She just wanted to shamelessly borrow tens of thousands of yuan to find a small, dilapidated, and remote house, so that at least she could have her own little nest and move out with her husband, and not live under the same roof as her mother-in-law, and then everything would be peaceful.

I never imagined I'd buy such an expensive and luxurious house...

Having barely participated in the entire process, by the time Yu Chuchu recovered from her initial envy and careful calculations after visiting the high-end, exquisitely decorated apartment, Jiang Chen, who was satisfied with everything, had already swiped his card and paid the full amount.

"Sister, come and sign. You'll get the property certificate in a few days." He gestured for her to come and sign the purchase contract.

Yu Chuchu's hands were trembling slightly, and she felt like she was dreaming.

After shakily signing all sorts of documents, she suddenly realized, "Brother, the house you bought with your money should be in your name! How can you make me sign using my ID information? When will I be able to..."

"Don't rush, let's finish the formalities first. I'll treat you to your favorite hot pot, and then we can talk about the ownership of the house properly."

Jiang Chen urged her to finish signing the papers. Only after hearing the little white cat remind him that the task was completed did he take a thick stack of documents and the keys to the new house, and led her to a quiet hot pot restaurant. They got a small private room and the two siblings sat down to order food.

“I remember back in school, we would only spend 28 yuan on a hot pot at the night market after we had settled our tuition and part-time jobs during winter and summer vacations. There was hardly any meat, and if there was a piece of frozen meat, you would pick it out for me to eat.”

As he ordered food on his tablet, he smiled faintly and said, "Life is better now, so let's order more meat and really satisfy our cravings!"

Sis, how much do you earn a month? Is it enough to live on?

Do you want to continue pursuing a doctorate? Is Dong Muqian still so stingy with you?

Chapter Four: The King of Verbal Combat 1

A barrage of questions came at her, and Yu Chuchu, overwhelmed with mixed feelings, took a deep breath, drank some hot tea, and managed a forced smile. "My current salary is pitiful, but there's nothing I can do about the environment."

For a young teacher just starting out, an income of six thousand yuan a month is quite substantial.

Many of my classmates went to teach in other small cities or towns, and they only earned about three or four thousand yuan a month.

In this world, teachers' efforts are not valued.

"Six thousand?" Jiang Chen put his teacup away and asked the waiter to put the hot pot ingredients in. He looked surprised and said, "Although the cost of living in Lingnan is not as high as in Senhai, the average wage is not this low, is it?"

"The two of you only make around ten thousand yuan a month at most. What can that do? To put it bluntly, you won't be able to afford to raise a child!"

Yu Chuchu opened her mouth, but was too embarrassed to say that Dong Muqian's salary shouldn't be included, after all, her mother-in-law even wanted to control her own salary card...

“Your brother-in-law is planning to take the doctoral entrance exam, so his share of the money will probably only be enough for his own expenses.”

She lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and changed the subject somewhat guiltily, "If I succeed in getting a doctorate, my salary will increase significantly, probably around ten thousand a month."

The chili oil base quickly boiled, turning a bright red and emitting a steaming aroma. Jiang Chen, without any expression, put a plate of meat rolls into it, and soon the unique aroma of mutton filled the air.

"Eat more meat. Look how much thinner you've become." Jiang Chen picked up a piece of tender meat roll for her with his chopsticks. Dipped in the prepared sesame sauce, the fragrant aroma was incredibly tempting.

How could Yu Chuchu possibly tell her younger brother that she hadn't been able to afford meat for a long time because she was saving money? The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. She could only bury her head and pretend to eat meat, quickly blinking to try and evaporate some of her tears.

The little white kitten perched on its host's shoulder, drooling with desire. Unfortunately, with its older sister around, it didn't dare to openly ask for food. It could only slurp its saliva and mutter softly, "Host, I want to eat hot pot when we get back to the hotel tonight! I want fish hot pot!"

He secretly gave an OK sign, and while putting vegetables into the pot, he sneered, "Dong Muqian is still so calculating. He earns money to support his doctoral studies, while you earn money to support your family and him."

In a couple of years, when our financial situation improves a bit, you'll be pregnant, have a baby, raise the child, and take care of the baby. Knowing him as I do, there's absolutely no way he'll be a stay-at-home dad.

So... you only have two choices now: First, sacrifice yourself to help Dong Muqian succeed, meaning you'll have to support your family and raise children on your own for at least five years, giving up your own upward mobility so he can climb over you. As for whether he'll treat you well in the future, and whether these sacrifices are worth the hardship, it all depends on whether he has a conscience.

Secondly, even if you don't have children for now, you should still pursue a doctorate. I will provide all the necessary funding to help you improve yourself and gain equal opportunities for career advancement, thus proactively securing a stronger position and greater influence within the family.

In the past, all the decisions between the two of us were made by my sister. Now that you, my younger brother, have been working hard outside for so many years and have seen many real-life examples, I think I can definitely help you analyze things.”

"Mmm, I'm listening." Yu Chuchu wasn't used to the role reversal between the siblings.

Just like her younger brother said, she used to always worry about everything and try to think things through carefully. She never expected that her younger brother would grow up and be able to help her with ideas now.

The boy who roamed the forest with a childlike air has now grown into a stylish, mature, and composed man!

"First of all, I want to make one point: I tend to be more rational when considering things from a man's perspective. You may not like some of what I'm saying, but I hope you can listen carefully and then make your own judgments based on your own thinking."

Jiang Chen placed her chopsticks on the plate and asked earnestly, "What is the meaning of marriage for people of our time?"

Yu Chuchu was taken aback for a moment, "Such a formal question? I don't think I've thought about it thoroughly. It's just that we've been together for so many years and our relationship is so deep. When your brother-in-law proposed, I agreed to get the marriage certificate..."

"Personally, I think the meaning of marriage is actually very simple—to accompany and cherish each other."

For two people to get married, the result should be greater than the sum of its parts (1+1>2). If being married doesn't make you as happy as being single, why torture yourself?

Marriage, husband and wife, family are about creating a warm haven for two people.

When problems arise, there's someone to discuss them with and share the burden; when you're tired from working hard, you can encourage each other and make progress together; if you suffer grievances or have unhappy things happen outside, you can get a warm hug and comfort from a considerate person who understands you when you get home.

Walking down the deserted street after work, you know there's a place called home with warm lights and someone waiting for you to come back; even if you can't sleep through the long night, there's someone to keep you company, so you don't have to be afraid of loneliness or cold.

Think about how happy and warm our family was before my parents had that accident.

Although we didn't have much money, we lived happily, and our home was always filled with laughter. When Mom was angry, Dad would imitate a skit to make her laugh; when Dad was impatient, Mom would gently comfort him.

Sister, we've seen what a loving family looks like since we were little. As your only relative, I really hope you can be happy—genuinely happy, not just pretending!

I work so hard out there so that you can have the confidence to pursue your happiness. No matter what you do or what decisions you make, as long as you're truly happy, I'll support you!

Hearing him say that, Yu Chuchu could no longer hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. She hurriedly picked up a tissue to wipe her tears and said with a wry smile, "You're usually too busy with work. It's been a long time since we siblings have sat down together for a proper chat. I didn't know you could be so eloquent and sentimental now."

"Sister, I'm telling you this very seriously, it's not sentimental, it's the truth." Jiang Chen looked at her with a worried expression and continued to persuade her, "Since you didn't think about the meaning of marriage or what kind of life you wanted before you got married, it's okay."

Now, brother, let's analyze this together and carefully consider your current marital status.

Since we met, your phone hasn't rung once. It's almost lunchtime, and you've only been married a month—a time of blissful newlywed bliss—and Dong Muqian hasn't even called to ask what you want for lunch or when you're coming home?

He didn't even show the most basic concern. He knew that his brother-in-law was coming back today, but he didn't even show his face. What exactly does he mean by this?

To save money, you had nothing when you got married, and you lived in the staff dormitory. Did he ever consider the unavoidable issues of marriage, such as buying a house and having children?

Sister, let me tell you, I've seen too many marriages like yours that are essentially arranged to help others—none of them end well!

They'll think you're paying extra and that all your sacrifices are your due!

Dong Muqian uses his money to improve himself, while you barely save any money to support your family. In a few years, when you're pregnant, your body will be out of shape, and you'll have to raise the child. Given Dong Muqian's stinginess, he'll never spend money to hire anyone to help, leaving you to shoulder the entire burden of the family.

You will gradually be worn down by children and the daily grind, turning into a haggard housewife; Dong Muqian, on the other hand, successfully completed his doctorate and achieved great success.

If things get better in the future, and he grows tired of you and wants to change his mind, how confident are you that you'll be able to stop him?

Chapter 5 The King of Mouths 2

No, we don't need to wait until the future...

With tears streaming down her face, Yu Chuchu felt a pang of sadness as she recalled her married life.

The husband only tells himself to be sensible and give up those unrealistic dreams, to work hard to earn money, to support him, and to be filial to his mother; while the mother-in-law feels that she is not good enough for her son, and even demands that she kneel down to greet him when he comes home from get off work and change his slippers for him!

Dong Muqian didn't find it absurd at all!

He didn't utter a single word of rebuttal to his mother, which means he believed he should do it?

They had just gotten married, and the two of them received the same salary, making them completely equal. She was in the prime of her youth and had no children to burden her.

If what my brother said is true, he will work hard to climb the ladder in five years while silently sacrificing everything. What will happen when the family income is completely unbalanced and the children are young and suffering?