ESP32 RS232 Communication with MAX3232 Module

Hello together,
since I am trying to get this to work now for a few days and have read nearly any thread that I could find regading this topic, I try to get some new Ideas to this.

Originally I was trying to read serial data from a scale. Since I was not able to get correct Symbols to show in my Serial Monitor I went back a few Steps and now I am stuck at getting the MAX3232 to work at all.

When I run the Code below with pins 22 and 23 respectively 16 and 17 shorted, I get back the sent data from both Serial ports.

When I now connect the MAX3232 Module (this one) to GND, 3,3V and one of the Serial Ports and short the RS232 side data pins, I get no data back (I tried all combinations of RX/TX, but none is working)

I tried this with two MAX3232 Modules an both do the same ting. When I connect them to the serial output of the scale or a USB-Serial Adapter I see that the MAX3232 is reading Data, but I just get squares in my SerialMonitor, not the actual "readable" data.

// ESP32 serial1 and serial2 hardware loop back test 

// see https://circuits4you.com/2018/12/31/esp32-hardware-serial2-example/
/* There are three serial ports on the ESP known as U0UXD, U1UXD and U2UXD.
 * 
 * U0UXD is used to communicate with the ESP32 for programming and during reset/boot.
 * U1UXD is unused and can be used for your projects. Some boards use this port for SPI Flash access though
 * U2UXD is unused and can be used for your projects.
*/

#define RXD1 22
#define TXD1 23

#define RXD2 16
#define TXD2 17

void setup() {
  // Note the format for setting a serial port is as follows: Serial2.begin(baud-rate, protocol, RX pin, TX pin);
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Serial1.begin(9600, SERIAL_7E1, RXD1, TXD1);
  Serial2.begin(9600, SERIAL_7E1, RXD2, TXD2);
  Serial.println("ESP32 hardware serial test on Serial1 and Serial2");
  Serial.println("Serial Txd is on pin: "+String(TX));
  Serial.println("Serial Rxd is on pin: "+String(RX));
  Serial.println("Serial1 Txd1 is on pin: "+String(TXD1));
  Serial.println("Serial1 Rxd1 is on pin: "+String(RXD1));
  Serial.println("Serial2 Txd2 is on pin: "+String(TXD2));
  Serial.println("Serial2 Rxd2 is on pin: "+String(RXD2));
}

void loop() { //Choose Serial1 or Serial2 as required
  while (Serial2.available()) {
    Serial.println("Serial2 = " + Serial2.readStringUntil('\n'));
  }
  while (Serial1.available()) {
    Serial.println("Serial1 = " + Serial1.readStringUntil('\n'));
  }
  while (Serial.available()) {
    String s = Serial.readStringUntil('\n');
     Serial1.print( s);
     Serial2.print( s);
  }
}

I hope anybody has an Idea what I should try to get any progress in my project,
thank you in advance!

checked your program on an ESP32 Serial2 connected to an TTL-RS232 module

// ESP32 RXD2 pin 16  to TTL/RS232 Rx
// ESP32 TXD2 pin 17  to TTL/RS232 Tx
TTL/RS232 VCC to 3.3V

linked pins 2 and 3 of the 9 pin D-type connector and Serial2 loopback worked OK

serial monitor displays

ESP32 hardware serial test on Serial1 and Serial2
Serial Txd is on pin: 1
Serial Rxd is on pin: 3
Serial1 Txd1 is on pin: 23
Serial1 Rxd1 is on pin: 22
Serial2 Txd2 is on pin: 17
Serial2 Rxd2 is on pin: 16
Serial1 = 
Serial2 = test1 1234567890

Serial2 = test2 abcdefghijk

Thanks for your replie.
Since it was working with your setup I tought it had to be a hardware problem and tried it with an other MAX3232 Module and its working now!