The second daughter retorted sarcastically, "When you and your eldest brother bought houses, Mom helped out. But when I bought my house, Mom didn't contribute a single penny. When it comes to getting benefits, why don't you two sons talk about equality?"

"You can't say that. It was only because Mom saw that my eldest brother and I were struggling financially that she gave us some money. It wasn't much. Second sister, you are the best off among the four of us siblings. You don't need Mom's help at all."

The second daughter snorted, "Are you trying to take advantage of me? My money didn't grow on trees, and I can't make all the decisions myself. I can still decide on a thousand. Here's the money. I have a lot of things to do at home, so I'm leaving now."

Ye Qingqing hurried back, afraid of being seen by her second daughter, but—

"Why are you walking so fast? We still need to discuss taking turns caring for Mom," the eldest son called out to him.

“I don’t have time. Let my sister-in-law come. Taking care of Mom is her duty,” the second daughter refused outright.

“I don’t have time either. Second sister is right. Eldest sister-in-law and third sister-in-law are both free. They can take turns coming one day each!” The youngest daughter also refused outright.

“You’re my own daughters!” the eldest son snapped.

The second daughter scoffed and retorted sarcastically, "You and your third brother are your own sons, aren't you? You think it's a case of 'the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are forbidden to light lamps'?"

"That's right, Mom favors boys over girls and always secretly gives you two benefits. Now it's your turn to contribute. I have to go back to work, bye."

The youngest daughter muttered a few words, then said to Sister Wang, "Mom, I'll come see you again in a few days."

"I'm leaving too, Mom," said the second daughter.

Sister Wang was too exhausted to be angry, but her heart still ached as if stabbed by a knife. She couldn't help but say, "Deya (the second daughter), when we bought you the piano, your father and I didn't buy a single new piece of clothing for three years. Your father's leather shoes were patched again and again until they couldn't be patched anymore, at which point we finally got new ones."

“Delin, you were sickly when you were little, and you often had a fever in the middle of the night. Sometimes when your father was away on business, I would carry you to the hospital by myself. I remember once it was pouring rain, and I wrapped you up tightly so that you didn’t get wet at all, but I got soaked. By the time you recovered, I was the one who got sick from exhaustion.”

“When the eldest son and Deping bought their house, I subsidized them with some money. I didn’t contribute to your house purchase, but I asked my son-in-law, and they said the money was ready, so I didn’t contribute. I didn’t expect you to hold a grudge against me for this. If I really favored boys over girls, why did I scrimp and save to buy a piano? Why did I spend so much effort and money to take care of Delin’s health?”

Sister Wang's voice was hoarse, and her face grew paler and paler. She had just undergone major surgery and was out of danger when she was subjected to such a shock. Her head was buzzing, and she had no strength left in her body. Even speaking a few words took all her strength.

"Mom, don't say anymore, you just had surgery," the eldest son advised.

He could tell that Sister Wang's breath was extremely weak, and that she still had some conscience. He was afraid that if his mother really angered his younger siblings to death, he would also have to bear the blame for being extremely unfilial.

Sister Wang looked at him mockingly. The eldest son felt guilty, lowered his head, and dared not look his mother in the eye.

“I have to say it, or I’ll never have the chance again. I can’t go to see your father with the stigma of favoring sons over daughters. You have to speak from your conscience. Haven’t your father and I done our best to raise you? We’ll buy you anything you need for your studies, no matter how expensive, even if we have to go into debt. Otherwise, how could you all have gotten into university and have decent jobs?”

Sister Wang chuckled coldly a few times, her smile slowly turning into a desolate and mocking one.