After Dong Ping finished speaking, she glanced at Cheng Baidong as if she wanted to say something more.

"You guys chat first, I'll wait for you up ahead." Cheng Baidong tactfully carried the child and walked a short distance ahead.

Fang Qiao nodded, and after Cheng Baidong had walked away, she said to Dong Ping, "Sister-in-law, go ahead and say it, I'm listening."

"Little sister, I... I want to separate from the two elderly people in the family. What do you think?"

Dong Ping nervously clenched her fingers. She pursed her dry lips and, before Fang Qiao could answer, explained, "I... I don't mean to look down on our parents. It's just that they're too biased towards my younger brother. To pay off his debts, the food at home has been getting worse and worse. Today, only because you came back did they manage to buy some meat and make dumplings. Usually, the only food on the table is vegetable scraps and pickled vegetables. They can't even afford an egg. That's fine, as long as my brother is good, willing to change, and can make progress, we can get through these tough times. But he's still the same as before. We're almost starving, and he still acts like he doesn't care. There's no hope in him at all."

As Dong Ping spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. She said with aggrieved feelings, "Little sister, it's not that I can't endure hardship. It's just that adults can endure a little hardship and fatigue, but my Xiaolong is only three years old and is at the age when he is growing. He hasn't had any meat for several months and is malnourished. He keeps complaining about leg pain every day. As his mother, I feel so sorry for him."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Fang Qiao expectantly, as if waiting for Fang Qiao to give her some advice.

Fang Qiao was speechless.

She had initially felt some sympathy for Dong Ping being dragged down by Fang Lu, but Dong Ping's behavior made Fang Qiao very uncomfortable.

Why ask her if she can't even make decisions about her own family matters?

“Sister-in-law, you’ve asked the wrong person about this. I don’t have a proper mother-in-law, and I’ve lived alone since I got married. I’ve never experienced the process of dividing the family property.”

Dong Ping: "It's okay if you haven't experienced it yourself. I just wanted to ask what your opinion is on this matter. If you share it, I can take it into consideration."

Fang Qiao shook her head: "Sister-in-law, I don't have any opinion. After all, I am a married daughter, and there is no reason for a married daughter to interfere in her own family's affairs. So, you two can make your own decision about this."

Fang Qiao clearly didn't want to get involved. Although Dong Ping was a little disappointed, she didn't say anything.

"Okay, I'll think about it some more." Dong Ping forced a smile. "I don't have anything else to say. Be careful on your way back."

Fang Qiao nodded slightly: "Okay, then I'll be going."

After saying that, she turned around, took a few quick steps, and caught up with Cheng Baidong.

Behind them came Fang Xue's shouts, seemingly complaining that Dong Ping didn't work and only knew how to shirk her responsibilities.

Dong Ping wasn't one to passively accept being scolded, so she retorted directly.

Behind them, there was a commotion, but Fang Qiao, arm in arm with Cheng Baidong, and the three of them left the narrow alley without saying a word.

Emerging from the alley, the outside suddenly opened up into a bright and spacious area.

Even in October, the lingering summer sun is still scorching.

The bus came about every fifteen minutes. While waiting for the bus, Cheng Baidong took advantage of the fact that no one was around and conjured an umbrella from his spatial storage to shade his wife and daughter from the sun.

He had just opened his umbrella when he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned around, he saw that it was Fang Lu chasing after him.

"Second sister, second brother-in-law," he called out.

Fang Qiao raised an eyebrow: "You're here to see me off?"

She couldn't believe that her heartless brother would be so kind.

"I guess so." Fang Lu went straight to the point: "I heard everything your sister-in-law said to you."

Fang Qiao didn't react much, only saying "Oh".

Fang Lu was enraged by Fang Qiao's cold attitude: "Sister-in-law wants to kick me out, why don't you, as my older sister, speak up for me?"

"?" Fang Qiao frowned: "What nonsense are you talking about? When did your sister-in-law say she was going to kick you out?"

"She wants to separate the family property. Isn't that just trying to kick me out?" Fang Lu said angrily. "There are only two rooms in the house. My parents have to keep one, and there's one left. My older brother's family of three is all alone. Separating the family property doesn't mean they'll move out; it means I'll be separated from them and have to move out. Isn't that just a disguised way of kicking me out?"

"You're overthinking it." Fang Qiao really wanted to say that there was really nothing to divide up in her two dilapidated houses.

Moreover, her mother was so biased that even if they were to separate the family, she wouldn't let her precious youngest son live alone!

After all, her youngest son is still a child. He can't cook or do laundry. Who will take care of him if he moves out?

Therefore, Dong Ping wanted to separate the family, but without making a scene for a while, her wish would not be granted.

"I didn't think much of it, she just wants to get rid of me." Fang Lu said angrily, "She's disliked me for a long time, and that's fine, I don't want to live under the same roof with her and have to put up with her every whim. Second sister, lend me ten yuan, I'll rent a room outside, so she won't look at me like that all the time."

Fang Qiao clicked her tongue. So that's where they were waiting.