Qin Jiao immediately gave her younger sister a look. Xiao Shi’s lower lip quivered, and she instantly started to sob.

Qin Zhonghui continued, "And when Xiao Yun and I got married, we had nothing—just a few quilts."

Old Mrs. Qin chimed in, "Didn’t I give you a bracelet?"

Su Yun chuckled humorlessly. "Mom, to be honest, I was quite happy when I first received that bracelet. It wasn’t valuable, but it was a gesture from my elder, after all. But who would have known that Feng Lan would later tell me it was originally part of a pair? One was lost, and the remaining one was chipped, which was why I got it. Then, she proceeded to show off the ’three big-ticket items’ she received for her wedding. Mom, can you imagine how I felt then?"

Old Mrs. Qin fell silent. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Qin Jiqun grumbled, "Whatever. I don’t have the money right now! I can’t come up with five thousand!"

Qin Jiao said, "Third Uncle, if you don’t have any money, you can borrow from Grandpa. He just said the family has eight thousand in cash. If you don’t count our family’s thousand, that still leaves seven thousand. He’s always doted on you the most. If you ask him, he’d never refuse you."

Hearing Qin Jiao’s seemingly naive words, Qin Jiqun’s eyelid twitched.

Mr. Qin frowned as well.

Feng Lan, who was standing nearby, immediately turned cold. "We’re dealing with the important matter of splitting the family. Is this any place for a brat like you to interrupt?"

"I wasn’t interrupting. I was just helping Third Uncle come up with an idea. Besides, Grandpa has always favored your family the most, hasn’t he?"

Feng Lan looked vaguely smug. She hmphed but didn’t say anything else.

With no other choice, Mr. Qin finally agreed to the plan. In the end, Qin Zhonghui’s family received six thousand yuan and a dilapidated, uninhabitable mud-brick house.

Furthermore, Mr. and Mrs. Qin would live with the third son’s family. The house that was allotted to the eldest son’s family, however, would remain occupied by the old couple.

On top of that, Qin Zhonghui’s family would have to give the old couple a support payment of three hundred yuan every year.

Qin Bogang had been doing the same, giving the old couple three hundred yuan in support payments annually.

Feng Lan muttered from the sidelines, "Three hundred is way too little."

Qin Bogang, however, frowned.

’His own monthly salary was less than a hundred yuan; three hundred was by no means a small sum. Third Brother’s wife usually seems decent enough. How can she be so tactless at a time like this?’

In any case, the family division was settled. As Qin Zhonghui’s family of four went back to pack their things, Qin Bogang thought for a moment before catching up to him. "Second Brother, see? You insisted on splitting the family, and look what happened. If you hadn’t, you could still be living in your old home."

Qin Zhonghui just smiled faintly without a word. Qin Bogang assumed his brother was miserable and regretting his decision. ’But the family is already split, and it’s not really my problem anymore,’ he thought. So after exchanging a few more words with Mr. Qin, he got on his bicycle and left.

Meanwhile, Feng Lan was cracking sunflower seeds. She called out to Su Yun, who was gathering the laundry from the line, "Second Sister-in-law, are you really going to live in that mud-brick house? Goodness, the roof leaks, and I hear there are rats."

Su Yun ignored her.

Feng Lan always had a loose tongue, and when she was feeling smug, she would prattle on endlessly.

Su Yun’s expression grew darker and darker. With a loud CLANG, she kicked a nearby water bucket. That finally shut Feng Lan up. Before leaving, however, she snorted, "Second Sister-in-law, careful you don’t break the bucket. It belongs to us."

’At that moment, Su Yun wanted nothing more than to shove Feng Lan’s face into that bucket.’

Qin Jiao, standing by her side, said, "Mom, don’t waste your anger on people like her. Besides, she won’t be laughing for long."

"I know. But she’s just so nasty. I’m dying for a chance to scratch her face."