Arguably, being in such dire straits, the Ji family should have become more humble, but Ji Wanfu, a man accustomed to tyranny, looked down upon Third Uncle Mu and Third Aunt Mu for their street vendor origins. Even in Third Uncle Mu's house, he still acted like a lord, bossing Third Uncle Mu and Third Aunt Mu around, issuing commands with an air of entitlement. He was either complaining that the house was not warm enough or that the meals were not exquisite enough, never truly regarding them as his parents-in-law.
Seeing him act so insufferably, Third Uncle Mu and Third Aunt Mu knew their daughter would suffer with him, so they secretly discussed with Cai Lian, hoping that Cai Wei would issue an order to let Cai Lian divorce Ji Wanfu.
