That's right. Leave of their own accord, rather than wait to be swallowed up by the Cheng Family.
Over the past several months, those three families had been plagued by internal disputes. The conflict between the Qiu Family's eldest daughter and eldest son was particularly intense. Although these were internal family matters, people like him could still find out the details if they made the effort.
And Ding Wu had once approached him in private, beating around the bush to ask about the situation in other county towns.
He knew exactly what Ding Wu was implying.
If things continued like this, they stood to gain little, only suppression and a life of subservience. So, he was just waiting to see when those three families would leave of their own accord.
