"Twenty-two, huh, that's a bit old." Ye Qiu muttered, but being six years older isn't too much, and there's a benefit to age; they tend to be more caring.
"How did his family pass away?" she asked again.
Seeing her mother-in-law genuinely interested, Ji Qiuyan explained carefully, "Zhou Qi's elder sister-in-law wasn't a local. When she went back to her parent's home with her husband, their boat was overturned by a wave, and none of the family of three could swim, so they were gone just like that."
"And what about his parents?"
"His father was poor early on and couldn't afford treatment, so he died dragging out his illness. As for his mother, while Zhou Qi was taking the Imperial Examination in the Prefecture, a thief noticed that there was only an old woman at home and had wicked intentions, but no one expected that the theft would fail and the Old Lady discovered them. The thief's heavy hand was too much."
Ye Qiu sighed, "The child is quite pitiful."
