Old Master Su was startled, even wondering if he had misheard. His first wife, Li Ruohua, was merely an orphan. How could she be connected to the Empress?
He composed himself, forced a laugh, and said, "When I met your birth mother, she was running a cloth shop, doing some fabric business. She preferred to work alone and didn't have many friends."
"Later, I found out she was an orphan, with unknown parents. As a child, she survived by begging, then worked as a helper in a fabric shop. After saving a little money, she started her own business."
"We became close in our youth, developed feelings, and then got married."
What Old Master Su didn't say was that back then, he admired Li Ruohua. However, she was already engaged, and her fiancé, his friend, offended a nobleman in business and was wrongfully killed, embroiling her in a lawsuit.
He helped avenge his friend and, taking advantage of the situation, asked her to repay him, which led to their marriage.
