Madam Meng felt that living close to her maiden family, where she could meet them often and receive their support, made her happier than her husband did.
The news that County Magistrate Meng was returning to the Capital had become common knowledge throughout the county in less than an hour.
Meng Ruixiang, who had always studied at the Xinghe Academy in the county, was used to a life of leaving early and returning late, immersed in his studies for ten years.
As he grew older, the bright and clever Meng Ruixiang felt that the Xinghe Academy no longer offered a big enough stage for his talent. He needed a broader world and a more capable teacher.
The news of his father's return to the Capital came as a pleasant surprise, yet it was somewhat expected.
He had longed to go to a better academy in the Capital even if his father did not return.
