The villagers all recognized the carriage belonging to Muniang's family, and as they went on their way, quite a few people came up to greet them.
"Oh, Muniang, your husband is back! Are you two off to town together? They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that saying is truly spot on!" a woman said with a smile.
Muniang lifted the curtain of the carriage, "Yes, we're going to town. What absence makes the heart grow fonder? We're just running some errands together."
Muniang didn't bring up the matter of Madam Liu's children going to school. Tupo Village was small and poor, with only a handful of families who could afford education. It would cause a stir in the village if a child went to school and the news would eventually reach the old house, perhaps causing the elders to feel uncomfortable and ask Madam Liu for money again.
Although she knew that it wouldn't be possible to keep it a secret forever, she also didn't want the first day of school to be a complete mess.
