Liang Hong, whose courtesy name was Bo Luan, was a person from Pinglei of Fufeng (now in the northwest of Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province). Because of Liang Hong's noble character, many people wanted to marry their daughters to him, but Liang Hong refused them and did not marry. There was a woman from the same county named Meng, who was very dark, fat, and ugly, and had great strength, able to lift a stone mortar easily. She had never married, even though she was already thirty years old. Her parents asked her why she did not get married. She replied, "I want to marry a man as virtuous as Liang Bo Luan." After hearing this, Liang Hong sent a gift to propose marriage.
Liang Hong prepared for the wedding. On the day of the wedding, she dressed beautifully. However, for seven consecutive days after the marriage, Liang Hong said nothing. The wife came before Liang Hong and knelt down, saying, "I have long heard of your virtuous reputation and vowed not to marry anyone else but you; you also rejected many proposals and finally chose me as your wife. But I do not know why you have been silent since the marriage. What fault have I committed?" Liang Hong replied, "I always hoped my wife would be someone who could wear clothes made of hemp and jute and live with me in seclusion in the mountains. Now, you are wearing expensive silk garments, applying makeup and dressing up. This is not the kind of wife I had imagined."
After hearing this, the wife said to Liang Hong, "These days' dress and appearance were just to test whether you truly were the virtuous man I dreamed of. I have long prepared work clothes and supplies." After saying this, she tied her hair into a bun, put on coarse cloth clothing, and started weaving on a loom. Seeing this, Liang Hong was very happy and quickly approached his wife, saying, "You are indeed my wife Liang Hong!" He gave his wife the name Meng Guang, with the style name De Yao, meaning that her virtue shone like light.
Later, they went together to the mountain of Ba Ling (now in the northeast of Xi'an City) and lived a life of seclusion. In the deep part of Ba Ling Mountain, they worked by farming and weaving, or recited poetry and books, or played the zither for their own entertainment.
Not long after, Liang Hong left the area to avoid being summoned to the capital by officials. The couple moved from Qilu to Wu (now in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province). Liang Hong's family lived in a small room under the eaves of a large house owned by Gao Botong. They made a living by grinding rice for others. Every time he returned home, Meng Guang prepared food, looking down and not daring to look up, holding the tray level with her eyebrows.
