Ren stood before his new house's door, feeling both familiarity and disconnection at the same time.
The 300 square-meter structure on a 1000 square-meter lot was modest by the area's standards, but compared to the small "agricultural slave" house on the outskirts where he had grown up, it was a palace.
Before he could continue ruminating, the door opened revealing a familiar face that made a genuine smile from him.
"Ren!" Li's mother and former neighbor from his old house greeted him with the warmth of someone who had watched him grow up. She now worked here, handling various domestic tasks that his parents had reluctantly agreed to delegate.
"Mrs. Chen," Ren responded, allowing himself to relax for the first time in weeks. "How are you?"
