This story tells about a young man Chen Xin who returns to his native city Shanghai after ten years of absence. He has spent these years in rural area and was trying to reunite with his family, consisting of his mother, brother with wife and child. The family lived together in cramped quarters.

The story shows the extreme regimentation of life in the teeming city and snows the readers all the details about carefully controlled culture where lodging, education, moving people forcibly from rural to urban areas, the doling out of jobs and many other spheres are controlled by the bureaucratic government. The story shows rather general picture of Chinese Communism and life of people, who could not have their own opinion and were forced to live according to the rules of the government. At the end of the story, Chen Xin, being already in his native town, stands and looks at the fountain he had loved when he was a child. Some time ago there was a statute of a mother and two children there. It stands there no longer, a subtle illusion to the fact that China has long pursued a strategy of zero populace increase. Families that have more than one child are fined and municipal art that sends any other message is not allowed. The families with few children could have special conditions, provided by the government.

Wang Anyi, living and writing in China does not follow the politics of the situation. She states them as focuses instead on the family dynamics and the difficulties, which Chen Xin had to suffer. The city life differs from life in rural area and it is rather difficult to get accustomed to it. Moving to the city was the main goal oh Chen Xin, but he is not satisfied when he reached it, as he saw how fussy and unjust life can be in big cities, especially for man, who does not know the customs of big cities.

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Jane Smith is a member of a support team at essay services. Having completed a number of Argumentative Essays himself, Jane uses her knowledge to provide individualized customer support to students.