"​​Chapter 1​​

The whole thing was pretty straightforward. I offended the general manager's mistress, and she pulled some shady moves behind the scenes that got my year-end bonus docked. So, I told the general manager's wife – who also happens to be the chairman's daughter – what happened.

The general manager figured out I was the one who snitched, and what happened next is where this story begins.

Honestly, even without this mess with Bai Yue, I probably wouldn't have lasted much longer in that job. After ten years in Beijing, working day and night, often until the early hours, I was exhausted. I needed a break.

My parents passed away in an accident when I was eight. I grew up in an orphanage. They didn't leave much behind, just an old house back home.

The first time my health acted up a few years ago, I started planning my return to my hometown.

The old house is in a rural area of a coastal city. The village has plenty of small vendors, but the nearest large supermarket is a good 15-20 miles away.

I demolished the old house and rebuilt it. The neighbor objected, saying it blocked his sunlight. I just bought his place outright and turned it into a cattle shed and pigpen, even though I don't raise any animals.

The house sits halfway up a mountainside. Only three families live up here: me, the neighbor (whose house I now own), and another household that moved away years ago and never came back.

I have to say, houses and land in the countryside are ridiculously cheap. The money that wouldn't even get me a one-bedroom apartment in Beijing built me a mini-castle here, complete with pastureland.

My little castle has five floors, each about 1,000 square feet. The first and second floors are open-plan – living room, kitchen, and dining area. The third floor is a massive storage room. Getting supplies up here is such a hassle, so I need space to stockpile. The fourth floor is my design studio, bedroom, and three guest rooms. Besides that, there's a basement level, roughly 300 square feet, for storing perishables like cabbage and radishes. There's direct access from the kitchen to the basement for grabbing veggies.

I admit, this little castle has way more space than I need. But so what? I have money. I do what I want. I never want to live in a cramped, dark basement again, with the toilet right next to my tiny single bed.

By the time I finished packing, it was evening. I checked my phone – the nearest delivery spot was over 12 miles away, with an $18 delivery fee. I have money, but I'm no sucker. After thinking it over, I decided to hike down the mountain to find food.

The mountainside was deserted, but the foot of the mountain was bustling. The locals were friendly; when I asked where to buy things, several aunties eagerly gave me directions. After wandering down twisting paths, I found a small shop, but the selection was pitiful. I bought a pack of instant noodles and some ham and headed home.

The winding path wasn't difficult, but I was so hungry I could barely walk. When I got back, I discovered the power was out. I called the power company, and they said voltage fluctuations are common in the old village on the mountain.

I ate the instant noodles dry in the dark, washing them down with well water. My first night back home was anything but wonderful. Accompanied by the buzzing of mosquitoes, I fell into a fitful sleep. This place sucks. I don’t want to stay.

But when the first rays of morning sunlight hit my face the next day, I decided to stick it out.

After washing up, my first task was calling to schedule solar panel installation. Staring at the empty fridge, I decided to go shopping.

Calling it a ""supermarket"" was generous; it wasn't big and only had basic necessities.

Still, it was better than last night's dinner of Mr. Kang's Braised Beef Noodles.

I went on a shopping spree. Besides food and daily necessities, I bought bottled water because I couldn't stomach the well water. Even boiled, it tasted odd.

The shop owner kindly helped me load everything into my car. That's when I underestimated the challenge. When I got home and started hauling everything up to the fourth floor, I seriously wanted to die.

I settled into life here pretty quickly. Apart from food, there weren't many big expenses. I picked up design gigs online. While the pay couldn't touch Beijing rates, it was more than enough to get by."