After the Lantern Festival, 33-year-old Shi Xin had to leave his home in Hunan province for another year of migrant labor in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. It was his first time celebrating Lantern Festival with his family in the past 10 years. He usually goes back to work before the 10th day of January according to the lunar calendar.

During his stay at home, the most comforting thing for Shi was his 3-year-old son's companionship. Together, the two played games, painted pictures, and wrote characters and numbers. Whenever the boy answered a question correctly, his father showed his approval.

Shi was home for more than 20 days altogether. Before leaving, he packed some foods into his luggage, including bacon, honey and spicy jams prepared by his father. He hopes to save 100,000 RMB in 2017 so he can come home for good and start his own business.