Chen Hao stepped on the edge of the crack with the sole of his shoe, and squinted down to look at it.

“There really is a reflection,” he said. “It’s not an illusion.”

Susan walked over and squatted down, reaching out to touch the crack. Her fingertips touched a bit of moisture, and she paused, startled.

“Groundwater is seeping out,” she said.

Carl leaned closer to take a look, but before he could even get his footing, he took a half-step back. "The ground is still breathing," he said. "Hot air is rising from underneath."

Nana stood motionless at the back as the camera panned across the entire riverbed. Data showed that soil moisture content was 3.2 percent higher than it was 30 years ago, and plant root activity was also increasing.

“The environment is recovering,” she said.

Chen Hao straightened up and clapped his hands. "Looks like even God isn't planning to completely abandon this place."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sound of wheels rolling over gravel came from afar.

All four turned their heads at the same time.

An old pickup truck was driving from the other side of the wasteland, its body jolting violently, black smoke billowing from its exhaust pipe. Several plastic buckets were strapped to the roof, and sacks and a shovel were piled in the back.

The car slowed down and stopped next to the spaceship.

The driver's side door opened, and a woman jumped out of the car first.

She was wearing a faded coat, her hair was tied up in a knot, and her face was covered in sweat. The moment she saw Chen Hao, she paused, then rushed over.

Before Chen Hao could react, he was hugged.

The force was so great that he took half a step back, his shoulder slumped, and his clothes immediately became wet.

"Mom?" His voice was a little hoarse.

"You're back." Her voice trembled. "You're really back."

Chen Hao reached out and hugged her, grinning slightly before quickly stopping himself. He wanted to laugh, but his eyes welled up with tears.

"I'm fine," he said. "I've gained a little weight, but everything else is good."

She didn't let go; instead, she hugged him even tighter.

On the other side, the rear door of the car also opened.

Chen Hao's father came out carrying a thermos, stood by the car for a while, and then slowly walked over.

He was tall and a little hunched over. He walked up to Chen Hao, put the bucket he was carrying on the ground, and patted him on the shoulder.

"You've lost weight," he said. "Your face is so thinner."

"I was just kidding." Chen Hao released his mother and wiped his face. "I'm still the same old me."

The father nodded, then turned his gaze to Susan and Carl.

“You’re back too,” he said.

Susan stood with her head down, her fingers twisted together. Hearing this, she looked up at the old man and softly hummed in agreement.

Carl crossed his arms and remained silent. He stared at the beat-up pickup truck, as if calculating how many kilometers it could still go.

Only then did Chen Hao's mother release her son and turn to look at the other two.

She walked up to Susan and took her hand. "Child, you must be tired from your journey," she said. "It must have been a long and difficult trip."

Susan's body trembled slightly, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.

"Don't stand there," Chen Hao's mother said again. "Go home first, we've brought the food."

She pulled Susan toward the car, pausing as she passed Carl to look him up and down.

“You’re Carl?” she said.

“Yes,” Karl nodded.

"I heard you're the best at fixing things on spaceships."

"They barely made it back alive."

"As long as you're alive, that's enough." She smiled. "Everything else can be made up for."

Chen Hao's father unscrewed the lid of the thermos, and hot steam billowed out.

"Braised pork," he said. "Your mother has been stewing it all morning."

Chen Hao sniffed. "It really is."

"One bite and you'll know the taste of Earth hasn't changed." The father handed over the bowl. "I also brought you chopsticks."

Chen Hao took the bowl; it was still warm. He picked up a piece of meat, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and then suddenly stopped.

"It's too salty," he said.

"Is it salty?" his mother asked anxiously. "It tastes fine to me."

"Salty is just right." Chen Hao laughed. "You always made salty food when we were kids."

The family laughed.

Karl stood still, watching them talk as if he were listening to a foreign language.

Nana didn't approach. She stood in the shadow of the spaceship, the optical lens slowly rotating, recording everything around her.

Her father noticed her and walked over.

“You are…Nana?” he asked.

“Yes.” She nodded.

"Thank you for taking care of them."

"This is my mission."

"Is the mission complete now?"

"Task update in progress."

The father smiled, took a bottle of water from the car, and handed it to him.

"Want some drinks?"

"I don't need to ingest any fluids."

"Oh." He withdrew his hand. "Then...you've been standing here for quite a while, haven't you?"

"I'm analyzing local climate data."

"Alright." Her father patted her on the shoulder. "Get in the car later, there's air conditioning."

Nana nodded slightly.

After finishing a piece of meat, Chen Hao returned the bowl and walked back to Karl's side.

"What, not going to say anything?" he asked.

“You mentioned so many relatives, I don’t even know who to call,” Carl said.

"Just call them uncle and aunt," Chen Hao laughed. "They won't mind anyway."

“That’s not what I meant.” Carl looked at the pickup truck. “I’m afraid… when I get in, I’ll find that things aren’t as I thought.”

What kind of idea are you thinking?

“Quiet down,” Carl said. “Nobody’s asking questions, and nobody’s crying.”

“That’s just how my mom is,” Chen Hao shrugged. “She won’t be able to sleep tonight if she doesn’t hug you.”

Carl snorted. "Your dad's pretty calm about that."

“He’s always been like this,” Chen Hao said. “The bigger the problem, the more he pretends nothing’s wrong.”

In the distance, Susan's mother was fixing her hair. The wind had messed it up, so she took out a hair tie and retied it.

“Look at them,” Chen Hao said. “Don’t they look like a family?”

Carl did not answer.

After a while, he said, "I don't even remember what my home looks like."

“Then let’s go through it again,” Chen Hao said. “Anyway, we have plenty of time now.”

The father walked over and patted them both on the shoulder. "Get ready to go," he said. "It's getting dark."

The mother had already helped Susan into the back seat of the car. The father opened the passenger door and gestured for Nana to get in.

"Can you sit here?" he asked.

“My design is compatible with most modes of transportation,” she said. “You can give it a try.”

She stepped into the car with steady movements. After sitting down, she automatically adjusted her posture and fastened her seatbelt.

Carl was the last to get in the car and sat in the back corner. The car door closed with a dull thud.

Chen Hao got into the passenger seat and glanced back.

“Let’s go,” he said.

The father started the car, the engine coughed a few times, and finally came to a stop.

The pickup truck slowly started, its wheels rolling over the tracks left by the spaceship, and drove towards the village.

The wind was still blowing outside, rustling the grass.

Nana turned her camera out the window and began to record the changing landscape along the way.

The temperature is 19 degrees Celsius, the humidity is 57 percent, and the air quality is good.

Her internal logs update automatically:

[Event: Homecoming]

Location: Landing site A-9 on the North Third Plain

Participants: Chen Hao, Susan, Carl, Nana, and two family members.

[Status: Reunion complete, moving]

[Note: The peak of human emotional fluctuations occurs during the hugging phase, lasting approximately 140 seconds. This is presumably a key point in the establishment of a sense of belonging.]

After driving for more than ten minutes, a few dim yellow lights appeared ahead.

The village was small, and the houses were old, some with tin roofs and others with tiled roofs. Clothes were hanging to dry by the roadside, and a dog lay down in front of a door, glanced up at the car, and then lay down again.

The car was parked in front of a bungalow.

The gate to the courtyard was open, and there were a few vegetable plants in the yard, with firewood piled up in the corner.

"We've arrived," the father said.

The mother got out of the car first, walked around to the back seat, and opened the door. "Come in," she said. "Rest for a while before eating."

Susan followed, her steps a little unsteady.

Carl was the last to get off the bus, pausing for a few seconds as his foot touched the ground.

He looked up at the house, then at the well in the corner of the yard.

“This place…” he said.

"What?" Chen Hao asked.

"It's pretty much like the one in my dream."

Chen Hao smiled. "That means you still remember home."

Nana also got out of the car and stood behind them.

The mother invited everyone into the house, and the father followed behind carrying a thermos.

The room was lit up, and a round table was placed in the middle with several dishes already laid out on it.

"Sit down quickly," her mother said. "It's all warm."

Nobody moved.

Carl stood in the doorway, gazing at the table.

Susan looked down at her shoes.

Nana stood at the back, and the camera panned across the old calendar on the wall, the date frozen on the day they set off.

Chen Hao took a breath, walked in, and plopped down in a chair.

"I'm starving," he said. "Let's eat."

His mother smiled and quickly served him soup.

The others gradually sat down.

Carl sat down next to Chen Hao, his hands on the table, his knuckles turning slightly white.

Nana did not take a seat. She moved to the wall, turned off the main power of the flight system, and switched to ground standby mode.

“I’ve switched to permanent status,” she said.

"Okay." Chen Hao picked up the bowl. "Now you're a resident of Earth."

The soup was steaming hot. He took a sip and his breath hitched from the heat.

"Ouch," he said, "It's so hot."

"Blow on it," the mother said.

Outside, the wind blew across the roof, and a wisp of white smoke rose from the chimney.

The dog in the yard barked once, then fell silent.

Carl picked up his chopsticks, tried them out, and put a bite of food in his mouth.

He chewed very slowly.

After swallowing, he looked up at the ceiling, then looked down at the bowl.

“This taste…” he said.

Chen Hao looked at him.

“It tastes just like my mom’s,” Carl said. “I thought I’d forgotten.”