In the 1990s, a series of murders rocks a run-down industrial city in north-eastern China.

Dwelling Narrowness (Chinese: 蜗居; pinyin: Wōjū), also known literally as Snail House, was a 2009 television series broadcast in Mainland China, based on a 2007 novel of the same name. It depicts two sisters struggling with life in Jiangzhou, a fictional city that strongly resembles present-day Shanghai. The Chinese name is a figure of speech meaning "humble abode".

This story focuses on China's notorious college entrance exam, the "gaokao." It follows three seniors in high school and their families as they navigate the ups and downs of their lives whilst preparing for this exam that they believe will determine the trajectory of the rest of their lives.