Chapter 3: Deciding to Head to the Mountains and Seas
That evening, Xu Nian curled up on the sofa, holding her laptop and studying it for a long time.
Suddenly feeling irritated, she slammed her laptop shut, grabbed her phone, and decided to scroll through some short videos, hoping to find some inspiration.
See how others spend their money.
My fingertips unconsciously swiped across the screen.
Funny jokes, makeup tutorials, cute pet videos...
It passed by like flowing water, leaving no trace in her mind.
Until, a video titled "Entering a Winter Fairy Tale! Days as a Snow Fairy in Hemu" appeared before my eyes without warning.
The scene depicts rolling, snow-capped mountains covered in thick white snow, resembling a giant cream cake.
At the foot of the mountain, rows of pointed-roof log cabins are scattered about, their roofs piled high with fluffy, almost falling snow.
The camera shifts to a blogger dressed in local traditional clothing riding a horse through a birch forest covered in frost.
At sunset, the sky turned a dreamy blue, and the distant mountain outlines were painted like an oil painting.
On the viewing platform, two small mixed-breed dogs sat side by side, gazing into the distance, creating a heartwarming and romantic scene.
Finally, the scene freezes on a warm wooden house. Outside the window, the temperature is unknown, but inside, on the table, a hot pot is bubbling and steaming. The steam blurs the glass and also blurs the boundary between reality and fairy tale.
As a girl who grew up in a southern city and had only ever seen snow that melted as soon as it hit the ground, Xu Nianyi's heart was struck by this extreme, pure, and seemingly otherworldly snowscape.
All the jumbled thoughts in her mind—plans about money, confusion about the future—were completely purified and covered by this pure white world at that moment.
Only one crystal-clear, burning voice remained, shouting:
I want to go! I absolutely have to go!
She immediately exited the short video app, opened her browser, and typed "Hemu" into her phone.
The search results show that this is a small village in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, known as "God's private reserve".
From October to mid-March of the following year, it is covered with a large amount of snow, making it a true snow town.
Before mid-March,
She glanced at her phone calendar almost instinctively.
It's the end of January now.
The timing seems perfect.
Once this thought arises, it's like a wildfire meeting the spring breeze, instantly spreading like wildfire.
She recalled scrolling through her WeChat Moments and seeing various travel photos posted by her colleagues and classmates:
Watching the lone smoke rising from the desert at Crescent Lake in Dunhuang's Mingsha Mountain.
Waiting for the wind to come by Erhai Lake in Dali.
Enjoy sunbathing on the coconut palm-lined beach in Sanya.
Strolling through Wangxian Valley in Shangrao, Jiangxi, a place that resembles a fairy tale world.
Experience the magic of a real-life "Spirited Away" at Hongyadong in Chongqing...
Previously, she could only like posts from behind a screen, secretly envying them.
I'm thinking that I must go when I have time and money.
Now, it seems that we can have both money and free time, two conditions that were once out of reach.
With 800,000 in savings, she could quit her job and take a gap year without any psychological burden!
Since we're going to Hemu anyway... why not visit all the places we've wanted to go to but haven't been to before?
The thought made her gasp for breath.
My brain felt like it had been switched on with a high-voltage current, and it started running at high speed uncontrollably.
Having been to so many places, why not just... travel around China?
It's no longer a superficial sightseeing trip, but a genuine experience of walking around and stopping.
When you find a place you like, stay there for a while and live like a local, experiencing the sunrises and sunsets and the four seasons.
Her heart raced as she was startled by her own audacious idea.
She watched the enthusiastic interactions and envious comments from fans in the blogger's video comment section.
A bolder, more concrete plan, like a new sprout breaking through the soil, was growing wildly in her heart—
How about I become a travel blogger?
Buy a reliable off-road vehicle and drive around China!
This is a topic that is inherently very interesting and engaging.
While traveling, I use my camera and words to record the scenery, food, and culture along the way, and share the most authentic travel tips and warnings.
If we can manage to build up a fanbase, we might be able to monetize that traffic and use it to subsidize some of the travel and accommodation costs, allowing the trip to go further and last longer.
This idea completely excited her.
All the previous confusion and uncertainty seemed to have found a clear way out in an instant.
Work, the future, interpersonal relationships—those things that troubled her suddenly became light and airy in the face of the grand and romantic dream of "traveling around China," no longer carrying an oppressive weight.
She couldn't sleep at all.
But this whole night of lucidity wasn't due to anxiety, but rather filled with a frenzied passion for planning.
She quickly jotted down fragments of her thoughts in her phone's notes app:
The first thing I did at work on Monday: I resigned!
The normal process takes about a month; I hope to leave by the end of February.
We must arrive in Hemu before the snow melts in mid-March!
The handover period is about one month, so the workload shouldn't be too heavy. Make the most of it:
1. Researching car purchase! Electric car or gasoline car? SUV or off-road vehicle? Budget?
2. Make preliminary travel route plans!
3. Study photography equipment and video editing!
4. What's a good name for a travel blogger?
5. Equipment list: vehicle, clothing for all seasons, camping gear (to be determined)...
Financial planning: With 800,000 yuan, set aside at least 400,000 yuan for investment, which will earn 40 yuan in interest per day. This will serve as a fund to buy a house in my hometown after one year. The remaining 400,000 yuan will be used as a fund for buying a car and for travel.
She listed them one by one, and her thoughts became clearer and clearer.
The sky outside the window gradually turned from inky black to pale white, and then was tinged with a faint golden pink by the morning light.
Xu Nianyi was wide awake, her eyes shining brightly with excitement.
She put down her phone, walked to the window, and watched the city awaken in the morning light.
Traffic began to converge, pedestrians hurried along, everything was just like she had seen countless mornings before.
But today, everything is different.
As the first rays of sunlight fully illuminated the room, Xu Nianyi took a deep breath, a truly relaxed smile of relief and anticipation spreading across her face.
Her well-organized plans gave her peace of mind, but also brought her a late night of sleepiness.
She returned to bed, and almost the instant her head touched the pillow, boundless darkness and tranquility gently enveloped her.
In the last moments before falling into a deep sleep, she vaguely thought: The snow in Hemu must be quite thick by now.
——————
On Sunday afternoon, sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, casting warm shadows on the wooden floor.
Xu Nianyi finally woke up naturally from a long and peaceful sleep. The tension of the past few days and the excitement of the previous night had been washed away by the rest of her sleep.
She stretched, feeling light and clear-headed.
The most important work needs to be put on the agenda.
She took a deep breath, picked up her phone, and dialed that familiar number.
The phone rang a few times before being answered, and her mother's slightly surprised voice came through, "Niannian? Why are you calling all of a sudden? Have you had lunch yet?"
"Mom, I've eaten." Xu Nianyi tried to make her voice sound relaxed and cheerful. "There's something I want to tell you."
She paused, organized her thoughts, and then, in a calm and unexaggerated tone, recounted how she had won a million dollars and received 800,000 dollars after taxes.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, with only a faint static noise audible.
"How much? Eight hundred thousand!" Mom's voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief. "Really? Don't be fooled! Scammers have so many tricks up their sleeves these days!"
“Mom, it’s true, I bought it at the same lottery shop where you used to buy lottery tickets. I even made an appointment with the lottery center to claim the prize,” Xu Nianyi explained patiently.
After confirming the truth of the matter, the mother's tone changed from shock to worry.
"I've won a maximum of 200 in all these years of buying tickets... What are you planning to do next? Save it? Or... Do you have any unreliable ideas?" No one knows a daughter better than her mother, and she seemed to detect an unusual restlessness in her daughter's tone.
Xu Nianyi knew that the crucial moment had arrived.
She cleared her throat and laid out her plans: quit her job, buy a car, and spend one to two years driving around China, while also trying to become a travel blogger.
Sure enough, the other end of the phone exploded.
"What?! Quit your job?! Travel around China?! Are you crazy, Xu Nianyi?!" Her mother's voice was filled with anxiety and incomprehension. "Such a good job, you just give it up like that? Driving that far alone is so dangerous! Is being a blogger so easy? How many people can succeed? What if you run out of money and lose your job? What will you do then?"
Xu Nianyi listened quietly to her mother's barrage of objections and worries without interrupting.
She waited until her mother's tone softened slightly before speaking, her voice low but unusually firm:
"Mom, I know you mean well. But I've really thought it through. That job isn't as good as you think. I'm really tired and unhappy."
She briefly mentioned the trivial but real frustrations she had experienced over the past few months, such as doing the work of four people, working overtime until late at night, and the company's stingy year-end benefits. Her mother knew about these issues.
“This money is an opportunity for me, a chance to stop, see the world, and rediscover myself. I’m only 24, and I don’t want to be stuck with endless forms and processes for the rest of my life.”
Her voice carried a slight, almost imperceptible sob, but more than that, it was filled with determination: "I will definitely pay attention to safety. I will report my safety every day, buy the best insurance, plan my routes carefully, and avoid dangerous and desolate places."
She repeatedly assured her mother and patiently explained, laying out the plans she had carefully considered the previous night, trying to dispel her mother's biggest concern.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
Finally, Mom sighed deeply, her tone softening considerably. "Oh, you've always been so stubborn. I know you work hard. Now that you've made up your mind, and the money is your own, I can't stop you."
Xu Nianyi's heart instantly settled back down, and a warm current flowed through her.
"But!" Mom emphasized, "Safety first! You must send a message every day! Don't be reckless if anything happens! And, social security! Don't forget!"
"Okay, Mom! I promise I'll complete the mission!" Xu Nianyi replied with a smile, her voice light and relieved.
After hanging up the phone, she felt her last bit of worry vanish, and she could wholeheartedly go to her mountains and seas.
——————
At 10 a.m. on Monday, the chain coffee shop downstairs in the office building was filled with a rich aroma.
Xu Nianyi and Qin, the administrative manager, sat in the corner by the window.
She stirred her latte and calmly began, "Manager, there's something I'd like to tell you. I'm planning to resign."
Manager Qin paused in stirring his coffee, then looked up in surprise. "Resign? Why? Are you unhappy at work? Or are you facing some difficulties?"
Xu Nianyi had already prepared her explanation. She gave a slightly embarrassed yet longing smile, "No, no, it's great at the company. It's a good friend of mine who has always wanted to be a travel blogger. She's saved up some money and wants to get me involved to lend a hand. I'm also quite interested in this area and want to try something new while I'm still young."
She half-jokingly concealed the core reason for winning the lottery, only offering the seemingly tempting reason of trying to become a travel blogger.
Manager Qin put down his spoon, leaned forward slightly, and said in a serious tone, "Nianyi, I'm not trying to criticize you. Everyone wants to be an internet celebrity or a self-media creator these days, thinking it's free and lucrative. But it's not that easy! Ninety-nine percent of people lose money just to gain publicity. Your current job is so stable, a big company with a good platform and great benefits. If you work hard, you'll see a bright future. Giving up such a good job for a vague 'possibility' is too impulsive!"
Xu Nianyi listened quietly, but her mind was perfectly clear.
How much of what Manager Qin said was genuinely for her sake, and how much was out of reluctance to part with her, this cost-effective, obedient, and reliable donkey?
After the layoffs, the remaining staff faced an increased workload, and her departure at this time would undoubtedly make matters worse.
She wasn't swayed by this heartfelt plea to stay. Her smile faded slightly, but her tone became even more resolute. "Thank you for the reminder, Manager. I've considered all of that. But I still want to give it a try, otherwise I might regret it later."
Seeing her unmoved expression, Manager Qin's regret gradually faded, replaced by a businesslike indifference.
She picked up her coffee, took a sip, and said without much emotion, "Okay, since you've made up your mind, I won't say anything more. I understand, I'll talk to the HRBP when I get back."
Not long after returning to her workstation, the HRBP called, asking her to come to the small conference room for a meeting.
The HRBP cut to the chase, "Nianyi, I heard you want to leave the company? To become a travel blogger?"
"Yes." Xu Nian nodded.
The HRBP flipped through the documents in her hand, her tone calm. "Hmm, I understand. According to the procedure, you need to apply for resignation one month in advance. However, considering that your administration department doesn't really have any particularly urgent work at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year," she pondered for a moment, "How about this, when you come back after the New Year, spend a week handing over with Manager Qin. Once the handover is complete, you can process your resignation."
Xu Nianyi almost thought she had misheard!
No need to stay for a full month? I can leave just a week after the New Year? This is absolutely wonderful!
She remained calm and said, "Okay, no problem, I will handle the handover properly."
The HRBP nodded, made a few moves in the system, and didn't seem to care much about her staying or leaving. Perhaps in her opinion, even after a round of layoffs, the department still had a lot of people, and it was good that one person could leave naturally without losing money.
Stepping out of the small conference room, Xu Nianyi felt as if her steps were so light she could float.
It went smoothly! More smoothly than I could have imagined!
From winning the lottery to gaining her mother's understanding, and then to resigning so quickly, everything was progressing rapidly in the direction she hoped for.
She returned to her workstation and looked at the familiar OA interface and to-do list on the screen. For the first time, she felt that these things that had once made her feel so stressed had suddenly lost their weight.
The luck that had been dormant for twenty-four years seemed to have exploded all at once in these days.
Outside the window, the winter sun shines brightly.
Xu Nianyi's lips couldn't help but curl upwards.
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