Leisurely Traveler with Check-in System

As someone who has worked for over 20 years, Mom has significantly more annual leave than most young newcomers.

This time she took 10 days off, counting the weekends before and after, plus New Year’s Day, she could enjoy a good half-month break.

For working individuals, such a long duration is quite rare.

However, Mom had never had a particularly strong desire to travel around before.

Before Li Younan resigned, even if she wanted to travel, she would only go occasionally with colleagues, which was quite alright.

Anchuan’s winter this year seems exceptionally cold. It hadn’t snowed heavily for years, but the night before they set out, surprisingly, a snowstorm that could accumulate enough to play in came.

Those who hadn’t had a chance to add more layers undoubtedly suffered, as the temperature dropped so abruptly that many hadn’t reacted before plunging from previously slightly warm weather into the deep cold of winter.

In Li Younan’s high school classmate group chat, many were discussing whether to have a reunion this year.

People offering different opinions also talked about the cold weather, with forecasts saying the cold front’s influence would make conditions worsen quickly over a short period.

But for now, the bother of the weather didn’t concern Li Younan and his family.

At this moment, Li Younan, Mom, and Lu Xiaolan were already boarding a flight heading to Sanya.

Going to the warmest places when it’s the coldest back home is a delightful part of traveling.

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Strictly speaking, going to Sanya, Hainan isn’t called traveling; it should be termed a vacation.

A day later, the three of them moved straight into Uncle’s homestay, becoming its first batch of guests.

The homestay hadn’t officially opened yet; besides unfinished room renovations, the swimming pool downstairs was still being tiled, and more importantly, many licenses hadn’t been processed yet. But living there privately was no issue.

This uncle is Mom’s eldest brother, and there are three siblings in total.

Li Younan’s mom, Xiao Xue, is the second; Lu Xiaolan’s mom is the youngest sister, and this eldest uncle’s name is Xiao Lei.

Many Sichuan people are in Hainan, and many are engaged in the catering business.

Fresh seafood paired with flavorful Sichuan cuisine is a very fitting combo, and coastal Sichuan restaurants do quite well.

Over a decade ago, Uncle came to Sanya to open a restaurant and married a local wife, essentially settling in Hainan.

Unlike most, who return home in winter, Uncle usually only comes back in certain years during the summer.

Li Younan’s maternal grandparents passed away early, so there are few ties for Uncle back home. Conversely, in winter, Mom and Lu Xiaolan’s mom often brought them to Hainan to visit Uncle.

This year is special; Lu Xiaolan’s mom didn’t take leave, and on the other hand, her father’s family was quite busy, so they didn’t come along.

Uncle’s homestay is a recent acquisition.

The property originally belonged to his wife’s family; his wife had two siblings, and through some share distribution, they invested nearly all their earnings from the last decade into this place, which is now officially his asset.

Uncle is now nearly 50 years old; he finally has a pretty decent foundation among ordinary people.

Once the homestay is completed, it can have more than ten rooms; each room is a suite with a kitchen and two bedrooms, earning hundreds of thousands a year easily.

Eventually, focusing on the homestay business is much more leisurely than catering.

However, Uncle doesn’t seem inclined to divest the Sichuan restaurant for now, planning to fulfill at least two years of prepaid rent.

Uncle’s homestay is close to the beach, only a platform away down from the building.

Staying inside, you can see the sea from the balcony, with excellent location and environment.

The only slight drawback is the daytime noise due to renovations, but it’s not bothersome; during the day, they could explore nearby, pitch a tent in front of the homestay’s beach for a leisurely afternoon, or swim in the neighboring hotel’s pool for a fee.

In summary, the daytime noise barely impacts their experience.

Though Sanya lacks a winter, it is considerably cooler than summer.

Lying on the beach, doing nothing but chatting with family, sipping fresh coconut water — it’s hard to express how cozy it is.

The first day after arriving was spent in such manner.

This beach has clean water but is prohibited for swimming due to rapid currents, and being far from famed bays means fewer tourists.

The seawater is a shallow blue.

The parasol was rooted in the sand firmly, casting its shadow over the three.

Mom wore a long gauze dress, lay on the deck chair with her eyes closed, a straw hat covering her face, sunscreen’s scent spreading lightly with the sea breeze.

Cousin Lu Xiaolan was closer to the water, squatting barefoot with a broken plastic shovel, dug a sandpit slowly, buried her feet to compress it, occasionally looking up, grinning at Li Younan and Mom, with a naive disposition.