Chapter 22: No Matter How Careful You Are, You Can Still Slip Up
Chen Xing strolled around with his hands behind his back, glancing left and right.
"Wow, Sister Su, your car is amazing. It's so convenient!"
"Right?" Su Fangjie replied proudly.
To her, this car was home. So when someone complimented her "home," it naturally made her happy.
Chen Xing walked another lap around the vehicle.
It was a Dongfeng SUV, not exactly luxurious-looking, but the spacious interior made it perfect for road trips. The rooftop tent was suitable for both the outdoors and even urban parking lots.
After all, there was no law against sleeping in your own car.
"Stop staring. If you like it, just buy one yourself. Having your own car makes travel a lot easier, you can go anywhere," she said.
Chen Xing shook his head. "I don't dare drive."
He'd gotten a license, sure, but never really used it. After a year of not driving, he'd practically forgotten how to even start a car. There was no way he'd dare hit the road.
"Drive it for a few days and it'll come back. Once you learn, it's like riding a bike, you don't forget."
While she spoke, Su Fangjie opened the trunk and pulled out a folding table. Chen Xing helped set it up, then went to take a closer look at the back of the car.
The trunk was split into two levels, a common design in SUVs, offering a lot of storage space. Most people's trunks looked like chaos, crammed full of random stuff. But Su Fangjie's trunk was neatly organized.
The lower level held rice, cooking oil, water containers, pots, and other kitchen basics. The upper level had been reinforced with a wooden plank, which supported a storage unit. On the left was a large sliding-door compartment taking up about a third of the space, and on the right were four smaller drawers, arranged in two rows.
Above it all sat a kettle, some clothes, and a toiletry bag.
Just then, Su Fangjie returned with an induction cooker and turned to see Chen Xing quietly standing nearby.
"You startled me!"
Chen Xing clicked his tongue in admiration.
He really liked this car. It had everything you could need. Compact, but fully equipped—if only he had one like this. And better yet, if someone else could manage the upkeep for him. He was too lazy for that.
System, how about a little help? A car gift maybe?
While helping her unload things, they quickly set up a makeshift cooking station. Chen Xing couldn't cook, so all he could do was watch Su Fangjie pick, wash, and chop the vegetables... then sit and wait for dinner. That's when he realized another downside to road tripping, or maybe just his own shortcoming: he couldn't cook.
System, seriously, say something!
Chen Xing was in high spirits today. Even though the system never spoke without reason, he still enjoyed joking around with it.
Dinner was ready in no time, just as the sun set.
Three dishes were laid out on the table, steam rising and fragrance filling the air. A small camping lamp hung under the rooftop tent, attracting a swirl of tiny flying insects that circled the light.
Su Fangjie put on a jacket, pulled out a big bottle that looked like it had once held cola, and said, "You drink? A fan gave me this when I was traveling in Shandong. It's homemade, really good stuff. Try a little."
"Absolutely! Thanks, Sister Su."
Chen Xing wasn't a big drinker, but he didn't mind it either. A little alcohol could be relaxing, so long as he didn't overdo it.
Su Fangjie poured some into a paper cup for him, then opened a can of Wanglaoji herbal tea for herself.
"You're not drinking?"
"I still have to drive later—to drop you off in town."
"No need. I'll just call a rideshare," Chen Xing replied.
After all, she'd already set up her tent. It would be a hassle to pack it up and drive again.
"You think I'm sleeping out here? I only opened the tent in case it rains. I'm heading into town to find a proper hotel and take a shower. Tomorrow I'm taking a rest day, and the day after I'm heading into Tibet, taking the Yunnan-Tibet route."
So that's the plan.
Chen Xing raised his cup. "Sister Su, I really admire you. Cheers!"
She laughed, and they began to eat.
Spicy stir-fried mushrooms with cumin, a bowl of purple aster and egg soup, and tomato scrambled eggs—simple, home-style dishes. Chen Xing had never cooked before, but after watching her, he felt like he could probably pull it off too.
As they ate and drank, Chen Xing asked a bit about being a content creator. He still felt that making travel videos suited him best.
For one, he could focus on editing and writing scripts at his own pace. For another, he wouldn't be distracted during his travels.
He didn't need to constantly film or stream—just carry the camera, snap a few shots when something caught his eye, and spend the rest of the time soaking in the scenery.
Streaming would mean constantly interacting with viewers. And what if being distracted cost him a system reward?
There was one more reason…
Chen Xing just felt making videos looked cooler. In the footage, he appeared as a stylish, professional, free-spirited photographer—not the sometimes-silent, sometimes-chatty guy he actually was.
"A year ago, I set out on this journey with just 13,000 yuan. I had 15,000 saved, took almost all of it. Pretty gutsy, huh?" Su Fangjie laughed.
"That's what I admire about you. My friend came here with 20,000 but only dared to travel for a few days. After that, he had nothing left."
"Let me guess... that friend of yours—is it you?"
Chen Xing quickly shook his head. "Of course not! It's really my friend!"
"Well, even if it was, it's not like he gained nothing. At the very least, he got the joy of travel. Ask him a year later—he'll still clearly remember what he ate, where he stayed. That's what matters."
"True."
They clinked their paper cups again.
Chen Xing found the whole thing surreal. Just a few days ago, he never would've imagined getting along so well with someone old enough to be his mom. If he ignored Su Fangjie's appearance, he'd think she was someone his own age.
She began talking about her past.
"My husband and I lived apart from the day we got married. He lived his life, I lived mine. It wasn't until our factory shut down that we started living together. That's when we realized how different we were. But what could I do? I had no money. For a woman, having no income is terrifying."
Chen Xing nodded. In this day and age, money might really be the most important thing.
"When you rely on a man's money, he starts treating you like he owns you. He'd ask where every cent went, what I bought, and if the math didn't add up, he'd accuse me of giving money to my mom or brother. Constant suspicion. He even hit me."
She rolled up her sleeve to show the scars.
Chen Xing forgot to eat for a moment.
He had known her marriage wasn't great, but he hadn't expected domestic violence.
It was 2021. There were still men like that?
"Later, I started looking for work. I cooked for construction sites, worked as a tailor, cleaned streets, waited tables, just to have my own money. I thought once I earned my own way, he'd stop counting pennies with me. But I didn't expect new problems to emerge, differences in lifestyle and values."
She shook her head and added:
"Eventually, I was diagnosed with depression. One day, I saw a video online of someone living out of their car, traveling. And I thought, why not me? Everyone said I was brave, but if life backs you into a corner so tight that just staying home hurts—well, then it's not courage anymore. Right?"
"Then let's live well. Things will get better," Chen Xing said.
He didn't really know what to say—but he could tell Su Fangjie didn't need comforting anymore.
She'd already made it through. She'd found a life she loved. Comfort wasn't necessary now.
He raised his cup again. "One last sip—cheers."
Su Fangjie raised her can of herbal tea. "Cheers."
As their cups clinked, Chen Xing noticed something fall out of his paper cup. He looked closely—it looked like… a person?
It had fallen right into his rice bowl.
The figure wore traditional clothes—like the kind worn by some ethnic groups in southern Yunnan. He vaguely remembered seeing something similar back in the ancient town.
Then he noticed more of them.
Tiny, glowing, rainbow-colored figures were dancing in a circle on the table in the dark.
"Uh... Sister Su?"
Chen Xing blinked in confusion and put down his chopsticks.
"The mushrooms you used… do you know what kind they were?"
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(End of Chapter 22)