In December 2023, Yue Li, a real estate company director in Beijing, reached her physical and mental breaking point. After nearly 20 years of dedication, her life revolved entirely around work. Each year, she spent 300 days on business trips. During her limited time in Beijing, Yue also endured a daily four-hour commute between her home and office.

"I questioned if this was the life I truly wanted. What was the purpose of earning money if I had no time to truly live?" Yue recalled, explaining her decision to resign.

During a trip to the Zhoushan Archipelago in Zhejiang Province, she discovered a job opening for a quality control employee at a fishery on Dongzhai Island. By mid-December, the former real estate director had packed her bags and headed to the island to take up the position.

Yue Li enjoys fishing on Dongzhai Island, China. Photo: SCMP

Dongzhai is an isolated island, surrounded by deserted landmasses, located 40 km from the nearest residential area. Yue's new life greeted her with immediate challenges: mice scurried everywhere, even gnawing through her toothpaste tube on her first night.

Harsh weather conditions also presented a significant hurdle. On stormy days, rain leaked, soaking the kitchen, and belongings were constantly damp and moldy. One day, with 9-level winds, she could not light the stove and went to bed hungry. Necessities depended entirely on infrequent supply ships from the mainland.

Yue's daily work involves offshore fish cages. She inspects feeding systems, records water temperature and ocean waves, and monitors fish schools. Her monthly salary is 3,000 yuan (over 10 million dong), which is one-fifth of her previous earnings. In exchange, she receives four days off after every two months of work.

Despite the material shortages, Yue has found an unprecedented sense of peace. "The rhythm of life here flows with the sound of the waves, a stark contrast to the suffocating pace in Beijing," she shared.

During most of her free time, the 46-year-old woman enjoys fishing, setting crab traps, or reading while watching the sunset. Seafood around the island is so abundant that after just one night of setting traps, she can pull up 10 large crabs, enough food for several days.

"Life no longer involves a packed meeting schedule or sales pressure (KPIs). I am living the freest days of my life," Yue Li stated.

By Ngoc Ngan (Source: SCMP, NDTV)