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At 7pm, Yang Yuzhong left the company and walked from Shennan Middle Road to Zhenxing Road. Then he turned into a building, lifted the elevator to the fourth floor, and arrived at the capsule hotel where he lived for long. The whole journey took him 13 minutes. .
Here, for about 80 yuan, you can stay for one night in a separate bed the size of a soft sleeper on a train. Long-term residents like Yang Yuzhong need to pay more than 2,300 yuan in room fees every month.
People who live here include company managers with good incomes like Yang Yuzhong, e-commerce companies that purchase electronic components in Huaqiangbei, screenwriters, independent directors, unemployed, and Chaoshan who quit their hometown job and came to Shenzhen to pursue their dreams. Girls, there are middle-aged men living in Shenzhen on subsistence allowances…
Among them, some are full of hope, some are discouraged, some have found a way to get along with this city after being beaten again and again by life…
Inhabit 3㎡ beds
One night in mid-November, when I was talking to Cheng Mingshan in the public area of this capsule hotel in Huaqiangbei, he was very angry about drying clothes, and the staff did not allow him to put the folding clothes rack. Put it in a public space.
He is the longest-lived guest in this hotel. He just came to Shenzhen more than 4 years ago and settled here, and he has stayed here until now.
For long-term residents like Cheng Mingshan, this hotel has 17 people and the shortest stay is more than one year.
17 long-term residents’ information, yesI got it from a Mid-Autumn Festival return notice to long-term residents posted in the public area
In this list, Cheng Mingshan ranked first, and Yang Yuzhong ranked last. He has lived for a year and three months.
On the Internet, the size of each cabin here is 3 square meters, but the actual size is about 2 square meters. The monthly expenses for long-term residents are not low, probably divided into two levels, 1,800 yuan and 2,330 yuan. At this price, you can rent a house with a lot of space outside the original second-tier pass.
It is surprising that most people who live here for a long time regard it as the best choice after comprehensive consideration of commuting and living costs. Even people like Yang Yuzhong who have already reached the top of the company and earn pretty good income are no exception.
Capsule hotel public area
Nine years ago, Yang Yuzhong, who worked in a public institution in a prefecture-level city in Hubei, came to a medical startup in Shenzhen on the recommendation of a graduate student tutor. He is now the oldest employee of the company and the most trusted manager of the boss. In the year when he paid the most dividends, he received 270,000.
Before moving into this capsule mansion, Yang Yuzhong changed three residences in Shenzhen, all of which were located near the company. The rent was quite high and the living was not ideal. The third residence was rented from the second landlord, and the monthly utility bill was ridiculously high.
One day when he complained about water costs at the company, his colleague suggested that he could try this capsule hotel. At that time, the colleague lived here for more than two years.
Yang Yuzhong’s wife and children are in their hometown of Nanjing, and the family has already made long-term separation plans. He lives alone in Shenzhen, so it is not impossible to move into such a place.
Internal view of capsule bed
Capsule hotel bedding
He came here to try for a month, and the initial psychological gap was not small. He had to line up with others to take a bath. When it was his turn to take a bath, someone nearby might smoke or play bad music. When he wanted to go to bed earlier, the person who had just returned went into the shower again.
But after a month and a half, Yang Yuzhong adapted to these problems, “In Shenzhen, you have to learn to adapt, adapt first, and then slowly get used to it.”
He threw more than half of his previous luggage, leaving behind the necessary clothing and books, and moved into the capsule hotel. “At least the troubles the landlord gave you are gone.”
Border and human touch
I lived in the ladies area three times. Passing through the public area, two doors lead to the men’s and women’s rooms respectively. Dozens of wooden space capsules are installed in each room. At the end of the living area is the sink, toilet and bath room.
Aisle leading to the washing area
Whether it is day or night, this area, which is similar to a public dormitory, seems unusually quiet. The doors of almost all cabins are closed. I can only judge by the lights in the door cracks and the shoes in front of the cabins that more than half of the cabins are occupied by people.
Occasionally, I saw that the door of a certain bed was open. I walked a little closer, and the girl inside closed the door with a stabbing sound.
The bear at the entrance of the lady’s accommodation area.
In the entire lodging area, the cabin doors open for a long time are usually Cai Cai and Shanghai Aunt Xiao Xiao.
Caicai lives next door to my cabin. She came to Shenzhen from Shantou two months ago. She spent a few years in her hometown in a leisurely and stable office life. “The environment is very restrictive and the days are as light as water.” She endured the thought of leaving several times a year for several years.
In August of this year, she resigned and went to Shenzhen to find an image management job that she had been yearning for for a long time. This capsule hotel happened to be located in the center of several companies that Caicai was about to interview. She moved in and never even thought of leaving.
I have been in Shenzhen for more than two months, and her enthusiasm and freshness have not diminished. “It feels like a fish in water. It’s vibrant here. Everyone seems to be rushing towards a goal.”
Whether it is work or living, the current state has exceeded her expectations before coming.
At first, she was worried about a lot of problems. Was it squeezed from the subway handrails during the morning rush hour? Will the renting house be cheated? Will she be unable to find a job for two or three months…
Unexpectedly, on the second day of her visit to Shenzhen, she received an interview notice.It happened to avoid the morning peak at half past nine.
The capsule hotel gave her a pretty good impression, “It’s very clean, you are closer to others, so it has a human touch and warmth. At least it is better than going home alone and facing a cold rental house.” .
“From a professional point of view, our brain thinking will degenerate if we stay alone for a long time. Staying in a crowded place, even if no one talks, is the same for our brain thinking as in an acquaintance environment.” , Yang Yuzhong, who has a background in medicine, added.
Public reading area
Except that personal privacy is too narrow. Other aspects here are indeed impeccable. The spacious public area is separated from the reading area and the smoking area. The coffee machine in the corner is filled with beans and provides free coffee all year round.
Judging from the hotels I have visited, it is clean enough, and the atmosphere in the accommodation area is also comforting, without the lingering old sour smell in the soft sleeper compartment. Almost every guest I met has praised this to me, “Cleaning aunt has a cleanliness habit, especially love to clean.”
Wanderers coming and going
A few days later, I found that Cai Caihe and Shanghai aunt Xiao Xiao had become good friends.
Eldest Sister Xiao is in her 50s this year. She has gray hair and spends most of her time in the hotel public area.
She can be regarded as the most active person in the entire hotel. It’s okay to talk to Cheng Mingshan about the stock market’s rise and fall, give programmers who have just been in Shenzhen for a few months a business idea, or talk to those who stare at the TV and watch the football game. A man, talk about the game inside…
Sister Xiao talking with other residents
In July of this year, Sister Xiao went to Shenzhen for business and stayed in this hotel. In an old community not far from the hotel, there is also her house. From 1984 to 2001, she lived in Shenzhen with her husband and children, and then moved to Shanghai.
Sister Xiao spends a few months traveling every year, staying in youth hostels, homestays, and even Tibetan homes. “I’ve lived in no less than 100 youth hostels. Young people deal more with and know what my son is thinking.”
In her eyes, this hotel is different from many places. “Many hostels are travelers and backpackers. Many of these hotels in downtown Shenzhen have to live here. People who are just alive are not living.”
Cheng Mingshan made up his mind to leave this place. He felt that the hotel’s services and management were not as humane as before. “Take clothes drying as an example. The few iron wires outside the window can be hung. They are already full. What happened to a folding hanger?”
In more than four years, he has welcomed and sent batches of people. Sometimes there can be a group of young people who can play very well. They have dinner together, play poker, and go out to play. He can have a short and happy time in the group. Of course, he has also encountered all kinds of scammers and was criticized. Over 1,000 yuan.
“The current residents, there are many older people, not as young as the previous ones, so fun.”
Eldest Sister Xiao sitting next to him teased him, “Will I rent you my house?” Cheng Mingshan shook his head, “Too old.”
Street view outside the capsule hotel
Cheng Mingshan sells in a liquor agency in Huaqiangbei, and he is within walking distance from the hotel.
In the hotel, he often wears a blue T-shirt, his face is delicate and fair, he speaks in a low voice, and his expression is slightly timid, like a college student just out of school. This is very different from the lean business scent exuding from his trousers and shirt in his circle of friends, holding a wine glass.
In the circle of friends, Cheng Mingshan once posted “”Continue disguising, keep working hard!” Give it to this city! “. I asked him whether that savvy personal image was considered his disguise. But he finally did not answer this question.
At the end of November, when I came to this hotel again, I heard the news that he had moved away. Sister Xiao asked for the key to the luggage locker in the public area from his hand and gave it to Caicai.
Check-in instructions posted on the glass
If the dishes are really bothersome, it may be that the space for storage here is too small.
In the accommodation area, each berth is equipped with a small cabinet. On Double Eleven this year, Caicai bought a lot of things. After receiving it, I compared it with each other. I left a few favorites, and all the others were returned. The things in the cabinet had already reached the top, she couldn’t put it down, “I feel sorry for the seller.”
Accepting Cheng Mingshan’s key by accident made Cai Cai really happy for a while. This is one of the rows of lockers in the smoking area. Because of the limited number, they are all occupied by long-term residents who arrive early.
Deep bleaching can also be bleached to flesh and blood
Lao Yan is a frequent visitor to the smoking area.