Ant Short-Term Rental Homestay: Handsome Guys + Beijing Seafood Market + Museum-Themed Homestay = A Feast of Beauty and Temptation...

Who says you only need to rent a short-term homestay when you’re traveling?

Even in the city you’ve lived in for years, you can rent a homestay to temporarily escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and take a little trip within your own city.

Living in Beijing, like other similar first-tier cities, is not without its troubles due to high housing prices. The place I live in is only about a hundred square meters. It’s fine when three or five friends come over, but things get cramped with more people. Not to mention, most households don’t even have large dining tables—if you actually want to cook a meal, there’s often nowhere to sit.

I’m usually sociable, so I gathered a group of fellow “empty-nesters” (young people living alone) to form a dining club. After a few gatherings, we all agreed that eating out every time was getting boring. We wanted to find a place where we could cook seafood together, watch some movies, and just enjoy a bit more of a homely vibe. By the time we tallied it up, there were already around ten people who had prepaid just for the food—clearly, most people’s homes just wouldn’t do.

We democratically elected a dining committee leader, who scoured Ant Short-Term Rental for options. Based on factors like price, location, and amenities, we compiled a long list of candidates. In the end, we settled on a museum-themed homestay located in the convenient Guomao business district. It’s a three-story duplex structure spanning over 200 square meters, with a wall-sized projector screen, plus plant and animal specimens collected from all over the world by the host. It was simply the perfect choice. Renting the whole place cost 1,500 yuan, which wasn’t much per person. The guest rooms could accommodate up to eight people, so those coming from farther away didn’t have to rush home on an overnight bus. If I were to describe it as a utopia, I wouldn’t be exaggerating.

The theme of the gathering was set: seafood + horror movies

First, we had to tackle the seafood shopping

There are only a handful of large farmers' markets in Beijing

Such as Xinfadi, Jing Shen, Shenghua, and others

When it comes to seafood alone, Jing Shen has better variety and pricing, but it’s farther away

On the strong recommendation of our foodie friends

Our group made a big trip to Shenghua Farmers' Market to do our shopping

[Editor’s note: As for geoduck, please refer to Baidu for details]

For more everyday types of seafood like crabs, mantis shrimp, and crayfish, you inevitably need some tips to pick out the really good ones.

Crabs

First, look: The crab’s back shell should be bluish-gray with a glossy sheen, the belly white and shiny, the navel area free of obvious marks, and the limbs firmly connected and naturally curved.

Second, weigh: For crabs that meet the visual criteria, pick them up one by one. The heavier ones are usually the fattier, juicier crabs. While weighing, you can also gently press the shell. If you’re lucky, you might even find a soft-shelled crab that has just molted—the meat will be even more tender and easier to eat.

Third, check the innards: Pry open the crab’s navel flap. If the crab roe inside is solid and well-formed, then it’s a good crab.

Fourth, tug: All the legs should be intact. Gently pull on a leg—if there’s slight resistance, the crab is fresh. If it’s not fresh, the legs won’t offer any resistance and may even break off easily.

Fifth, smell: If the crab smells fishy or rotten, it means it has gone bad and shouldn’t be eaten. Consuming spoiled crab can easily lead to food poisoning.

Crayfish

First, look: Healthy crayfish from reputable farms will have a complete shape, uniform size, with the head and body each taking up about half. They should be bright red and clean, with clean leg and belly hairs and a white belly. When cooked, if the tail is straight, the crayfish is likely dead. If the tail is curled or the body is tucked in, it’s alive and safe to eat.

Polluted crayfish: These may come from different water sources or be wild, with uneven sizes, larger heads than bodies, brownish-red or iron-red coloration, dirty joints, dirty belly hairs, dirt or parasites on the head.

Second, smell: Those farmed in clean water areas will have no decay or heavy metal odors and will have a natural aquatic scent. Polluted crayfish may smell of heavy metals or rot.

Third, compare: In the same season, farmed crayfish are generally larger, with uniform size and fuller meat. Wild crayfish from dirty ditches are smaller, with heads twice the size of their bodies, thicker shells, and less meat.

The currently popular short-term rentals are no longer just a place for travelers from afar to sleep—they can also serve as a sanctuary in life, offering rare moments of joy amidst the ordinary.

A kind reminder in closing: put yourself in others’ shoes. After your stay, be sure to clean up the trash—it’s convenient for others and for yourself. There’s no need to mention the time I helped the landlord clear a blocked drain before leaving—such small acts are not worth mentioning, truly not worth mentioning.

 Tips 

◆ The landlord’s private museum houses a collection of various paleontological fossils: Guizhou Dragons, trilobites, lycoptera, Zhang’s insects, saber-toothed tiger skulls, ammonites, spiriferids, nautilus fossils, and more;

◆ A 200-square-meter three-story townhouse;

◆ Location: 400 meters east of Exit A of Baiziwan Station on Line 7 of the subway, with the Jingyuan Image Industry Base nearby;

◆ Facilities: projector, air conditioner, wardrobe, clothes rack, washing machine, ironing machine, electric water heater, comfortable mattress, 100M broadband—everything you could need;

◆ There’s a UPSHOW venue downstairs with a catwalk, where model fashion shows are occasionally held.