Yan Minxing takes a photo during his cycling break.
Yan Minxing is a sophomore at Shandong University of Finance and Economics. On the morning of April 27, he set off from Jinan by bicycle, covering over 300 kilometers, and arrived at his destination, Zhucheng, at 11 a.m. on April 29. The sole purpose of this cycling trip was to promote and raise funds for a public welfare expedition he plans to undertake during the summer. Since the beginning of this year, this “post-90s” young man, who never previously worried about money, began independently raising funds for charity. In nearly six months, he took on five part-time jobs and raised nearly 3,000 yuan in donations. However, he is still some way off from his initial fundraising target of 4,500 yuan.
Cycling 300 km back home
Raised a few hundred yuan in donations
“Mom and Dad, I’m back.” At 11 a.m. on April 29, Yan Minxing wheeled his bicycle into the house, looking a bit tired, with his legs trembling slightly after getting off the bike. Seeing their son suddenly appear before them, Yan Minxing’s parents were startled. “How did you get here?” “I came by bicycle.” “What did you say?” “I came by bicycle.” ... Yan Minxing and his parents went through the same Q&A repeatedly.
“I don’t even know how many times they asked. They asked, I answered, and finally they believed that I had really come by bicycle. Then my mom called my grandfather. At first, Grandpa didn’t quite get it, but after a while he called back and spoke directly to me, asking right away if I was short of money.” Around 2 p.m. on the 29th, Yan Minxing told reporters that he usually had his family pick him up during holidays, and before this break his parents had also called to ask if he wanted to come home, but he declined politely. So when his family first learned he had cycled all the way from Jinan, they were very surprised.
“The bicycle I rode was provided free of charge by Jinan Giant Bicycle Company. The main purpose of choosing to cycle was to raise funds for charity.” Yan Minxing, 22 years old, is a typical “post-90s” young man. He told reporters that cycling home was one of his ways of raising funds for charity. By completing the ride on a bicycle provided by the manufacturer, the company would donate several hundred yuan to him. In November last year, Yan Minxing signed up for a public welfare service expedition to remote areas of Guizhou and passed the selection process. If all goes well, he will head to the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern Guizhou this summer to do volunteer work, but he needs to raise 4,500 yuan before departure.
Cycled 2 days, ate and stayed for free, didn’t spend a penny
Wearing a black-and-blue helmet, a white long-sleeved T-shirt, and gray sweatpants, with a brown fanny pack slung across his waist and a light green mountain bike parked beside him, Yan Minxing strikes a confident pose—clenching his fist or giving a thumbs-up—in every photo he sent to reporters from his cycling journey.
It is reported that at around 10 a.m. on April 27, Yan Minxing set off from Jinan, passing through Zhangqiu, Zibo, Changle, and Anqiu, and finally arriving at his destination, Zhucheng, at 11 a.m. on April 29. He cycled for more than 10 hours each day but still took half a day longer than expected. “Because it was my first time cycling from Jinan back home, I wasn’t very familiar with the route along the way and had to rely on maps or GPS for directions. Even so, I took some detours and cycled an extra dozen or so kilometers.”
Speaking of his cycling experience, Yan Minxing became quite talkative. “I’m glad nothing went wrong with the bike, and along the way I met several cyclists I really admire. The most memorable were six or seven elderly people I met on the way from Changle to Weifang. They were cycling from Wenzhou to Shenyang, dressed like professional cyclists. The youngest was 62 and the oldest over 70. After talking with them, I felt full of energy myself.”
During the ride, Yan Minxing only took a break and stayed overnight in Zibo and Anqiu. To save money, after arriving in Zibo, he contacted a classmate and stayed at their home for the night, even bringing some food back with him when he left. In Anqiu, he chose a small hotel and negotiated with the owner, eventually getting the price down from 25 yuan to 20 yuan per night. “I saved wherever I could. The biggest expense was buying water,” said Yan Minxing, who spent just 60 yuan in total throughout the journey.
Worked 5 part-time jobs in 6 months, did any job to raise money
“My freshman year first semester was a failure because after transitioning from high school to university, I suddenly lost my sense of direction. At times, I even got addicted to online games. During the winter break of my freshman year, after talking with classmates and seeing their growth, I suddenly realized I should do something.” Yan Minxing described his freshman year as a failure. In his sophomore year, he decided to engage in public welfare activities, trying out various initiatives. The public welfare expedition he is raising funds for was something he encountered in the first semester of his sophomore year. It was then that Yan Minxing began to change himself and set himself a goal: to raise 4,500 yuan for the public welfare expedition through his own efforts.
To achieve this goal, Yan Minxing started working frantically during the winter break of his sophomore year. “On the third day of the winter break, I started looking for work. Since I’m a student, I could only take odd jobs. Within a month, I worked as an appliance mover, fast-food restaurant server, auto shop technician, and restaurant waiter, and in the end, I only earned 1,300 yuan.” Reflecting on those working days, Yan Minxing’s biggest feeling was exhaustion. Before he knew it, the winter break ended, and Yan Minxing packed up and returned to campus, but he continued to scramble for part-time jobs to earn money. “After the semester started, I found a work-study job in the school cafeteria, earning 100 yuan a month. The biggest benefit of this job was that the cafeteria provided me with two meals, which allowed me to save some of the living allowance my parents gave me.” Since making up his mind to raise money, Yan Minxing has tried every means to save. Since the start of the semester, he has only been to the supermarket twice, and only to buy essentials. In the past, he occasionally went out for meals with classmates, but this semester, he hasn’t gone out even once.