Man Quits RM5.9K Job To Live In A Cave Because Work & Marriage Are Meaningless

For Min Hengcai, work and marriage are social constructs not worth the trouble

At 35, the former ride-hailing driver from Sichuan, China, walked away from a 10,000 yuan (RM5,900) monthly income and urban life at the end of 2021.

His new address? A cave in his hometown, where he now spends his days reading, tending vegetables, and contemplating what he calls "insignificance".

At the end of 2021, he gave up a ride-hailing driving job, which earned him 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) a month in the city, and returned home to live a life of seclusion.

(At the close of 2021, Min quit his ride-hailing job that paid US$1,400 monthly in the city and went back home to embrace a life of solitude. Photo: QQ.com)

Min said he found work meaningless. He had previously worked for 10 hours a day to repay a debt he owed to relatives.

He said he still owed the bank and lending companies 300,000 yuan (US$42,000).

Min has given up hope of repaying them, adding that his relatives had sold his properties which could have been used to clear the arrears.

He exchanged his land with that of a fellow villager, which was only one quarter the size of his, so that he could use the cave next to it.

(Min spends much of his day reading, he also does a lot of walking around the area near his cave home. Photo: QQ.com)

He has spent 40,000 yuan (US$6,000) to make his home in the 50-square-metre cave.

Min wakes up at 8am every day, spends the whole day reading, walking around and working on the land. He sleeps at 10 pm and mostly eats vegetables he has planted.

He said he only needs to spend money on daily necessities.

Min said the lifestyle was all he dreamed about while working in the city.

He also posts about his life on social media, where he has 40,000 followers and could earn from live-streaming.

He named his cave "black hole", to signify that it is his whole universe.

Min said he also wanted to remind himself of his insignificance. Min told Sichuan Television that he rejected marriage because it is "a waste of time and money".

"The probability of finding true love is very low. Why would I want to work hard for something so rare?" he said.

(Min waters the vegetables he planted in his garden and which are the mainstay of his diet. Photo: QQ.com)

His life story sparked a heated discussion online.

Ref: Man Quits RM5.9K Job To Live In A Cave Because Work & Marriage Are Meaningless