One rainy night last November, Meimei and Tiantian hit the road in Shanghai with their two cats and personal belongings after quitting their full-time jobs. After driving northwest for more than seven hours, the cousins arrived in their hometown at dawn. They pulled over to enjoy the view, hoping that their life ahead could be as wonderful as the sunrise.

They had an ambitious plan to renovate their grandparents' village residence in Taihe county, Fuyang, east China's Anhui Province, on a budget of 50,000 yuan (roughly $7,500) and start a new career. They intended to post videos of the renovating process on online platforms and become social media content creators.