Chapter 7: Hot Springs and Geothermal Steam Bathing
At the moment, all the pools were empty. Since the public bath was more spacious, Gu Xiaoshuang discussed it with her roommate for a while before choosing the communal pool. She then asked what was included in the deluxe package.
“A straw mat for geothermal steaming, a hot spring egg, and a volcanic mud facial mask. The volcanic mud is limited to one portion per person, and extra eggs are 3 yuan each.”
“The volcanic mud is limited too?”
“Yes. It can only be experienced on-site.”
Gu Xiaoshuang was unimpressed, thinking it was probably just a marketing gimmick to create artificial scarcity.
She looked at the description on the poster and tugged at Li Qian’s sleeve.
“So the volcanic mud is basically just smearing a lump of mud on your face. Doesn’t sound that interesting. As for the straw mat… oh, you lie on it while steaming. It mainly serves as a mat between you and the ground. If we want to try the geothermal steam bath, we’ll need the mat.”
“Since we’re already here, we should definitely try the steam bath,” Li Qian said, quickly doing the math.
“Then we can just buy one deluxe package and one regular ticket. We’re both skinny—one mat is enough for the two of us. Or one person can soak while the other steams, and then we switch. The mud and the egg are just extras anyway, something to try once.”
The geothermal steam bath was an unexpected bonus, but the other two add-ons weren’t particularly appealing. Volcanic mud had been hyped to the heavens in skincare advertisements years ago and was considered outdated by now.
As for eggs, who hadn’t grown up eating eggs every day? Most young people had spent their childhood being chased around by their parents and told to eat more of them. They weren’t exactly a novelty.
Gu Xiaoshuang agreed that it was a great idea and happily placed the group-buy order.
“Perfect, perfect. Doesn’t look like anyone else is coming, either. The two of us can have a huge hot spring pool all to ourselves and save the money we’d spend upgrading to a private room. 75 yuan per person, and we still get the volcanic mud and the giant egg.”
When it came to getting the most services for the least amount of money, college students were true masters. Whether it was snatching limited-time discount coupons or figuring out how to buy three pairs of thermal underwear online for only 9.90 yuan, they fought with the prowess of legendary warriors.
Smiling, Xiang Yu scanned their codes and handed each of them a drawstring bag from beneath the counter.
Inside were a bath towel, a pair of slippers, a wristband, and a small booklet.
The bath towels and slippers were sealed in separate blue packages.
“Hey,” Gu Xiaoshuang said, nudging her roommate with an elbow. “They actually look pretty clean.”
Li Qian opened the booklet and read aloud in a flat, announcer-like tone:
“All hot spring bathing supplies at Tianbai Snow Mountain Hama Valley Glacier Park are sterilized after every guest. Sterilization procedures comply with medical-device standards…”
She squeezed the blue package containing the slippers and towel. The bag was tightly sealed and completely airtight, which surprised her a little.
“Wait, this is actually a sterilization pouch?”
Inside was also a small black indicator strip—an ethylene oxide sterilization indicator, the kind used in sterile packaging prepared to operating-room standards.
Originally, Xiang Yu had thought that having a disinfection cabinet would already be impressive enough. She hadn’t expected the system renovation to include an actual sterilization room licensed as a medical sterilization supply department. Even Liu Bo, whose family owned a five-star hotel, had been astonished by the extravagance.
Gu Xiaoshuang was equally fascinated. She tore open the package and began taking the contents out one by one as if she were opening a gift.
“The drawstring bag can be taken home, and it’s waterproof, so you won’t have to stuff a dripping wet swimsuit into your own bag,” Li Qian said after flipping through the booklet some more. Summarizing, she added, “They guarantee complete hygiene. If you don’t want to use these items, you can return the package, and the front desk also provides disposable compressed towels and slippers.”
“Forget that. Those disposable ones are as thin as paper. This towel looks much nicer and thicker. What do you think, Qianqian?”
“True.” Li Qian squeezed the towel and agreed that a thicker one would be much more comfortable to wrap herself in.
In fact, she had brought her own towel, but since the resort provided clean ones, there was no need to take it out.
“And there’s this part about a natural spring flow-through private bath design,” she continued reading. “Volcanic geothermal water is fed directly into the pools. Fresh spring water overflows naturally. Private rooms are supplied directly from independent geothermal spring vents. Water is partially refreshed every hour and completely replaced every day.”
As she read on, her expression became increasingly complicated.
“Seriously? For only 50 yuan?” she said skeptically. “That sounds made up.”
The water-changing schedule was so lavish it bordered on wasteful. Anyone with even a little common sense would find it hard to believe that a private hot spring bath charging only a few dozen yuan could afford such a level of upkeep.
Gu Xiaoshuang, however, didn’t think that far ahead. She quickly tore open the sterile package and slipped on the slippers.
“Come on, come on. Whether it’s a mule or a horse, we’ll know once we see it for ourselves.”
“At least the slippers are pretty nice. They’ve got that cloud-like, sinking-into-softness feeling.”
The entrance to the hot springs did not lead directly from the lobby. Instead, guests had to pass through a short but exquisitely designed transitional corridor.
On both sides, wooden latticework and gently hanging gauze curtains partially enclosed the walkway. Whenever the breeze stirred, faint silhouettes of bamboo standing against the outer walls could be seen through the sheer fabric. Their shadows fell across the curtains in elegant patterns, swaying softly.
The corridor was semi-enclosed. The crisp fragrance of bamboo mixed with the clean scent of linen and gauze lingered in the air, while the curtains and bamboo screens shut out the noise and bustle of the outside world.
The winding passage, with its hidden scenery and changing views at every turn, left Gu Xiaoshuang feeling like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time. She wished she could take her eyes out and record every detail directly into her brain.
“Qian, this feels like some kind of time tunnel.”
With such an immersive environment building anticipation, it was easy to forget all the ordinary worries and annoyances of daily life before even stepping into the hot springs.
“Good design is always captivating,” Li Qian admitted sincerely. “The owner must have hired some real master designer.”
The young attendant Xiao Tian, who was leading them, heard the comment and let out a soft snort, barely suppressing a laugh.
On the morning of the grand opening, Xiao Shan—nicknamed “TEM-8 Xiao Shan” for his English proficiency—and Xiao Tian—“N2 Xiao Tian” for her Japanese certification—had arrived early as the hot spring’s unofficial guardian duo. Since the guests this time were women, Xiao Tian was the one guiding them through the facility.
For some reason, she had experienced a rare bout of insomnia the night before her first day on the job.
Privately, Liu Bo had told everyone that the cost of building the hot spring complex was astronomical. In his view, Xiang Yu had probably staked her entire fortune—and perhaps her future—on this project. Success or failure would be decided here.
It might have been nothing more than the kind of motivational speech middle managers use to fire up the workforce. Yet in a workplace filled entirely with people their own age, it felt less like working for a faceless capitalist and more like everyone coming together to run a giant club project.
That sense of sharing the same fate and working toward the same goal had genuinely started to take hold among them.
Xiao Tian was a little worried that the boss might suddenly collapse from overwork. She wanted to do more to help, but the organization was so loosely run that it created a strange feeling—like knowing you were involved in a billion-yuan project, yet finding it impossible to take things completely seriously. Perhaps it was because it felt more like participating in a giant discount-shopping event than a major business venture…
She was dressed in a simple yet elegant indigo-dyed linen outfit. The resort had opened so hastily that Xiang Yu hadn’t even had time to order employee uniforms. When Xiao Tian heard that the hot spring wasn’t Japanese-style, she had eagerly offered to wear one of her Hanfu outfits from home.
Xiang Yu had greatly appreciated such enthusiasm for “self-funded work attire.” After reviewing photos of Xiao Tian’s elaborate Ming-dynasty-style robes and high-heeled qipaos, however, she concluded that Xiao Tian would probably suffer heatstroke in them. In the end, she chose the simplest linen outfit and instructed her to wear flat shoes.
After all, clothing that felt natural, comfortable, and unpretentious would probably help guests relax more as well.
The bamboo corridor was not long, and they soon arrived at the communal bath.
Both girls let out a synchronized “Wow.”
The interior of the hot spring continued the architectural style of the rest of the resort, with high ceilings and exposed wooden beams. An amber-colored glass lantern hung overhead, its warm light filtering through the rising steam and casting rippling reflections across the walls.
The large central pool had been carved directly from natural rock. The edges showed signs of long-term erosion from the spring water, while the pool walls were made of dark, rough volcanic stone.
The spring water itself was milky white. Thick white steam billowed from its surface—far denser than that of ordinary hot springs. The distinctive scent of sulfur filled the air, and instead of looking crystal clear, the water possessed a rich, silky sheen.
Perhaps to prevent the indoor space from feeling confined, a small waterfall had been built into the rock wall. Water trickled down a series of natural stone terraces, producing a deep, rounded gurgling sound whose gentle rhythm was both soothing and relaxing.
Li Qian, who had mentally prepared herself for the possibility that anything better than a glorified water-filled cell would count as a success, murmured in disbelief:
“This is way too fancy…”
Gu Xiaoshuang could hardly close her mouth from amazement. She reached out and touched a monstera plant beside the pool.
“They even have potted plants! Wow—this one’s healthier than the ones my mom fusses over every single day.”
These carefully selected heat-resistant plants stretched out their broad leaves. Every leaf looked lush and vibrant, glistening with moisture. In the warm, humid air, the plants had absorbed all the water they could want, lazily sending out new shoots and leaves.
The atmosphere was so comfortable that it made a person want to turn into a potted plant and put down roots here forever.
The two girls changed into their bathing clothes and stepped barefoot onto the river stones lining the poolside. The bluish-gray stones were smooth and rounded, dotted with tiny natural pores. Walking on them produced a faint textured sensation, like a natural foot massage.
“Now this is nice,” Gu Xiaoshuang said, her standards completely conquered at this point. “For an environment like this, even if the water were a hundred degrees Celsius, I’d still praise the boss for boiling it perfectly.”
Standing nearby, Xiao Tian smiled with obvious pride and gently reminded them:
“On the left side of the pool, inside the rattan cabinet, you’ll find chilled towel rolls. Hidden among the pebbles on the right are a drinking-water dispenser and a call bell. The hot spring water is quite hot, so please choose according to your physical condition. If you feel unwell at any time, ring for assistance.”
“Thank you, thank you,” Li Qian replied. She felt as though they were getting an incredible bargain for 50 yuan and ended up thanking her twice.
Then she took a deep breath, looking almost intoxicated by the surroundings.
“It smells amazing. What scent is that?”
“Sulfur, mugwort, and pine needles,” Xiao Tian replied cheerfully. She brought over a rolled-up straw mat and spread it over a bed of geothermal-heated pine needles beside the pool.
“This is our specialty geothermal steam bath. If you get tired of soaking, you can come lie here for a while. The pine needles underneath were freshly gathered by villagers this morning. The straw mat keeps them from poking you.”
“You may notice some little bumps around the pool and in the corners of the walls. That’s mirabilite—a mineral deposit unique to sulfur hot springs. It’s perfectly clean. I’ll bring over your hot spring eggs and volcanic mud in a moment. For now, enjoy your soak. If you need anything, just call for me.”
Knowing the young women might feel shy about getting into the water with someone watching, Xiao Tian quickly excused herself instead of lingering and disturbing them.