Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1643

Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei are good friends who have known each other for many years. They are usually confined to their own little world in the city due to work, busy and exhausted. Finally, the three of them got together some vacation and decided to take a leisurely tour across China.

The first stop was the ancient city of Hangzhou. When they arrived at the West Lake, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the water vapor was lingering on the lake like a veil. The mountains in the distance were like the outlines in an ink painting, with shadows. The Su Causeway lay across the blue waves like a green ribbon. The weeping willows on the embankment were swaying, and the newly sprouted branches danced in the wind, caressing the shoulders of tourists from time to time.

Li Xiao's eyes sparkled with excitement. He pulled the two people beside him and walked quickly to the lakeside: "Look, this West Lake is much more beautiful than the photos. No wonder the ancients loved to recite poems here." Zhang Yuedong took a deep breath of the steamy air and nodded: "Indeed, it feels like even the air is poetic. Let's walk along the Su Causeway?" Lin Yifei had already raised his camera and was taking pictures of the occasional boats on the lake. He responded: "Okay, I have to take more beautiful photos to show my colleagues who didn't come."

Walking along the Su Causeway, seeing the crowds at the Broken Bridge and the colorful koi in the Flower Harbor, the three people's stomachs began to growl. They found a time-honored Hangzhou restaurant and ordered Dongpo pork, West Lake vinegar fish and Longjing shrimp. When the bright red Dongpo pork was served, the soft, glutinous and sweet aroma went straight into his nose. Li Xiao couldn't wait to pick up a piece, which melted in his mouth. He hummed with satisfaction: "This Dongpo pork is fat but not greasy. It's amazing. It's worth the walk." Zhang Yuedong tasted the West Lake vinegar fish, which was sour and fresh. He said: "The taste of this vinegar fish is like eating the elegance of West Lake."

After eating and drinking, they heard that there was a folk performance nearby, which was a traditional Yue Opera excerpt. On the stage, the actors appeared in full dress, with fluttering sleeves and melodious singing. Although Lin Yifei did not understand the words, he was also attracted by the soft rhythm: "This tune makes me feel comfortable. The things left by our ancestors are full of charm." After watching the show, they bought some silk handkerchiefs and Longjing tea at a street shop to take back to their relatives and friends.

The next stop is Chengdu, a bustling city. As soon as I got out of the train station, the spicy and delicious smell hit me. I took a taxi to Kuanzhai Alley, where the bluestone road stretched out under my feet and the old courtyards were transformed into small specialty shops. Kuanxiang was bustling with people, and craftsmen demonstrated their sugar painting skills on the street. Spoonfuls of sugar liquid quickly took shape on the iron plate, turning into lifelike zodiac animals. Li Xiao was curious and joked with the stall owner: "Master, give me a dragon. I am a dragon and it looks so majestic."

After walking around for a while, we went to a hot pot restaurant. The red oil was bubbling in the pot, and the table was filled with tripe, duck intestines, and tender beef. Zhang Yuedong dipped the tripe in the hot water, stuffed it into his mouth immediately after swishing it up and down, and said vaguely: "This tripe is so crispy that my ears are ringing. Chengdu hot pot is well-deserved." Lin Yifei's face was red from the spiciness, but he was reluctant to put down his chopsticks and stuffed beef balls into his mouth: "It's spicy, but it's too addictive. I feel like I can stay here and eat here for the rest of my life."

At night, the folk performances on the banks of the Jinjiang River are fire-breathing and face-changing. The face-changing artist flicks his hand and waves his fan, and the facial makeup changes instantly, causing the audience to exclaim. Li Xiao cheers at the top of his voice, while Lin Yifei is busy recording. After watching the performance, they carry several large bags of hot pot base and rabbit heads, and run to the next city with satisfaction, full of expectations for the unknown journey, and laughter is sprinkled on every inch of land they pass by.

After bidding farewell to the hot Chengdu, the three of them came to the charming Lijiang Ancient City. Entering the ancient city, it was like stepping into an old dream. Under your feet is a stone road polished by time, and beside you is a gurgling stream with a few river lanterns floating in the stream. The Mu Mansion stands solemnly and majestically in the center of the ancient city, with flying eaves and corners, carved beams and painted buildings. The sunlight shines on the golden plaque, reflecting the heavy light of history.

Li Xiao looked up at the Mu Mansion and exclaimed, "This Mu Mansion is so grand, it feels like it hides many stories." Zhang Yuedong added, "Of course it is. The history of Lijiang over the past few hundred years may be concentrated here. Let's go in and take a good look." After buying a ticket and entering the Mu Mansion, Lin Yifei stroked the exquisite wood carvings from time to time as he walked between the courtyards and pavilions, saying softly, "The craftsmanship of our ancestors is so exquisite. Today's machines can't carve out this charm."

After leaving the Mu Mansion, we were already starving, so we found a Naxi restaurant and ordered cured pork ribs hot pot and Naxi grilled fish. When the steaming cured pork ribs pot was served, the rich aroma of meat filled the air. Li Xiao was the first to pick up a piece of pork ribs and chewed it, leaving a lingering fragrance in his mouth: "This cured flavor, the more you chew it, the more fragrant it is, with a mellow taste of air-dried food." Zhang Yuedong tasted the Naxi grilled fish, the fish skin was crispy and fragrant, and the fish meat was tender. He praised it highly: "This grilled fish combines many flavors, it is so unique."

As night fell, Sifang Street was brightly lit, and the Naxi dance began. Locals and tourists held hands, formed a circle, and stomped their feet and jumped to the cheerful rhythm. Li Xiao and the other two were also enthusiastically invited to join. Lin Yifei laughed while dancing: "This dance is so joyful. All worries disappear when I dance." After the dance, they picked some hand-dyed fabrics and notebooks made of Dongba paper, and continued their journey to the next stop with the romance of Lijiang.

After bidding farewell to the dreamlike Lijiang, the three of us boarded the train to Guilin. Along the way, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from continuous mountains to the unique karst peaks. As soon as we arrived in Guilin, the moist air was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees, instantly diluting the fatigue of the journey.

They headed straight to the Lijiang Scenic Area. The Lijiang River in the early morning looked like a watercolor painting that had not yet dried up. The river was filled with mist, and the peaks on both sides looked like spring bamboo shoots emerging from the water, with various shapes. Some looked like camels lying on the ground, and some looked like old men guarding the river. Li Xiao pointed to a solitary peak in the distance and shouted excitedly: "Look at that one, doesn't it look like a pen tip inserted between heaven and earth? This must be the legendary 'Magic Pen Peak'!" Zhang Yuedong pushed his glasses, looked at it carefully, and agreed: "It really looks like it. Nature is the best artist. With just a flick of the hand, it is a unique wonder." Lin Yifei had already set up the drawing board, ready to freeze this lively picture on paper, muttering: "Such a beautiful scene, the camera can't capture the charm, it depends on my hands."

At noon, their stomachs urged them to go ashore to find food. They walked into a local shop and ordered Yangshuo beer fish and Lipu taro braised pork. When the beer fish was served, the rich aroma of beer and the tenderness of the fish meat blended perfectly. Li Xiao ate it with relish and exclaimed: "This fish is so tasty. The wheat aroma of beer has completely removed the fishy smell and added a bit of boldness." Zhang Yuedong also praised the Lipu taro braised pork. The soft, sweet and glutinous taro was sandwiched with fat and lean braised pork. After a bite, the taste buds cheered: "This braised pork and taro are just the right softness, and the sweet and salty combination is amazing!" In the afternoon, Yangshuo West Street became lively. The streets and alleys were full of folk performances, and there were Zhuang folk songs duets. The loud singing came one after another. Although I couldn't understand the lyrics, the simple and warm emotions were touching. Li Xiao swayed along with the rhythm and joked, "This song is much more exciting than the one we sing at KTV. It's full of real feelings." Lin Yifei was attracted by the hydrangeas on the street. The colorful hydrangeas were extremely delicate. He picked and chose and bought a few: "I'll take them back to my sister. She will definitely like these little things."

Then, they set off on their journey to Xiamen. The sea breeze in Xiamen was salty and refreshing. On Gulangyu Island, buildings of various styles were scattered in an orderly manner, with Gothic spires and Baroque carvings, as if they were in a museum of architectural art. Li Xiao shuttled through the alleys and exclaimed: "This small island actually hides so many houses of different styles. The historical heritage is so profound."

After walking around until I was hungry, the aroma of shacha noodles wafted in from the corner of the street. I walked into the noodle shop and ordered three full bowls. The rich shacha soup wrapped the chewy noodles and fresh seafood. Zhang Yuedong ate until his forehead was sweating. He said happily: "This shacha noodles, every bite is the essence of the sea and the land, so satisfying."

At night, the Ring Island Road was brightly lit, and a folk dragon dance performance was being performed. The huge dragon body tumbled and jumped with the drum beats, and Lin Yifei was excited: "The dragon dance is so imposing, and it feels like my spirit is ignited!" After watching the performance, they bought a few boxes of pineapple cakes, and with the longing for the next stop, they set off again to encounter more mountains, rivers, lakes, and fireworks. Continuing to leave the romantic coastal city of Xiamen, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei rushed to Xi'an without stopping. As soon as they stepped into this ancient capital, the heavy historical atmosphere came like a tide. The ancient city wall stood tall, and in the afterglow of the setting sun, the mottled bricks and stones were like weathered old men, silently telling the past of a thousand years.

The three climbed up the city wall, rented bicycles, and rode along the wide city road. With the breeze blowing across his face, Li Xiao exclaimed happily: "Riding on this city wall feels like traveling back to ancient times. Maybe I can meet the patrolling soldiers!" Zhang Yuedong smiled and replied: "Then we have to take it easy and don't bump into the 'official'." Lin Yifei was busy capturing the silhouette of the city wall at sunset, and every frame was simple and majestic.

After getting off the city wall, their stomachs growled, and they headed straight into the Muslim Street. The streets were lined with steaming food stalls, selling mutton soup with steamed buns, sesame sauce cold noodles, and zongzi... a dazzling array of dishes. They found a time-honored restaurant and sat down, ordered a few bowls of mutton soup with steamed buns, and had to break the buns themselves after receiving them from the store. Li Xiao struggled to break them, while joking, "You have to practice your skills to eat steamed buns with steamed buns." When the steamed buns were served, the rich mutton soup wrapped around the tiny pieces of steamed bun. Zhang Yuedong couldn't wait to scoop up a spoonful and praised, "The soup is rich and meaty, and the steamed buns have absorbed the soup. They are so solid, and they are worthy of being Xi'an's signature dish."

After eating and drinking, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda Square was already full of people, waiting for the largest musical fountain show in Asia. When the lights came on, the water jets gushed out with the exciting music rhythm, sometimes like a dragon soaring into the sky, sometimes like a swaying fairy. Lin Yifei was so amazed: "Wow, this fountain is so shocking, a collision of technology and history." After the show, they picked out some quaint Terracotta Warriors and Horses ornaments and silk scarves with Qin Opera mask patterns in the surrounding shops, ready to add a few more "Xi'an marks" to their journey.

Then, the three of them headed for Qingdao. As soon as they arrived at the beach, the refreshing sea breeze, carrying the unique salty and humid smell of the sea, immediately blew away the heat of the journey. The pier extended to the sea surface, like a road leading to the depths of the ocean. Li Xiao was the first to rush up, ran to the end of the pier, and shouted: "Look at this sea, it's so blue, it feels like it can cleanse people's hearts." Zhang Yuedong echoed on the side: "Indeed, you can't see such a magnificent view in the city."

Near noon, we found a seafood restaurant and ordered spicy fried clams, Spanish mackerel dumplings and braised prawns. The fresh clams were fried until they opened and spit out juice. Li Xiao sucked the clam meat and exhaled because of the spiciness: "This clam is fresh and spicy, one bite at a time, I can't stop eating it." When I took a bite of the Spanish mackerel dumplings, the tender fish filling oozed delicious juice. Zhang Yuedong gave a thumbs up: "This dumpling is amazing, the freshness of the sea is packed in it."

The May Fourth Square was bustling at night, with a light show going on. The colorful lights were reflected on the sea, creating various patterns. Lin Yifei was attracted by the gorgeous scene and murmured, "This light show shows the fashion and vitality of Qingdao to the fullest." After watching the show, they took a few bags of Qingdao specialty fish fillets and Laoshan green tea, and planned the next unknown journey with great interest. Continuing from Qingdao, the next stop is Dali in the south of the colorful clouds. The train slowly pulled into Dali Station. Looking up, under the clear and high blue sky, Cangshan Mountain stood majestically, with unmelted snow on the top of the mountain, as if a white crown was worn on the giant. The Erhai Lake was sparkling, like a huge mirror, containing Cangshan Mountain and the flowing clouds.

Li Xiao couldn't wait to rent an electric car and shouted, "Let's ride along Erhai Lake. It's such a beautiful view. It's a waste to take a car." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei agreed happily. Along the way, the wind was filled with fresh water vapor and the fragrance of flowers and plants. Passing through Xizhou Ancient Town, the buildings with Bai characteristics are scattered and orderly, and the colorful paintings on the eaves are exquisite and gorgeous. Lin Yifei stopped the car and pointed to an old house and said, "Look, this building is so full of ethnic characteristics, with carved beams and painted buildings. There must be many stories hidden inside."

We walked into the ancient town and found a small shop to taste the crispy baba. The freshly baked baba was crispy on the outside, soft and sticky on the inside, and filled with sweet rose filling. Li Xiao took a big bite, his cheeks bulging, and said vaguely: "This baba is so fragrant, the rose flavor is refreshing, and the sweetness is just right." Zhang Yuedong paired it with the salty meat-filled baba and ate it with relish: "I didn't miss out on both salty and sweet tastes, so that this trip to Xizhou would not be in vain."

In the evening, they rushed to Shuanglang and found a homestay by the sea to stay in.