Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1652

After getting ashore, their stomachs growled, so they looked for an authentic Hangzhou restaurant. West Lake vinegar fish is a must-order dish, and as soon as it was served, the sweet and sour aroma filled the air. The fish is bright red in color, the sauce is thick, the fish meat is fresh and tender, and the sweet and sour taste spreads on the tip of the tongue, leaving a lasting aftertaste. Li Xiao tasted it carefully and nodded: "This West Lake vinegar fish has just the right sweet and sour taste, and the fish meat is fresh and tender. It is worthy of being a famous dish in Hangzhou." Zhang Yuedong ate happily, and while devouring the food, he said vaguely: "I like this taste, it feels like every bite is the taste of West Lake." Lin Yifei took a close-up of the vinegar fish and said with a smile: "Such a distinctive dish must be recorded to make my friends in the circle of friends jealous."

In the afternoon, the sun was soft, and they went to the West Lake Longjing Tea Garden. The tea garden was layered and green, with rows of tea trees neatly arranged, like soldiers waiting for inspection. Strolling through, the fragrance of tea was everywhere, and the fresh tea fragrance mixed with the fragrance of soil and grass was refreshing. The tea farmers wore bamboo hats and skillfully picked fresh tea leaves, their fingers dancing on the tea trees. Li Xiao walked up and asked the tea farmer: "Uncle, is there anything particular about picking tea?" The tea farmer replied enthusiastically: "Of course not, you have to pick this bud and one leaf, and you have to move gently so as not to damage the tea leaves." Zhang Yuedong also tried to pick it, but he was clumsy, which made everyone laugh. Lin Yifei focused on filming every detail in the tea garden, and sighed: "This tea garden is a green ocean, and every piece of tea carries the tea culture of Hangzhou."

At night, when the lights were on, they walked into the theater to watch a Yue Opera performance. On the stage, the actors were dressed in gorgeous costumes, dancing with sleeves and singing in a melodious voice. The delicate performance and graceful posture interpreted the legend of the ages. Li Xiao was immersed in the charm of the opera and said softly: "The singing of Yue Opera is soft, sweet and just like the Wu dialect of Hangzhou. It is really comfortable to listen to." Although Zhang Yuedong didn't understand much, he was also attracted by the performance on the stage and clapped his hands gently to the rhythm: "It's really beautiful, every move is full of charm." Lin Yifei used a camera to record the wonderful moments of the actors and sighed: "Traditional culture is really profound and profound. The charm of Yue Opera is impressive."

After leaving the theater, they strolled along the street and were attracted by a silk shop. The shop was full of silk products with bright colors and soft texture. Li Xiao picked a silk scarf, stroked the fabric, and praised: "This silk feels so good, delicate and smooth, it is worthy of being a specialty of Hangzhou." Zhang Yuedong bought a silk pajamas and smiled: "I can feel the gentleness of Hangzhou when I sleep in the future." Lin Yifei chose a silk painting with the beautiful scenery of West Lake. He said with satisfaction: "Bring West Lake home, looking at the painting will remind me of this wonderful trip to Hangzhou."

The time in Hangzhou is poetic and picturesque. The three of them continue their journey with full of poetry and nostalgia. The next stop will be Suzhou. What kind of scenery will be waiting for them?

After leaving the Jiangnan water town, the three of them arrived in Chongqing by plane. As soon as they walked out of the airport, a wave of heat mixed with the aroma of hot pot hit them in the face, as if welcoming them warmly. Li Xiao looked at the rolling mountains and scattered high-rise buildings in the distance, and couldn't help but sigh: "Chongqing is indeed a mountain city, with mountains and rivers interdependent, and the city built on the mountain, it is so unique!" Zhang Yuedong jumped up excitedly and looked around, saying: "I can't wait to go shopping, I heard that the night view here is beautiful!" Lin Yifei quickly pressed the shutter of the camera and smiled: "This unique landform, any shot is a blockbuster, the mountain city is really well-deserved."

They came to the famous Hongya Cave. As night fell and the lights came on, the three of them were amazed by the scene before them. The stacked stilt houses were built against the mountain, with brilliant lights, like a dreamy castle in the sky. Li Xiao looked up, his eyes full of shock: "This Hongya Cave is simply the real-life version of "Spirited Away". The architectural style is so unique, and the wisdom of the ancients is amazing." Zhang Yuedong shuttled among the crowd, busy taking pictures, muttering: "I have to take a few more pictures, and post them on WeChat Moments when I go back, they will be envious to death." Lin Yifei chose a perfect angle to record the beauty of Hongya Cave completely, saying: "This light and shadow, these lines, are breathtakingly beautiful. Chongqing night is so charming."

After a tiring stroll, a hot, spicy and delicious Chongqing hot pot is a must. The three of them walked into a hot pot restaurant in an alley. The restaurant was bustling with people, and the bottom of the pot of beef oil was gurgling, and the aroma was overflowing. The dishes such as tripe, duck intestines, beef, and county flowers filled the table, which made people salivate. Li Xiao skillfully put the tripe into the pot. After a few ups and downs, the tripe was covered with soup. When he put it in his mouth, it was crisp and tender. He closed his eyes with satisfaction: "This tripe is crispy and tender, and it crunches in the mouth. It's so delicious!" Zhang Yuedong ate the beef in big mouthfuls. He exhaled because of the spiciness, but he kept stuffing it into his mouth: "It's so spicy. This is the taste of hot pot. It's really exciting to eat!" Although Lin Yifei's eyes were red because of the spiciness, he was reluctant to put down his chopsticks. He smiled and said: "This hot pot, you will never forget it after eating it once. Chongqing cuisine is really well-deserved. I have to take a picture to make my friends jealous."

The next day, they went to the theater to watch the Sichuan Opera face-changing. On the stage, the actors were dressed in gorgeous costumes. With a wave of their hands, their faces changed instantly, either red-faced Guan Gong or white-faced Cao Cao. The facial makeup changed so quickly that it was hard to keep up. The fire-breathing performance pushed the atmosphere to a climax. Flames spewed out of the actors' mouths, causing the audience to exclaim. Li Xiao was fascinated and couldn't help clapping and cheering: "This face-changing is so magical, there is no flaw at all. The traditional culture is so profound." Zhang Yuedong also cheered: "It's amazing. This technique is worthy of being a unique Sichuan Opera. Today is really an eye-opener." Lin Yifei used a camera to capture every wonderful moment and exclaimed: "This picture is full of mysterious oriental charm. I must organize it well when I go back."

In the afternoon, the three of them strolled in the ancient town of Ciqikou. The bluestone road was winding, and on both sides were quaint shops selling various special snacks and handicrafts. There was a long queue at the door of Chen Mahua. The freshly fried mahua was fragrant, and it was crispy and sweet when you took a bite. There were also handmade glutinous rice cakes, which were soft, glutinous and chewy. Dipped in soybean powder and brown sugar syrup, they were sweet but not greasy. Li Xiao bought a few bags of mahua and planned to take them back for his family to try: "This mahua is fragrant and crispy. It is the perfect souvenir." Zhang Yuedong held a bowl of glutinous rice cake and ate it happily. He said vaguely: "This glutinous rice cake has a great taste. I can eat another bowl." Lin Yifei was attracted by a paper-cutting shop. He selected several exquisite paper-cutting works and said with a smile: "These paper-cuttings are all works of art. They cut out the customs of Chongqing. It’s great to take them back as souvenirs."

The heat and charm of Chongqing left a deep impression on the three people. With full of memories, they rushed to the next destination to explore more beauty.

After bidding farewell to the hot Sichuan and Chongqing, the three set out on a journey to the Inner Mongolia prairie. Along the way, the scenery outside the car window gradually changed from a bustling city to a vast grassland, and the blue sky and white clouds seemed to be within reach. Li Xiao pointed out the window excitedly and shouted: "Look, we're here at the grassland! This is so spectacular!" Zhang Yuedong couldn't wait to open the car window, took a deep breath of the air with the fragrance of green grass, and said excitedly: "This is the real land of freedom, I want to go down and run around!" Lin Yifei was busy using his camera to record the beautiful scenery along the way, muttering: "This picture is as beautiful as a painting, I have to compile it into a book when I go back."

After arriving at the grassland, they immediately ran to the horse farm and selected three horses. Li Xiao skillfully climbed onto the horse, pulled the reins, the horse neighed, and ran forward. He shouted loudly: "Go! Feel the feeling of the wind and lightning, it's so cool!" Zhang Yuedong was not to be outdone, clamped the horse's belly, followed, and shouted: "Look, I'll surpass you!" Lin Yifei rode the horse carefully, admiring the scenery around him, and occasionally pressed the shutter to capture the wonderful moments on horseback. The three of them galloped on the grassland, and their laughter echoed in the wind. It happened to be the Nadam Festival, and the grassland was very lively. They came to the wrestling venue and saw two Mongolian strong men wearing traditional wrestling clothes. After testing each other, they suddenly exerted force and twisted and hugged each other. The contest of strength and skills made people excited. Li Xiao exclaimed in amazement: "Wrestling is really a technical job. It looks simple, but it actually contains hidden secrets." Zhang Yuedong also applauded: "It's so exciting. This is the style of grassland men!" Lin Yifei quickly pressed the shutter, wanting to freeze this powerful moment.

At the archery field, archers put arrows on their bows and shot arrows at the bull's eye like meteors, drawing cheers from the audience. Li Xiao picked up a bow and tried to pull it, saying with emotion: "This bow is quite powerful. It's not easy to hit the bull's eye. The archery skills of the ancients were really amazing." Zhang Yuedong was eager to try and shot several arrows in a row. Although the results were not good, he had a great time: "Haha, this is much harder than I thought, but it's really fun!" Lin Yifei was filming the archers' focused expressions and agile postures.

The horse racing was even more exciting. The riders, dressed in bright ethnic costumes, rode their horses at lightning speed. The horses' hooves raised dust and the audience cheered one after another. Li Xiao and his friends were also infected by the enthusiastic atmosphere and cheered: "Come on! Come on!" Zhang Yuedong jumped up excitedly: "This speed is so exciting, it's worthy of being a grand event on the grassland!" Lin Yifei captured the moment of the horses galloping, and the camera was full of speed and passion.

After playing for a long time, they naturally cannot do without delicious food. They walked into a yurt restaurant, where a roasted whole lamb was placed in the middle of the table. It was golden in color and full of fragrance. The Mongolian uncle came up to them enthusiastically, holding a sharp knife, cut the roasted whole lamb into small pieces, and handed it to them. Li Xiao took the mutton and took a bite. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fragrant but not greasy. He praised: "This roasted whole lamb is a must-try. The meat is tender and juicy, and the taste of the spices is just right." Zhang Yuedong ate with his mouth full of oil and gave a thumbs up: "It's so heroic to eat roasted whole lamb on the grassland. I will never forget this taste!" Lin Yifei took a close-up of the roasted whole lamb and said with a smile: "Such a delicious roasted whole lamb must be recorded to make friends jealous."

After dinner, they strolled on the grassland, admiring the gorgeous sunset in the sky. In the distance, herds of cattle and sheep were grazing leisurely, like a peaceful pastoral painting. Li Xiao said with emotion: "On this grassland, time has slowed down, and everything is so beautiful." Zhang Yuedong took a deep breath and said: "Yes, I really want to stay a few more days to feel this tranquility." Lin Yifei used his camera to freeze this beautiful moment, his heart full of love for the grassland.

Before leaving, they walked into a small shop selling Mongolian-style jewelry. The shop was full of exquisite silver jewelry, gorgeous leather paintings, unique Mongolian knives, etc. Li Xiao picked out a silver bookmark with a Mongolian totem and planned to give it to a friend who loves reading: "This bookmark has both cultural connotations and is exquisite. My friends will definitely like it." Zhang Yuedong chose a small Mongolian knife and couldn't put it down: "This knife is finely crafted. Take it back as a souvenir and feel the grandeur of the grassland." Lin Yifei bought several leather paintings with beautiful scenery of the grassland. He said with satisfaction: "Hang the beauty of the grassland at home, and you can always think of this unforgettable trip."

With reluctance to leave the grassland, the three embarked on a new journey, their hearts full of anticipation for the next stop. The magnificence and pride of the grassland have been deeply imprinted in their hearts.

As the journey progressed, the three people's footprints spread all over the country, and their hearts were filled with countless stories and memories. When the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the road home, their bags were heavy with local specialties, but their hearts were filled with reluctance and attachment.

Li Xiao said with emotion: "During this trip, we have seen the solemnity of the Forbidden City, the beauty of West Lake, the fantasy of Hongyadong, and the grandeur of the prairie. Every scene is like a dream that makes me reluctant to wake up." Zhang Yuedong patted him on the shoulder, his eyes sparkling: "Yes, those delicacies, folk performances, and all kinds of people I met have made me feel the charm of our China. This trip is really worth it!" Lin Yifei looked through the photos in the camera and said with a smile: "These photos record our every bit. When we go back, we must organize them well and make an album to keep this beauty forever."

This trip not only allowed them to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the motherland, but also allowed them to support each other and grow together during the journey. The amazement in front of the scenic spots, the laughter when tasting the food, the shock when watching the folk performances, and the joy when choosing the specialties have become the solid foundation of their friendship.

Now, although they are on their way home, they know that this is only a temporary farewell. The roads they have traveled and the scenery they have seen have planted a seed of yearning for freedom and exploring beauty in their hearts. In the future, there are more distant places waiting for them to conquer and more stories waiting for them to write.

The three of them smiled at each other, their eyes full of expectations for the future, and walked towards home with full of memories and warmth. The beauty of this trip will be forever engraved in their hearts and become the most brilliant chapter in their lives.