Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

They strolled in Haitian Hall, admiring the exquisite architecture and garden landscape. Suddenly, a melodious piano sound came, as if it was the sound of nature floating from a distant place. Lin Yifei was attracted by the beautiful piano sound. He walked in the direction of the piano sound and found a cafe.

In the cafe, a young girl was playing the piano, her fingers dancing lightly on the keys, beautiful notes flowing from her fingertips. Lin Yifei was infected by the romantic atmosphere, he took Li Xiao and Zhang Yuedong into the cafe, found a seat, sat down, ordered three cups of coffee, and listened quietly to the wonderful music.

Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei are close friends from college. They have different personalities but all have a burning desire to travel. Li Xiao is cheerful and has many ideas, making him the "wise man" in the team; Zhang Yuedong is steady and reliable, meticulous and thoughtful, and is everyone's "logistics support"; Lin Yifei is full of literary and artistic atmosphere, has a unique understanding of everything in the world, and never leaves his camera, wanting to record every beautiful moment of the journey.

Li Xiao picked up the coffee and took a sip, feeling the fragrance and warmth of the coffee. He looked at the beautiful scenery outside the window and said with emotion: "In a place like this, listening to the melodious piano and drinking the fragrant coffee, it is really a kind of enjoyment."

Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Gulangyu is really a place full of romance and literary atmosphere. Once you come here, you don't want to leave."

They sat in the cafe for a long time, enjoying the rare tranquility and comfort. They didn't get up and leave until the sun set, and continued to explore this beautiful island.

After coming out of the cafe, their stomachs started to growl. Li Xiao suggested: "Let's go eat seafood. How can we not eat seafood when we come to Xiamen? I heard that the seafood in Gulangyu is very fresh and tastes great."

Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei agreed. So they came to a food stall by the sea. The food stall was very popular and the seats were full. They found a seat and sat down. The waiter came up to them enthusiastically and handed them the menu.

Zhang Yuedong's eyes lit up when he looked at the menu. "There are so many kinds of seafood here, including crabs, shrimps, shellfish, fish, etc. There are also many that I can't name."

Li Xiao smiled and said, "Then let's order some signature dishes and try some local specialties."

They ordered a steamed crab, a boiled shrimp, a stir-fried clams, an oyster omelet, a satay noodle dish and a sea cucumber jelly.

Steamed crabs are big, with full, tender and juicy meat. Simply steaming them will bring out the original deliciousness of the crabs. Li Xiao peeled off the crab shell, revealing the white crab meat inside. He dipped it in a little vinegar and put it in his mouth. Immediately, the delicious taste spread in his mouth, making him praise it endlessly: "This crab is so delicious, the meat is tender and the taste is delicious. It is simply a delicacy on earth."

The boiled shrimps are also very fresh, with chewy and smooth meat. You can dip them in soy sauce and mustard to add a special flavor. Zhang Yuedong said as he ate, "These shrimps are really fresh, original, and very satisfying to eat."

The fried clams are rich in flavor, the clam meat is tender and delicious, and the soup is very tasty, making people unable to resist eating one mouthful after another. Lin Yifei ate with gusto and said, "These clams are so delicious. This is the first time I have eaten such delicious clams."

Oyster omelette is a traditional snack in Xiamen, made with fresh oysters, eggs and starch. Oyster omelette is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fragrant, and paired with sweet and spicy sauce and coriander, the taste is even richer. Li Xiao tasted a bite of oyster omelette and praised: "This oyster omelette is really delicious, the delicious oysters and the tender eggs are perfectly combined, and the sweet and spicy sauce is a perfect match."

Then, they tasted the Shacha Noodles. Shacha Noodles is one of Xiamen's specialties. It uses Shacha sauce as the soup base, and adds noodles, shrimps, fish balls, tofu puffs and other ingredients. It has a strong flavor and rich taste. Li Xiao took a sip of the Shacha Noodles soup and was immediately conquered by the rich taste: "The taste of this Shacha Noodles is so unique, the aroma of the Shacha sauce is rich and mellow, and the ingredients are also rich. It's really delicious."

Finally, they tasted the earthworm jelly. Earthworm jelly is a jelly-like delicacy made from sea sandworms. It is crystal clear and has a smooth taste. Li Xiao looked at the earthworm jelly and was a little hesitant, but he still plucked up the courage to taste it. Unexpectedly, the taste of the earthworm jelly made him feel very novel. He said in surprise: "The taste of this earthworm jelly is so special, smooth, cool, and has a light fresh taste. It's really amazing."

Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei also tasted the earthworm jelly and praised its taste. With laughter and joy, they enjoyed this sumptuous seafood feast and felt the unique food culture of Xiamen.

After eating seafood, they came to the Nanyin Pavilion of Haitiantanggou to enjoy a Nanyin performance. Nanyin is the traditional music of Fujian, known as the "living fossil of Chinese music history" and has a unique artistic charm.

Li Xiao said: "I have heard that Nanyin is very beautiful, and today I finally have the opportunity to experience it live. I heard that the singing style and instruments of Nanyin are very unique, and I am looking forward to it."

Zhang Yuedong also expressed his anticipation: "Yes, Nanyin is sung in Minnan dialect. Although I don't understand the lyrics, I can feel its melody and charm."

Lin Yifei was very interested in the instruments of Nanyin. He said: "I checked online and found that the accompaniment instruments of Nanyin include pipa, sanxian, dongxiao, erxian, etc. The timbres of these instruments are very unique, and the music they play must be very nice."

The performance began, and the first to appear were several actors in traditional costumes, holding instruments such as pipa, sanxian, and dongxiao, and began to play. The music sounded, and the melodious melody seemed to take them through time and space and back to ancient southern Fujian.

The singing of Nanyin is melodious and full of charm. The actors sang affectionately in Minnan dialect. Although they did not understand the specific meaning of the lyrics, they were deeply intoxicated by the affectionate singing and beautiful melody. Lin Yifei stared at the actors on the stage and recorded this wonderful moment with his camera.

During the performance, they also learned about the history and cultural background of Nanyin. Nanyin originated in the Tang Dynasty, was formed in the Song Dynasty, and was mainly popular in the southern Fujian region. It combines the elements of ancient music from the Central Plains, folk music from southern Fujian, and overseas music, and has a unique artistic style. The repertoire of Nanyin is rich and diverse, with songs expressing love, telling historical stories, and depicting natural scenery. The accompaniment instruments of Nanyin also opened their eyes. The pipa is one of the most important instruments in Nanyin. It has a crisp and pleasant tone. When playing, the fingers quickly pluck the strings to produce beautiful notes. The timbre of the three-stringed instrument is thick and low, echoing with the pipa and complementing each other. The timbre of the dongxiao is melodious and ethereal, as if carrying a touch of sadness, adding a unique charm to Nanyin. The timbre of the two-stringed instrument is bright and cheerful, adding vitality to the whole music.

This Nanyin performance made them feel the profoundness of the Minnan culture and gave them a deeper understanding of the traditional art of Nanyin. After the performance, they gave warm applause and expressed their gratitude to the actors for their wonderful performance.

After watching the Nanyin performance, they came to Longtou Road, the most prosperous commercial street in Gulangyu Island, where there are all kinds of shops selling various special products and souvenirs.

Li Xiao said: "When you come to Gulangyu, you must bring some local specialties back for your family and friends. There must be a lot of local specialties here, let's pick them carefully."

Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, I also want to buy myself some souvenirs as a commemoration of this trip."

They walked into a pie shop, which was filled with pies of various flavors, including mung bean, red bean, coconut, and meat floss. Zhang Yuedong tried several flavors of pies and said, "This Xiamen pie is really delicious. The crust is crispy, the filling is sweet, and the taste is delicate. Each flavor has its own unique taste." Finally, he bought a large box of pies of different flavors to take back and share with his family and friends.

Then, they came to a shop selling Kinmen Gongtang. Kinmen Gongtang is a specialty snack in Xiamen. It is made of peanuts and maltose, and has a crispy texture, sweet and delicious. Li Xiao picked up a piece of Gongtang and put it in his mouth. In an instant, the sweet taste spread in his mouth. He praised it highly: "This Kinmen Gongtang is indeed well-deserved. It tastes too sweet and has a crispy texture. The more you eat, the more addictive it becomes." So he bought a few bags of Gongtang and prepared to take it back as a snack.

In Longtou Road, they also bought some other specialties, such as nougat, dried meat, fish floss, etc. Nougat has a strong milky aroma and contains many nuts of various flavors, making it a very popular souvenir; dried meat is made from high-quality pork and cooked with unique technology, with a delicate, crispy and delicious taste; fish floss is made from fresh fish meat, rich in nutrition and delicious, and can be used to mix rice or noodles.

Carrying full shopping bags, they walked on Longtou Road, feeling the bustle and prosperity of Gulangyu Island. Today's trip to Xiamen has brought them a lot of gains. They not only enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Gulangyu Island, tasted Xiamen's delicacies, watched the wonderful performance of Nanyin, but also bought many Xiamen specialties. They know that this romantic coastal city has left a deep impression in their hearts.

Time flies, and their trip is gradually coming to an end. The night before they set off on their return journey, the three of them sat together in the hotel room, sharing the photos they had taken along the way and reminiscing about every detail of their journey.

Li Xiao looked through the photos in his camera and said with emotion: "Every city along the way has left a deep impression on me. The Forbidden City in Beijing, with its rich historical and cultural heritage, seems to have taken me back to ancient times; the Hongyadong in Chongqing, with its dreamlike night view and the hot and satisfying hot pot, still leaves me with endless aftertastes; Gulangyu in Xiamen, a small island full of romance, has a unique story in every building and alley."

Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, this trip is really unforgettable. Not only did I see beautiful scenery and taste local delicacies, but I also experienced different folk cultures. The Peking Opera, Sichuan Opera face-changing, and Nanyin performances gave me a deeper understanding and love for China's traditional culture."

While sorting the photos, Lin Yifei said: "We also met a lot of interesting people and heard a lot of touching stories. These experiences will become the most precious wealth in our lives."

They recalled how they were absorbed in learning about historical stories with the guide in the Forbidden City; how they were sweating profusely in the spicy hotpot restaurant in Chongqing but still exclaimed how satisfying it was; and how they listened to the melodious piano music and enjoyed the quiet time in the cafe on Gulangyu Island. Every moment seemed to be right in front of them.

Li Xiao picked up a photo of the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square and said, "When I saw the five-star red flag slowly rising in Tiananmen Square, I felt a sense of pride in my heart. The solemn atmosphere made me feel deeply proud of being a Chinese."

Zhang Yuedong looked at a photo taken in the ancient town of Ciqikou in Chongqing and said with a smile: "When I was buying local specialties in Ciqikou, the enthusiastic shop owners and the wide variety of special products made me feel the atmosphere of this city."

Lin Yifei took out a photo of him watching the sunset at the beach in Xiamen and said with emotion: "At the beach in Xiamen, when I watched the sunset, I felt that time had stopped. The beautiful sunset glow and the sparkling sea were really beautiful."

They shared interesting stories from the trip, the small attractions they accidentally discovered because they got lost, and the little episodes they encountered during the trip, all of which became the shining points in their memories. Amidst the laughter and joy, their reluctance to leave this trip became stronger.

Li Xiao looked at the night view outside the window and said softly, "I really don't want this trip to end. I feel like there are still many places I haven't been to and many landscapes I haven't seen."

Zhang Yuedong patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't be sad. Although this trip is over, there are still many journeys waiting for us in our lives. We will have the opportunity to visit more places and see more scenery in the future."

Lin Yifei also nodded and said, "Yes, this trip is just the beginning. Next time when we have time, we will set out together to explore more beautiful things."

They agreed that after returning to their respective cities, they would compile their travel experiences and photos into an album as a souvenir of the trip. At the same time, they also began to look forward to the next trip, the next gathering, to experience more different customs and create more beautiful memories.

On this quiet night, they fell into a sweet dream with full memories and expectations for future travel. And this trip to China will become an unforgettable and beautiful memory in their hearts, inspiring them to bravely explore and pursue more wonderful things in their future life. (End of this chapter)