Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1714

After tasting the delicious food, they came to a theater to watch a Yue Opera performance. Yue Opera is one of the five major Chinese operas. It originated in Shengzhou, Zhejiang and is famous for its beautiful singing and delicate performance style. When they walked into the theater, it was already full of spectators, and everyone was waiting for the performance to begin with great anticipation.

As the melodious music sounded, the actors dressed in gorgeous costumes appeared on stage. Their performance was delicate and vivid, and they were proficient in singing, reciting, acting and fighting. Every move showed their profound skills. The actors' singing was melodious and full of charm, expressing the emotions in the story vividly.

"The singing style of this Yue Opera is so beautiful, just like singing, it makes people intoxicated." Zhang Yuedong whispered to Li Xiao.

Li Xiao nodded and said, "The singing style of Yue Opera is very beautiful. It combines folk music and opera elements from the Jiangnan region to form a unique style. The performance of Yue Opera is also very delicate. The actors express the emotions and psychological state of the characters through precise gestures, facial expressions and body movements, making people feel as if they are in the scene."

Lin Yifei was also attracted by the charm of Yue Opera. He watched the performance on the stage attentively and used his camera to record the wonderful moments from time to time. "This Yue Opera is really a unique art form, full of the charm of Jiangnan." He said with emotion
After finishing the gentle journey in Suzhou and Hangzhou, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei rekindled their yearning for the Northwest. They packed their bags and set off for Xi'an, an ancient capital with a thousand-year history, which filled them with expectations.

As soon as I got off the plane, Xi'an's unique historical atmosphere hit me. The ancient city walls looked particularly solemn in the sun, and the streets and alleys were filled with a strong northwest flavor. "I finally arrived in Xi'an. This ancient city feels completely different from Suzhou and Hangzhou. It is full of a heavy sense of history." Li Xiao took a deep breath and said with emotion.

Zhang Yuedong also looked around excitedly, "Yes, I have been looking forward to seeing the Terracotta Warriors for a long time. It is a world-famous wonder."

Lin Yifei quickly took out his camera to capture every moment of Xi'an Airport. "Everything here is so unique. I must record it with my camera."

After they arrived at the hotel they booked and dropped off their luggage, they headed straight to the Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. When they stood in front of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit No. 1, the scene before them left them speechless with shock. They saw thousands of terracotta warriors and horses neatly arranged, with a magnificent momentum, as if an army was ready to go to war at any time. These terracotta warriors and horses were of different shapes, some with firm eyes, staring into the distance; some with serious expressions, holding weapons in their hands, as if waiting for the trumpet of battle. The facial expressions of each terracotta warrior were lifelike, and the details were even more amazing, with hair and beards clearly visible.

"This is so spectacular!" Zhang Yuedong couldn't help but exclaimed, "I can't imagine how the ancients made so many exquisite terracotta warriors more than 2,000 years ago."

Lin Yifei kept pressing the shutter of his camera, wanting to capture all the stunning scenes. "These terracotta warriors are simply works of art, each of which contains the wisdom and skills of the ancients. Looking at their eyes, it seems as if you can see through time and see the wars of the past," he said excitedly.

Li Xiao carefully admired the shapes and costumes of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, and said: "The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the burial pits of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum. They are not only to show the majesty of Qin Shihuang, but also to allow him to have a powerful army after his death. The production process of these Terracotta Warriors and Horses is very complicated and requires many processes. Each Terracotta Warrior and Horse embodies the hard work of the craftsmen. And from the arrangement and equipment of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, we can also understand the military system and war methods of the Qin Dynasty."

They followed the tour route and visited Pit 1, Pit 2 and Pit 3 in turn. Although Pit 2 has not been fully excavated, it can be seen that it is large in scale and has a variety of arms, including cavalry, infantry, chariots, etc. The various arms cooperate with each other to form a complete combat system. Pit 3 is the command center of the military formation. It is smaller in area, but the layout is rigorous, and the unearthed pottery figurines are more exquisite, reflecting its important status.

During the visit, they also met a tour guide who was explaining the history and culture of the Terracotta Warriors. They followed the tour guide and listened carefully to every story and detail. From the discovery process of the Terracotta Warriors to their production process, from the historical background of the Qin Dynasty to the symbolic significance of the Terracotta Warriors, the tour guide's explanation gave them a deeper understanding of the Terracotta Warriors.

"It turns out that the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors was purely accidental. In 1974, local farmers found some fragments of terracotta warriors while digging a well. Unexpectedly, they uncovered this archaeological discovery that shocked the world." Li Xiao exclaimed.

Zhang Yuedong also said: "Yes, the excavation of these terracotta warriors and horses provides us with precious physical materials for studying the history of the Qin Dynasty, allowing us to more intuitively feel the glory of that era."

Lin Yifei said: "I must organize this knowledge and photos to let more people understand the charm of the Terracotta Warriors."

After visiting the Terracotta Warriors, it was already noon. Their stomachs began to growl, so they decided to try the specialties of Xi'an. They came to a famous local restaurant and ordered several famous Xi'an dishes, including Roujiamo, Yangrou Pao Mo, and Liangpi.

Soon, the dishes were served. The first dish was Roujiamo, which was filled with juicy braised meat and a fragrant aroma. "This Roujiamo looks very tempting, I wonder how it tastes," said Zhang Yuedong, taking a bite impatiently.

Li Xiao smiled and said, "This roujiamo is one of Xi'an's signature delicacies. The steamed bun is crispy and the meat is fragrant. It is fatty but not greasy. It is very delicious. You should try it."

Zhang Yuedong took a bite and nodded repeatedly: "It's delicious. The braised meat is tender and juicy, and the steamed bun is crispy and delicious. The combination is a perfect match."

Then, they tasted mutton soup with steamed buns. The steaming mutton soup was soaked with broken steamed buns, sprinkled with green chopped green onions and coriander, the mutton was tender and the soup was rich. "This mutton soup with steamed bun is also good, the soup is rich, the mutton is very tender, and the steamed bun is also very tasty." Lin Yifei said while eating.

Li Xiao said: "There are also some rules for eating mutton soup steamed buns. The smaller the steamed buns, the better. This way they can better absorb the flavor of the soup. And this mutton soup is made from mutton bones and a variety of spices, which is rich in nutrition."

They also tasted the cold noodles, which were smooth, sour and spicy, and topped with special chili oil and sesame sauce, which made people linger on the taste. "This cold noodle is so refreshing. It's so comfortable to eat a bowl of it on such a hot day." Zhang Yuedong praised it highly.

Lin Yifei also smiled and said: "Yes, the food in Xi'an is really amazing, and each dish has its own unique flavor."

After tasting the delicious food, they came to a theater to watch a Qinqiang performance. Qinqiang, as the oldest opera in Northwest China, is famous for its high-pitched and passionate singing and rough and bold performance style. When they walked into the theater, it was already full of audiences, and everyone was waiting for the performance to begin with great anticipation.

As the sound of gongs and drums rang out, the actors dressed in gorgeous costumes appeared on stage. Their performance was simple, rough, exaggerated, and full of power. The actors' singing was loud and penetrating, sometimes gentle and melodious, sometimes passionate, expressing the emotions in the story vividly. "The singing of Qinqiang is so shocking, completely different from the Peking Opera and Yue Opera we watched before." Zhang Yuedong whispered to Li Xiao.

Li Xiao nodded and said, "The characteristics of Qinqiang are that it is high-pitched, passionate and full of enthusiasm. It best reflects the boldness and generosity of the people in the northwest. Moreover, the performance of Qinqiang focuses on singing and acting skills. The actors use their superb skills to portray the characters vividly."

Lin Yifei was also attracted by the charm of Qinqiang. He watched the performance on the stage attentively and recorded the wonderful moments with his camera from time to time. "This Qinqiang is really a unique art form, full of strong local characteristics." He said with emotion.

During the performance, they heard some classic Qinqiang pieces, such as "Three Drops of Blood" and "Flame Horse". The wonderful performances of the actors made them feel the unique charm of Qinqiang. In "Three Drops of Blood", the joys and sorrows of Zhou Renrui and his son made people feel deeply moved. The actors showed the emotional changes of the characters vividly through delicate performances; in "Flame Horse", the love story of Huang Guiying and Li Yangui was tortuous and moving. The actors' singing and performances made people seem to see that romantic and tragic love legend.

After the performance, the audience gave warm applause. They also stood up and applauded the actors for their wonderful performance. "This Qinqiang performance is really great. It gave me a deeper understanding of Qinqiang." Zhang Yuedong said excitedly.

Lin Yifei also said with emotion: "Yes, Qinqiang is indeed a treasure of Chinese opera. Its unique artistic charm really makes people intoxicated."

Li Xiao smiled and said: "If we have the chance in the future, we will listen to more Qinqiang performances to feel the charm of this art."

The next day, they came to Xi'an's Muslim Street to buy some Xi'an specialties. Muslim Street is one of the most distinctive commercial streets in Xi'an, with numerous shops and a wide variety of goods, including all kinds of Xi'an specialties.

They first came to a shop selling replicas of the Terracotta Warriors. The shop was filled with all kinds of replicas of the Terracotta Warriors, made of pottery, plastic, and metal, in different sizes and shapes. "These replicas of the Terracotta Warriors are quite realistic. Let's buy a few to take back as souvenirs." Li Xiao said, and began to select.

Zhang Yuedong picked up a terracotta warrior and admired the details carefully. He said: "This is well made. The details are well handled. Even the expressions on the face are very vivid."

Lin Yifei also selected several terracotta warriors of different shapes. He said: "These replicas of the terracotta warriors can not only be used as souvenirs, but also allow us to recall the shock of visiting the terracotta warriors at any time."

In addition to the Terracotta Warriors replicas, they also bought some other specialties, such as Xi'an paper-cutting, shadow puppets, Xifeng liquor, etc. Xi'an paper-cutting is a traditional folk art, famous for its exquisite craftsmanship and unique style. They saw many exquisite paper-cutting works in a paper-cutting shop, with various patterns such as animals, flowers, and figures. Each work is lifelike and makes people love it. Shadow puppets are one of the traditional Chinese folk art forms. The shadow puppets in Xi'an are exquisitely made, uniquely shaped, and have high artistic value. They also bought some Xifeng liquor, which is a famous liquor in Shaanxi, famous for its mellow taste and long history.

While buying specialties, they also chatted with the shop owner, who enthusiastically introduced to them the production methods and historical culture of various specialties, allowing them to have a deeper understanding of Xi'an's specialties.

"This trip to Xi'an was really rewarding. Not only did I visit the Terracotta Warriors, taste delicious food, watch the Qinqiang performance, but I also bought so many special local products," said Zhang Yuedong with satisfaction.

Lin Yifei also smiled and said: "Yes, Xi'an is a very charming city. Every place is so charming that people can't help but linger. I can't wait to share these experiences and photos with my friends."

Li Xiao looked at the specialty in his hand and said, "This is only part of our trip. There are more cities waiting for us to explore. I believe there will be different surprises at every stop."

With fond memories of Xi'an and anticipation for the next stop, they ended their journey in Xi'an and prepared to embark on a new journey.

After finishing their exploration trip in Xi'an, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei returned to Shanghai by plane with full of memories and gains. When the plane landed at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, the familiar city atmosphere hit them, but they were still reminiscing about every detail of the journey.

"I'm finally back to Shanghai. This trip feels like a wonderful dream." Zhang Yuedong said with emotion as he dragged his suitcase through the airport lobby.

Lin Yifei smiled and replied: "Yes, but this is not a dream, these are the wonderful times we experienced personally, and these memories are real." He held the camera tightly in his hand, which stored the wonderful moments of their journey.

Li Xiao took a deep breath and said, "It feels so good to be back home, but I'm already beginning to miss the different scenery and experiences during my trip."

They returned to their respective homes, took a short rest, and then could not wait to meet at the cafe they often visited. The cafe was still filled with the familiar aroma of coffee, and soothing music flowed in the air, as if gently footnotes to their travel stories.

The three of them sat around the table with steaming coffee on it, their faces filled with satisfaction and excitement. Li Xiao was the first to open up: "This trip has really given me a lot. Every city has its own unique charm. The rich history of BJ, the gentle beauty of Suzhou and Hangzhou, and the quaint atmosphere of Xi'an all left a deep impression on me."

Zhang Yuedong nodded repeatedly, "That's right, especially those delicious foods. I'm still drooling when I think about them now. Beijing roast duck, Suzhou squirrel mandarin fish, Xi'an roujiamo, every bite is full of happiness." As he spoke, he licked his lips exaggeratedly, which made everyone laugh.

Lin Yifei took a sip of coffee and said, "In addition to the delicious food and beautiful scenery, I feel that the people and things I met during the trip also touched me deeply. The tour guide I met in the Forbidden City told us so many historical stories; in Suzhou Pingtan Museum, I enjoyed Pingtan with the local elders and felt the strong cultural atmosphere; and in Xi'an Muslim Street, I chatted with the shop owners and learned about the culture behind various specialties. These experiences have given me a deeper understanding of the culture of different places."

Li Xiao agreed: "Yes, traveling not only allows us to see different scenery, but also broadens our horizons and increases our knowledge. Every time we go to a place, it's like opening a door to a new world, where we can see different lifestyles and cultural traditions. This makes me realize that the world is so vast and diverse, and we should go out more often to explore more unknowns."