Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1653

On the last night in Xi'an, they went to a small theater to watch a shadow play. Behind the scenes, the old artist flexibly manipulated the shadow play with his hands, and performed historical stories accompanied by passionate singing. Li Xiao was fascinated and couldn't help applauding: "This shadow play is so interesting. The small shadow play seems to be alive in the hands of the artist. It is really a folk art treasure." Zhang Yuedong smiled and said: "This is a treasure passed down by our ancestors. Now there are fewer and fewer people who can do this skill. It's not easy to see a show." Lin Yifei pointed the camera at the stage to record this wonderful traditional art performance. After the performance, they were still reluctant to leave after chatting and taking photos with the old artist.

The trip to Xi'an allowed the three people to immerse themselves in a double feast of history and food. With full gains and memories, they are about to head to the next stop to continue this wonderful journey.

After bidding farewell to Xi'an, the three of them took a plane to Chongqing. As soon as they walked out of the airport, a wave of heat mixed with the aroma of hot pot hit them. Li Xiao excitedly shouted, "Chongqing, here we come! I heard that this is a 'furnace', hotter than we imagined, but it must be super fun." Zhang Yuedong smiled and responded, "Yes, I have already made a plan. The first stop is Hongyadong to see the dreamlike night view." Lin Yifei was busy adjusting the camera: "Such a unique place, I have to take more blockbuster photos to make my friends jealous."

In the evening, they came to Hongyadong. At this time, Hongyadong was brightly lit, and the stacked stilt houses were built on the mountain, like a castle in a fairy tale. Li Xiao exclaimed: "This is too spectacular, just like the scene in Spirited Away, it feels like something mysterious will happen in the next second." Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "This is a landmark in Chongqing, combining the traditional architectural features of Bayu with modern lighting art, it is really shocking." The three of them shuttled through the streets and alleys of Hongyadong, tasting various special snacks, hot and sour noodles, mountain city small dumplings, each bite was full of rich mountain city flavor. Lin Yifei took pictures while eating: "These snacks look ordinary, but the taste is amazing. I have to take a few more pictures to make those friends who didn't come."

The next day, they headed for the Yangtze River Cableway. Looking at the long line of people on the cableway, Li Xiao joked, "This popularity is worthy of being a popular tourist attraction. It seems that everyone wants to experience this 'Airbus'." After waiting for a long time, it was finally their turn. Stepping into the cable car and slowly rising, they saw the surging Yangtze River under their feet, with ships shuttling back and forth on the river. Zhang Yuedong sighed, "From here, the Yangtze River is so spectacular. The city of Chongqing is really three-dimensional, with mountains and rivers interdependent." Lin Yifei grabbed the camera and kept pressing the shutter, "This perspective is great. We can take pictures of the Yangtze River Bridge and the beautiful scenery on both sides of the river. I have to organize the photos when I go back."

At noon, the three of them came to an authentic Chongqing hot pot restaurant. The restaurant was bustling with people and the aroma of hot pot was everywhere. The waiter brought a pot of boiling red oil, and Li Xiao swallowed his saliva when he saw it: "This pot base looks exciting, I have to satisfy my craving for spicy food today." Zhang Yuedong smiled and said: "Chongqing hot pot pays attention to the 'nine-square grid', and different grids are used to blanch different ingredients. Let's try it." As he said, he put the tripe, duck intestines, yellow throat and other ingredients into the pot one by one. After a while, the tripe was boiled, Li Xiao picked up a chopstick and put it in his mouth. He was instantly so spicy that he exhaled: "Wow, it's too spicy, but it's really satisfying. This tripe is crispy and tender, and delicious." Lin Yifei's face was also flushed by the spiciness, but he still kept talking: "This is spicy enough, and it's paired with the sesame oil dish. It's amazing. I feel like my tongue is dancing."

At night, they walked into a theater to watch Sichuan Opera face-changing. The actors on stage were dressed in gorgeous costumes. With a wave of their hands and a flick of their heads, their facial makeup changed instantly, causing the audience to exclaim in amazement. Li Xiao was stunned: "This face-changing is so magical. How is it done? It feels like a magic trick." Zhang Yuedong explained: "This is a unique skill of Sichuan Opera. The actors change their facial makeup in an instant by wiping, blowing, and pulling their faces to show the character's emotional changes." Lin Yifei was busy taking pictures of the wonderful moments: "This performance is so wonderful. The charm of traditional culture is endless. I must tell everyone about it when I go back."

Bidding farewell to the sizzling Chongqing, the three of them headed for Qingdao, looking forward to a cool seaside trip. As soon as they got off the train, the sea breeze with the breath of the sea blew in their faces, making people feel relaxed and happy. Li Xiao took a deep breath and said excitedly: "The air is so fresh, full of the smell of the sea, I feel like the whole person is purified." Zhang Yuedong smiled and responded: "Yes, Qingdao is a famous seaside resort, let's go to the beach first." Lin Yifei couldn't wait to take out his camera and ran towards the sea.

Arriving at the trestle, this long bridge extending into the sea is like a giant dragon lying on the blue waves. The red tiles and green trees of Huilan Pavilion at the south end of the bridge are particularly eye-catching under the sunlight. Li Xiao ran in front and shouted, "Come on, the sea is so beautiful from here, it's endless, and it feels like you can throw away all your worries." Zhang Yuedong followed behind and nodded and said, "The trestle is a landmark building in Qingdao. It has gone through a hundred years of wind and rain and witnessed the vicissitudes of this city." Lin Yifei kept pressing the shutter to capture the beautiful scenes of seagulls flying and waves hitting the bridge piers, muttering, "This scenery, no matter how much I take pictures, I can't get enough. I have to organize it well when I go back and hold a photography exhibition."

Strolling along the coastline, they came to Badaguan. This place brings together architectural styles from more than 20 countries including Russia, Britain, France, Germany, and Malaysia, and is known as the "International Architecture Expo". Li Xiao was like a curious baby, shuttling between villas of different styles, exclaiming: "This is simply traveling to Europe. Every house is like a work of art. It would be great if I could stay here for a night." Zhang Yuedong explained with a smile: "Most of these buildings were the residences of foreign expatriates and dignitaries in the past. Now they have become a unique historical and cultural landscape in Qingdao." Lin Yifei was busy looking for the best shooting angle, wanting to freeze the unique charm of Badaguan in the lens: "This light and shadow, this color, it must be super impressive when photographed."

In the afternoon, the three of them went to the Qingdao Beer Museum. As soon as they entered the museum, the rich aroma of beer filled the air. Li Xiao joked, "I'm drunk before I even drink it. The 'aura' of this Qingdao beer is strong enough." They visited the entire process of beer brewing, from ancient brewing equipment to modern production lines, and learned about the century-old history of Qingdao Beer. Zhang Yuedong said with emotion, "Tsingtao Beer is not only a drink, but also a cultural symbol of Qingdao, carrying the memories of generations." In the tasting area, the staff brought the freshly brewed raw beer. Lin Yifei took a sip and gave a thumbs up, "This tastes mellow and has a strong malt aroma. It's so delicious. It's completely different from the beer you buy outside." Li Xiao also nodded, drinking one cup after another, saying it was addictive.

In the evening, they came to a seaside restaurant and ordered a table full of seafood. Steamed crabs, spicy fried clams, braised prawns, and Qingdao's special Spanish mackerel dumplings. Li Xiao looked at the table full of delicious food with shining eyes: "This trip is so worth it. The food is different every day. I feel like I've gained weight." Zhang Yuedong smiled and said: "The seafood in Qingdao is so fresh. We live by the sea and eat the sea. We are blessed." Lin Yifei took a "family photo" of the food before he tasted it: "Such delicious seafood must be recorded to make friends who didn't come."

At night, the square by the sea was bustling with a fisherman's folk performance. The actors were dressed in traditional fisherman's costumes and performed dragon and lion dances, fisherman's songs and other programs. Li Xiao watched with great interest and clapped along with the rhythm: "This folk performance is so contagious, and you can feel the passion and heroism of fishermen's life." Zhang Yuedong also praised it highly: "These traditional cultures must be passed on well so that more people can understand them." Lin Yifei switched the camera to video mode to record this wonderful moment: "I will go back and edit it and put it online so that everyone can feel the charm of Qingdao's folk customs." The trip to Qingdao made the three people indulge in the seaside scenery and beer and food. With full of joy and memories, they will embark on a new journey to explore the charm of more Chinese cities.

After leaving Qingdao, they came to the gentle Wuzhen. When they stepped on this land, it seemed as if time slowed down. Li Xiao stretched and said comfortably: "We are finally in Wuzhen. I feel that the air here is full of poetry. Let's feel the tenderness of the Jiangnan water town." Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, the charm of Wuzhen needs to be savored slowly. Let's go on a cruise first. Wuzhen must be beautiful when viewed from the water." Lin Yifei couldn't wait to raise his camera, ready to capture every beautiful scene of the water town.

They boarded the rowboat, and as the oars swung, the boat moved forward slowly, breaking through the calm water and creating ripples. On both sides of the river were residential houses with white walls and black tiles, built in an orderly manner along the water, and the wooden doors and windows exuded a simple and rustic atmosphere. Li Xiao leaned against the side of the boat and whispered, "This is the Jiangnan water town, like an ink painting, and we are like people in the painting." Zhang Yuedong smiled and responded, "Yes, Wuzhen has a history of thousands of years. These buildings have witnessed the changes of time and carry countless stories." Lin Yifei was busy taking pictures of the scenery along the coast, muttering to himself, "This light and shadow, this angle, it must be beautiful when taken, I have to compile it into a book when I go back."

After landing, they strolled along the ancient street. The bluestone road was winding and the stone slabs under their feet were polished smooth by time. There were various traditional handicraft shops on the street, with wood carvings, bamboo weaving, and embroidery. Li Xiao walked into an embroidery shop and exclaimed at the exquisite embroidery: "This embroidery is so delicate, every stitch and thread is a work of skill. I will buy a few pieces as souvenirs and support the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage." Zhang Yuedong also followed suit and selected: "Indeed, these handicrafts contain the essence of traditional culture. I will take them back so that my friends can also experience the ingenious craftsmanship of Jiangnan."

Tired of walking around, they found a teahouse to sit down and ordered a pot of local chrysanthemum tea with Wuzhen pastries. Li Xiao picked up a piece of sister-in-law cake and put it in his mouth, squinting his eyes in satisfaction: "This pastry is sweet but not greasy, melts in the mouth, and has a faint floral fragrance. It's so delicious." Zhang Yuedong tasted the tea and said leisurely: "In this quaint teahouse, drinking tea, eating snacks, and looking at the waterside scenery outside the window, it's comfortable, this is life." Lin Yifei arranged the teacup and pastries into a beautiful shape and took photos as a souvenir: "Such a beautiful moment must be recorded and brought back to let everyone envy."

In the evening, the streets of Wuzhen became lively, and a folk performance was being performed in the open-air square. The actors were dressed in ancient costumes, performing traditional Jiangnan songs and dances, as well as fire-breathing and juggling. Li Xiao applauded excitedly: "This performance is so wonderful, full of Jiangnan style, it feels like traveling back to ancient times." Zhang Yuedong was also moved: "These folk cultures are the treasures of Wuzhen, and they have passed on the memories of several generations. We are lucky to see them, it's really great." Lin Yifei recorded the whole process, wanting to bring this lively scene back intact.

After the performance, they came to the blue print workshop. Pieces of blue and white cloth were hung in the yard, fluttering in the wind, like pieces of blue sky and white clouds. Li Xiao touched the cloth and said with emotion: "This blue print is really unique, simple and beautiful. It must be very charming when made into clothes and bags." Zhang Yuedong asked the master about the production process. The master explained enthusiastically: "This blue print has more than a dozen processes from weaving, engraving, printing and dyeing to drying. It is all done by hand and has been passed down for hundreds of years." Lin Yifei took many photos of everyone with the blue print as the background: "This blue and white background makes the photos look very artistic and it feels so good."

The time in Wuzhen was picturesque and poetic. The three of them were immersed in the tenderness of the Jiangnan water town. With full of attachment and reluctance, they will rush to the next stop and continue writing their own travel stories.

As the journey progressed, the three of them traveled through one city after another, saw countless landscapes, tasted local delicacies, and experienced the rich and colorful folk culture. Each city left a deep impression on them. The profound history of Xi'an, the hot vitality of Chongqing, the fresh romance of Qingdao, and the gentle poetry of Wuzhen were all like gorgeous paintings, deeply engraved in their hearts.

On the return flight, the three of them were lost in memories. Li Xiao said with emotion: "This journey was so wonderful, it felt like a beautiful dream, I really don't want to wake up." Zhang Yuedong smiled and replied: "Yes, but these beautiful memories will always be with us. We will set off again if we have the chance in the future." Lin Yifei looked through the photos in the camera and said with satisfaction: "These photos are the testimony of our trip. I have to organize them well when I go back and hold a film exhibition to let more people feel the charm of our motherland."

The plane slowly landed, and they returned to their familiar lives with full of nostalgia and expectation. This trip was not only a simple outing, but also a spiritual baptism, which allowed them to find a moment of peace in their busy lives and gave them a deeper love and respect for the beautiful mountains and rivers of their motherland. They knew that there would be more scenery waiting for them to explore in the future, and the next journey might not be far away.