Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1656

Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong, and Lin Yifei, three people with very different personalities but equally passionate about the distant, came together. Li Xiao is an energetic adventure lover with a head full of fantastic ideas. He can always find the extraordinary in the ordinary, and the twinkling light in his eyes seems to hide his curiosity about the whole world; Zhang Yuedong is a real "foodie" whose life creed is to try all the delicacies in the world, and his round belly seems to contain a walking food treasure book; Lin Yifei wears a pair of glasses, is gentle and refined, and knows the history, culture, and folk customs of various places like the back of his hand, like a mobile cultural knowledge base.

This time, they hit it off and turned their attention to the vast and colorful land of China, embarking on a spontaneous trip.

"I can't wait to set off. This trip is sure to be super fun!" Li Xiao jumped up and down with excitement, while busily stuffing various travel equipment into his backpack.

Zhang Yuedong smacked his lips and responded expectantly, "I have prepared a detailed guide to delicious food. I guarantee that we will not be bored during this trip."

Lin Yifei pushed his glasses and smiled as he flipped open the thick information book in his hand: "From south to north, the historical and cultural heritage along the way is enough for us to explore."

In this way, the three of them, with infinite reverie about the unknown journey, dragged their suitcases, carried their bags, and took the first step towards the distance. The sun shone on them, as if they were coated with a layer of golden light of hope, and a wonderful travel curtain slowly opened.

The first stop was the ancient city of Xi'an. As soon as they got off the plane, Li Xiao was like a happy little deer, jumping around and looking around: "Wow, this is Xi'an, the air is filled with the taste of history!" Zhang Yuedong dragged his suitcase, but his stomach was growling: "The glutton in my stomach can't wait to experience Xi'an's delicious food." Lin Yifei slowly unfolded the map and adjusted his glasses: "Let's go to the Terracotta Warriors first and feel this historical miracle that shocked the ancient and modern times."

Arriving at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Scenic Area, what comes into view is the grand military formation. In Pit No. 1, thousands of terracotta warriors and horses are neatly arranged, lifelike, as if time has gone back to the era of war. Li Xiao widened his eyes, his mouth wide open enough to fit an egg: "This is too spectacular! It feels like they will come alive at any time and rush to the battlefield." Zhang Yuedong also put away his foodie nature, his face full of amazement: "The craftsmanship of the ancients is simply amazing, and the expressions and demeanor of each terracotta warrior are different." Lin Yifei acted as a temporary tour guide on the side, explaining incessantly: "Qin Shihuang spent a lot of manpower and material resources to build the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, just to be able to lead thousands of troops and protect his empire after his death. You see, the hairstyles and armor of these soldiers are all hidden mysteries..."

After leaving the Terracotta Warriors, they climbed up the ancient city wall of Xi'an. Walking on the broad city wall, the afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden edge on the ancient city wall. Li Xiao opened his arms and ran in the breeze: "Running a lap here, I feel like I can travel back to ancient times and pass by the soldiers guarding the city." Zhang Yuedong followed behind breathlessly: "Take it easy, I can't keep up with you. But this city wall is really thick, it must have been as solid as a rock back then." Lin Yifei gently stroked the bricks and stones of the city wall with his hand, and said with emotion: "This city wall has witnessed the changes of so many dynasties and the passage of time. Every brick carries the memory of history."

In the evening, the three of them came to Huimin Street. At this time, Huimin Street was brightly lit, crowded with people, and the aroma of various delicacies filled the air. Zhang Yuedong was instantly full of energy, his eyes shining, and he pulled the two of them to the food stall: "Hurry, hurry, I want to eat from the beginning to the end of the street." They first tasted the steaming mutton soup buns. The tender mutton and soft and glutinous steamed buns were soaked in the rich soup. After one bite, the whole body was warm. Li Xiao ate with a lingering fragrance in his mouth and gave a thumbs up: "This tastes amazing, no wonder it is the signature food of Xi'an." Then, he tasted the sweet but not greasy zongzi, the soft and glutinous glutinous rice, and the sweet red dates, with distinct layers and rich taste. Zhang Yuedong smacked his lips with satisfaction: "I feel like I can eat the zongzi of the entire universe, it's so delicious."

Just as they were enjoying their meal, they heard the sound of gongs and drums not far away. They followed the sound and found a wonderful folk performance. The dragon and lion dance teams were full of energy, with giant dragons tumbling and lions leaping, drawing cheers from the audience. There were also thrilling acrobatic performances, with actors so agile that people couldn't help but sweat. Li Xiao clapped his hands excitedly: "This performance is so exciting, it's more exciting than watching a concert." Lin Yifei also nodded and praised: "These folk performances inherit the cultural heritage of Xi'an and are living history."

After watching the performance, the three of them were still not satisfied, so they picked up some Xi'an-style souvenirs in the small shops on the street. Exquisite paper-cuts, quaint terracotta warriors, exquisitely embroidered sachets... Zhang Yuedong bought a bunch of gourmet specialties and planned to take them back to let his family and friends taste the flavor of Xi'an: "I want to 'pack' these delicacies and bring them back so that everyone will envy me to death." Li Xiao picked up a few interesting little items to decorate his study: "These little gadgets are so Xi'an-style. Putting them on the table makes me feel like I'm traveling every day." Lin Yifei picked up a few books about Xi'an's history and culture, and felt like he had found a treasure: "I have to study them carefully when I get back. Today's trip to Xi'an is just the beginning."

At night, back at the hotel, the three of them lay on the bed, excitedly recalling the day's experience. Li Xiao looked through the photos in the camera and said with a smile: "This Xi'an trip started so perfectly, the next trip will definitely be more exciting." Zhang Yuedong touched his round belly and burped: "I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's food, I wonder what else is waiting for us." Lin Yifei looked out the window, the moonlight sprinkled on the streets of the ancient city, and his thoughts were full: "Xi'an is like a thick history book, every page is full of stories, let's savor it slowly." In the beautiful vision of the future journey, they gradually fell asleep, and this journey across China has just played a magnificent prelude.

"Wow, the sky is so bright!" Lin Yifei stretched out his arms excitedly, as if he wanted to embrace the blue sky in his arms. Zhang Yuedong rubbed his hands, eager to try: "I have long wanted to taste the authentic grassland food, and now I have finally arrived." Li Xiao smiled and joked: "Don't worry, let's go to the city first and feel the charm of Qingcheng." They came to the Dazhao Wuliang Temple. The red walls and yellow tiles sparkled in the sun. In the square in front of the temple, the prayer wheels turned slowly, making a slight and mysterious sound. Li Xiao walked lightly and whispered: "This place exudes a sense of tranquility and peace, and the religious atmosphere is really strong." Lin Yifei curiously approached the prayer wheel, and gently turned it like the locals, muttering to himself. Zhang Yuedong held up the camera, capturing every exquisite architectural detail, and sighed: "The carved beams and painted buildings are so exquisitely crafted, and the hard work of so many craftsmen has been condensed."

After being tired from shopping, we found a Mongolian restaurant and sat down. Hand-pulled meat, grilled lamb chops, and Mongolian milk tea were served one after another. Zhang Yuedong looked at the sizzling lamb chops and couldn't wait to tear off a long strip of meat and chew it: "This lamb chop is amazing! It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, without any smell of mutton. It's the fresh fragrance that only grassland lamb can have." Li Xiao picked up a bowl of milk tea and took a sip: "This milk tea is salty, fragrant and warms the stomach. It's just right with these hard dishes." Lin Yifei struggled to deal with the large piece of hand-pulled meat, muttering: "You have to be so generous when eating meat. It's so exciting."

At night, the racecourse in Hohhot was bustling with activity, as a wonderful equestrian show was being staged. The riders, dressed in bright Mongolian costumes, galloped, stood upside down, and bent over to pick up things on horseback. The horses neighed and their hooves raised dust. Lin Yifei was so excited that he said, "It's so cool! How many years of practice must have been required to become so good at riding?" After the show, they picked out some exquisite Mongolian felt hats and some colorful Ordos cashmere scarves, and headed for their next destination, Huangshan, with a nostalgia for the grassland.

Arriving at the foot of Huangshan Mountain, the mountain was looming in the mist, as if it was half-covered by a lute. Li Xiao looked at the towering peaks, full of fighting spirit: "It is said that 'after visiting the Five Sacred Mountains, you will not look at other mountains, and after visiting Huangshan, you will not look at other mountains'. This time we must conquer it." The three climbed along the winding mountain road, and the Welcoming Pine stood tall on the edge of the cliff. Zhang Yuedong exclaimed: "This Welcoming Pine is simply a symbol of tenacity. It grows so vigorously in such a harsh environment." The higher they went, the more the sea of ​​clouds surged, and the mountains appeared and disappeared in the sea of ​​clouds, like a fairyland. Lin Yifei gasped for breath, but could not hide his excitement: "It's worth it, even if I was exhausted, the scenery is unparalleled in the world."

After going down the mountain, we tasted stinky mandarin fish and Huangshan Shuangshi in a restaurant at the foot of the mountain. Li Xiao picked up a piece of stinky mandarin fish, the fish meat was like garlic cloves, and it first had a special "stinky smell" in its mouth, followed by a rich and fresh fragrance: "This stinky mandarin fish is so unique, it smells stinky but tastes delicious, it's really unique." Zhang Yuedong ate the stone chicken and nodded in approval: "This Huangshan Shuangshi is so delicious that my eyebrows are about to fall off."

At night, they went to watch the local Hui opera performance, where the actors sang and waved their sleeves, interpreting the story of ancient Huizhou. After watching the performance, they bought some Hui ink and She inkstones, and embarked on an unknown and fascinating new journey with a lot of gains.

After bidding farewell to the grassland, they headed for Hohhot. Walking into the Dazhao Temple, a solemn atmosphere hits you, with red walls, yellow tiles, flying eaves and brackets, solemn Buddha statues in the temple, and incense. Li Xiao lightened his footsteps and said softly: "Here, my heart unconsciously calms down, and I feel like I'm traveling through time." Coming out of the Dazhao Temple, there are a variety of street snacks. Hohhot's steamed buns are well-deserved, with thin skin wrapped in fresh and fragrant mutton filling. Lin Yifei ate one by one and exclaimed: "This steamed bun is different from what we usually eat, the filling is full and delicious!"

Then we came to Baotou. The grassland in the city of Saikhantala is unique, where the city and the grassland are cleverly integrated. They flew kites on the grassland, and the colorful kites floated under the blue sky and white clouds. Zhang Yuedong watched the kite he flew higher and higher, and said with emotion: "Look, this kite is like our travel dream, flying higher and higher, and going farther and farther." In addition to playing, he did not forget to buy a few exquisite Mongolian leather paintings. The grassland scenery outlined by the delicate brushstrokes is so attractive.

On the way back, Li Xiao broke the silence: "This trip to the grassland has put all the heroism and tenderness into my heart. Traveling is like a magic, and it can bring different surprises every time." Lin Yifei nodded and said: "Yes, no matter where we go next time, it will definitely be a new scenery and a new story." Zhang Yuedong looked at the scenery flying outside the car window, and the corners of his mouth rose: "Then I look forward to the next departure. Life is more interesting because of these journeys!" The car sped on the road, carrying a full box of specialties and full of longing, heading towards home. The days continued to pass quietly in busyness and expectation. The aftereffect of the last trip to Inner Mongolia had not yet passed, and Li Xiao threw another "blockbuster" in the group: "Brothers, our China is vast, and the Northeast has not been set foot in any corner. I heard that the Northeast in winter is like a dreamy snow country. Rub your hands and set off?" Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei replied in seconds, and a series of "go, go, go" filled the screen, and a new round of adventure was finalized.

As soon as they got off the plane, Harbin's icy cold hit them, but it also instantly ignited their enthusiasm. The city in front of them seemed to be reshaped by ice and snow, with ice sculptures standing on both sides of the street. The crystal clear ice cubes transformed into fairy-tale colors under the colorful lights. Li Xiao rubbed his red ears and shouted excitedly: "Wow, this is the real version of Frozen!" They went straight to the Ice and Snow World, where the giant ice slide and the dreamy ice castle were all jaw-dropping. Lin Yifei couldn't wait to climb to the top of the slide and screamed excitingly as he whizzed down: "It's so cool, the wind blowing on my face is like a knife, but it feels so cool!"

After playing for a while, we went to a steaming iron pot stew restaurant. Zhang Yuedong opened the lid of the pot, and the steaming mist with a rich aroma of sauce hit us. The pot was bubbling with ribs, vermicelli, and potatoes. The side dishes were soaked in gravy and soft and tasty. He picked up a chopstick of vermicelli, blowing it while eating: "This vermicelli is amazing, sticky and chewy in the mouth. Northeastern cuisine is real!" Sitting around the warm kang, several people ate with red faces, and also finished a few sticky bean buns with barley porridge. The sweet and soft taste made Li Xiao exclaim that it was addictive.

At night, the square in front of Saint Sophia Cathedral was bustling with people. A folk dance performance was going on. The dancers were dressed in bright silk clothes, holding colorful fans, and their steps were brisk and humorous. Li Xiao followed suit and did a few twists and turns, which drew applause from the crowd. After watching the performance, they walked into the souvenir shop next to the church, picked out a few refrigerator magnets with church patterns and exquisite Russian nesting dolls, and put the exotic customs into their backpacks.

After bidding farewell to Harbin, the train clanged towards Jilin. When we arrived at Wusong Island, it was still dark and the river was covered with fog. When the sun slowly rose, a miracle happened - the weeping willows and pines along the river seemed to be baptized by nectar, covered with white and crystal rime, which was beautiful. Lin Yifei held up his camera and took pictures non-stop, exclaiming: "Nature is the best artist. No matter how many photos I take of this rime landscape, it is not enough!"