Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

The three people's eyes were full of anticipation for this trip. Li Xiao stretched his waist and shouted excitedly: "It's finally started, we have to have a good time along the way!"

Zhang Yuedong pushed up his glasses, unfolded the map in his hand, and traced his fingertips along the railway line: "First stop, Xi'an. This ancient capital of 13 dynasties has so much to see and eat that I'm afraid I can't experience it all in a few days and nights."

The train clanged into Xi'an Station, and the exit was crowded. The three of them took a taxi and headed straight for the city wall. Li Xiao looked up at the towering, endless city wall and exclaimed, "Wow, this city wall is so imposing. Standing here, I feel like I can see the ancient wars." Lin Yifei agreed and reached out to touch the bricks, "That's right. Thousands of years of wind and rain have not been able to destroy it. The ancients' architectural wisdom is amazing."

They rented bicycles and rode along the city wall, with the breeze blowing across their cheeks. Zhang Yuedong led the way, turning back from time to time and shouting, "Come on, this view is amazing!" After getting off the city wall, their stomachs growled, and they went into a mutton steamed bun restaurant. The boss greeted them warmly and taught them how to break the steamed bun. Li Xiao was clumsy, making everyone laugh. Lin Yifei joked, "Your hands are good for writing articles, but you're not good at breaking steamed buns." When the steaming steamed bun was served on the table, Zhang Yuedong sipped it and smacked his lips in satisfaction, "Fresh, fragrant, hot, and comfortable!"

At night, when the lights were on, they wandered to the Bell and Drum Tower Square, where a folk performance was just beginning. There were drums and gongs, dragon and lion dances, and Li Xiao kept taking photos with his phone, shouting at the top of his voice: "It's so festive, this is the traditional excitement!" After watching the performance, he bought a few exquisite shadow puppets at a nearby shop, ready to take them back as souvenirs.

After bidding farewell to Xi'an, the high-speed train sped along, and the next stop was Hangzhou. Beside the West Lake, the willows were swaying and the lake was sparkling. Lin Yifei was full of poetry: "If I want to compare the West Lake to Xi Shi, light makeup or heavy makeup is always suitable. The ancients were not deceiving me." They were boating on the lake, and the boatman rowed slowly and hummed a Jiangnan tune. Zhang Yuedong closed his eyes and felt it, and whispered: "Staying here, my heart is calm, and the hustle and bustle of the city is gone in an instant."

After landing, we found a restaurant that sells Longjing shrimp. The delicious shrimp with a light tea aroma made Li Xiao eat it without stopping: "This combination is perfect, the shrimp meat is chewy and the Longjing tea is fragrant. Hangzhou people are really good at eating." In the afternoon, we went to watch a Yue Opera performance. The graceful singing and exquisite costumes made Zhang Yuedong, a fan of opera, intoxicated: "Every frown and smile, every gesture is full of charm, a treasure of traditional culture." When leaving, he did not forget to buy a few cans of authentic West Lake Longjing.

The last stop was Chengdu. As soon as we got out of the station, the spicy and fresh air hit us. Li Xiao couldn't wait to run to Kuanzhai Alley. The quaint courtyard was full of special snacks. Zhang Yuedong was attracted by the skewers. The skewers were put into the pot, the red oil was boiling, and he took a bite. His lips immediately turned red: "It's spicy and refreshing. Chengdu is really a paradise for food."

At the Wuhou Temple, Lin Yifei stood in front of the statue of Zhuge Liang with a look of reverence on his face: "The embodiment of wisdom, the Three Kingdoms seems to be right before my eyes." The face-changing folk performance pushed the atmosphere to a climax. The facial makeup switched instantly, and Li Xiao was stunned: "How did you train your hands to be this fast!" Before returning, the suitcase was filled to the brim with hot pot soup base and panda dolls.

Lin Yifei sighed: "This trip filled my eyes, mouth and soul. It's worth it!" Li Xiao nodded vigorously: "That's right, I will go back and write a travelogue to preserve all these beautiful things." Zhang Yuedong patted them on the shoulders: "You have to write it well. Next time we travel, maybe we can rely on your travelogue to attract people." The train started slowly, carrying the happy memories of the journey, and headed for the return journey.

After returning to their busy lives, the three of them often reminisced about the trip, sharing photos and short videos taken at the time in the group from time to time, making their friends envious. Within a few months, the pressure of work was overwhelming everyone again, and Li Xiao raised his arm in the group: "No, we have to go out and get some fresh air. The happiness we had last time is almost drained!" Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei responded and quickly finalized a new route - the Yunnan route, with Dali as the first stop.

When they arrived in Dali, the sky was as blue as if washed by water, and large white clouds hung low, as if within reach. Li Xiao took a deep breath as soon as he left the airport: "This air is so sweet, so healing." They rented a car and drove along Erhai Lake, with the windows wide open, and the wind whistled in, ruffling their hair. Lin Yifei pointed out the window and shouted excitedly: "Look, Erhai Lake is so dreamy, like a mirror!" Zhang Yuedong parked the car at an observation deck, and the three of them ran to the railing. The sparkling lake reflected Cangshan Mountain. Zhang Yuedong sighed: "The mountains and water are interdependent. This picture, even painters can't mix such wonderful colors."

As evening approached, they wandered into the ancient city of Dali. The stone pavement had been polished smooth by time. The small shops on the street were full of goods, and ethnic tie-dyed cloth fluttered in the wind. They found a local restaurant and ordered Daopo Su Baba. Li Xiao took a bite and found it crispy and crumbly. He hurriedly asked the waiter: "How is this made? It's so delicious!" The waiter smiled and introduced the production process, and the three of them nodded.

As night fell, bonfires were lit on Sifang Street, and the Bai sisters led tourists to dance. Lin Yifei was dragged into the crowd, and hurriedly followed the rhythm. Li Xiao laughed at the side: "Your dance is so creative!" When they were tired, they picked out a few exquisite tie-dyed handkerchiefs and bought them to give back to relatives and friends.

Bid farewell to Dali and head to Lijiang. The Mu Mansion in the ancient city of Lijiang is solemn and majestic, with carved beams and painted buildings telling of the prosperity of the past. Zhang Yuedong stood in the courtyard, looking up at the eaves and corners, and said to them: "The details of this building are so exquisite, I can imagine the prosperity of the Mu family in the past." After visiting the Mu Mansion, a Naxi ancient music performance was waiting for them. The old instruments played the long and ancient rhyme, and Li Xiao was intoxicated by it, whispering: "This music seems to come from the depths of history, it's so magical." At mealtime, the cured pork ribs hot pot was served steaming hot, and the pot was bubbling and rolling, and the rich bone fragrance wafted away. Lin Yifei scalded a piece of cabbage and said in his mouth: "This pot base, the more it cooks, the more fragrant it is. It's so happy to eat it in winter!" Before leaving Lijiang, they also bought a few handmade wood carvings in the handicraft shop in the ancient city. The simple and exquisite appearance made people love it.

The last stop was Xishuangbanna. As soon as they stepped into this land, they were swept by the warm Southeast Asian atmosphere. The tropical plants were lush and green, and the fruit stalls on the street were piled with colorful fresh fruits. Li Xiao rushed to the fruit stall like a child and picked up a sugar apple: "This is precious in our place, but here you can eat it freely!"

In the Wild Elephant Valley, they watched the elephants walking slowly and shaking their trunks from afar. Zhang Yuedong's eyes lit up with excitement: "So cute, this giant can also be so naive." Coming out of the Wild Elephant Valley, a Dai Water Splashing Festival performance was being performed. The actors wore brightly colored costumes and splashed water on each other. Lin Yifei was pulled onto the stage to participate in the interaction. He was instantly soaked, but he laughed very happily: "It's so exciting. This is the passion of Xishuangbanna!" After the tour, several large bags of characteristic Dai brocade and bamboo crafts were stuffed into the suitcases. With full of joy and novelty, they set off again on their return journey, and they were already quietly looking forward to the next trip. Returning to the familiar city, life seemed to be revitalized, and the interesting things on the journey became the best topic of conversation for the three of them after dinner. However, the peaceful days did not last long, and Li Xiao began to instigate a new journey: "We have finally opened the switch to explore the world, we can't give up halfway, how about our next stop, Guilin? It is said that 'Guilin's landscapes are the best in the world', we must see it with our own eyes." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei were itching to go, and decided to set off immediately.

When we first arrived in Guilin, the rain was like a thread, and the whole city was shrouded in a hazy mist, like an ink painting slowly unfolding. They boarded the bamboo raft and drifted down the Li River. The river water was clear and green, and the peaks on both sides were strange in shape, some like camels drinking water, and some like fairies dressing up. Li Xiao reached into the river, splashing a string of water, and said: "This water is very cool, it feels like it can wash away my fatigue." The raftsman was a talkative local. While paddling, he told the legend of the Li River. Zhang Yuedong listened attentively and asked for details from time to time: "What happened later? Is there really a treasure in this cave?"

After landing, the three hungry people found a rice noodle shop. The steaming Guilin rice noodles were served on the table. The smooth rice noodles were soaked in the fresh and fragrant brine, and served with crispy meat, sour bamboo shoots, and fried soybeans. Lin Yifei couldn't wait to mix it and slurped a big mouthful: "This rice noodle is smooth and chewy, and the sour bamboo shoots are the soul. It's so appetizing!"

At night, Yangshuo West Street was brightly lit, with street performers playing guitar and singing folk songs. Li Xiao sang along and bought a few postcards of Lijiang River scenery hand-painted by local painters. Zhang Yuedong took a fancy to a handmade Zhuang hydrangea, which was wrapped with colorful silk threads and was exquisite and festive. He planned to take it back to decorate his study. On the folk performance stage, the Zhuang dance was passionate and unrestrained, and the dancers' agile postures rotated under the lights, which made Lin Yifei excited: "This vitality is very contagious!"

Leaving Guilin, we headed for Xiamen. Xiamen's Ring Road is built along the coast, with the sun shining on the golden beach and the azure sea, sparkling. Li Xiao rented a bicycle and rode along the Ring Road. The sea breeze blew on his face, and he shouted: "This is the romance of a coastal city!" Passing by Zengcuo'an, the alleys were crowded with snack stalls, and the rich aroma of shacha noodles hooked their noses. Zhang Yuedong ordered a bowl and looked at the rich seafood ingredients and praised it: "Fresh shrimp, squid, and this special shacha sauce, it's so fresh!"

In Gulangyu, buildings of various styles are scattered around, and the atmosphere of literature and art is overwhelming. They shuttled through the alleys, occasionally pushing open a cat-themed cafe to play with lazy cats. A Nanyin performance was going on in the courtyard, with gentle and low humming, like crying and complaining. Lin Yifei was immersed in it and sighed softly: "This ancient folk art hides the delicate feelings of the people in southern Fujian." When leaving, several boxes of special pineapple cakes were put into the backpack, and the sweet fruity fragrance seemed to lock the beauty of Xiamen.

The last stop was Huangshan. On the day of climbing, the mountain was surrounded by clouds and mist, and the peaks appeared and disappeared in the sea of ​​clouds, like a fairyland. Li Xiao looked at the winding mountain road and rubbed his hands, "Today is our chance to conquer Huangshan!" Along the way, the Welcoming Pine greeted them with its upright posture, and the jagged rocks attracted everyone's admiration. Zhang Yuedong was so tired that he was out of breath, but he didn't forget to joke: "This Huangshan is going to test our perseverance."

When they reached the top of the mountain, the view suddenly opened up, and the afterglow of the sunset gilded the sea of ​​clouds. After watching the sunset, the feast of Anhui cuisine began. The stinky mandarin fish smelled stinky but tasted delicious, and the Huangshan Shuangshi was fresh and smooth. Lin Yifei said while eating: "This trip to Huangshan was not in vain, the beautiful scenery and delicious food are all here!" Before going down the mountain, they picked a few exquisite Huangshan landscape paper-cuts, and with their attachment to the journey, they set off on the way home, and began to conceive the next free trip in their minds. After returning home, the gears of life slowly turned again, but the flame of travel in the hearts of the three people burned more and more. Li Xiao took the lead in breaking the daily boredom: "We have walked from north to south, from mountains to sea, and have not experienced the grandeur of the grassland. Otherwise, let's go straight to Inner Mongolia next time?" Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei looked at each other, their eyes full of expectations, and agreed to this grassland appointment without saying a word.

As soon as we stepped into Inner Mongolia, the vast grassland spread out like a huge green carpet under our feet. The azure sky seemed to have been washed by water, and large groups of white clouds floated by, contrasting with the herds of cattle and sheep. Li Xiao opened his arms excitedly and breathed in the air with the fragrance of green grass: "This is the taste of freedom, so comfortable!" The car galloped all the way to the reserved yurt camp. Along the way, from time to time, riders dressed in bright Mongolian costumes rode by, looking heroic.

Arriving at the camp, the hospitable Mongolian compatriots presented Hada and served fragrant kumis. Zhang Yuedong took a sip a little embarrassedly, and the unique flavor choked him and made him cough a few times, which made everyone laugh. After a short rest, they rode on tall horses and strolled on the grassland under the guidance of the herdsmen. Lin Yifei rode carefully, holding the reins tightly with his hands, muttering: "This horse looks docile, but it's a bit nervous to ride it." Li Xiao quickly adapted to the rhythm, trotted on his horse, and shouted: "Go! This feels so good, like a real grassland knight!"

In the evening, a grand bonfire party kicked off. The blazing bonfire jumped in the middle of the grassland, reflecting the red faces of everyone. The Mongolian song and dance performances were passionate, and the dancers spun and jumped, stepping out a cheerful rhythm with heroic steps. Li Xiao was pulled into the dance circle and followed to learn simple dance steps. Although clumsy, he was in high spirits. During the performance, the sizzling roasted whole lamb was served on the table, with crispy skin and tender and juicy inside. Zhang Yuedong tore off a piece of meat and praised: "This lamb has no smell at all, and the original flavor is amazing!" At the end of the party, several exquisite Mongolian hats and several strings of characteristic wolf tooth ornaments were collected. (End of this chapter)