Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

The sun shines through the window onto Li Xiao's messy desk. He is facing the computer screen with a frown on his face. The plot of the novel in the document has come to a deadlock. "How can I continue writing this?" Li Xiao scratched his hair in annoyance, stood up, and paced around the small room.

At this moment, the phone suddenly rang. It was a video call from Zhang Yuedong. Li Xiao pressed the answer button, and Zhang Yuedong's energetic face appeared on the screen. "Hey, Li Xiao! Look at you, you are worried again. Stop writing, let's go out and have some fun!"

Li Xiao smiled bitterly and said, "I would like to, but the deadline for this novel is coming up soon and I'm still stuck here."

"Oh, you're just too stubborn." Zhang Yuedong disagreed, "Go out for a walk, maybe inspiration will come. I tell you, reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles. How can you have any good material if you stay in the house every day?"

As the two were talking, Lin Yifei's profile picture also appeared in the video call. He smiled and said, "I agree with Yuedong's proposal. Let's go on a spontaneous trip! It just so happens that I have nothing to do recently."

Li Xiao was somewhat tempted, but still hesitant: "But where should we go?"

Zhang Yuedong's eyes lit up: "China is so big, there are so many fun places. Let's travel from south to north and experience the customs and practices of different cities. Then you will have plenty of material to write your novel!"

Lin Yifei also echoed: "Yes, yes, the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, the Giant Panda Base in Chengdu, and the mountains and rivers in Guilin are all excellent materials. And you can also taste the delicacies from all over the world, which makes people excited just thinking about it!"

Li Xiao was so excited by what they said that he finally made up his mind: "Okay, it's settled then! Let's go on a tour around China!"

The three of them immediately started searching online for tips and planning their route. After a heated discussion, they decided to go to Chengdu first. There are cute giant pandas and delicious food there, which makes people eager to go.

After several hours of flight, the three finally arrived at BJ Capital International Airport. As soon as they got out of the airport, Li Xiao took a deep breath and said excitedly: "Wow, BJ, we are finally here!"

Zhang Yuedong smiled and patted his shoulder: "Hurry up, let's go to the hotel to put our luggage, and then start our BJ trip!"

After a short rest in the hotel, they headed straight to their first stop - the Forbidden City.

Standing in front of the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City, Li Xiao looked up at the towering city wall and couldn't help but sigh: "This is the Forbidden City. I've only seen it on TV and in books before, but I didn't expect to actually stand here today."

Lin Yifei was also very excited: "Yes, this is the royal palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. 24 emperors have lived here. I wonder how many stories happened to them here."

While taking photos, Zhang Yuedong said, "Don't just sigh, go in quickly, there are still many wonderful things inside!"

Walking into the Forbidden City, it was as if they had traveled through time and space and returned to ancient times. With red walls and yellow tiles, carved beams and painted buildings, every building exuded the charm of history. They followed the guide and visited the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony in turn.

The tour guide pointed to the Hall of Supreme Harmony and introduced: "The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the highest-ranking building in the Forbidden City. It is where the emperor held important ceremonies, such as enthronement, wedding, and enthronement of the empress."

Li Xiao asked curiously: "Would the emperor feel lonely sitting on that dragon throne? It's such a big palace."

The tour guide smiled and replied: "The emperor is the Son of Heaven, representing supreme power. This magnificent palace is to show his majesty. However, in this deep palace, there are indeed many unknown loneliness and helplessness."

Lin Yifei looked at the exquisite decorations in the hall and couldn't help but admire: "The craftsmanship of the ancients is really amazing. These carvings and paintings are still lifelike after hundreds of years."

Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, these are all treasures of the Chinese nation. Think about how much effort the craftsmen put in to build this magnificent palace."

Then, they visited the Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Hall, Kunning Palace and other inner court buildings, and learned about the daily life of the emperor and his concubines. In the Imperial Garden, they saw ancient pines and cypresses and strange-shaped Taihu stones, as if they could feel the scene of the royal family strolling and relaxing here in the past.

As they walked out of the Forbidden City, it was already getting dark. Li Xiao said with great satisfaction: "This trip today was really worth it. I feel I have a deeper understanding of history."

Lin Yifei also said: "Yes, when I studied history before, I just memorized it by rote. Now that I have seen these historical relics with my own eyes, I can truly appreciate the weight of history."

Zhang Yuedong smiled and said, "Of course, this is the meaning of traveling. Next, let's go eat something delicious and replenish our energy!"

When it comes to BJ's food, the most representative one is Peking duck. The three of them came to the famous Quanjude to taste the authentic Peking duck.

As soon as they walked into Quanjude, the rich aroma of roast duck hit their noses, making their stomachs growl immediately. The waiter greeted them warmly and took them to their seats.

After a while, a ruddy, shiny roast duck was pushed up. The chef skillfully picked up the knife and began to slice the duck. His skillful technique made the duck meat evenly sliced, and each slice was just right.

Li Xiao watched the chef slice the duck and couldn't help asking, "Master, is there anything particular about this roast duck?"

The chef smiled and replied, "This Peking duck is characterized by crispy skin and tender meat. It is roasted over fruit wood charcoal, which gives the duck a unique fruity aroma. Also, there are techniques for slicing the duck. The skin and meat must be separated so that you can feel the different textures when you eat it."

As we were talking, the chef had already sliced ​​the duck and placed the duck meat neatly on a plate, topped it with pancakes, chopped green onions, cucumber and sweet noodle sauce.

Zhang Yuedong couldn't wait to pick up a pancake, put a few slices of duck meat, put scallions and cucumbers on it, dipped it in sweet noodle sauce, rolled it up and took a big bite. "Mm~ It's so delicious! The skin is so crispy, the meat is so tender and juicy, and the scallions and cucumbers are so refreshing, it's absolutely amazing!" He said vaguely while eating.

Lin Yifei also quickly tasted it and nodded in praise: "Indeed, the taste is completely different from the roast duck I ate elsewhere. It is worthy of being the signature dish of Quanjude."

Li Xiao also enjoyed the meal. He smiled and said, "This trip to BJ is worth the money just for this roast duck."

The three of them ate roast duck while sharing what they saw and heard in the Forbidden City today, and laughter echoed in the restaurant.

Knowing that Ditan Temple was holding a temple fair, I decided to join in the fun.

As soon as they arrived at the Ditan Temple Fair, they were attracted by the lively scene. People were coming and going, bustling and bustling, and there were laughter and joy everywhere. Big red lanterns were hung high, colorful flags were fluttering in the wind, and the air was filled with the aroma of various delicacies and the festive atmosphere. They were first attracted by a burst of cheerful gongs and drums, which turned out to be a lion dance performance. They saw two majestic lions jumping and rolling on the stage, sometimes playing with each other, and sometimes performing various difficult movements, which attracted cheers from the audience.

Zhang Yuedong said excitedly: "This lion dance is so wonderful. This is my first time to see it up close!"

Lin Yifei also said excitedly: "Yes, look at the lion's movements, they are so vivid, it really feels like a lion is playing."

Li Xiao was busy taking pictures, trying to record this wonderful moment.

After watching the lion dance performance, they visited various stalls. Some sold traditional handicrafts, such as paper-cuts, dough figurines, and sugar paintings, while others sold special snacks, such as candied haws, donkey rolls, and fried liver. While tasting the food, they admired the exquisite handicrafts and felt the strong flavor of the New Year in Beijing.

At a stall selling rabbit figurines, Li Xiao was attracted by a cute rabbit figurine. He picked up the rabbit figurine, looked at it carefully, and asked, "Boss, what does this rabbit figurine mean?"

The boss introduced enthusiastically: "This Rabbit God is the traditional mascot of old BJ, representing good luck and peace. In the past, every Mid-Autumn Festival, the children of old BJ would buy Rabbit God to play with. This is an old custom in our BJ."

Li Xiao thought it was very interesting and decided to buy one to take home as a souvenir.

As they walked, they came to a performance stage where a Peking Opera was being performed. The actors wore gorgeous costumes and delicate facial makeup, and sang, recited, and acted with great charm in every move. Although they did not know much about Peking Opera, they were attracted by the unique artistic charm and could not help but stop to watch.

Lin Yifei said with emotion: "This Peking Opera is truly the quintessence of China. Although I don't understand what is being sung, just watching the performance is enough to shock me."

Zhang Yuedong also said: "Yes, the charm of traditional culture is really endless. This trip not only allowed us to see beautiful scenery and taste delicious food, but also let us appreciate the charm of so many traditional cultures."

Li Xiao nodded in agreement: "Yes, this trip is really fruitful. There will definitely be more surprises waiting for us on the next journey!"

After strolling around the temple fair for a long time, they left with great satisfaction. Back at the hotel, although they were a little tired, they felt particularly relaxed. They lay on the bed, recalling the day's experience and looking forward to tomorrow's journey.

After finishing the journey in BJ, the three took the high-speed rail to the next stop - Xi'an. This ancient capital with a long history has always been a place they longed for in their hearts.

The brilliance of the Tang Dynasty City that never sleeps

It was already evening when they arrived in Xi'an. After a simple dinner, they couldn't wait to go to the Tang Dynasty City that Never Sleeps to see the charm of this city that never sleeps.

As soon as you enter the Tang Dynasty City that Never Sleeps, you feel as if you have traveled back to the Tang Dynasty. The antique buildings on both sides of the street look particularly magnificent under the light. Red lanterns are hung high, and colorful flags are fluttering in the wind, exuding a strong Tang Dynasty atmosphere everywhere.

Li Xiao couldn't help but sigh: "It's like it came out of a painting. It's so shocking!"

Zhang Yuedong also nodded and praised: "Yes, I have only seen such scenes in TV dramas before, but I didn't expect to be in the scene today."

Lin Yifei was busy taking pictures, saying as he did so: "Such a beautiful scenery, I must take a few more pictures and show them to my friends when I get back."

As they walked, they came to a large square where a wonderful light show was being held. As the music sounded, the lights changed into various gorgeous patterns, sometimes twinkling like stars, sometimes blooming like fireworks, decorating the entire square like a dream.

"Wow, this light show is so amazing!" Li Xiao jumped up excitedly.

Zhang Yuedong also said excitedly: "This is simply a visual feast. I feel like I can't take it all in."

Looking at the beautiful scenery in front of him, Lin Yifei said with emotion: "I never thought that modern technology and traditional culture could be combined so well, making people feel as if they have traveled through time and space and returned to the prosperous Tang Dynasty."

At the end of the light show, the eight characters "The Great Tang Dynasty, Prosperity Reappears" appeared on the huge screen, which drew cheers from the audience. The three of them were also immersed in this joyful atmosphere and were reluctant to leave for a long time.

Food carnival in Muslim Street
After coming out of the Tang Dynasty City that Never Sleeps, their stomachs were rumbling, so they decided to go to the Muslim Street to taste the local delicacies.

As soon as you enter the Muslim Street, the rich aroma of food hits your nose. The streets are lined with various snack stalls, including grilled mutton skewers, mutton soup buns, roujiamo, cold noodles, zonggao, etc., which make people dazzled and salivate.

Zhang Yuedong spotted a stall selling mutton skewers. He pulled Li Xiao and Lin Yifei over and said, "Let's eat some mutton skewers to satisfy our cravings!"

I saw the stall owner skillfully grilling the lamb skewers on the charcoal fire, sprinkling some cumin and chili powder from time to time. After a while, the lamb skewers were grilled and the aroma was everywhere.

Li Xiao took the mutton skewer, took a bite, and praised it highly: "Hmm~ This mutton skewer is so delicious, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fragrant and spicy, so addictive!"

Lin Yifei also ate with gusto. He said as he ate: "This is the authentic lamb kebab. It tastes better than what I ate elsewhere."

After eating the mutton skewers, they came to a shop selling mutton soup steamed buns. They walked into the shop and ordered three servings of mutton soup steamed buns. After a while, the steaming mutton soup steamed buns were served.

Li Xiao looked at the mutton soup steamed bun in front of him, a little at a loss: "How do I eat this?"

Zhang Yuedong smiled and said, "Watch me." He picked up a steamed bun and started to break it. "Break the bun into small pieces, then put it in the mutton soup and eat it. This way the bun can absorb the deliciousness of the mutton soup and taste especially good."

Li Xiao and Lin Yifei also followed Zhang Yuedong's example, breaking the steamed bun into small pieces and putting them into the mutton soup. After soaking, they took a bite and were amazed by the delicious taste.

"Wow, this mutton soup with steamed bun is so delicious!" Li Xiao couldn't help but exclaimed, "The mutton is tender, the soup is rich, and the steamed bun is very chewy. It's simply a delicacy!" (End of this chapter)