Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1676

The loyalty, bravery of Zhang Fei, and the bravery of Zhao Yun all left a deep impression on me. The heroes of the Three Kingdoms period, their stories have inspired generations of people. "Lin Yifei said excitedly: "I must read more books about the Three Kingdoms in the future to learn more about this period of history."

After visiting the Wuhou Temple, the three were already hungry, so they decided to try the authentic Chengdu hotpot. They came to a popular hotpot restaurant, which was very lively and filled with the rich aroma of hotpot, making people salivate.

They found a seat and sat down. The waiter enthusiastically handed over the menu. Looking at the dazzling array of dishes on the menu, the three of them were a little confused for a moment. Li Xiao smiled and said, "When you come to Chengdu, you must eat the spiciest soup base, otherwise it will be a waste of time." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement:
"That's right, let's order some special ingredients and taste the unique flavor of Chengdu hotpot." Lin Yifei said excitedly: "I want to eat tripe, duck intestines, beef, and various vegetables, all of them!"

Soon, the steaming hot pot base was served. The base was bright red and attractive, with a thick layer of chili and Sichuan pepper floating on it, exuding a spicy and fragrant smell. Li Xiao took a deep breath and said, "This smell is so tempting, I can't wait to eat it." Zhang Yuedong also picked up the chopsticks and prepared to eat heartily.

They first put the tripe into the pot, and gently simmered it a few times according to the "seven ups and eight downs" formula. The tripe instantly became curled up, absorbing the spicy soup at the bottom of the pot. When put into the mouth, it was crispy and refreshing, and the spicy taste spread on the tip of the tongue, making people exclaim with enjoyment.

Then, they cooked duck intestines, beef, yellow throat and other ingredients. The duck intestines were crisp and tender, the beef was tender and juicy, and the yellow throat had a crisp taste. Each ingredient showed its unique charm in the hot pot.

Lin Yifei's face turned red from the spiciness. He kept drinking the drink but couldn't stop eating with his chopsticks. He kept muttering, "It's so delicious. Although it's too spicy, I can't stop eating. This is the charm of Chengdu hotpot!" Li Xiao and Zhang Yuedong couldn't help laughing when they saw him. Li Xiao said:

"Eating Chengdu hotpot is all about the spicy feeling. The spicier it is, the more you want to eat it." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, this is the authentic Chengdu taste."

While enjoying the hot pot, they also ordered some Chengdu snacks, such as brown sugar glutinous rice cakes and ice jelly. The brown sugar glutinous rice cakes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and delicious, while the ice jelly is cool and refreshing, relieving the spiciness and quenching thirst. These snacks complement the hot pot, giving their taste buds an ultimate feast.

In the evening, the three of them came to a Sichuan opera teahouse to watch the Sichuan opera face-changing performance. Sichuan opera is a traditional opera in Sichuan, and face-changing is one of the most distinctive and charming stunts in Sichuan opera performances.

Walking into the teahouse, it was full of audiences, all waiting for the performance to begin with great anticipation. The stage was decorated in an antique style, with red curtains and exquisite props, making people feel as if they were in a traditional opera world.

The performance began. The actors wore gorgeous costumes and walked onto the stage with light steps. Their singing was beautiful and melodious, sometimes passionate and high-pitched, sometimes gentle and melodious, expressing the emotions of the characters in the play vividly. As the plot developed, the wonderful face-changing segment finally came. An actor was seen holding a folding fan and dancing quickly. Suddenly, he covered his face with the fan. In an instant, the face makeup on his face changed from red to black, and then from black to white, which was dazzling.

Li Xiao and others were stunned by this magical performance. They stared at the stage closely, afraid of missing any wonderful moment. Lin Yifei was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth and kept clapping his hands: "It's amazing, the face changing is so fast, it's just like magic!" Zhang Yuedong couldn't help but sigh: "Sichuan Opera face changing is really a magical art. It not only shows the superb skills of the actors, but also contains profound cultural connotations."

The performances of the actors became more and more exciting. They kept changing their facial makeup at a speed that was dazzling. Some actors would even walk into the audience and interact with the audience closely, allowing everyone to feel the charm of face changing more intuitively. When the actors walked in front of Li Xiao and others, Lin Yifei excitedly stretched out his hand and wanted to touch the actor's facial makeup, but the actor cleverly dodged and changed into a new facial makeup, causing the audience around him to laugh.

After the performance, the audience burst into warm applause. Li Xiao and others also stood up and applauded the actors for their wonderful performance. They walked out of the teahouse, still immersed in the shock of Sichuan Opera face-changing, and discussed the performance all the way. Li Xiao said: "Watching the Sichuan Opera face-changing performance this time really opened my eyes. I have a deeper understanding and love for this traditional art of Sichuan Opera." Zhang Yuedong also agreed: "Yes, we should pay more attention to and inherit these excellent traditional cultures, so that they can be revitalized in modern society."

On the last day in Chengdu, the three of them came to Jinli Ancient Street, ready to buy some Chengdu specialties to bring back to their relatives and friends. Jinli Ancient Street is one of the most representative ancient streets in Chengdu. It not only has quaint buildings, but also a variety of special snacks, handicrafts and souvenirs.

They first came to a Shu embroidery shop. Shu embroidery is one of the four famous embroidery styles in China and is famous for its exquisite craftsmanship and unique style. The shop displays a variety of Shu embroidery works, including flowers, birds, fish, insects, landscapes, portraits, etc. Each work is finely embroidered, colorful and lifelike. Li Xiao was attracted by a Shu embroidery work with a panda. The panda was cute and seemed to be playing in the bamboo forest. He said: "This Shu embroidery is so exquisite. The panda's expression and movements are embroidered vividly. If you buy it back and give it to your friends, they will definitely like it." Zhang Yuedong also chose a Shu embroidery work with a landscape. He said: "This Shu embroidery shows the beautiful scenery of Sichuan. It must be beautiful to hang it at home." Lin Yifei bought some Shu embroidery handkerchiefs and small accessories. He said: "These small accessories are very delicate and suitable for girls."

Then, they came to a panda doll shop. Chengdu is the hometown of pandas, so panda dolls are an indispensable specialty. The panda dolls in the store are of various shapes, some are cute and naive, and some are lively and cute, making people want to take them home.

Lin Yifei's eyes lit up when he saw these cute panda dolls. He said excitedly, "These panda dolls are so cute. I want to buy a few more to bring back and give to my classmates." He selected several panda dolls of different styles, some holding bamboo, some sleeping, and some rolling, and he loved each one. Li Xiao and Zhang Yuedong also bought some panda dolls each to give to their family and friends.

After buying local specialties, the three ended their pleasant trip to Chengdu with a lot of harvest. With good memories of Chengdu and expectations for the next stop, they embarked on a new journey, ready to explore the charm of more Chinese cities.

Bidding farewell to the leisurely and hot Chengdu, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei set off for Xi'an with great anticipation. When the plane slowly landed at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, they seemed to feel the heavy historical atmosphere of this ancient city. When they walked out of the airport, they saw modern buildings and ancient city walls complementing each other. The dialects of the pedestrians on the road were full of historical charm, which instantly made them curious and yearning for this city.

Li Xiao took a deep breath and said excitedly, "We are finally in Xi'an. This ancient capital of 13 dynasties carries so much historical memory. I feel like I can talk to the ancients every step I take." Zhang Yuedong carried his camera, his eyes sparkling, and said, "Yes, the historical and cultural heritage here is so profound. This time I must use the camera to record every wonderful part of Xi'an." Lin Yifei was like a happy little bird, jumping and saying, "I can't wait to explore the food and historical sites in Xi'an. I heard that the food here is also very unique."

The three of them strolled along the streets of Xi'an, feeling the unique charm of this city. The ancient buildings on the street were scattered in an orderly manner, and the bluestone road seemed to be telling stories of the past. There were many pedestrians on the road, some were talking enthusiastically, some were walking leisurely, and everyone's face was filled with the breath of life. The bell tower in the distance looked particularly magnificent in the afterglow of the setting sun, and the melodious bell sound seemed to have traveled through a thousand years of time, echoing in every corner of the city.

On the first day in Xi'an, they came to the world-famous Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. When they stood on the viewing platform of Pit No. 1, they were stunned by the scene in front of them. They saw densely packed terracotta warriors neatly arranged in the pit, magnificent and imposing, as if an army ready to go to war at any time. These terracotta warriors are of different shapes and lifelike, each with a unique expression and posture, some with bright eyes, some with solemn expressions, and some with thoughtful expressions, as if telling people about that magnificent history.

Li Xiao couldn't help but sigh: "This is so shocking. It's hard to imagine how the ancients created such a miracle. Every terracotta warrior seems to have life." Zhang Yuedong kept pressing the shutter of the camera to record this shocking scene. He said: "These terracotta warriors are so exquisite. Every detail is handled just right. The skills of the ancients are amazing." Lin Yifei looked around curiously and kept saying: "Wow, these terracotta warriors are so cool. I feel like I have traveled back to the battlefield of the Qin Dynasty."

The tour guide enthusiastically explained the historical background and production process of the Terracotta Warriors. It turned out that the Terracotta Warriors were the burial pits of the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, and were built to continue to defend Qin Shihuang's rule in the underground world. The production process of these Terracotta Warriors is very complicated and requires multiple processes. Each Terracotta Warrior is carefully made by craftsmen. Moreover, the facial expressions and hairstyles of the Terracotta Warriors are different, which shows that the craftsmen at that time fully considered the personality and characteristics of each person when making them.

During the visit, they also saw some terracotta warriors being restored. The staff carefully restored the terracotta warriors and horses, striving to restore their original appearance. The tour guide said that restoring the terracotta warriors and horses is a very difficult task that requires a lot of time and energy, but in order to allow these precious historical relics to be fully presented to the world, all their efforts are worth it.

The three listened to the guide's explanation while carefully observing the details of the Terracotta Warriors. They found that some of the Terracotta Warriors still had some color on them. Although they had faded, they could still imagine how gorgeous they once were. The guide said that these Terracotta Warriors were colorful when they were first unearthed, but due to long-term exposure to the air, the color quickly oxidized and fell off. In order to protect these cultural relics, archaeologists are now working hard to study protection technology, hoping to find a better way to preserve the color of the Terracotta Warriors.

After leaving the Terracotta Warriors Museum, the three people were still in a state of excitement. They were impressed by the wisdom and skills of the ancients, and were proud of the Chinese nation's splendid history and culture. Li Xiao said, "This visit to the Terracotta Warriors has given me a deeper understanding of history. These Terracotta Warriors are not only cultural relics, but also witnesses of history." Zhang Yuedong also agreed, "Yes, we should protect these precious cultural heritages so that future generations can appreciate their charm." Lin Yifei said excitedly, "I must tell my classmates everything I saw this time when I go back, so that they can also feel the shock of the Terracotta Warriors."

After coming out of the Terracotta Warriors Museum, the three were already hungry, so they decided to try Xi'an's specialty food - mutton soup steamed bun. Walking into a time-honored mutton soup steamed bun restaurant, the store was filled with the rich aroma of mutton, making people salivate. The store was full of diners, everyone was eating mutton soup steamed bun with relish, and laughter could be heard from time to time, full of a strong sense of life.

They found a seat and sat down. The waiter enthusiastically handed over the menu. Li Xiao looked at the menu and said, "You must try the authentic mutton soup steamed bun when you come to Xi'an. I heard that you have to break the steamed bun yourself." Zhang Yuedong smiled and said, "Yes, this is also a kind of fun of eating mutton soup steamed bun. Break the steamed bun slowly and feel the leisure of this ancient capital." Lin Yifei couldn't wait to say, "Hurry up and order the food. I'm starving."

Soon, the waiter brought several bowls of steaming mutton soup and a few Baiji steamed buns. Li Xiao picked up a Baiji steamed bun and imitated the diners next to him and began to break it carefully. As he broke it, he said: "Breaking the bun is really a delicate job. It has to be broken into even sizes so that it can better absorb the flavor of the soup."