Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1693

The sunlight shines through the window onto Li Xiao's face. He slowly wakes up from his sleep, with the corners of his mouth unconsciously rising, because today, he will embark on a long-awaited trip to China with his two best friends, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei.

Li Xiao quickly stood up, washed up, and started packing his luggage. As he packed, he imagined the city he was about to visit and the fascinating attractions in his mind. "I must put all the good things in my memory during this trip," he whispered softly.

At 10 a.m., the three of them met at the agreed location. Zhang Yuedong, carrying a large backpack and smiling excitedly, said loudly, "Brothers, we have been waiting for this moment for a long time. We are finally going to set off!" Lin Yifei also echoed excitedly, "Yes, this journey will definitely be super exciting. We may meet many interesting people and things!"

Li Xiao looked at his two friends, his heart filled with warmth: "What are we waiting for? Our trip to China officially begins!" The three of them smiled at each other, their anticipation and excitement for the journey seemed to break through the sky.

They arrived at the high-speed railway station, which was bustling with people. The radio kept announcing the train numbers and times. People were in a hurry, but they all had their own expectations. Li Xiao looked at the scene around him and said with emotion: "Every departure is a brand new beginning. I don't know what kind of surprises this trip will bring us."

Zhang Yuedong patted Li Xiao on the shoulder and said, "Don't be sentimental. Hurry up and check your tickets and get on the train. A wonderful journey is waiting for us!" The three of them followed the crowd, passed through the ticket gate, and boarded the train to the first stop.

The train started slowly, and the scenery outside the window gradually receded. Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong, and Lin Yifei sat by the window, staring out the window, not wanting to miss any of the scenery. Fields, mountains, and rivers flashed before their eyes, and their mood became more and more excited as the train sped.

"What do you think we should do after arriving at the first stop?" Lin Yifei asked curiously. Zhang Yuedong answered without hesitation: "Of course, we should go to the hotel to put down our luggage first, and then go straight to the most famous local attractions. I can't wait to see those beautiful scenery!" Li Xiao smiled and said: "I think it's not bad to try the local food first. After all, food is an indispensable part of travel." The three of them talked and discussed happily, and the carriage was filled with their laughter.

As the train moved forward, they were getting closer and closer to their destination, and they were looking forward to the upcoming journey more and more. A trip to China full of surprises and joy just began with their laughter and joy.

After several hours of driving, the train slowly pulled into Beijing West Railway Station. The three of them walked out of the station, and a strong Beijing atmosphere hit them. There were tall buildings, busy traffic, and pedestrians walking hurriedly, but revealing a unique calmness.

"Finally we're in BJ!" Zhang Yuedong shouted excitedly, his voice was particularly loud in the noisy station. Lin Yifei also looked around excitedly, his eyes full of curiosity about the city: "BJ, the place I've been thinking about, I finally see you!" Li Xiao took a deep breath, feeling the unique atmosphere of the city: "In the days to come, we will have a lot to explore."

They arrived at the hotel they booked, took a short rest, and then couldn't wait to start their journey in BJ to climb the Great Wall and see the vicissitudes of history.

The first stop was the world-famous Badaling Great Wall. As the car slowly approached the Great Wall, the majestic scenery came into view. The Great Wall was like a giant dragon, winding and circling between the mountains, majestic and imposing.

"Wow, this is the Great Wall, it's so spectacular!" Zhang Yuedong couldn't help but exclaim. Lin Yifei also widened his eyes, his face full of shock: "I've only seen it on TV before, I didn't expect it to be so shocking when I saw it with my own eyes." Li Xiao looked at the Great Wall, and an inexplicable feeling of emotion surged in his heart: "This was built by our ancestors with wisdom and sweat, carrying thousands of years of history."

The three of them bought tickets and started climbing the steps. The steps of the Great Wall are of different heights, and some places are very steep, which makes climbing quite strenuous. Not long after walking, Zhang Yuedong was out of breath: "Climbing the Great Wall is really a physical job, but for this beautiful view, it's worth it!" Lin Yifei also smiled and said: "Yes, we will definitely see more beautiful scenery when we climb the beacon tower later."

During the climb, Li Xiao introduced the history of the Great Wall to everyone: "The Great Wall was first built in the Western Zhou Dynasty. After Qin Shihuang unified the six kingdoms, he connected the Great Walls of various countries to form the original Great Wall. Subsequent dynasties continued to repair and expand it, and it has reached the scale we see today. It is not only a defensive structure, but also a symbol of the perseverance of the Chinese nation." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei listened with great interest and had more respect for the Great Wall.

After some effort, they finally climbed up a beacon tower. Standing on the beacon tower, looking far into the distance, there are mountains, the Great Wall stretches between the mountains, and disappears in the distant clouds. The breeze blows on the face, bringing a hint of coolness, making people feel extremely comfortable.

"This scenery is absolutely amazing!" Zhang Yuedong excitedly took out his camera and kept taking pictures. Lin Yifei also said with emotion: "The ancients were really amazing. In that era without modern tools, they were able to build such a great project." Li Xiao looked at the Great Wall with pride in his heart: "This is the greatness of our Chinese nation. No matter how big the difficulties are, we can move forward courageously."

They strolled along the Great Wall, feeling the vicissitudes of history. Touching the ancient walls, they seemed to be able to touch the traces of time. Every brick and stone told a story of the past, some tragic, some exciting.

After coming down from the Great Wall, the three people's stomachs were already rumbling. They decided to try Beijing's most representative delicacy - Peking duck. After some inquiries, they came to Quanjude.

As soon as they walked into Quanjude, the rich aroma of roast duck hit their noses. The restaurant was full of diners and very lively. The waiter warmly welcomed them in and recommended the signature roast duck to them.

After a while, a reddish-brown, shiny roast duck was served on the table. The roast duck's skin was crispy and had an alluring sheen, making people salivate at the sight. The waiter skillfully sliced ​​the roast duck into thin slices, each of which was evenly sized and of moderate thickness.

"Come, try this authentic Peking duck." Li Xiao picked up a lotus leaf pancake, put a few slices of roast duck on it, added sweet bean sauce, scallion segments and cucumber shreds, then rolled it up and put it in his mouth. "Mm, it's delicious!" he couldn't help but exclaim. Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei couldn't wait to imitate Li Xiao and started eating.

"The skin of this roast duck is so crispy, and the meat is so tender and juicy. With the sweet bean sauce and chopped green onions, the taste is simply amazing!" Zhang Yuedong said while eating. Lin Yifei also nodded in agreement: "This taste is really worthy of being the signature food of BJ, so satisfying." While tasting the roast duck, Li Xiao told everyone about the production process and historical origins of Beijing roast duck: "Beijing roast duck uses BJ stuffed duck with tender and plump meat. After several processes such as making and drying the dough, it is baked with fruit wood. Its history can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. At that time, it was the imperial meal of the Nanjing Palace. Later, when Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing, the roast duck craftsmanship was also passed on to BJ and gradually developed into a special food of BJ." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei listened attentively and respected this delicacy even more.

While enjoying the delicious roast duck, the three of them shared interesting stories from their trip, and laughter echoed in the restaurant.

After eating and drinking, they came to a theater to enjoy a wonderful Peking Opera performance. Peking Opera, as the quintessence of China, has a unique artistic charm.

Walking into the theater, the antique decorations make people feel like they have traveled back to ancient times. On the stage, the actors are preparing nervously. Soon, the performance officially begins.

The first performance was a classic piece of "Farewell My Concubine". The actors were dressed in gorgeous costumes and wore exquisite headdresses, which amazed the audience as soon as they appeared. Their singing was beautiful and melodious, and every note seemed to have magic, firmly grasping the hearts of the audience.

"This singing is so beautiful, I am fascinated by it." Zhang Yuedong whispered to Li Xiao. Li Xiao nodded in agreement: "Yes, the singing of Peking Opera is very particular, different roles have different singing styles, and the pronunciation of each word must be just right."

During the performance, the actors' movements were also very exciting. Each of their moves was vigorous and powerful, yet graceful, and each gesture exuded a unique charm. In particular, Yu Ji's sword dance performance was eye-catching. Her sword dance was light and graceful, as smooth as flowing water, as if bringing the audience into the era of the war between Chu and Han.

"This sword dance is amazing. It feels like every move is full of power and beauty." Lin Yifei couldn't help but admire it. Zhang Yuedong also said: "Yes, the basic skills of Peking Opera actors are really solid. They must have put in a lot of effort behind it."

After the performance, the audience burst into warm applause. The actors came on stage to take their bows, with proud smiles on their faces. At this time, an actor came down the stage and enthusiastically introduced knowledge about Peking Opera to them.

"Peking opera is divided into four roles: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Each role has its own unique characteristics and performance style." The actor pointed to his own face mask and said, "For example, I am now painting the face mask of Jing, also known as Hualian, which is generally used to express characters with bold and upright personalities. Different colors of face masks also represent different character traits. For example, red face represents loyalty and white face represents treachery."

Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei listened with great interest and asked questions from time to time. The actors patiently answered them one by one, which gave them a deeper understanding of Peking Opera.

After enjoying the Peking Opera performance, they came to Wangfujing, one of the most prosperous commercial streets in Beijing, with a dazzling array of special handicrafts.

They walked into a handicraft store filled with all kinds of Beijing opera masks, rabbit figurines, BJ silk flowers and other handicrafts with Beijing characteristics. Zhang Yuedong immediately fell in love with a colorful Beijing opera mask and couldn't let it go: "This mask is so beautiful, I want to buy it back as a souvenir."

Li Xiao was also selecting, and he was very interested in the Rabbit God. Rabbit God is a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival handicraft in BJ area, with profound cultural connotations. He picked up a cute Rabbit God and looked at it carefully: "The image of this Rabbit God is so interesting, both majestic and cute."

The shop owner came over and enthusiastically introduced the cultural connotations and production techniques of these handicrafts to them: "Peking Opera masks are the patterns of facial makeup used by Peking Opera actors, and they have high artistic value. They are divided into many types, such as whole face, three-tile face, and cross-door face. The production process is very complicated and requires multiple steps such as painting, carving, and coloring. The Rabbit God originated in the Ming Dynasty. It is people's folk imagination of the Jade Rabbit in the myth of the Moon Palace. It represents people's yearning and blessing for a better life. Clay is generally used to make the Rabbit God. After shaping, carving, painting and other steps, such exquisite works can be made."

Lin Yifei also picked some BJ silk flowers to give to his family and friends. He said: "These silk flowers are so realistic, just like the real thing. I believe my family and friends will like them."

The three of them spent a long time selecting in the craft store, and each of them gained a lot. They took these crafts full of Beijing characteristics, as if they were taking away the memories of BJ.

During their day in BJ, they climbed the Great Wall, tasted roast duck, watched Peking Opera, and bought handicrafts, fully enjoying the charm of this city. Each experience made them have a deeper understanding and love for BJ. They are looking forward to the next journey and what kind of surprises will be waiting for them.

After finishing the journey in BJ, the three of them took a short rest and then boarded the train to Chengdu. Along the way, they were full of expectations, imagining the delicious food, beautiful scenery and unique culture of Chengdu.

"I heard that there are a lot of delicious food in Chengdu, especially hot pot. The taste is so delicious that it makes people salivate." Zhang Yuedong said while licking his lips. Lin Yifei also smiled and said, "Yes, there are also chuanchuanxiang, longchaoshou, and Zhongshuijiao. You can't miss any of them." Li Xiao added, "In addition to delicious food, the attractions around Chengdu are also worth visiting, such as Jiuzhaigou and Emei Mountain, which have beautiful scenery."

After several hours of driving, they finally arrived in Chengdu. As soon as they stepped out of the station, a strong spicy smell hit them in the face, making them instantly feel the enthusiasm of this city.

After a short stay in Chengdu, they headed to Jiuzhaigou, which they had been longing for. When the car slowly drove into the Jiuzhaigou scenic area, they were stunned by the scenery in front of them. The rolling mountains, dense forests, and clear lakes formed a picturesque beauty.