Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1783

The next program is Xihe Opera "Tao's Mother and Her Son". Xihe Opera, also known as Danqiang Opera, is one of the six ancient operas in JX Province. In 2011, it was included in the third batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects. The play tells the story of how Tao's mother Zhan, one of the four great virtuous mothers in China, educated her children to grow up, and how Tao Kan, under the earnest teachings of his mother, treated people warmly, served as an honest official, and served the country. The actors are dressed in ancient costumes, with handsome looks, and their singing is high-pitched, unrestrained, and simple, which portrays Tao's mother's virtue and Tao Kan's integrity and kindness to the core. The classic stories in the play, such as "teaching children to cherish time", "cutting hair to entertain guests", "sealing the altar and returning the herring", and "sending the child three soils", deeply moved the audience and gave everyone a deeper understanding of the virtues in Chinese traditional culture.

The last program was the Ruichang tea-picking opera "The Peacock Flies Southeast". Ruichang tea-picking opera has a history of more than 400 years. It was formerly known as "tea lantern opera". It is one of the most representative local operas in northern Jiangxi. It is also known as "glutinous rice tea-picking" because of its euphemistic and lyrical singing melody, beautiful and pleasant sound, rich and sweet charm, soft and sticky. The play tells the tragic story of Jiao Zhongqing and Liu Lanzhi, who were originally in love and very loving, but because Jiao's mother did not tolerate Liu Lanzhi and forced Jiao Zhongqing to divorce his wife, the couple reluctantly separated and agreed not to remarry. Through delicate performances and vivid singing, the actors vividly showed the love tragedy between Jiao Zhongqing and Liu Lanzhi, deeply revealing the destruction and oppression of human nature by feudal ethics, as well as people's yearning and pursuit of free love. The audience was deeply moved by the plot, and many people had tears in their eyes.

After watching the folk performances, the three were still immersed in the wonderful performances and could not forget them for a long time. They sighed that these folk performances are not only an art form, but also the inheritance and embodiment of local culture, which gave them a deeper understanding and knowledge of the city of Jiujiang.

Afterwards, they came to the specialty store, intending to buy some Lushan specialties to take back. The specialty in the store is dazzling, including Lushan Cloud Tea, Lushan Stone Chicken, Lushan Stone Fish, Lushan Stone Fungus, etc. Lushan Cloud Tea is one of the top ten famous teas in China. It has thick strands, verdant and hairy, bright soup color, tender and even leaves, high and lasting fragrance, mellow and sweet taste. Li Xiao picked up a pack of Cloud Tea, looked at it carefully, and said: "This Cloud Tea looks very good, and it smells light and fresh. I will buy it back and give it to my father who loves tea. He will definitely like it." Zhang Yuedong also selected a few packs of Cloud Tea and said: "This tea is not only delicious, but also very nutritious. It is also very good to drink it yourself." Lin Yifei became interested in Lushan Stone Chicken, Stone Fish, and Stone Fungus. Lushan Stone Partridge is a frog that grows in the streams of Lushan Mountain. It has delicious meat and rich nutrition. Lushan Stone Fish is a small fish with tender meat and delicious taste. Lushan Stone Fungus is a fungus that grows on the cliffs of Lushan Mountain. It looks like wood ear, has a crisp and tender taste and is rich in nutrition. "These specialties are very unique. Buying them back to taste them is worth the trip." Lin Yifei said, and picked some stone partridges, stone fish and stone fungus.

Walking out of the specialty store, night has fallen, and the streets of Jiujiang are brightly lit and bustling. The three returned to the hotel with a lot of harvest and good memories of Jiujiang. Lying on the bed, Li Xiao looked at the ceiling, and the beautiful scenery of Lushan, the delicious food he tasted, and the folk performances he watched today kept emerging in his mind. He smiled and said to Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei: "Today is so happy. Jiujiang is really a good place. We must come again if we have the chance." Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei also agreed. They are looking forward to tomorrow's journey, and they don't know what kind of surprises will be waiting for them at the next stop.

Shangrao: Wuyuan Huangling, a pastoral idyll
After spending a fulfilling and enjoyable day in Jiujiang, Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei were full of expectations for the next journey. The next morning, the sun shone on their faces through the hotel window, awakening their yearning for a new day. The three of them simply packed their luggage and set off on a journey to Huangling, Wuyuan, Shangrao.

Along the way, the scenery outside the window kept changing, gradually transitioning from the prosperity of the city to the tranquility of the countryside. In the fields, the golden rapeseed flowers swayed in the breeze, like a golden ocean; the mountains in the distance were rolling, contrasting with the blue sky and white clouds, forming a beautiful pastoral landscape. Li Xiao looked out the window and couldn't help but sighed: "The scenery in Jiangxi is so beautiful, every place is like a natural painting." Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, this is the real nature, which makes people feel particularly comfortable." Lin Yifei smiled and said: "Then the Huangling we are going to today must be more beautiful. I heard that the Hui-style architecture and autumn drying landscape there are particularly famous." Thinking of the Huangling that was about to arrive, the hearts of the three were full of expectations.

After several hours of driving, they finally arrived at Huangling, Wuyuan. As soon as he got off the car, Li Xiao was attracted by the scenery in front of him. The well-arranged Hui-style buildings are stacked along the hillside, and the pink walls and black tiles look particularly simple and elegant under the sunshine. On the roof, every household is drying various crops, red peppers, yellow corn, orange pumpkins... colorful, forming a unique autumn drying landscape. Li Xiao said excitedly: "This is Huangling, it's so beautiful, it's like walking into a paradise." Zhang Yuedong also said excitedly: "Yes, this autumn drying landscape is so shocking, it's more beautiful than I imagined." Lin Yifei couldn't wait to take out his camera and started shooting the beautiful scenery in front of him.

They walked into the village along the stone road, and the quaint buildings made them feel as if they had traveled back to ancient times. The wood carvings and stone carvings on the walls were exquisite, and every detail showed the wisdom and skills of the ancients. Walking in the narrow alleys, they occasionally met a few local elders, who greeted the three people enthusiastically with simple smiles on their faces. Li Xiao curiously asked an old man: "Uncle, how long has the custom of drying crops in autumn been here?" The old man smiled and replied: "Our custom of drying crops in autumn has a history of hundreds of years. In the past, everyone did it to dry crops. Later, it gradually became a special landscape, attracting many tourists to visit." After listening to this, Li Xiao couldn't help but have a deeper understanding of this custom.

The three of them came to the viewing platform, overlooking the entire village, and the autumn scenery was in full view. Under the sunshine, the crops drying in the sun seemed to be given life, exuding a charming brilliance. Zhang Yuedong sighed: "Standing here, I feel that the whole world has become quiet and beautiful, away from the hustle and bustle and troubles of the city." Li Xiao also nodded and said: "Yes, this kind of pastoral life is really desirable. I really want to stay here for a few more days." Lin Yifei said: "Let's take more photos and go back to show them to our friends so that they can also feel the beauty here." So the three of them took a lot of photos on the viewing platform, wanting to keep this beautiful moment forever. Unknowingly, it was noon, and the three people's stomachs began to growl. They decided to find a restaurant in the village to taste the local food. After walking for a while, they found a small restaurant with various signs hanging at the door, which read the special food of Wuyuan. Walking into the restaurant, it was full of tourists and very lively. They found an empty seat and sat down, and ordered local specialties such as steamed cakes, Qingming fruit, and steamed pork with rice flour.

Soon, the food was served. Steamed cake is a traditional food in Wuyuan, with a soft and sticky texture and fragrant aroma. It is made by mixing glutinous rice flour and rice flour, adding pork shreds, dried tofu, red peppers and other ingredients, and steaming them in a steamer. Li Xiao picked up a piece of steamed cake, took a bite, and praised it: "This steamed cake is so delicious, the taste is very chewy, the ingredients inside are also very rich, and the taste is great." Zhang Yuedong also tasted it, nodded and said: "Yes, the taste is really unique, and it is different from all the cakes I have eaten before." Qingming fruit is also a special snack in Wuyuan. The outer skin is made of wormwood juice and glutinous rice flour. The color is emerald green and the taste is soft and sticky. The fillings are sweet and salty. The sweet ones are generally sesame, osmanthus sugar, etc., and the salty ones are diced bacon, diced winter bamboo shoots, diced mushrooms, etc. Li Xiao chose a salty Qingming fruit and took a bite. The filling inside was fragrant and memorable. "This Qingming fruit is also delicious, the flavor of mugwort is very strong, and the filling is also very delicious." Li Xiao said. Zhang Yuedong tasted a sweet Qingming fruit and said with a smile: "The sweet one is also good, sweet but not greasy, with a light fragrance." The steamed pork with rice flour is made by steaming pork belly and rice flour. The meat is tender, fat but not greasy. The rice flour absorbs the fat of the meat and becomes fragrant and delicious. Lin Yifei ate a piece of steamed pork with rice flour and said with satisfaction: "This steamed pork with rice flour is so fragrant. The taste of meat and rice flour is perfectly integrated. It is really a delicious dish." The three people tasted the food and exchanged their feelings about these delicacies. Laughter and joy echoed in the restaurant.

After dinner, the three learned that there was a folk performance in the village, which was a national intangible cultural heritage - Wuyuan Nuo Dance. They were very interested and decided to watch it. The performance venue was in the village square. When they arrived, it was already surrounded by tourists, and everyone was looking forward to the performance.

The performance began. The actors wore masks, ancient costumes, and held various props, and began to dance to the sound of exciting music. Wuyuan Nuo dance is commonly known as "ghost dance" or "dancing ghost". It was passed down by the ancient Shanyue people and was originally called "dancing 犭回". In order to drive away the one-horned monster "犭回" that harmed the mountain people and crops, the mountain people wore masks and held long sticks, shouting the name of "犭回" and dancing, which gradually evolved into a custom of welcoming gods, exorcising ghosts, and praying for blessings and peace. The performance form combines elements such as masks, wood carving art, music art, and drama art, and is highly comprehensive. The actors' movements are vigorous and powerful, with a brisk rhythm. The masks on their faces are rich in expression, some are hideous and terrifying, and some are kind and kind, as if bringing the audience into a mysterious world. They performed programs such as "Hou Yi Shooting the Sun" and "Creating the World". Through dance and performance, they told ancient myths and legends, allowing the audience to feel the charm of traditional culture. Li Xiao watched intently and couldn't help but exclaimed, "This Nuo dance is so wonderful. The actors' performances are so shocking. Every movement is full of power and rhythm." Zhang Yuedong also nodded and said, "Yes, this is not only a dance, but also a cultural heritage. It gives us a deeper understanding of Wuyuan's history and culture." Lin Yifei said, "These masks are also very distinctive. Each one is carved lifelike. It is really a work of art." The audience burst into warm applause and cheers from time to time, praising the actors' wonderful performances.

After watching the folk performance, the three people were still not satisfied, so they decided to walk around the village and buy some local specialties. There are many specialty shops in the village, which are filled with a variety of specialties, including oil-paper umbrellas, Longwei inkstones, Wuyuan green tea, and red carp in a purse.

Li Xiao was attracted by an oil-paper umbrella, which was painted with exquisite patterns, including landscapes, flowers, birds, fish and insects, etc., with bright colors and lifelike. He picked up the oil-paper umbrella, looked at it carefully, and said: "This oil-paper umbrella is really beautiful, the workmanship is very fine, and it has the charm of Jiangnan." Zhang Yuedong also came over, looked at the oil-paper umbrella, and said: "Yes, this oil-paper umbrella can not only be used to block the sun and rain, but also as a decoration, it is also very good to put it at home." So Li Xiao decided to buy an oil-paper umbrella as a souvenir.

Then, they came to the booth of Longwei Inkstone. Longwei Inkstone is one of the four famous inkstones in China. It is named after the Longwei Mountain in Wuyuan. Wuyuan was under Shezhou in ancient times, so it is also called She Inkstone. In addition to the exquisite carving art, the preciousness of Longwei Inkstone is mainly due to its rare stone quality. The stone products include eyebrow pattern, rib pattern, gold star, silver star, gold halo, gold flower, fish roe, jade belt, green, purple and red. Lin Yifei was very interested in Longwei Inkstone. He picked up a piece of Longwei Inkstone, stroked it gently, and felt its texture. "The texture of this Longwei Inkstone is really fine, and it releases ink very quickly. It is a good inkstone." Lin Yifei said. The stall owner enthusiastically introduced: "The Longwei inkstones here are all authentic, made with traditional craftsmanship, and each one is unique." Lin Yifei decided to buy a Longwei inkstone. He said: "I like calligraphy, and this Longwei inkstone can be used to grind ink. Every time I use it in the future, I can think of the good times in Huangling."

Zhang Yuedong bought some Wuyuan green tea, which has three characteristics: "natural green color, fragrant and rich taste, clear and moist leaves", and has long been famous in Europe, America, Japan and Eastern Europe. "The aroma of this green tea is very fresh, and the tea soup is also very clear. It must taste very good." Zhang Yuedong said. He plans to take the green tea back to give to friends who like to drink tea, so that they can also taste the special tea of ​​Wuyuan.

The three also bought some other specialties, such as dried red carp and wine lees fish. Red carp is one of the specialties of Wuyuan. It has a small head and a short tail, a high back and a round belly. Its body is bright orange-red in color, shaped like a pouch, with tender meat and delicious taste. Wine lees fish is made by marinating fresh fish and glutinous rice wine lees. It has a strong aroma of wine and fish and a unique taste. They walked on the small road in the village with their full bags of specialties, feeling the tranquility and beauty of Huangling.