Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1793

The three of them were also attracted and squeezed in the crowd to watch the performance. The dragon and lion dance actors performed with agility and tacit coordination, showing the dragon and lion's demeanor vividly; the acrobats' performances were thrilling and exciting, making people sweat; the opera actors' singing was melodious and full of charm, making people intoxicated.

"This folk performance is really great. It allows us to feel the traditional cultural charm of Jingdezhen." Li Xiao said excitedly.

Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, these actors are amazing, and every show is so exciting."

Lin Yifei smiled and said: "Today is a really fulfilling day. Not only did I visit the Ancient Kiln Folk Customs Expo Area, taste the food, but I also watched the folk performances. I gained a lot."

After watching the show, they returned to the hotel. Lying on the bed, the three recalled today's experience and were full of expectations for tomorrow's journey. In this charming land of Jiangxi, there are more beautiful scenery, delicious food and culture waiting for them to explore.

Wuyuan Dream: The Most Beautiful Rural Scenery

In the morning, the sun shines through the gaps in the curtains and gently falls on the faces of the three people, awakening their expectations for a new day's journey. Today, they will go to Wuyuan, known as "the most beautiful village in China", to explore the picturesque rural scenery and the simple and mellow Hui culture.

"I heard that Huangling in Wuyuan, with its terraced fields of flowers and Hui-style architecture, is as beautiful as a fairyland. I can't wait to see it with my own eyes." Li Xiao said excitedly as he packed his luggage.

Zhang Yuedong smiled and responded: "Yes, I have heard that the autumn drying scene there is particularly spectacular. All kinds of crops are drying in the sun, colorful, like a gorgeous oil painting."

Lin Yifei also said with anticipation: "Not only that, Wuyuan also has many ancient villages that preserve the original Hui-style architecture and traditional culture. This trip will definitely be a feast for the eyes."

After a simple breakfast, the three of them set off on their journey to Wuyuan. Along the way, the scenery outside the car window was picturesque, with rolling hills, lush fields, and scattered villages forming a beautiful pastoral painting. They were attracted by the beautiful scenery outside the window from time to time and exclaimed in amazement.

After arriving in Wuyuan, they headed straight to Huangling Scenic Area. As soon as he got off the car, Li Xiao was shocked by the beautiful scenery in front of him and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Wow, this is simply a paradise!"

Zhang Yuedong also nodded and praised: "Yes, the rape flowers all over the mountains are like a golden ocean, so spectacular!"

Lin Yifei smiled and said, "This is only part of it. When we get to the top of the mountain, the scenery we see will be even more amazing."

They took the cable car up the mountain, and as they climbed higher, their vision became wider and wider. The terraced fields, the sea of ​​flowers, the Hui-style buildings, the green mountains and clear waters were all in sight, like a flowing ink painting.

Entering the scenic area, the first thing that catches your eye is the layers of terraced fields. It is the season when rape flowers are in full bloom. The entire terraced field is covered with golden rape flowers, as if nature has overturned the palette and splashed the golden paint wantonly, painting a shocking pastoral painting. The breeze blows, and the rape flowers sway gently, exuding bursts of rich floral fragrance, which makes people intoxicated.

"The rape flowers are so beautiful. It feels like I have walked into a fairy tale world." Li Xiao excitedly shuttled among the rape flowers, taking photos non-stop.

Zhang Yuedong was also attracted by the beautiful scenery. He picked up his camera and captured every wonderful moment: "This scenery is so good for taking photos."

Lin Yifei stood quietly by the side, closed his eyes, felt the gentle breeze, listened to the sound of rape flowers swaying in the wind, as if he was one with nature: "Here, time seems to slow down, and people's body and mind are greatly relaxed."

They strolled along the mountain trails, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. Occasionally, they could see some local villagers working in the fields with simple smiles on their faces, which made people feel the strong atmosphere of rural life.

As they walked, they came to Leixin Bridge. This is an aerial suspension bridge about 298 meters long, fixed between two mountains, with a cliff below. Standing on the bridge, overlooking the terraced flower sea under your feet and the mountains in the distance, you will feel nervous and excited.

"This bridge looks a bit scary, but the scenery is really beautiful." Li Xiao walked carefully, but his eyes kept admiring the beautiful scenery around him.

Zhang Yuedong smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, just go forward boldly. This is a great place to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Huangling."

Lin Yifei encouraged Li Xiao: "Relax, believe in yourself, you can do it."

On the bridge, they also met some tourists, and everyone took out their cameras to take pictures to record this unforgettable moment.

After crossing the Leixin Bridge, they came to the ancient village of Huangling. The ancient village is surrounded by mountains, with towering ancient trees and dense bamboo forests. There is a large pond at the entrance of the village, surrounded by dozens of thousand-year-old yew trees, protecting this ancient village. Looking up, hundreds of old houses of Hui-style architecture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties were built along the mountain, with gray walls, black tiles, flying eaves and corners, and mottled walls telling the vicissitudes of time. Walking into the ancient village, it seems like traveling back to ancient times. The bluestone roads, ancient alleys, ancient wells, and ancient archways are all well preserved. The houses, ancestral halls, theaters, pavilions and pavilions in the village are scattered and orderly, and stone carvings, brick carvings, and wood carvings can be seen everywhere, especially the wood carvings on the beams of the old houses are very delicate. After a hundred years of wind and rain, they are still lifelike, telling tourists stories of the past.

"This ancient village is so charming. Every corner exudes a strong historical and cultural atmosphere." Li Xiao walked while carefully admiring the surrounding buildings.

Zhang Yuedong also said with emotion: "Yes, these Hui-style buildings are so beautiful, simple yet elegant, and you never get tired of seeing them."

Lin Yifei introduced: "Hui-style architecture is one of the important schools of traditional Chinese architecture. It is characterized by horse-head walls and small green tiles, and focuses on integration with the natural environment. It has high artistic value."

They strolled in the ancient village, feeling the accumulation of time and the charm of history. Occasionally, they could see some old people sitting at the door basking in the sun and chatting, and children laughing and playing in the alleys, full of a strong atmosphere of life.

In a corner of the ancient village, they found a scene of "drying the fruits in autumn". The farmers here created a unique way of drying the fruits of harvest by putting wooden fences on the eaves of the house and using large bamboo sieves to dry the fruits. Although it is not the golden autumn season and there are no red peppers, golden chrysanthemums, plump corns and other crops, there are still some agricultural products in the bamboo trays. Those trays of harvest fruits seem to be telling of a happy life.

"This 'autumn drying' scene is really interesting, reflecting the hard work and wisdom of the local people." Li Xiao couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the "autumn drying" landscape in front of him.

Zhang Yuedong also nodded in agreement: "Yes, this is also one of Wuyuan's unique folk cultures, it is very distinctive."

Lin Yifei said with a smile: "Come back in autumn, and you will definitely see a more spectacular 'autumn sunning' scene."

After visiting the ancient village, their stomachs were rumbling. So they decided to try the special food of Wuyuan. On the recommendation of local residents, they came to a farmhouse restaurant. The restaurant was filled with a strong rural atmosphere, and the diners ate with gusto.

They ordered several signature dishes of Wuyuan, including steamed pork with rice flour, tofu with paste, steamed cake, etc. After a while, the dishes were served one after another. The first one to come up was steamed pork with rice flour, which was bright red in color and fragrant. Li Xiao took a bite and found the meat tender, fat but not greasy. The rice noodles absorbed the fat and fragrance of the meat, and the taste was soft and glutinous, very delicious. "This steamed pork with rice flour is so delicious, with a rich flavor that makes people linger." He praised it highly.

Next, it was the paste tofu. The paste tofu is a traditional specialty of Wuyuan, with a delicate texture and delicious taste. The tofu is cut into small pieces, added with mushrooms, minced meat, shrimp and other ingredients, cooked into a paste, and then sprinkled with chopped green onions, coriander and other seasonings, the aroma overflowed. Zhang Yuedong took a sip of the soup, the tenderness of the tofu and the deliciousness of the ingredients blended perfectly, and he praised it: "The taste of this paste tofu is really amazing, so delicious!"

The last dish to come up was steamed cake. Steamed cake is made by grinding rice into a paste, adding yeast and sugar to ferment it, and then steaming it. Steamed cake is soft, sweet and delicious, and can be topped with various ingredients according to personal taste, such as shrimp, ham, chopped green onion, etc. Lin Yifei ate a piece of steamed cake, and was very satisfied with its soft texture and sweet taste: "This steamed cake is really good and very unique. It's the first time I've eaten such a delicious cake."

The three of them ate with gusto, and soon all the dishes on the table were swept away. After dinner, they strolled along the streets of Wuyuan, feeling the unique charm of this rural town. The shops on both sides of the street were filled with a variety of specialties, including Wuyuan green tea, wine lees fish, Longwei inkstone, etc., which were dazzling.

They walked into a specialty store, which had a wide variety of high-quality specialties. The store owner enthusiastically introduced the characteristics and effects of various specialties to them, and they listened with great interest. Under the store owner's recommendation, they selected some of their favorite specialties as souvenirs of this trip.

As they walked, they came to a square where a lively folk performance was being held. On the stage, actors dressed in bright ethnic costumes performed wonderful programs, including dragon and lion dances, acrobatics, operas, etc. The audience watched with great interest, and bursts of applause and cheers from time to time.

The three of them were also attracted and squeezed in the crowd to watch the performance. The dragon and lion dance actors performed with agility and tacit coordination, showing the dragon and lion's demeanor vividly; the acrobats' performances were thrilling and exciting, making people sweat; the opera actors' singing was melodious and full of charm, making people intoxicated.

"This folk performance is really great. It allows us to feel the traditional cultural charm of Wuyuan." Li Xiao said excitedly.

Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement: "Yes, these actors are amazing, and every show is so exciting."

Lin Yifei smiled and said: "Today is a really fulfilling day. Not only did I enjoy the beautiful scenery of Huangling, taste the delicious food, but I also watched the folk performances. I gained a lot."

After watching the show, they returned to the hotel. Lying on the bed, the three recalled today's experience and were full of expectations for tomorrow's journey. In this charming land of Jiangxi, there are more beautiful scenery, delicious food and culture waiting for them to explore.

Pastoral charm of Wuyuan
After visiting the ancient village, their stomachs were rumbling. So they decided to try the special food of Wuyuan. On the recommendation of local residents, they came to a farmhouse restaurant. The restaurant was filled with a strong rural atmosphere, and the diners ate with gusto.

They ordered several signature dishes of Wuyuan, such as steamed pork with rice flour, tofu paste, and steamed cake. Soon, the dishes were served one after another. The first dish served was steamed pork with rice flour, which was bright red in color and fragrant. Li Xiao took a bite and found that the meat was tender, fat but not greasy. The rice noodles absorbed the fat and fragrance of the meat, and the taste was soft and glutinous, which was very delicious. "This steamed pork with rice flour is so delicious, with a rich flavor and endless aftertaste." He praised it highly. The production of this steamed pork with rice flour is very particular. The pork belly from the ribs of the pigs raised by local farmers is selected, which is fat and lean. In order to ensure the freshness of the pork, the farmers feed it carefully on weekdays, and feed the pigs after cooking and cutting grass every day. The meat is cut into long strips of uniform size, and the knife skills are full of ingenuity. The strength and angle of each knife are just right. The cut meat is put into a round and simple ceramic bowl, and salt, soy sauce, MSG, garlic, ginger and other seasonings are added in turn. Each seasoning adds a unique flavor to this dish. The rice noodles added at the end are made by the locals of Wuyuan using late rice ground on a stone mill. Late rice is rich in nutrients and tastes better due to sufficient sunlight and suitable water temperature. The meat pieces are fully mixed with rice noodles so that each piece of meat is evenly coated with rice noodles, and then put into the pot and steamed with firewood. Under the action of the blazing firewood, the water in the pot gradually boils, and the steam rises with the unique aroma of pork belly. After more than 20 minutes of steaming, the pork belly becomes soft and crispy, fat but not greasy, crisp but not rotten, and the aroma fills the whole kitchen. Sometimes, people also add dried eggplant, white radish, dried beans or taro to the steamed pork. These bases absorb the soup of the meat, and their own unique fragrance blends with the meat aroma to form an unforgettable taste.

Next, it is the paste tofu. Paste tofu is a traditional specialty of Wuyuan, with a delicate taste and delicious taste. Cut the tofu into small pieces, add mushrooms, minced meat, shrimp and other ingredients, cook into a paste, and then sprinkle with chopped green onions, coriander and other seasonings, the aroma is overflowing. Zhang Yuedong took a sip of the soup, and the tenderness of the tofu and the deliciousness of the ingredients blended perfectly, which made him praise: "The taste of this paste tofu is really amazing, so delicious!" When making paste tofu, first cut the fresh tofu into small pieces, put it in the pot and boil it to remove the bean smell. Then, put the mushrooms, minced meat, shrimp and other ingredients prepared in advance into the pot and stew them with the tofu. The rich aroma of mushrooms, the mellow taste of minced meat, the deliciousness of shrimp, and the tenderness of tofu blend with each other, and gradually boil into a thick paste. Finally, sprinkle the green chopped green onions and coriander before serving, which not only adds color to the dish, but also makes the fragrance more intense.

The last dish served is steamed cake, which is made by grinding rice into paste, adding yeast and sugar, and then steaming it.