Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1609 3.
The day passed quickly in this colorful tour. The beautiful scenery, food, folk performances and specialties of West Lake left a deep impression on them. After packing up, they went to the booked hotel to rest, ready to recharge their energy and rush to the next anticipated attraction to continue writing their wonderful travel story.

After a night of rest, Li Xiao, Zhang Yue and Lin Fei set off for Chengdu in high spirits. They were looking forward to this city full of fireworks and unique charm, and Jinli Ancient Street was a place they had heard of for a long time and couldn't wait to explore.

When we arrived at Jinli, the lights were just coming on. The ancient street was shrouded in warm yellow lights, and the quaint buildings looked even more charming under the lights, as if taking people back to that ancient era. The streets were crowded and bustling, with all kinds of shouts, chats and laughter intertwined, playing a unique life movement in Jinli.

"Wow, this Jinli is so charming. I love the atmosphere." Li Xiao rubbed his hands excitedly, his eyes shining like stars, and kept looking at everything around him.

Zhang Yue was also infected by the lively scene and said with a smile: "Yes, it feels like there are stories hidden in every place here. Look at those old signs, they are very interesting."

Lin Fei held up his phone and began to film the street scene in front of him. As he filmed, he said, "This must be recorded well. It's such a unique place. I'm going to edit it into a video when I get back so that friends who don't have the chance to come here can also feel the charm of Jinli."

Following the flow of people, they slowly walked into the ancient street. There were shops on both sides, selling traditional handicrafts, such as exquisite Shu embroidered handkerchiefs and lifelike sugar paintings, which were dazzling; there were also various special snack stalls, with bursts of aroma that made people's stomachs start to make a fuss.

Li Xiao approached a sugar painting stall and curiously watched the stall owner scoop up the syrup with a spoon and wave it quickly on the chopping board. After a while, a vivid butterfly sugar painting was born. He couldn't help but exclaimed: "Wow, this skill is too amazing, Master, how many years did you practice?"

The stall owner was a kind uncle who smiled and said, "Haha, young man, I have been making sugar paintings for decades. I learned it from my elders since I was a child."

Zhang Yue was also fascinated by the scene and said, "Master, please make us a sugar painting of a dragon. Dragons are so majestic."

"Okay!" the stall owner responded and started to operate skillfully. Soon, a majestic dragon-shaped sugar painting was made. Zhang Yue took it happily and held it carefully, fearing that it would be damaged.

Then they came to a Shu embroidery shop, and couldn't help but admire the handkerchiefs, screens and other items embroidered with various exquisite patterns.

Lin Fei asked the owner of the store: "Boss, this Shu embroidery looks so complicated, is it all handmade?"

The boss introduced enthusiastically: "Of course, our Shu embroidery is carefully embroidered by the embroiderers stitch by stitch. The process is very complicated, but the embroidered things are exquisite and are all works of art."

Li Xiao touched a handkerchief and said with emotion: "Indeed, the stitches on it look very delicate. It feels like the embroiderer has put a lot of effort into every stitch."

As they were walking around, their stomachs started to growl, so they started their food exploration journey. They first bought a few skewers of the famous Chengdu skewers, the bright red soup wrapped with various ingredients made people salivate just by looking at them.

"Oh, this skewer looks spicy, but I'm not afraid. You have to eat spicy food when you come to Chengdu." Li Xiao said as he stuffed a skewer of beef into his mouth. He immediately gasped because of the spiciness. "Shh, it's really spicy, but the spicier it is, the better it tastes. It's so addictive."

Zhang Yue smiled and handed him a glass of water, jokingly saying, "I told you to show off, but it's really delicious. The taste is so authentic."

After eating skewers, they tried Dandan noodles, Zhong dumplings and other delicacies. The noodles of Dandan noodles are chewy, the sauce is fresh and fragrant, and the special sauce makes it full of flavor; Zhong dumplings have thin skin and large fillings, and are drizzled with red oil. The taste spreads on the tip of the tongue, leaving people with endless aftertaste.

After eating and drinking, they heard the sound of gongs and drums not far away. When they got closer, they found that there was a folk performance. Sichuan Opera face-changing was being performed on the stage. The actors' ever-changing facial makeup drew cheers from the audience.

"Wow, this face changing is so magical. I didn't even see how it happened." Lin Fei widened his eyes and said in amazement.

"Haha, this is the charm of Sichuan Opera face changing. It is said that this is a very advanced skill and there are secrets behind it." Zhang Yue explained with a smile.

After watching the show, they wandered around some specialty shops in the ancient street and bought some hot pot soup base, Zhang Fei beef and other specialties. Li Xiao took a pack of hot pot soup base and said with a smile: "When we go back, we can cook hot pot at home and taste the authentic Chengdu flavor."

Before we knew it, it was already late at night, and the trip to Jinli Ancient Street was coming to an end. The three of us returned to the hotel to rest with a lot of gains and wonderful memories, and we were already looking forward to the next wonderful journey.

After bidding farewell to the bustling Chengdu, Li Xiao, Zhang Yue and Lin Fei came to Xi'an, a city with a profound history. This ancient city is like a thick history book, with every page filled with stories of the years, and the ancient city wall of Xi'an is undoubtedly the most eye-catching chapter in the book, so they naturally would not miss it.

When the three stood at the foot of the ancient city wall and looked up at the tall and majestic city wall, they were shocked. The city wall was thick and solemn, and each piece of ancient brick and stone seemed to tell the story of the wars and dynasties in the past. The watchtowers on the city wall were scattered and orderly, and under the sunlight, they exuded an ancient and vicissitudes of life atmosphere.

"Wow, this ancient city wall is so spectacular. Just by looking at it, I can imagine the scene of ancient soldiers guarding the city on it." Li Xiao looked up with amazement in his eyes. As he spoke, he reached out to touch the rough bricks and stones of the city wall that were full of historical warmth.

Zhang Yue nodded repeatedly and said with emotion: "Yes, these are all witnesses of history. It is really not easy for them to be preserved so well after going through so many storms."

Lin Fei couldn't wait to pull them towards the entrance to the city, muttering, "Don't just sigh, let's go up and feel it."

After climbing up the city wall, the view suddenly becomes wider. The wall is very wide, and several cars can pass side by side. Many tourists ride bicycles or walk along it, feeling the unique charm of this ancient city.

Li Xiao looked at the people riding bicycles and suggested, "Let's rent bicycles. It will take us until dark to walk such a long city wall. We can explore more by riding bicycles." "That's a good idea. Let's go and rent some." Zhang Yue said in agreement.

So, the three of them rented bicycles and rode side by side, feeling the breeze on their cheeks and enjoying the completely different scenery inside and outside the city wall. Inside the city, there are ancient buildings and crisscrossing alleys, as if you can see the life of the ancient people here; outside the city, there is a modern urban scene with busy traffic and high-rise buildings. The contrast between the ancient and the modern is so sharp yet harmonious.

After riding for a while, they stopped in front of a watchtower and carefully observed the exquisiteness of this ancient military defense building.

Lin Fei asked curiously, "How much of a role did this enemy tower play in previous wars?"

Li Xiao thought for a moment and replied, "I think it should be used for observation. Soldiers standing on it can detect the enemy's movements in advance, and they can also avoid attacks here, shoot arrows from above, and defend themselves."

Zhang Yue added: "Yes, and these enemy towers are distributed in such a regular pattern that they should be able to echo each other and form a complete defense system."

After walking around the city wall, it was already noon and their stomachs started to growl. They went down the city wall and came to a nearby restaurant to taste Xi'an's specialties. They ordered classic dishes such as mutton soup steamed bun, roujiamo, and cold noodles.

When the mutton soup steamed bun was served, Zhang Yue looked at the full bowl and said with a smile: "This mutton soup steamed bun looks very substantial, with plenty of ingredients."

Li Xiao picked up the steamed bun and began to break it into pieces little by little according to the waiter's instructions. He also joked, "Breaking the steamed bun is also a technical job. It is said that the finer the pieces are broken, the better they taste. We must break them carefully."

Lin Fei also started to work on it, breaking it and saying, "Haha, this is quite interesting. There are so many things to pay attention to when eating a steamed bun."

After the steamed bun was broken into pieces and the waiter took it away to cook and brought it back, they tasted it and gave a thumbs up.

"Well, this mutton soup with steamed bun has such a mellow taste. The mutton is tender and the soup is rich. It tastes so delicious when soaked in the steamed bun." Li Xiao praised.

After eating mutton soup steamed bun, I tried Roujiamo. The crispy steamed bun was filled with juicy braised meat. The aroma of meat and steamed bun was full of flavor. The cold noodles were smooth and chewy, and paired with special chili oil and vinegar, they were sour and spicy, which greatly increased my appetite.

After eating and drinking, they heard about a folk performance nearby, which was a shadow play with Xi'an characteristics. When they walked into the performance venue, there were already many spectators sitting inside. As the performance began, the exquisite shadow puppets seemed to come alive under the manipulation of the artists, performing various interesting stories.

"Wow, this shadow play is so fun. Look at how flexible the puppets' movements are. It feels like real people performing on the stage." Lin Fei was so engrossed in watching it that he couldn't stop praising it.

Zhang Yue smiled and said, "Yes, this is a treasure of folk art. It is only thanks to the artist's craftsmanship that such a wonderful effect can be achieved."

After watching the shadow play, they went to buy some Xi'an specialties, such as replicas of the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Huxian peasant paintings, etc. Li Xiao held a small replica of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses and said, "It will be very meaningful to take it home and put it there. After all, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the most famous in Xi'an."

A day passed quietly in this colorful tour. The ancient city wall of Xi'an and the surrounding food, folk performances and specialties made them deeply appreciate the unique charm of this ancient city. With full of memories, they returned to their residence, looking forward to what exciting things will be waiting for them at the next stop.

Leaving Xi'an, which carries a heavy history, Li Xiao, Zhang Yue and Lin Fei came to the picturesque Guilin. It is said that "Guilin's landscape is the best in the world", and the Li River is the most colorful stroke in this beautiful landscape painting. They ran towards the Li River with joy, eager to unveil its charming veil.

In the early morning, a thin layer of mist covered the surface of the Li River, as if a layer of gauze was draped over the landscape, making it dreamlike. The peaks on both sides of the river are undulating and in various shapes. Some are like camels, lying there quietly; some are like bamboo shoots, rising from the ground and piercing the sky; and some are like old men, as if gazing at the river and witnessing the changes of time.

"Wow, the scenery of the Li River is so beautiful. It feels like entering a fairyland." Li Xiao couldn't help but exclaimed, his eyes wide open, greedily appreciating every scene in front of him, afraid of missing anything.

Zhang Yue was also shocked by the beautiful scenery. She gently pulled Li Xiao's sleeve and said excitedly, "Yes, I have only seen such scenery in books and on TV before. Now that I have seen it with my own eyes, I know what true beautiful scenery is. This is simply the most outstanding work of art in nature."

Lin Fei held up his SLR camera and kept pressing the shutter, trying to capture every wonderful moment, muttering: "It would be a shame if I didn't take more photos of such a beautiful scene. Every photo can be used as a wallpaper."

They boarded a cruise ship, and as the cruise ship slowly moved forward, the beautiful scenery of the Li River was like a slowly unfolding painting, gradually appearing before their eyes. The river water was clear and the bottom was visible, fish swam freely in the water, and occasionally the water plants at the bottom of the river could be seen swaying gently with the current, as if greeting them.

Li Xiao lay on the side of the boat, looking at the fish in the water, and said to his companions with a smile: "Look at these fish, how happy they are, living in such a beautiful place, enjoying every day."

Zhang Yue also came over and joked, "Then we can't envy them, but it's also a kind of enjoyment for us to be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery on this cruise ship."

When the boat reached an open area, the surrounding mountains looked more and more spectacular. At this time, the boatman began to introduce them to the scenic spots on both sides of the river, such as the "Nine Horses Painting Mountain". It is said that anyone who can see the nine horses will be the top scholar.

When Lin Fei heard this, he immediately became interested and looked at the mountain wall intently, counting as he looked: "How come I can only see five horses after looking for a long time? This is too difficult. How many did you see?"