Huayu Chef

070 Not a single donkey can leave Baoding alive. Live donkeys, please detour.

"Oh right, we're hosting Wild Channel now, and today Zimei is filling in for the Chef Cloud Club performers..."

"Ha ha."

Yang Zi got the joke about "Chef Cloud Society" and laughed loudly, looking like he was about to laugh himself to death. He was particularly rough and unrestrained.

After she stopped laughing, Zhang Jinxuan said mysteriously, "Zimei brought a gift for our 'Wild Kitchen' this time. Zimei, why don't you take out your gift and show it to the audience?"

Yang Zi took the stunning painting from Jingjing and immediately gave a heads-up: "This is a painting I made myself. It reveals the city where Xuan Ge and I live and the dishes he's making. It might not be very good, so please don't laugh at me."

"Open it."

Yang Zi pointed the painting at the camera, and Zhang Jinxuan leaned over to take a look. Kuku burst out laughing. This wasn't acting; he was genuinely amused by the painting for the second time.

"Ha ha."

The senior students from the directing department, the second senior student, Zhuangzhuang, and Jingjing burst into laughter.

Yang Zi was laughing to herself, feigning anger as she said, "Brother Xuan, don't expose my struggles. I told you not to make fun of me."

Zhang Jinxuan pinched his cheek and asked, "Did I smile?"

"Your mouth is crooked from smiling."

"Please, I've been completely smitten by your drawing. Is that little animal in the picture a Chinese rural dog? It's so cute."

Yang Zi corrected, "It's a donkey, not a dog."

Zhang Jinxuan was utterly shocked. "Don't try to fool me, I'm not well-educated. Is this a donkey?"

"It's a donkey! Look at it, it has long ears, a long, horse-like face, four long, thin legs, and it's tall and big. What else could it be but a donkey?"

Zhang Jinxuan scratched his head and commented sharply, "I know there's an abstract art style in painting, but Zimei, your paintings don't even have anything to do with abstract art. You've pioneered a new style, you could call them crazy paintings, the work of a true soul painter."

Haha~~

Hahaha~~

Yang Zi, the senior from the directing department, Jingjing, and the other two laughed so hard they almost fell over.

The crazy ones are alright.

Pointing at the painting, Zhang Jinxuan asked, "Is this a stream? Is the donkey swimming in it?"

"Brother Xuan, are you blind? This is a road, a highway."

"As expected of the originator of the 'crazy' school, I'm impressed. And this, is it a no-smoking sign?"

Yang Zi exclaimed in frustration, "This means we're forbidden from going on the road!"

Zhang Jinxuan's eyes glazed over, slowly losing focus. He muttered to himself, "Let me sort this out... dog, no, donkey in the river, donkey on the highway, prohibited. Prohibited donkeys on the highway?"

Yang Zi, with an air of self-assurance, said, "You've got it pretty close. Seriously, Brother Xuan, you should really improve your artistic taste."

"Give me a break. Your crazy paintings are so bad they'll make anyone shake their head. Why don't you spend your time eating something better instead of trying to paint like this?" Zhang Jinxuan complained, then said dismissively, "I'm tired. I'm not guessing anymore. Zimei, just tell me the title. What's the painting called?"

"This painting is called 'Live Donkey, Please Go Around'."

Zhang Jinxuan gave a thumbs up and praised, "The only good thing about this painting is its title; everything else is superfluous."

Yang Zi rolled her eyes at Zhang Jinxuan and asked the camera, "So, has everyone guessed which city we're in?"

Zhang Jinxuan changed his voice and said, "If you were a classmate of a donkey in your past life, you must have heard the elders in the donkey world tell you to always detour around Baoding when you go out for a stroll. There is a very scary saying in this place: 'No donkey can leave Baoding alive.' Even Afanti would have to take the high-speed train and leave immediately."

His voice was low and soft, sounding eerie. Yang Zi stared wide-eyed at Zhang Jinxuan, secretly surprised, and subconsciously asked, "How come I've never heard of him before?"

"You're not a donkey."

Yang Zi put her hands on her hips and laughed.

Having introduced the location and main ingredients, Zhang Jinxuan got down to business: "Zimei, do you know why people in Baoding eat donkey meat?"

Yang Zi tilted her head: "I don't know."

"Donkeys were not originally used for food; they were a means of transportation. There's a saying: 'The rich ride horses, the poor ride donkeys.' In addition, donkeys were also used for labor; you could often see donkeys carrying heavy loads and pulling carts."

"With the development of the times and the progress of technology, donkeys have gradually been replaced by other means of transportation and labor tools. Now their main uses are for making donkey-hide gelatin and eating meat."

"As we all know, Shandong is a major province for the production of donkey-hide gelatin (Ejiao). Ejiao is made from donkey hide, so what happens to the remaining donkey meat?"

One theory is that places like Baoding and Hejian have been integrated into the industrial chain of Shandong's donkey industry, and are specifically responsible for cooking and consuming donkey meat.

"The second account is that, according to legend, there were two gangs at the Caohe Wharf during the Song Dynasty: the Canal Transport Gang and the Salt Transport Gang. Both gangs made their living at the wharf and frequently clashed. The Canal Transport Gang repeatedly attacked the Salt Transport Gang's salt-carrying teams, seizing a large number of donkeys that they couldn't handle..."

"The third account originates from the second year of the Jianwen Emperor's reign in the Ming Dynasty, which is 1400 AD. When Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, launched the Jingnan Campaign, he led his army to Caohe in Xushui County, which is today's Xushui District of Baoding. Due to food shortages, the soldiers ate cooked horse meat sandwiched in local baked flatbreads, and this practice later spread among the common people. At that time, the imperial court valued agriculture and sericulture and prohibited the indiscriminate slaughter of cattle and horses, so they switched to using donkey meat..."

"At this point, I'm sure you've all guessed which dish I'm going to make today."

Yang Zi answered quickly: "Donkey meat sandwich."

"Bingo, that's right, it's donkey meat sandwich. There's a saying in the food world: Give a Cantonese person a pot, and they can cook up the whole of Fujian. Give a Northeasterner a pot, and they can stew up the whole world. Give a Hebei person a sandwich, and they can fit together countless universes."

Haha~~

Everyone burst out laughing.

Zhang Jinxuan grinned and said, "Just kidding. People from Guangdong are so kind and gentle, how could they possibly target people from Fujian? There's never a child in claypot rice, just like how I've eaten so many wife cakes and still don't have a wife."

"Baoding is a famous historical city. Since ancient times, it has been a thoroughfare that 'controls three passes in the north, reaches nine provinces in the south, connects four regions, and dominates the central plains.' It has always been an important place around the capital and the southern gateway to the capital."

"The natural environment shapes the foundation of cuisine, while the cultural environment shapes its character. Therefore, Baoding is also a city of delicious food, with the donkey meat sandwich I just mentioned, as well as beef stew, Bai Yunzhang steamed buns, Zhonglou pastries, Zhonglou large bread..."

"Oh dear, I lose all desire to talk about food, what should I do?"

Yang Zi interjected, "Brother Xuan, this is too easy. Don't say anything more, let's go eat."

"That makes sense." Zhang Jinxuan snapped his fingers and said, "Delicious food paired with beautiful scenery, follow Xiao Zhang. After enjoying the food, we'll make more delicious food, and it'll be wonderful forever."

"Guangyuan Foods will take you on a special forces-style tour of major attractions in Baoding, let's go!"

Zhang Jinxuan waved vigorously, ending the opening scene.

"Senior brother, Xiao Zhuang, second senior brother, how are you?"

The senior from the directing department replied, "The opening footage is sufficient. The visuals are fine, and any audio flaws can be re-recorded. That's all for now, I'm outta here."

"Then let's retreat."

The six walked towards the van. As they walked, Zhuangzhuang teased, "Junior Sister Yang Zi, I think this painting you have is going to be a hit. Be sure to keep it safe; it might even become a family heirloom."

"Haha," Yang Zile said, "Brother Xuan asked me to paint this, and its popularity is also thanks to him. It's his family heirloom."

As she spoke, she gave the painting to Zhang Jinxuan.

Zimei is open and generous.

But Zhang Jinxuan didn't want it. He had no hobby of collecting art, let alone any interest in collecting "strange objects".

"Keep it as a souvenir."