Abstract Art Award Winner

Hidden in a lively alley near the ancient city wall of Xi'an is a well-known noodle shop, where Zhou Le and Deng Chao learn how to make Biangbiang noodles.

Miao Fu arrived as promised and greeted them warmly in his signature Shaanxi dialect: "Teacher Deng Chao! Teacher Zhou Le! We've been waiting for you! Come on, let's go in and become your disciples!"

The noodle shop's master chef, surnamed Wang, was sprightly, his hands bearing the marks and strength of years of kneading dough.

When celebrities came to learn his skills, Master Wang was not intimidated and began teaching in his thick Shaanxi dialect.

"Our Biangbiang noodles are all about being chewy, smooth, sour, spicy, and fragrant!" Chef Wang said in a strong voice. "The first step is to knead the dough! Add water in batches, stirring in one direction until the dough flakes are formed into a ball. The goal is to achieve 'three smooths': smooth dough, smooth hands, and a smooth bowl!"

Deng Chao listened with a serious expression, as if facing a formidable enemy. He immediately started adding water, instantly turning the mixture into a bowl of paste that covered his hands and the sides of the bowl, perfectly avoiding all the requirements of "three cleans".

"Master, this...this dough is not behaving!" Deng Chao said, his hands covered in dough, his voice tinged with helplessness.

Zhou Le, on the other hand, was much more composed.

He carefully observed Master Wang's technique, not rushing to learn. He had some experience with the tableware, after all, Shanxi is a major province for noodles. Although he hadn't learned it when he was studying here, he had learned about it later.

Just like when he was filming Peach Blossom Village, he made scallion oil noodles for Guo Qilin. Although the type of noodles was different, at least he made it himself from start to finish.

He slowly added water while stirring with chopsticks at a steady pace, allowing the water to gradually seep into the flour.

As he sat down, he looked at Deng Chao and said, "Brother Chao, kneading dough is like acting. You can't be too impatient. You have to feel its state and communicate with it."

His movements were gentle yet powerful, and soon a smooth dough began to take shape in his hands.

Although it still falls short of Master Wang's standards, it is far more presentable than Deng Chao's "paste".

Master Wang looked at Zhou Le and nodded: "This kid is a bit clever! That's right, noodles have a spirit; how you treat it, it will treat you the same way!"

Next comes resting the dough and pulling the noodles.

The risen dough needs to be rolled into a long strip, coated with oil, and then risen again.

But the most crucial step is pulling the noodles.

Master Wang picked up a dough ball, held both ends with his hands, stretched out his arms, and used the skillful strength of his waist, abdomen, and wrists.

The kneading and stretching on the cutting board were accompanied by a series of smooth, flowing movements, displaying the composure and skill unique to a master craftsman.

The noodles seemed to come alive in his hands, quickly growing longer and wider, eventually becoming noodles over a meter long and as thin and uniform as a belt.

Deng Chao stared in disbelief, then tried to imitate the action, but when he tried to flick it, "smack!" the noodles didn't get away and ended up sticking to his face, creating a hilarious moment.

Zhou Le also tried to wrestle, but his movements were not as smooth as the master's. However, he had good coordination and core strength, and his imitation was quite good.

He focused on feeling the dough's elasticity and resilience in his hands, trying to understand that subtle technique.

He said to Deng Chao, "Brother Chao, this is a bit like... um... controlling the core to exert force, driving the limbs, not just using brute force in the arms."

After several attempts, although the noodles he pulled were of varying widths, he was finally able to pull out a long "belt" completely, which earned him Master Wang's praise of "not bad, not bad".

Finally, there's the seasoning.

Hot oil is poured over prepared chili powder, minced garlic, and chopped green onions. With a sizzling sound, the aroma explodes instantly. Then, soy sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings are added.

A bowl of mouthwatering Biangbiang noodles is now ready.

The learning process was filled with laughter and flurry of activity.

On the other side, Chen He and Lu Han's group were learning to tear noodles by hand, with all sorts of oddly shaped pieces of noodles flying everywhere.

Wang Baoqiang and Guo Tao's group learned how to make fermented fish, and the program effect was naturally excellent. Although Guo Tao is a local and has eaten this kind of fish before, it is still quite difficult to make it.

This continued until they finally completed their studies and returned home, where the three groups met up in a large courtyard rented by the production team.

They need to put what they have learned into practice, or at least do it again on a small scale to solidify their understanding, in order to move on to the next task.

The yard was suddenly in chaos.

It started with Deng Chao's group, but with Deng Chao taking the initiative to divide the work, Zhou Le calmly kneaded and let the dough rest.

After all, these two are the most difficult and the most basic. When he tried to do them before, he really couldn't get the hang of it. Although he could force it, Zhou Le definitely did it better.

He was indeed aware of this, so after he finished his work, he handed over the previous tasks to Deng Chao.

However, it takes some time for the dough to rise, and during this time, the other two groups also go on stage to present their work.

While waiting, Zhou Le and Deng Chao had nothing to do, so they would occasionally go over to the other two groups to give them some technical advice: "Chen He, what you're tearing isn't noodles, it's the ancestor of noodles, isn't it?"

“Brother Baoqiang, the fish needs to be brought in one direction, otherwise it won’t turn out properly. I didn’t learn it from you guys, but we have this way of eating it where I’m from.”

Ultimately, through the concerted efforts, or rather, the mutual sabotage of the three groups, although the finished products varied in appearance, they managed to make all three different types of pasta.

They tasted each other's food, and it was pretty good. Although the presentation wasn't great, at least they hadn't learned anything for nothing; at least they managed to make something.

But next, they need to go to a canteen that is specifically for cooking, and then prepare and taste the food for the students of the nearby sports school, and let the students vote for the best-tasting dish.

In an instant, it went from being a hobby to a commercial activity, and all the groups were on high alert, extremely tense.

After all, most of the students who are willing to come are their fans, and even if they are not fans of any particular artist, they at least have a positive view of them.

Therefore, it's natural that we can't do it too badly.

The kitchen instantly turned into a battlefield.

A large pot of water was boiled, noodles were cooked, seasonings were added, and the noodles were served in bowls... Several people were busy running around.

Zhou Le was mainly responsible for pulling the noodles, and his movements became more and more skilled; Deng Chao was responsible for pouring oil and carrying the bowls. At first, he was noisy and boisterous, but later he got used to it and his movements became more and more nimble.

Chen He tried to steal some food but was caught red-handed;

Wang Baoqiang and Guo Tao carefully garnished each bowl of fish soup with cilantro.

Miao Fu was giving loud instructions in Shaanxi dialect, creating a lively atmosphere.

The noodles are ready to serve, and their aroma fills the air.

Hungry students from the sports school flocked to the restaurant to taste the noodles made by the celebrities themselves. Since it was a demonstration, and the experienced chefs who had kneaded the dough beforehand knew what to do, the noodles were quite good.

At the same time, the students were very accommodating and praised the food as delicious.

Final voting results: Zhou Le and Deng Chao's Biangbiang noodles won first place with their impressive appearance and relatively authentic taste.

Of course, this is mainly due to Zhou Le's consistent performance and Master Wang's secret recipe for chili oil.

The hand-pulled noodles from Chen He's group got second place because of their unique shape and decent taste.

Wang Baoqiang and Guo Tao's Jiangshui fish received slightly fewer votes, placing them third.

According to the rules, the first place winner can rest, the second place winner needs to sweep the floor, and the third place winner needs to wash the dishes.

Deng Chao lay smugly in his rocking chair, enjoying the leisure of a victor.

Zhou Le also sat down to the side with a smile.

With a bitter face, Chen He picked up the broom and began to sweep symbolically. Of course, given his personality and persona, he was not going to actually do any work, so he directed his partner to sweep the floor.

Wang Baoqiang and Guo Tao were worried about the mountain of bowls and chopsticks.

Of course, these celebrities won't actually wash the dishes themselves in the end.

After the camera finishes filming them looking distressed as they begin washing the dishes, staff will take over and carry out the actual cleaning and disinfection work.

The others, on the other hand, were going to prepare for the test and take a short rest.

This is actually just standard practice to ensure the program's effect and keep the schedule in order to achieve its goals.

After the break, a new task was issued: "Story Transformation".

They need to open a temporary noodle shop, but customers don't need to pay. All they need to do is tell a true, touching story, and they can get a free bowl of noodles.

Zhou Le laughed after hearing this: "This mission is full of humanistic care, but it also has a lot of uncertainties."

After all, this kind of direct contact with passersby is a bit more complicated, since communication and interaction are required. However, the production team is not idle in this part either, and those who can actually enter the store are actually selected.

Even if it's for the sake of experiencing authenticity, they still have to conduct an initial screening.

A temporary noodle shop has opened.

The first person to enter was a middle-aged taxi driver, with dark skin and a somewhat tired appearance.

He sat down, rubbed his hands together, and somewhat awkwardly ordered a bowl of Biangbiang noodles.

Zhou Le served him some noodles and then sat down to chat: "Brother, driving a taxi must be tough, right? Have you encountered any particularly interesting or memorable passengers?"

The driver took a bite of noodles, sighed, and started talking: "Sigh, there are all kinds of people. Some drink too much and throw up in the car, some are rushing to the hospital, some are crying in the car because they've broken up with their boyfriends... The one I remember most is an old lady who couldn't find her way home and had no money in her pocket. I just led her around and around, and in the end, based on her vague memory, we actually found our way. Her son insisted on giving me money, but I refused... It's not easy for anyone."

No, it's not like that. It's somewhat ordinary, but it's very warm and real.

The older brother's actions were quite generous, and his behavior was similar to his appearance. However, after eating there, he learned that they were filming a variety show and insisted on paying, but after searching around, he couldn't even find a QR code.

Finally, Zhou Le coaxed and pushed him out of the noodle shop.

The second person to enter was a female student who looked preoccupied.

She only ordered a small portion of noodles and ate very little. Zhou Le and Deng Chao noticed her mood and asked gently, "Classmate, is something bothering you? Would it be better to talk about it? Maybe it will make you feel better."

The girl hesitated for a moment. Perhaps it was the relaxed atmosphere of the noodle shop, or perhaps it was Zhou Le's kindness that made her lower her guard. She whispered about her troubles.

The pressure of studying was immense, her grades were mediocre, and what suffocated her even more was the expectation and pressure from her family.

Her parents had a bad relationship and often argued, but they placed all their hopes on her, demanding that she get into a top university and make something of herself, as if she were the family's only lifeline.

She felt breathless, confused, and even a little depressed.

Zhou Le listened attentively without interrupting, his eyes filled with understanding and empathy.

After she finished speaking, Zhou Le pondered for a moment and said, "I know how you feel. Although I am not like that, when I was in school, some of my classmates had similar situations at home. Sometimes the pressure from family can be overwhelming."

However, you must remember that your future is your own, not something to fulfill anyone else's expectations.

He paused, as if remembering something, and continued, "If you find the current environment and pressure unbearable, perhaps you could consider changing your environment. I remember... um... in Chengdu, there are some humanities and social science majors with a great atmosphere, focusing on comprehensive development and personal growth, and the pressure is relatively less."

Moreover, distance can give you a buffer; you can look into it, it might be a way out.

After speaking on Saturday, Deng Chao also offered some of his own opinions, but leaving was definitely the best option for the student.

The girl looked up, a glimmer of light appearing in her eyes: "Chengdu... Sichuan University?"

“Hmm,” Zhou Le nodded, “This is just a suggestion. The final choice depends on what you like, but in any case, you must learn to live for yourself. Your happiness and health are more important than anything else.”

The girl seemed thoughtful, then asked, "What if I want to work in the future?"

Zhou Le smiled and said, "If you want to stay and develop there in the future, Chengdu is a new first-tier city with many opportunities, especially in the cultural industry and the internet industry, which are developing very well. The city has a strong ability to absorb talent and the living environment is comfortable. Of course, the most important thing is that you like it and it suits you."

After hearing this, the girl's gloom seemed to dissipate somewhat, and she sincerely said "thank you" to Zhou Le.

However, Deng Chao reassured her that they would select and edit out the parts that could be shown, and would not include all of the girl's words in the program. Otherwise, if someone the girl knew saw it after the program aired, it would definitely cause unnecessary trouble.

The third story came from an elderly woman with white hair. She told the story of how she and her husband lived apart when they were young and maintained their relationship through letters. Those yellowed letters and the long wait carried the most sincere and romantic love of that era, which made the group of people sigh with emotion.

The mission of changing the story's face ended with warmth and emotion.

This also adds a deeper meaning to the journey of "Five Ha".

The recording for the Xi'an station has temporarily come to an end.

The next destination is still in SX province, but filming will not begin until a week later.

Taking advantage of this short holiday, Zhou Le planned to return to Beijing and visit the National Theatre of China. Partly, he wanted to see the leaders and make connections; otherwise, it wouldn't be right to work at the theatre and not come back for a whole year. (End of Chapter)