Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 217 Making Soup Saves Money

The plane landed smoothly at Baiyun International Airport in Sichuan Province, gradually stabilizing after a slight vibration.

Liu Xiaoli breathed a long sigh of relief, raised her hand and gently patted her chest. A look of relief appeared on her face, but a trace of lingering fear remained in her eyes, obviously recalling her experience when she flew to Jiuhuang last time.

"We've finally arrived. The journey was quite smooth."

She shook her head slightly, as if trying to shake off the bad memories, then slowly unbuckled her seatbelt and began to pack her belongings.

Hu Xiaobei deftly unbuckled his seatbelt, let out a long sigh of relief, and half-jokingly exclaimed, "Phew, we've finally landed safely. Thank goodness we weren't on a flight from a foreign company."

Otherwise, there would definitely be a group of Russians celebrating their safe landing right now! After saying that, he exaggeratedly shrugged and a teasing smile appeared on his lips.

An Xiaoqian's face flushed slightly. She had been feeling restless from the long flight for a while. She couldn't wait to unbuckle her seatbelt, put on her large sunglasses, and stand up to stretch comfortably.

Hearing Hu Xiaobei's words, she immediately became interested, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she asked, "Huh? Why do we clap?"

As she spoke, her head tilted slightly to one side, and her hands unconsciously clasped together in front of her.

Looking at her adorable, inquisitive expression, Hu Xiaobei couldn't help but chuckle. He deliberately kept her in suspense for a moment before speaking, "You wouldn't know this, would you?"
I heard that in the past, the Goose region used to have retired fighter pilots fly passenger planes.

Those pilots were incredibly brave when they flew their planes. Takeoffs were clean and crisp, the flight was relatively strong, and landings were like a fighter jet diving down, so…”

At this point, he didn't continue, but instead raised an eyebrow and gave An Xiaoqian a knowing look.

An Xiaoqian's eyes were wide open and her mouth was slightly agape, looking adorable as if she had just learned something strange and new.

He even imitated the tone of voice from anime, nodding earnestly and saying, "Sou desu ne!"

After saying that, she playfully winked her beautiful big eyes at Hu Xiaobei.

In fact, this habit of clapping has a long history, dating back to the Soviet era.

Back then, pilots would applaud excitedly in their cramped cockpits whenever they successfully completed an important mission.

On the one hand, it's to celebrate the successful completion of the mission, and on the other hand, it's to express admiration and support for each other's tacit cooperation.

Later, this passionate and ceremonial act was unknowingly transferred from fighter jet cockpits to civil aviation.

Nowadays, when the Goose Man lands safely on a plane, everyone applauds in unison.

This is both a joy at arriving safely and a way to express gratitude and respect for the crew's hard work and dedication throughout the journey.

However, these are all official embellishments, and Hu Xiaobei still believes the claim of flying fighter jets more.

Hu Xiaobei wanted to reach out and pinch them... but she held back. Instead, she stood up and reached out to help the two of them take their bags off the luggage rack and gently handed them to them.

As for himself, what kind of bag would a grown man carry? All his things were in his checked luggage.

Since it was only a short trip and it was summer, the three of them only brought one large suitcase.

Moreover, since we bought connecting flights, we didn't need to worry about luggage during layovers.

As soon as the three stepped out of the cabin, the humid air hit them, carrying the unique aroma of the soup-making province.

An Xiaoqian's cheeks flushed instantly, her delicate nose wrinkled slightly, and she gently fanned herself with her small hands, exclaiming, "Oh dear, it's so hot and stuffy here, it feels like I've crawled into a giant steamer."

Liu Xiaoli took a small fan out of her bag and handed it to An Xiaoqian with a smile, her eyes full of doting: "I knew you would feel bored, so fan yourself."

An Xiaoqian took the fan, gently turned her wrist, and the fan swayed rhythmically as she fanned herself twice, instantly feeling cool.

She would fan Hu Xiaobei from time to time, and of course, she would occasionally fan her mother as well.

Hu Xiaobei looked at the surrounding signs, thought for a moment, then raised his hand and pointed ahead, saying to the two of them, "I'll go to the transfer counter first to confirm my connecting flight information, and then find a place to rest."

Hu Xiaobei arrived at the transfer counter and confirmed the flight time with the staff.

He turned around, his face asking, "We still have quite a while. Perhaps we could grab something to eat and rest? Auntie, Sisi, how about we try their afternoon tea?"

An Xiaoqian's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded repeatedly, grabbing Hu Xiaobei's arm and shaking it gently: "Okay, okay, I've wanted to eat this for a long time! I heard that the morning and afternoon tea options here in the soup-making province are very diverse!"

Liu Xiaoli smiled and nodded in agreement: "Okay, since we're already here, we might as well try the local specialties."

A short while later, the three arrived at a Cantonese-style tea restaurant in the airport.

The restaurant was bustling with activity, filled with the rich aroma of tea and food.

The wooden tables and chairs were arranged neatly, and the walls were adorned with ink paintings in the Lingnan style. Waiters moved between the tables, greeting the guests.

An Xiaoqian took a deep breath, a look of enjoyment on her face, seemingly deeply attracted by the aroma. The three of them found a secluded booth and sat down. A waiter warmly greeted them and handed them the menu.

Liu Xiaoli took the menu and flipped through it skillfully, introducing the dishes as she looked at them: "When you come here, shrimp dumplings, rice noodle rolls, and char siu buns are must-orders. You also have to try all kinds of delicious soups, which are nourishing and tasty."

An Xiaoqian peeked out, her eyes quickly scanning the menu, and said impatiently, "Do you have jasmine tea? No? Then I'll take this...this...and..."

Her eyes were wide open, she couldn't take it all in, she kept talking and her fingers were rapidly clicking on the menu.

After saying that, he probably realized that ordering more than a dozen dishes at once was indeed a bit too much.

Then, looking at Liu Xiaoli expectantly, she explained in a coquettish tone, "Mom, these are all for Xiao Bei, he loves them..."

As she spoke, she blinked, looking completely innocent.

Hu Xiaobei: "..."

Liu Xiaoli didn't even need to look at Hu Xiaobei to know what he was thinking. She could only smile helplessly and tap An Xiaoqian's nose: "Alright, alright, here you go. You just know how to bully Xiaobei."

Then he looked at Hu Xiaobei and asked, "Xiaobei, what would you like to eat?"

Hu Xiaobei looked at An Xiaoqian with doting eyes, a faint smile on his lips, and said with great tolerance, "Auntie, let Qianqian order, I love all kinds of food."

Soon, a variety of exquisite pastries and steaming soups were served.

The shrimp dumplings were like exquisite works of art, with a crystal-clear outer skin that revealed the tender pink shrimp inside, and the delicate pleats were arranged neatly.

An Xiaoqian's eyes lit up, and she reached out to pick up a shrimp dumpling. She took a bite, and the tender shrimp meat mixed with the delicious soup spread in her mouth. The bouncy texture was irresistible.

Her eyes narrowed instantly, and she mumbled, "Mmm~ It's so delicious~ These shrimp dumplings are so fresh! Xiao Bei, you should try some."

As she spoke, she fed Hu Xiaobei a half-eaten shrimp dumpling, and then picked up other snacks to try.

The rice noodle rolls were as thin as cicada wings, wrapped around fresh minced meat and bright green vegetables, and drizzled with special soy sauce, giving them an irresistible aroma.

An Xiaoqian took a bite, and the soft and glutinous rice noodle roll and the fresh and fragrant filling blended perfectly, creating a wonderful taste on her tongue.

Then, the rest were fed into Hu Xiaobei's stomach.

When the char siu buns were served, the top was slightly cracked, revealing the tempting char siu filling inside. The bun skin was soft and sweet, and the char siu meat was a perfect balance of lean and fatty meat, sweet but not greasy. One bite and a feeling of pure bliss welled up inside.

Looking at her daughter's satisfied expression, Liu Xiaoli couldn't help but laugh out loud, reminding her, "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you, be careful it's hot."

Then, she ladled out a bowl of soup and gently handed it to Hu Xiaobei with a kind smile on her face: "Xiaobei, try this soup, it tastes very authentic."

Hu Xiaobei accepted the soup with both hands and nodded her thanks: "Thank you, Auntie."

He gently blew on the soup, took a sip, and the rich broth spread in his mouth, the umami flavors of various ingredients blending together, warming his heart. He couldn't help but nod in praise: "Mmm, it's really delicious, with a rich flavor."

The three of them enjoyed the food while chatting.

Liu Xiaoli squinted slightly, recalling her experience of coming to the soup-making province when she was young, and a nostalgic expression appeared on her face.

"Back then, it wasn't as bustling as it is now, but there was delicious food everywhere. Every time I came, I wanted to try all the food in the streets and alleys."

An Xiaoqian listened intently, then tugged at Liu Xiaoli's hand and pestered her, "Mom, what delicious things have you eaten?"

Hu Xiaobei turned slightly to the side, listening to Liu Xiaoli's story with great interest, nodding occasionally and adding a few of his own opinions, a faint smile always on his face.

Time passed by unnoticed, and the sky outside the window gradually darkened.

Hu Xiaobei checked the time and said, "Auntie, Qianqian, it's almost time. We should go to the boarding gate."

An Xiaoqian patted her slightly protruding belly contentedly before standing up, still feeling a bit unsatisfied.

With a satisfied feeling of fullness and a pleasant mood, the three walked towards the boarding gate.

An Xiaoxi was still excited as she boarded the plane to Bali.

She leaned forward slightly, holding Hu Xiaobei's arm, her face beaming with excitement, and her speech quickened considerably: "We'll be in Bali soon! I really want to go to the beach to play, um... I can build sandcastles and collect seashells!"

Hu Xiaobei gently patted her hand and comforted her with a smile: "Don't worry, it will be night when we get there. After we get some rest, we'll have plenty of time for you to have fun tomorrow."

The plane slowly took off, heading towards Bali. The night outside the window was deep, with stars twinkling faintly.

(End of this chapter)