It's highly likely that I won't be able to update my weekly journal on time after returning home. Plus, I spent the last two days before going home having a blast (the last freedom), so I plan to temporarily change the update frequency and write a piece on "Two Days in Changsha" to fill the space. Next week's journal will cover my experiences during this time at home.
For the Lamb, Remembering Hardships#
After the weather turned cold, I had been craving lamb rolls for a long time. I heard that Chayan and Xinhua Bookstore opened a co-branded store on Taiping Street, so I thought I'd take a look. Since most people have gone home for the New Year and I haven't, I decided to take a stroll around the Wuyi Square business district. Usually, I come here to enjoy the crowd, but this time I came to spend and have fun. The "Winter" debuff skill "Freezing Rain" has caused various delays on the high-speed trains these days. But that doesn't affect my desire to go out for hot pot; freezing rain days are perfect for hot pot!
As soon as I got off the train, I headed straight to Jiji Hong. It's not that this place is particularly delicious; when I was a kid, its chain store opened right at my doorstep. It was cheap, so my parents were relatively willing to take me there. There was a period when it didn't taste good, and I stopped going, but after coming to Changsha, I found the taste acceptable again.
Since it’s not particularly delicious and mainly focuses on remembering hardships, I won’t elaborate further. However, the refreshing candy at the front desk was quite tasty.
A Taste of the Second Dimension#
After finishing the hot pot and feeling a bit full, I decided to stroll around the second dimension street to digest.
A Cool Breeze, Running a Few Steps#
It started to drizzle lightly, and I headed straight for "Good Ink Lemon." I had tried "Hot with a Cool Breeze" last time, and it tasted good, but I heard "Iced with a Cool Breeze" is a must-try. So I ordered one hot and one cold for a side-by-side comparison. Both cups came with a frame, a great deal.
Over the years, lemon tea has become fiercely competitive. It was said that "Lemon Season" would close down in winter, but it hasn't yet, indicating that the lemon tea market is a red ocean. However, lemon tea remains a refreshing, thirst-quenching, and satisfying choice in summer. Chayan's entry into this market seems a bit late this year, but perhaps the coffee market has given it some confidence (thanks to the strong push from Yuanyang's Zhuangzi Dream Butterfly). Because it's Chayan, it has its own niche: "New Chinese Style." Its differentiation is quite clear; it's not hard to do something similar in this niche, but doing it better than them is not easy.
The tea base of "Iced with a Cool Breeze" is rose oil green tea, but it should be minimal; the tea flavor is not strong. The iced milk is reasonable for a milk tea; the milk cap is lime-flavored, and the salty taste paired with cheese corn chips (which are surprisingly tasty) is quite nice.
Common sense suggests that in the cold winter, hot drinks should undoubtedly be the best companion. The hot "Cool Breeze" seems to have a stronger milk flavor, almost masking the lemon aroma, leaving only a faint lemon scent. The tea flavor is not prominent, which makes the overall taste a bit greasy, so the hot "Cool Breeze" is a "rich" lemon tea, fitting the label of another tea "Life is Heavy."
The iced "Cool Breeze" is different; the coldness dilutes the creaminess of the milk cap, bringing a refreshing sensation. Even on a day like today, when it's minus one degree, I still finished more than half a cup in one go. If I had to choose, I would definitely pick the iced "Cool Breeze."
Chayan's milk tea has a small portion; a cup is gone in just two sips, which is still not as good as Lemon Season's straightforward 1L cup. Many hours later, I burped and could still recall the lime aroma of "Cool Breeze."
Irrational Consumption at Guojin#
After finishing the iced "Cool Breeze," and with the relentless rain at sub-zero temperatures, I immediately ducked into Guojin Street for some irrational consumption.
There’s not much to say about this part; I was a bit tired after eating, so I indulged in a wave of passionate spending. After spending enough, I set off to see the co-branded store of Xinhua Bookstore.
Confusion on Taiping Street#
Qu Jia Yi in Changsha#
Although Taiping Street is an old street, like all "old streets" across the country, its strong commercial atmosphere has been renovated to look newer than the building I live in. I reminisce about how good Xu Liushan was when it was open here; I haven't come to this street much since it closed.
Taiping Street is quite strange; despite its strong commercial vibe, there's also the former residence of Qu Jia Yi here. The Changsha Museum vividly describes Qu Jia Yi's life, and many literati have come to pay homage at his former residence "Xun Qiu Cao Tang." I feel a bit regretful that Qu Jia Yi's former residence is here; most tourists who don't come for it won't even notice it. Changsha has experienced the "Wenxi Fire," making it look like a city that doesn't carry two thousand years of memory. The former residence of Qu Jia Yi, however, quietly and quaintly sits in this bustling area. Nowadays, when many people mention Changsha's "cultural symbols," their first impression might be Yuelu Academy, but for me, it's Qu Jia Yi's former residence. So, seeing the bustling crowd pass by its entrance without much attention makes me feel sorry for it.
The old site of Ding Wang City is unseen, yet Qu Fu's well remains in my heart.
Du Fu
The bluestone slabs are still the same as before, while the shops have changed countless times. Originally, the old city renovation or something demolished a batch of houses next to Qu Jia Yi's former residence, but then they discovered cultural relics underneath. Thinking back, I once sat right on top of cultural relics; that’s quite a feeling.
Tianxia Grain Warehouse X Chayan#
Chayan seems to have money now; there are five, six, seven, or eight Chayan stores on Taiping Street, along with various concept stores. I first went to "Tianxia Grain Warehouse x Chayan" to take a look. I don't remember what store was here before; I recall the door being tightly shut (or maybe it was just my aura). Now that it's Chayan, I dared to go in and take a look.
The front building is Yuanyang Coffee, and the back building is Xiao Shenxian Tea House, with wooden floors, wooden stairs, wooden carved doors and windows, and a small courtyard behind, exuding an ancient charm.
Opening a concept store in an old brand is not something Chayan has done just once or twice. It's commercialized but not entirely so. I can roughly understand what it wants to express with its "New Chinese Style." This can be seen from the logo design; although it's a commercial product, it hasn't turned historical architecture into a commercial gimmick. On the contrary, it strongly promotes "Tianxia Grain Warehouse," occupying only a small space below to hang its logo. It integrates history into modernity, just like its milk tea.
Oh dear, why do I feel like I'm writing a promotion for Chayan? Let me tone it down a bit.
It looked unappetizing, and there were no seats. I had to queue for redemption, so I left and went to Xinhua Bookstore.
Xinhua Bookstore X Chayan#
Directly across from Tianxia Grain Warehouse is the co-branded store of Xinhua Bookstore.
The entire bookstore has three floors, but it's too conceptual; there aren't many serious books, and I don't know if Chayan is riding on Xinhua Bookstore's coattails or vice versa. The storefront isn't large; the first floor is damp and serves as Chayan's store, displaying a few books for the New Year or something, which serious people probably wouldn't buy. Continuing inside, there are three animal-head fountains with an unclear design, and the rain makes the first floor even damper. Previous Chayan stores would display some reading materials for people to enjoy while resting, like the few poetry collections placed at the staircase corner, but now Chayan stores are filled with cultural creations and no books. The second floor was packed with people, so I went straight to the third floor.
At the corner of the stairs between the second and third floors, there’s a whole wall designed as a "waterfall book wall." If they wanted to create a "bookish atmosphere," they certainly didn't need to treat the books this way. However, I feel like I've seen this design somewhere before but can't recall where. The third floor is where Xinhua Bookstore's main battlefield is, similar to most popular bookstores: some trendy books + some trendy decor. Of course, the selection of books is still much better than most trendy bookstores.
Zhi Xiao is still quite good; I feel like I might spend some money on the upcoming Small Master Festival.
White Bear · Cat · Tequila#
After leaving Chayan, I headed towards our hidden project. There used to be many old artistic shops on these two streets, and even just taking photos at the entrance felt great. I remember a painter painted a picture on that white wall; I happened to see her painting it. It depicted a girl looking out at the sea, which felt very evocative. Since I watched her paint it, every time I see that painting, I think of that artist. Later, during the old city renovation or something, it was erased, and the artist disappeared. I don't know which big leader decided to make everything uniform, lacking character, so that everything looks the same across the country. One of our hidden artistic streets has now turned into an ear-cleaning street, which is quite a sigh.
But time doesn't give people a chance to reminisce; it only rushes by and then brings a heavy rain, leaving you unable to move forward or backward.
At White Bear Bar, when taking photos at the entrance, a guy came out and shouted something before going back in. Whether you want to go in or not is up to you. Years ago, I went in for a cup of tea; today, with this heavy rain, I thought I might as well sit down.
White Bear has been around for over ten years, and the layout is completely different from my last visit. Last time, it felt like entering an artistic tea house, more trendy than many popular shops today. Now, going in feels like being in a bar sailing on the sea; the overall structure has changed significantly. Time has transformed it from a fresh, artistic young woman into Captain Jack?
Inside, there are five or six cats, probably kept by the owner. After all, this bar doesn't claim to be a cat cafe (right?), but that's quite a lot.
I originally wanted to drink pure tequila, thinking about whether to get some tequila after the New Year. The owner seemed to think I looked weak and couldn't handle alcohol, repeatedly persuading me that pure tequila is served in shot glasses, forty degrees, and suggested I try a "Tequila Sunrise."
Tequila Sunrise is filled with poetry and mystery; the first thing that catches the eye is its charming color, said to resemble "the rising sun shining on the earth." Under the light, the effect isn't very obvious; the overall drink is a mix of orange and yellow. Although the introduction suggests it should be red and orange, it seems the owner has modified it.
Taking a sip, I didn't really taste the tequila; the owner probably thought I couldn't handle much alcohol and didn't pour much. Anyway, I still don't know what tequila tastes like. The main flavor is a sweet and sour orange juice, with a smooth and layered texture, and a sweet aftertaste, like morning dew dripping on the tongue.
The overall taste isn't rich; the main issue is that there wasn't enough tequila. If they had poured a bit more to enhance the herbal aroma and the spiciness of the alcohol, it could have made the cocktail more layered and less abrupt in its sweetness and sourness. Overall, it's suitable for girls who don't drink much; its approachable taste and pleasing color could serve as a first cocktail for most who haven't tried cocktails before. However, it's too basic; after finishing, I felt nothing.
The wind rises, the sword strikes, the rain washes the tassels, I drink alone, clear and serene in my heart.
Final Battle with City Heroes · Liling Fried Noodles#
After a little drink, perhaps due to wearing a cat bracelet that added "cat affection," a cat curled up on me and fell asleep, and I could even hear it snoring. Cats are so cute, but I'm ultimately just a passerby, not your cat's nest.
More and more people arrived, and it got a bit noisy. The sky was getting darker; it was time to go.
White Bear Bar doesn't serve main dishes, and I was a bit hungry, so I moved on to eat Liling fried noodles. Passing by City Heroes, I went in for a fierce battle at the claw machine and ended up winning a capybara. Actually, I wanted to play a rhythm game, but it costs a lot of coins to play once, and after winning the capybara, I didn't have many coins left, so I gave up. It was a small loss, but not a big deal.
This fried noodle shop is one of the few I really enjoy in Changsha. Mainly, I don't like the kind of fried noodles that are broken in Changsha, so even though it's two streets away, I came here without hesitation. The ingredients for Liling fried noodles are simple: bean sprouts, scallions, eggs, and shredded meat. The bean sprouts are crunchy and refreshing, adding a crisp texture to the otherwise greasy fried noodles. The scallions are stir-fried to release their aroma, stimulating appetite and taste buds. The eggs and shredded meat bring a hint of sweetness to the fried noodles; each ingredient plays its role without overshadowing the others.
Night fell, I was tired, and it was time to go home.
Rime#
Rime is a natural phenomenon formed when water vapor condenses upon encountering cold.
I had many plans for the next day, wanting to go to Songya Lake to photograph plum blossoms, considering going to Orange Isle (which I actually couldn't due to traffic control), and thinking about going to Martyrs' Park to take photos.
After much hesitation, I still couldn't decide, and I dawdled until four o'clock before heading out. As soon as I stepped outside, I saw rime and immediately turned back to get my camera.
Looking at the camera, I had taken quite a few similar shots and was too lazy to edit them. The power of nature doesn't need editing.
Domino's#
As a moderate "Cool Breeze" addict, as soon as I arrived at Wuyi Square, I bought two cups of "Cool Breeze" and, as a spoiler, later bought another cup.
After finishing two sips of "Cool Breeze," I went to queue at Domino's, wanting to see how good the store that could have a thousand people queuing at its opening really is.
Even after being open for so long, the queuing and order-picking system is still chaotic and hard to watch. The toppings are rich but a bit crowded; the unique aroma of ham and bacon becomes the star of this pizza, but this pizza is a shrimp and crispy chicken pizza. The crowded toppings mean that many flavors don't blend well with each other. Overall, my experience was just like their entire storefront and ordering system: chaotic.
In general, it's better than Zunbao Pizza, but it's also more expensive, and I can't say it's particularly delicious.
Sujia Alley#
Last year, before returning home for the New Year, I visited Sujia Alley at night and enjoyed tea at a tea house, which was quite flavorful. But today, I didn't want to taste tea because I had drunk too much "Cool Breeze" and had a belly full of water.
When I first went to his tea house, I asked the owner why it was called "Observe Self." The owner pretended to be profound, saying, "The world is so big, first observe yourself." The shop also has calligraphy written by the owner's friends. You can play your favorite songs via Bluetooth in the shop, read books, and even snack on sunflower seeds...
The cat next door clearly isn't working; it has the aura of a rich family's cat.
Passing by, I saw them having a gathering, which felt great, so I secretly took a photo. It had a vibe reminiscent of Blossoms, protecting others' information by pixelating Miss Wang's face 🙏
Next Stop, Home#
