It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning when Lala jumped out of bed with excitement. Her best friend Thuy had promised to take her to the supermarket that day. Lala, a cheerful little girl with big brown eyes and an even bigger curiosity, loved going shopping—especially when it meant she got to choose her favorite fruits.
“Thuy! Thuy!” she called out, racing down the stairs. “Are we still going to the supermarket today?”
Thuy, her older cousin and caretaker, smiled warmly from the kitchen where she was sipping tea. “Of course, Lala,” she replied. “But first, let’s eat breakfast and write a list of what we need.”
Lala nodded eagerly and sat down at the table. Thuy placed a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and a glass of orange juice in front of her. As they ate, Thuy pulled out a notebook and began writing.
“Okay,” Thuy said, tapping her pen. “We need vegetables, fruits, and milk. Anything else?”
“Hmm,” Lala thought. “Can we get apples? And strawberries?”
“Sure! Apples and strawberries go under fruits. How about vegetables?”
“Carrots!” Lala exclaimed. “I want to feed some to the rabbits at the farm later!”
“Perfect,” Thuy said. “And of course, milk. We’re almost out.”
By the time they finished breakfast, the list looked like this:
- Vegetables: Carrots, broccoli, cucumbers
- Fruits: Apples, bananas, strawberries, oranges
- Milk: One big carton of fresh milk
Lala also added a doodle of a carrot and an apple on the side of the list. With their reusable shopping bags in hand, the two set off for the supermarket.
The air was warm, and flowers were blooming along the sidewalk. Lala skipped along happily, holding Thuy’s hand. When they arrived at the supermarket, the automatic doors whooshed open, and a wave of cool air greeted them.
“Remember,” Thuy said, handing Lala her own little shopping basket, “you can help me find everything on the list.”
Lala beamed. “Okay!”
They started in the produce section. It smelled like fresh herbs and rain. Lala spotted the carrots first—big, orange, and crunchy-looking. She picked out five, inspecting each one like a detective.
“These are for the rabbits,” she told Thuy seriously.
Next, they found the broccoli and cucumbers. Thuy showed Lala how to check if a cucumber was fresh. Lala gently pressed a few and chose the firmest one.
“Perfect for our salad,” Thuy said.
Then came Lala’s favorite section: fruits! The colors were dazzling. Red apples, yellow bananas, pink strawberries, and juicy oranges were all lined up neatly.
“Apples!” Lala cheered. She carefully picked four shiny red ones. Then she found a basket of plump strawberries. “Can I have these for dessert?”
“Of course,” Thuy replied, placing the box in her own basket. “Let’s also grab bananas for smoothies and some oranges for juice.”
Lala loved helping. She even reminded Thuy to get the milk before they left the dairy section.
“I see it!” Lala said, pointing to a row of tall milk cartons. She picked one and hugged it to her chest like it was treasure.
Their cart was almost full now. Lala looked proud as she checked the list. “We got everything!”
At the checkout, the cashier smiled at the pair. “Did this little helper do the shopping today?”
“She sure did,” Thuy said with a grin. “And she did a great job!”
Lala helped place the items on the conveyor belt and even handed over the money Thuy gave her.
“You’re very responsible,” the cashier told her.
“Thank you!” Lala said, standing a little taller.
On the way home, they talked about what they would make with all the food. Thuy planned to cook a vegetable stir-fry for lunch and make strawberry smoothies for a snack. Lala’s mouth watered just thinking about it.
When they got home, Lala helped unpack the bags. She placed the apples in the fruit bowl, lined the milk carton neatly in the fridge, and handed the carrots to Thuy for rinsing.
Later that afternoon, Thuy let Lala wash the strawberries. She stood on a stool by the sink and gently rinsed each berry, singing a little song she made up.
“Strawberries are sweet, strawberries are red, I love strawberries in my tummy and my head!”
Thuy laughed. “You’re quite the little singer!”
Together, they blended strawberries, bananas, a splash of milk, and a little honey into a pink, creamy smoothie. They poured it into two glasses and sat on the porch to enjoy the treat.
“This is the best smoothie ever,” Lala said.
“I think it tastes even better because you helped,” Thuy replied.
That evening, as the sun began to set, Lala fed a few carrots to the rabbits at the nearby farm. She giggled as they twitched their noses and munched happily.
“Thuy, today was the best day ever,” Lala said as they walked back home.
“I’m glad,” Thuy said, squeezing her hand. “It’s always more fun when we do things together.”
Back at home, after a dinner full of colorful vegetables and sweet fruits, Lala curled up on the couch beside Thuy, tired but happy.
“Can we go to the supermarket again next week?” she asked sleepily.
“Of course,” Thuy said, brushing Lala’s hair back. “Next time, maybe we can try buying something new—like mangoes or avocados.”
Lala nodded, her eyes already closing. “Okay… I’ll make a new list…”
And with that, she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of fruits, vegetables, and more adventures to come.
