It was supposed to be a fun countryside adventure — a day full of laughter, fresh air, and teamwork. Lala had eagerly agreed to join CEO Kien on his farm for a special outing: harvesting snails from the muddy rice fields. She had never done anything like it before, and the idea sounded both exciting and a little silly.
Dressed in rubber boots and old clothes, Lala followed Kien through the soft, wet earth. The morning was cool, and the two laughed as they carefully picked snails hidden beneath the water. Kien showed Lala how to spot the best ones, and before long, they had a bucket full. Everything was going smoothly — until the itchiness started.
“Why does my leg feel funny?” Lala said, scratching through her pants. Then she sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose. “Wait… is that me?”
Kien burst into laughter. “Welcome to snail farming!” he teased. “It’s messy, muddy, and smells like victory!”
By the time they finished, Lala was covered in bits of mud, tiny plants, and something she didn’t want to identify. Her arms were itchy, her boots were soaked, and her hair had a leaf sticking out of it. She groaned. “I look and smell like a swamp monster!”
But Kien just smiled and handed her a towel. “You worked hard, Lala. You did great today.”
Despite the discomfort, Lala couldn’t help but laugh. There was something oddly satisfying about getting her hands dirty — something real and humbling. Even if she was itchy and smelly, she had stepped out of her comfort zone and made a memory she’d never forget.
After a long shower and a change of clothes, Lala felt human again. She looked at the basket of fresh snails they’d collected and smiled. “Next time,” she said with a playful grin, “I’m bringing bug spray and perfume.”
Kien chuckled. “Deal. But you’re still coming back, right?”
“Absolutely,” she replied. “Just maybe not in white jeans.”
