秋天去野餐

Today, I want to eat lunch somewhere different. Not at home, and not in a restaurant. I want to eat on the grass! I'm Xiaoyue. Come on a picnic with me today. A picnic means taking food with you and eating outdoors. Let's practice talking about the weather and food.

On Sunday morning, I open the curtains. The sky outside is very blue. The sun is out, and it isn't very windy. Weather like this is lovely for going outside. I open my phone and send my friend Xiaolin a message. The weather is lovely today. Let's go on a picnic! She quickly replies, “Yes, let's!”

First, I go to the kitchen to see what food I have. There are eggs and fruit in the fridge. I cook the eggs and put them in a box. I also wash a few apples. The apples are red and look delicious. I'll take two little cakes as well. I made them at my dessert shop yesterday.

The food is ready. What else should I take? Of course, I need water. I take two bottles of water and some tissues. I put a large cloth in my bag. At the park, we can put it on the grass. Then we can sit down comfortably. I get dressed, take my bag, and head out.

At ten thirty, I wait for Xiaolin at the park entrance. She arrives a little later. She smiles and asks what nice food I brought. I say I have eggs, fruit, and cake. She holds up her own bag. She brought bread and hot tea. We haven't even gone in, and we're already thinking about lunch.

There are lots of tall trees in the park. Some leaves are still green. Others have already turned yellow. The sunlight on the leaves is beautiful. We walk around looking for a place to sit. Xiaolin points ahead and asks, “How about over there?” There is a grassy area by a tree, near the path.

This spot is really nice. It gets some sunlight, but it isn't too hot. We spread out the large cloth. Then we take out the food, one thing at a time. Xiaolin says it looks like a little restaurant. I laugh. This restaurant has only two guests. But the view outside its window is huge.

I pick up an apple and start eating slowly. Today's apple seems sweeter than usual. Perhaps it's because we're eating outside. Perhaps it's because we don't have to hurry today. Xiaolin pours two cups of hot tea. I take a small sip and feel warm. There's sunshine, hot tea, and a friend. I really like a lunch like this.

In the distance, a child is flying a kite. The kite flies high, like a big bird. Nearby, two people are walking slowly. A little dog follows behind them. It takes a few steps, then stops to sniff the grass. Xiaolin says it's having a slow weekend too. I look at it and can't help smiling.

After the bread, we start eating the cake. Xiaolin takes a small bite first. She says it's just right, not too sweet. I'm happy to hear that. Usually, I make cakes at my shop. Today, I'm sitting under a tree, watching my friend enjoy one. The same cake can feel different in a different place.

We talk about lots of little things. She recently watched a good film. I tell her Xiaohua has been sleeping on my chair again. Xiaohua is my cat. Every day when I get home, it looks at my bag first. It's as if it's asking whether I brought it any food. At that, we both laugh.

As we talk, I put my phone in my bag. I don't need to take lots of pictures today. I want to look at the trees and sky in front of me. The wind comes, and the leaves move gently. A yellow leaf falls beside our cloth. I pick it up to look at it, then put it back on the ground. Autumn really is here.

At two in the afternoon, we get ready to go home. There is a little water left, and we haven't finished the bread. We pack up the food that is left. We take all our rubbish with us. We check the grass one last time. We haven't left anything behind. Next time we come, this place will still be clean.

At the entrance, Xiaolin asks if we'll come again. I say, “We'll come again next time!” Next time, I'd like to bring some different fruit. She says she'll bring a different kind of bread. We don't need to prepare a lot. A little is enough. We agree to come again on a sunny day.

You can remember three sentences from today. The weather is lovely today. Let's go on a picnic. What nice food did you bring? Try saying them slowly too. You don't need to speak quickly. Just speak clearly. You can use these sentences when you go out with friends.

When I get home, Xiaohua is still sleeping on the chair. I sit nearby and feel that it was a lovely day. We didn't go anywhere far away. We didn't do anything very special either. We just ate lunch somewhere different. But I'm still smiling now. Where do you like to eat lunch? When you have time, give yourself a relaxing afternoon too.