Recently, a touching clip capturing the heartwarming interaction between soldiers and a fruit shop owner has gone viral on social media.
Accompanying the clip, the uploader shared the caption: “If you didn’t carry guns, we wouldn’t hold pens.”
Mrs. Tu carrying a basket of oranges, waits by the road to hand them out to soldiers (Clip: NVCC).
As seen in the video, when a group of soldiers marched past her shop, the woman quickly picked up oranges to offer to the troops. She even carried an entire basket of oranges closer to the road so each soldier could grab one without delaying their march.
The moment was quickly shared online, garnering 2.5 million views along with hundreds of thousands of likes and comments. Many expressed admiration and sent thanks to the couple running the fruit shop for their meaningful gesture.
In an interview with Dân trí, Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Tư (36 years old, from Sông Công City, Thái Nguyên Province) confirmed she is the owner of the viral clip.
Mrs. Tư said the video was filmed on the afternoon of February 13, when she happened to see a battalion of soldiers marching past her home.
“My house is near a military camp, so whenever they march, they pass by. Every time I see soldiers, I feel moved—both affectionate and appreciative.
Among those troops are young soldiers enduring tough training and marches. Seeing them reminds me of my son, who is about the same age but hasn’t yet achieved much,” Mrs. Tư shared.
According to the shop owner, customers were in the store when the battalion passed by. Noticing the approaching group, she quickly asked them to check out so she could bring fruits to gift the soldiers. The customers understood and happily supported her, with some even coming out to watch.
Fruit shop owner waiting to gift oranges to passing soldiersMrs. Tư prepares oranges to give to soldiers (Photo: NVCC).
“Yesterday’s group had about 50 soldiers; sometimes I’ve gifted groups of over a hundred. Yesterday, because there were customers in the shop, I couldn’t prepare as many fruits.
I felt guilty for not having enough fruits to share. Seeing people wait made me feel uneasy,” she said.
The woman shared that in previous instances, she handed out 14-15 kg of apples and tangerines. Yesterday, she brought out a basket of oranges weighing around 16-17 kg. She also had some strawberries, but the battalion moved too quickly for her to bring them out.
“In the past, I handed fruits individually, which meant some received them while others didn’t, making me feel bad. Yesterday, learning from experience, I brought out the whole basket so the soldiers could take them more conveniently.
The young soldiers are cheerful and polite. Every time, they bow their heads and say, ‘Thank you!’ Some even turn back after walking far and shout, ‘Thank you!'” she recalled.
Not only does Mrs. Tư have many memories with soldiers, but she also counts military personnel among her regular customers.
“The army helps us a lot—from gardening, digging trenches, to harvesting crops. They’re always ready to assist,” she shared.
The fruit shop owner mentioned that she initially posted the clip on TikTok for fun, not expecting it to gain so much attention.
“In the past, I wanted to do this but felt hesitant, fearing judgment. People would say, ‘Why don’t you care for your parents but instead give to soldiers?’ But in reality, I ensure my parents aren’t lacking.
Moreover, since participating in various charitable activities, I’ve grown accustomed to this and no longer fear criticism,” Mrs. Tư confided.
She also sees this as a way to teach her children.
“I want my children to see and understand that sometimes giving doesn’t need a reason. During the recent storm, I gathered food donations to distribute to people. Unsold fruits went to waste, but after the storm, the community came back to support us. If you keep giving, you’ll eventually receive in return,” the shop owner reflected.
