I just stood there as I was lost for words. Then, I looked at her and said, “Someone else will eat them. If it’s too sour for you, go pick your own!”
Ignoring her, I then found another tree. However, Rachel continued to shout, “These fruits seem good, Ms. Stanhope. Why don’t you climb up to pick them!”
I looked to where she pointed and pressed my lips together, speechless. The tree was a few meters tall, so naturally, it got a lot of sunlight. However, it was not that simple to pluck fruits from a tree that tall.
“I can’t climb trees!” I replied, not planning to carry on the conversation any further.
“Seriously?” She looked at me with a shocked expression and continued, “Mr. Featherstone told me that you grew up in the countryside. Don’t tell me you can’t even climb such a small tree?”
However, the man in question was nowhere in sight. Frowning, I looked at her and said, “Did Anthony tell you that?”
Rachel nodded as if it was something to be expected. “Yeah, he told me so much about his past!”
I then gave her a nod and hummed in reply before ignoring her.
Seeing that I was about to leave, Rachel moved to block my way. “The fruits on this tree are definitely sweet. Why can’t you just climb up to pluck a few? You’re so selfish. Who’s going to eat all those sour fruits that you picked?”
I huffed, feeling slightly irritated, then looked at her and said, “You have hands and feet too. Why don’t you climb up and pick them? Since you think it’s so easy, go ahead! I’m not stopping you!”
What a crazy woman!
“Sienna, you’re… really selfish!” Rachel was so furious that she could not find words to refute me and could only curse at me in anger.
However, I was not in the mood to continue talking to her. I just wanted to pick some fruits and go back.
Just then, Anthony came back with a bag of fruits. He looked at us and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“You’re back, Mr. Featherstone!” said Rachel, as she strutted to Anthony and continued, “Look at the pears on this tree! They look so big and juicy even from afar. I bet they’re delicious.”
He nodded. “It’s a little tall though, so it won’t be easy to climb.”
Rachel nodded and acted pitiful as she replied, “I’d previously heard that Ms. Stanhope liked to climb trees, so I wanted her to give it a try.”
I was lost for words as I always got the feeling that the two of them seemed a little crazy.
Paying no attention to them, I was preparing to leave before Anthony looked at me and raised his eyebrow, then said, “The pear tree in the yard at R Province is taller than this. Summer always said that you climbed it to pick the pears every year. Why don’t you try it!”
Damn it!
I frowned and replied, “Climb it yourself. It’s getting late so I should go back. I still have a lot of work to finish.”
He replied with an air of leisure, “Looks like you don’t really care much about Mr. Murphy’s instructions to cooperate with us.”
Holding my breath, I glared at both of them, unable to get a word out.
I then placed the bag down then looked up at the tree, which was about three or four meters tall. I could not help but exhale in annoyance.
It was not actually that difficult. In the past in R Province, John had said that since I was so small and thin, I would not crush the tree when I climbed it to pick its fruits.
From then on, he liked to trick me into picking the fruits that he could not reach, while he just stood on the ground and waited with a basket in his hands. According to him, even if I did not pick the fruit and had fallen, he would still be there to catch me.
Since I was lucky, I had never actually fallen from a tree since I was a kid. Then, as I grew up, it became rarer for me to climb trees.
During the period when I had brought Summer back to R Province, I planted a pear tree in the yard. It grew very tall and whenever she wanted to eat one, I would climb up and pick one for her.
When did Summer tell Anthony all this?
As I stared at the tree in a daze, Rachel said, “If you can’t climb it, then forget it!”
Meanwhile, Anthony kept quiet and simply looked at me.
They seriously have nothing better to do. Grabbing on the trunk, I stepped on its branches and began to climb up the tree.
Back when I was in the mountains in Venria, I had to do a lot of physical exercises to survive. Resultantly, my arms were much stronger than before.
When I was up on the tree, I looked down and said, “Pass the bag up!”
Anthony handed me an empty bag as he warned, “Be careful, don’t fall!”
“Thanks!” I took the bag from his hands and shifted my position to pick the fruits.
It was not a difficult task, and indeed, the fruits on such trees were big and juicy and would surely taste delicious.
When I had already picked quite a few, the heavy bag became difficult to move around with. I lowered my body and passed the bag over to Anthony.
Then, I prepared myself to climb down.
“Ah! Snake!” A sudden voice rang out, shocking me. I slipped, falling off the tree.
I could not help but pray for the best for myself. Please, let there be nothing sharp below. Otherwise, this won’t be pretty.
I was prepared to take a fall. However, I suddenly noticed a strong force around my waist. Shocked, I turned to search for the source.
Anthony’s handsome face was what stared back at me. Although I was a little surprised, I let out a sigh of relief.
Recalling that Rachel had shouted about a snake, I released myself from Anthony’s arms and moved away, keeping my distance. I asked, “Where’s the snake?”
Ever since I saw a snake in Venria’s forest back then, my fear of snakes had only continued to grow day by day.
My question drew Anthony’s attention, so he looked at her as well and asked, “Where’s the snake?”
Rachel seemed to be stunned. When she regained her senses, she pointed at her feet in a panic.
Since she had pointed at somewhere so close to me, I subconsciously took a few steps back. Yet, when I looked closely, there was nothing.
Full of doubt, I looked at her in puzzlement. “Are you joking with me, Ms. Zimmer?”
She shook her head somewhat innocently and replied, “No, I really saw it. It was really here. Come see for yourself if you don’t believe me!”
Feeling frightened, I looked at Anthony. He stepped forward to take a look, but a frown soon appeared on his handsome face. He looked at Rachel with a dark expression. “You don’t know what a snake looks like?”
Rachel did not look too well. She replied loudly, “It’s my first time. I’d only seen it in books or on television previously. I’ve never seen one in real life!”
Feeling suspicious, I glanced over, then breathed a sigh of relief. Great, I think she’s the only one that would mistake an earthworm for a snake!
When Anthony had instinctively reached out to grab me as I fell, he had dropped the bag of fruits.
Thus, I grabbed a bag and bent down to start picking up the fruits. Anthony also bent down to help me as he said softly, “Are you okay?”
I raised my eyebrows and replied, “In perfect condition!” I could not help but look over at Rachel. It was impossible that she could not even tell apart earthworms from snakes. She was definitely trying to frighten me on purpose.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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