Jaquan brought his shoes over and handed them to her. "Put them on. My shoes are spotless."
"Your shoes?" Arabella asked confusedly, "You even took a pair of shoes?"
Jaquan nodded and put the shoebox on the ground. He took the pair of shoes inside and was about to change them for Arabella.
Arabella retracted her feet, sniffed her nose and asked, "Don't your shoes all have perfume on them? Why does this one have the smell of washing powder?"
Jaquan was a little dumbfounded. He grabbed his hair and didn't know how to explain it. If he said that these shoes were worn by Emma, Arabella probably wouldn't wear them anymore. However, just as he was hesitating, Arabella had misunderstood it. These shoes weren't his. It must belong to one of Randy's team members.
But she didn't say it clearly. She just lowered her head and looked at the shoes. "These shoes are too big. It doesn't fit the feet perfectly. Put it in your backpack."
"Then tell me if you're tired, these shoes can be worn as slippers for you."
"Alright."
Jaquan didn't force her. He just put away the shoes and found a place to sit.
Armando and Emma finally came. Everyone rested on the spot for more than ten minutes. It was already autumn. But, everyone had taken off their jackets. After all, they had climbed the mountain for so long and had eaten something. The heat squeezed their stomachs and was transmitted to the surface of their skin. It was endlessly hot.
Everyone finished resting and was about to go up the mountain when an old lady came down with a bamboo basket on her back. Seeing their group, she shouted loudly, "Do you have empty bottles?"
Randy and the rest of the team members hurriedly took out the empty bottles from their bags and handed them to her.
The viewing platform didn't have a garbage can. Alright, it was really unsightly to put a garbage can in such a purely natural place.
The old lady took all the bottles and thanked them. Then, she threw bottles into the bamboo basket on her back. Then, she picked up the trash with pliers. Randy and the other members dropped some snacks and wastepaper from where they had just eaten. The old lady did not say anything and came up to clean it.
Randy found a napkin and was about to wrap up the garbage when the old lady swept the garbage and put it into the bamboo basket on his back. The viewing platform was restored to its original cleanliness.
Before leaving, the old lady said, "Don't throw rubbish around."
Randy agreed and gave her two bottles of water that he didn't open. The old lady waved her hand and said, "There are springs on the mountain. It's clean and safe to drink. You guys can go up and drink some to strengthen your body."
Although this old lady looked very old, her movements were vigorous. She was in good health.
"Lady, do you get paid for this?" Janessa suddenly asked.
The old lady did not understand, "What play?"
Everyone understood. Jaquan asked, "Do you have a duty to do this? We mean, you came to pick up trash and no one gave you money?"
The old lady nodded. "Why do I need to be paid? I just come over to climb mountains to exercise and pick up garbage every day. The scenery is good here and it can't get dirty."
Janessa took the camera and asked, "May I take a picture of you?"
"No. You young people are good-looking. Why do you want to take a picture of me?" The old lady smiled. Although she was old, her clothes were neat and tidy, also her shoes. She was obviously old but enjoyed her life.
Janessa looked at the lush mountain in front of her and said, "We can let your descendants remember you. You are the guardian of this mountain. In the future, if there are photographs kept, everyone will remember you. They will also remember to learn from you and protect this mountain together."
The old lady was swayed. She fixed her hair and asked, "Should I put my things down?"
Janessa suddenly smiled, "Sorry. I actually had taken a picture. I was worried that you would disagree, so I asked. Also, I was afraid that I won't capture the right moment if I notify you first. So I took the picture first."
The old lady heaved a sigh of relief, "Great. Then I can leave."
"Okay."
Arabella, who had been silent all this while, suddenly took a few steps forward and gave a stack of money to the old lady. She said, "Lady, thank you for your work."
The old lady seemed to be frightened, "Hey! Don't! Please don't give me money. I don't want money."
"Your work is not easy. I just want to..."
Before Arabella could finish her sentences, Janessa interrupted her. She took the money and said, "She thought you were paid for the work. Sorry."
The old lady finally smiled again. "Oh, I'm not. It is free. I work voluntarily. I can also exercise at the same time. It doesn't matter. You young people should be careful when climbing the mountain. There are snakes on it. Just don't disturb them."
"Alright, take care!"
Janessa threw the money to Arabella and took another photo of the old lady's back view going down the mountain.
Many notes fell to the ground. Arabella stood there alone, her eyes filled with grievances, anger, confusion, and unwillingness. She gritted her teeth and looked at Janessa, "Although you are older than me, you can't represent me. Why do you take my money back on your own initiative? That's what I'm willing to give to old granny."
After Janessa finished taking the photo, she was in a good mood. She looked at Arabella's eyes almost calmly, "Arabella, she loves this mountain. This love can't be measured by money. Of course, you might not understand that."
Jaquan came over to pick up the money on the ground and said to Arabella, "The old lady will not accept your money."
Randy took out his aggressive fan from somewhere and said, "If the old lady wants money, the people sitting here all have. She treats the mountain as her own. Of course, she doesn't want the guests, like us, to dirty her territory. If you come and give her money, it will give her the feeling that the mountain is at your disposal. Of course, she would not agree."
Among the brothers, it was hard for Vincent to open his mouth to Arabella. Armando did not want to say something to Arabella. Jaquan was obedient to Arabella, while Ferne behaved in a noisy. Only the way Randy treated Arabella could be called flogging education.
Arabella finally sunk in and realized that he had just done something stupid. He whispered to Janessa, "I'm sorry..."
Janessa smiled at her. She was a beautiful girl with a cold and intelligent temperament. When she smiled, she was even more free and easy. "I don't need your apology. Did you harm my interests? No, so you don't need to apologize to me."
Arabella's eyes were slightly red. Losing face in front of everyone made her feel ashamed but more aggrieved. "If you don't like me, just say it. Don't beat around the bush."
"Sorry that you could only get that." Janessa looked at her. Arabella had very little aura in front of Janessa, which seemed to be crushed to pieces. "I'm not beating around the bush. Arabella, I didn't like you before. Now, I don't like you even more. It was just like when I saw you using the water from the waterfall to wash your feet. I don't like it!"
Arabella couldn't imagine that the scene of her taking a foot bath was seen by others. And Janessa even brought it up in front of so many people. Her face looked even worse. She felt as if someone had roasted her on a stove and poured cold water over her body.. She pushed Janessa away, turned around and then run down the mountain.