56 Picking Fruits and Spices (1/2)
After putting the wet laundry into drying place, Silvie enters the house and come out carrying a basket and a sword. She handed the sword to me,
”Ikki, please bring this sword for protection”
”Um, alright. Can we go now?”
I already take my backpack from my room, after tying the sword in my belt, we're ready to go to the herb valley again.
”I'm ready Ikki, let's go”
We leave the village and heading to the herb valley by walking in the forest. After leaving the village, along the way Silvie always holding my hands, makes our trip like some dating trip. With her holding my hand, the long journey to the herb village feels no longer like a far distance, without we realize we already arrive in the herb valley entrance after walking couple hours.
”Ikki, we already arrived in herb valley, what ingredient you need to make that oil?”
”It's a plant called camellia in my world. The leaves can be used to make tea, and the seed can be used to make oil. It has red, purple or white flowers and the fruit will have red, purple color when ripe. We will get the seeds from its fruit”
”Um, I'll keep my eyes on that tree. Let's search Ikki”
We enter the valley and start searching the camellia tree that I ever see grows in this valley before. During the searching, I take any spices that come across my sight and put it in Silvie's basket, that spices including tamarind, cinnamons, nutmegs, and many others spices.
”Ikki, is that what are you looking for?”
Silvie is pointing at some shrubs in a far. I examine the shrubs that Silvie shows to me, it's around 3 meters in height with some red flowers and many fruits on its branches.
”That's it. That what I'm looking for! Let's get it, Silvie”
We go to that camellia trees and start collecting the ripe fruits on its tree. There are some camellia trees that grow there and we manage to take all the ripe fruits that in our reach within half an hour.
”Ikki, is this enough to make that oil or not?”
Silvie is pointing at the ripe camellia's fruit that we have collected. Frankly, I don't know how much oil I can get from those fruits.
”I don't know how much oil we can get from those fruits Silvie, but if we can get more that will be better, we can plant some seeds in the backyard and get the fruit later when the seed already growing into a tree”
”Um, but all fruit that within our reach already taken. The only left is fruits in higher branches. The tree is too small to climb too”
Ah, that's right. Camellia trees actually shrub not like a real tree with big trunk and hardwood. I doubt it can hold our weight if we climb it. After thinking for a moment, I have a good idea to pick the leftover fruits
”Silvie, you sit on my shoulder and I lift you up. With this, you can pick the fruits in higher branches”
”Um, but am I not too heavy for Ikki to lift?”
”What are you talking about? Didn't I already carry you this morning to the pond?”
Silvie nodded bashfully when I remind her about carrying her in the pond. Since she not questioning it again, I'm squatting to make Silvie can sit on my shoulder. After Silvie sits on my shoulder, I slowly rise up from my squatting position and lift Silvie in my shoulder to the branches that still have ripe fruits. I can feel the warmth from her bare crotch in my neck, which makes me enjoy lift her in this position. Silvie didn't realize what I'm feeling and keep collecting the fruit.
”Is this enough Ikki? All ripe fruit that left only in the high branches, I can't get it even I sit on your shoulder”
Although the fruit we collected already had some additional fruits after that, I still feel that is not enough.
”I don't know Silvie. If we are going to the beach again I want to take some oil there, so our skin will not burn under sunlight”
”What should we do Ikki? You're not planning to cut the tree just to take the fruit, right?”
”Of course not. Ah right, I have an idea. You only sit on my shoulder before, now try to stand on my shoulder, you'll get the fruit in the higher branches if you stand in my shoulder”
”Am I will not fall if I stand on your shoulder Ikki?”
”Your hand will hold the tree while the other hand picks the fruit. I will hold your leg to make it stable. How about that?”