Chapter 79: Another Visit (2)

A few minutes later, Jason returned with a stoic expression, subtly shooting glares at his son.

"Come here, Ethan. Let’s prepare something for everyone to eat."

Before Ethan could reply, his mother did.

"No, James. Evelyn and I will handle it. You two handled it the last time. Now, it’s our turn. Right, Evelyn?"

The young, white-haired lady smiled and stood up. "Yes, Mother."

Jason shrugged and sat opposite his son.

"You..."

He paused, glancing at Nora. The girl was seated next to Ethan, her gaze fixed on him. His lips twitched, and he decided to ignore the matter on his mind for now.

"When is Nora resuming school? I hope you’ve prepared everything ahead of that."

Ethan nodded, his expression serious. "Hm, yeah. I’m preparing to enroll her into the new government school in our city."

"Government school?" Jason’s brows furrowed. "What government school is that?"

Ethan replied, "It’s a new one in Arcane City. Very lovely... I think."

Jason froze, then asked. "Arcane City? Since when did you move to Arcane City?"

"Ah, right..." Ethan smiled apologetically. "I should have told you guys earlier, but maybe because I wanted it to be a surprise. Anyway, we already moved to Arcane City, and that’s where our house is right now."

Flabbergasted, Jason’s mouth opened and closed more than once. Finally, he managed to say something.

"So you finally built a house? Wow. Congratulations, son. I didn’t know you already started doing this well."

Ethan shook his head. "I didn’t build it. I bought an apartment. Three, actually, and I was wondering if you’d be interested in living in one of the lower floors with Mom."

Just as Ethan had predicted, Jason shook his head. "No fucking way, son. This is the house I built, and I’m gonna die there. You can’t expect me to freeload off my own son."

Ethan’s lips twitched. "Dad... language."

Deciding to play along with her father, Nora blinked innocently. "I know fuck is a slang but is fucking also the same thing or different? Or it’s just a present continuous tense."

Jason stiffened. He looked at his granddaughter and tried to explain. "Well, it’s a kind of exclamation word. It’s mostly used when adults are trying to emphasize something. But you shouldn’t say it, okay? It’s a bad word."

"A bad word?" She blinked. "Why is fucking a bad word? Isn’t it just an exclamation word?"

Ethan held back a laugh and tapped her shoulder. "That’s enough, Nora. Just listen to grandpa, alright?"

The little girl pouted, then stood up. "I’ll go join Mommy in the kitchen!"

Ethan laughed and watched her go, then turned to his father. Jason’s gaze made him flinch.

"What... what did I do?"

"What did you do?" The man growled. "Who taught her that fuck is a slang term? Huh?"

Ethan blinked, then said, "Ah, right. About her school, it’s run by the government, and they’re trying to make it a better place for all the kids enrolling. Which is why I’ve decided to let Nora enroll there and not learn bad words that are passed down to her parents from their own parents..."

As he continued speaking, Jason’s scowl transformed into a speechless frown.

"Are you saying I taught you that?" He suddenly interrupted Ethan, his expression dead serious.

Ethan nodded stiffly, then changed the topic again. "Right, Dad. I heard two Asian countries started war again. Although it’s nothing serious, they’ve been killing each other lately."

Jason nodded. "I heard about it too. The Japanese and Chinese have had a blood feud for many years. It’s expected that conflicts occur once in a while."

"Sigh." Ethan shook his head. "I still see no reason why these people should still be fighting over things their ancestors have already forgotten about."

"Well, it’s their business and not yours." Jason cut in. "Now that Nora is out of here, let’s get back to topic."

Ethan stood up. "Mom? Oh, looks like Mom needs my help in the kitchen."

Jason immediately glared at him. "Your mother isn’t calling you. Sit."

Ethan made a face, then sat down reluctantly.

"Have you gotten a new job?" Jason asked, his voice strangely concerned.

Ethan’s brows furrowed, and he answered truthfully.

"I have. I work as a consultant for businessmen. It’s not an everyday job, but it pays well."

Jason’s eyes narrowed. "Hm? Is that true? Or just a lie you cooked up?"

"No, I’m serious." Ethan shrugged. "I could contact Evelyn’s brother and have you confirm it."

Jason raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Is that so...? Speaking of Evelyn’s family, how is your relationship with them?"

Ethan frowned slightly. "Not bad, but definitely not good. Cole and I are cool with each other, and Sophie is quite nice too. However, her parents are..."

He paused, glancing around and lowering his voice.

"... delusional."

Jason nodded. "I agree with you on that. They’re pretty unreasonable. A few days ago, James called me and demanded that I tell you to get him a car."

"What?" Ethan blinked, surprised. "What’s wrong with that man? Even his wife isn’t that bad."

Jason shrugged. "I don’t know. He said he wanted to add it to the bride price. Something you already paid how many years ago."

Ethan facepalmed, embarrassed and disappointed. "Looks like the man and his wife need some lessons. They’re being too unreasonable lately."

"It’s your shit so handle it," Jason said casually. "I even forgot to tell you over the phone until today. Haha."

"Wait." Ethan paused. "Shouldn’t that be your shit? I mean, you’re my dad. You’re supposed to talk to her dad and make him understand some things."

Jason immediately stood up. "Yes, dear? I’m coming."

Without giving Ethan a chance to stop him, he escaped from the living room.

Ethan watched him go, speechless. Then, he shook his head and laughed. "Really... this old man is a cunning one."

A while later, Evelyn and Maria finally finished preparing a meal, and they served it at the dining table.

Everyone sat together and began eating after a short prayer. Jason took the first bite, and he blinked in surprise.

"Mn! Who made this?"

Evelyn shyly lowered her head while Maria answered for her. "Your daughter-in-law did. Isn’t she amazing?"

Evelyn smiled. "Well, Ethan did teach me well."