Chapter 298 Not Worthy of My Sister
Jacob's eyes lit up when he heard the news.
"Uncle, did you really buy it? Let me see your order," Jacob asked eagerly.
Joe chuckled. "I didn't lie to you. I got everything you mentioned last time."
Jacob was thrilled. He had picked out some parts for building robots online, but when he showed them to Aurelia, she said he had gone over his allowance and needed to save up to buy them himself.
Buying all those parts would cost a lot, and he didn't have that kind of money. If he relied solely on his savings, he could only hope for the money he got from relatives during the holidays. Now, Joe had made his wish come true, making him seem like a magical uncle.
Jacob quickly forgot about his uncle taking his computer, his mind now filled with thoughts of how awesome Joe was.
Before long, the car stopped outside Aurelia's house. Jacob looked out the window. "Uncle, is this Grandma's house in Imperick?"
"Yep, this is where your mom grew up. Go on in and check it out."
"That's awesome!"
Aurelia heard the car and came downstairs. Sure enough, they were back.
Jacob stood at the door with his little backpack and shouted, "Mom, we're home!"
Aurelia wondered if it was her imagination, but it seemed like Jacob had gained some weight in just a few days. His little face looked rounder.
Aurelia opened the door and hugged Jacob. She wanted to carry him inside, but Jacob squirmed a bit. "Mom, I'm not a baby anymore. You can only hug me for a bit. I'm a man now. If you carry me inside, people will laugh at me."
Aurelia was once again surprised by Jacob's thoughtful words. She forgot that although her two kids were not yet five, their intelligence and emotional quotient were higher than other kids their age.
"Alright, you can walk by yourself." Aurelia put him down and pinched his chubby little cheek.
Inside, Aurelia had bought a lot of groceries online, including fresh fruits, milk, and meat. She could manage on her own, but with the kids here, she had to prepare balanced meals.
Patrick walked over to the coffee table, picked up a grape, and popped it into his mouth. Though it was only his second visit, his naturally sociable personality made him feel right at home.
Joe put down the suitcase and asked, "How's everything going? Any problems?"
Patrick smirked, "When I step in, nothing is too difficult. You should ask if we want to show any mercy to the opponent."
Joe snorted, "Are you someone who shows mercy to others?"
Joe thought to himself, 'If you were someone who went easy on others, I wouldn't have asked you to handle this. But seeing your confident demeanor, I feel reassured.'
Aurelia brought some tea to the table and asked, "Joe, why did you come so suddenly this time?"
"A project was forced to stop. One of the permits for the construction site was being held up by the authorities, so I came to handle it." Joe's face darkened. His project in Imperick had run into significant trouble because of Nathaniel!
Of course, he didn't want to mention this person in front of Aurelia. It was just business. He had his ways of dealing with it, but his impression of Nathaniel had worsened.
However, Patrick was intrigued. "Which project of ours is being held up? Who dares to interfere with your project in Imperick, Joe?"
Joe didn't answer, his face growing darker. Old grudges and new grievances piled up, and he hated Nathaniel even more.
Patrick and Joe had been friends for many years, and their mutual understanding was so deep that a single glance could reveal what the other was thinking. Joe didn't want to talk about it, so Patrick let it go.
Aurelia chatted with them for a bit before heading to the kitchen to whip up dinner. She had promised to treat Patrick to a meal, and since Joe was there too, he could join in.
As soon as she left, Patrick rolled up his sleeves and followed her. "Aurelia, what are you cooking? Let me help you," Patrick offered.
Joe watched Patrick's eager behavior and felt something was off. This guy usually hated going into the kitchen.
Back in their school days, when they shared an apartment, asking him to wash some fruit was a big deal. Now he was actually volunteering to help with the cooking. Something was definitely up!
Joe loosened his tie and followed. He saw Patrick wearing a pink Hello Kitty apron and prepping vegetables, looking quite serious. His sister was cutting meat, and the kitchen atmosphere was harmonious.
Joe squinted, as if he had figured everything out. He wanted to kick Patrick in the butt. After hesitating for a few seconds, he nudged Patrick with his elbow. "Come out, I have something to ask you," Joe said coldly.
Patrick was startled by his sudden voice. "Is there something you can't say here? Can't you see we're busy? If you keep this up, you won't get to eat when it's done," he said.
Joe's patience was running thin. "Cut the crap, come out now."
Patrick put down the vegetables, washed his hands quickly at the sink, and followed him out.
Joe looked around. Jacob wasn't downstairs, so he lowered his voice and interrogated him. "What kind of look did you just give my sister? Keep your eyes to yourself."
Patrick wondered what was so urgent that it had to be said while he was cooking. "Joe, Aurelia is beautiful. What's wrong with me looking at her? I was looking at her politely. Why does it sound so sleazy coming from you?" Patrick said.
Joe wanted to punch him. "Are you saying you don't have any thoughts about her?"
Patrick suddenly laughed shamelessly. "Joe, listen to me. Don't get mad. We're both single, and you know me well. You won't find a more suitable brother-in-law in the whole world."
Joe glanced at the kitchen and gritted his teeth. "Get lost! Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself. You're not good enough for Aurelia."
Patrick laughed in exasperation. "Joe, how am I not good enough?"
Joe replied irritably, "You're ugly and will lower the Semona Family's attractiveness. Besides, you get up at night too often, which means your kidneys are weak. And also, your feet stink!"
Patrick listened to this long list and felt speechless. "Joe, I may not be exceptionally good-looking, but I'm definitely not ugly, am I? And when did I ever frequently get up at night?"
This was about male dignity, and Patrick had to defend himself. Weak kidneys? He was perfectly fine!
He recalled a time after college graduation when they had a gathering, and he drank a lot, getting up frequently to use the bathroom in the first half of the night. That must have made Joe think he had weak kidneys.
Patrick straightened up and said, "Joe, why don't we see who really has weak kidneys?"
Patrick thought Joe got married early, and his kids could already run. He always rushed home by eight every night, no matter how important the social event was. After all these years, his body might have been worn out by his wife, and now he was questioning someone else's kidneys.
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