Chapter 210 Daniel is Discharged
"Hey, did you get your tire fixed?" Noah asked.
"Yeah, all patched up," the delivery driver grinned. "Man, you really saved my butt. Dinner's on me. How about some barbecue?"
"Sure." Noah didn't hesitate. He hadn't eaten yet, and it would have been rude to refuse.
"Great! Order whatever you like," the driver said generously.
Noah ordered two dozen oysters, a potato salad, beef brisket, pork ribs, and a beer.
After placing the order, the driver paid. "Enjoy, sir. I gotta get back on the road, so I'll leave you to it," the driver said, heading back to his car.
"Drive safe," Noah nodded.
Soon, Grace brought the barbecue to Noah's table. "Mr. Anderson, try this, I made it myself."
Noah took a bite of the brisket. It was tender and flavorful, with a perfect smoky char.
"Not bad," Noah complimented, taking a sip of his beer.
"My dad used to own a barbecue place. I helped out when I was a kid, so I picked up a few tricks," Grace said with a smile.
Noah nodded. After finishing his meal, he continued to help out around the restaurant.
By ten o'clock, Noah realized it was getting late. He said goodbye to Grace and drove home.
The night was clear and pleasant, a bright moon hanging in the sky and a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. Crickets chirped in the yard of the villa.
As Noah pulled up, he noticed a figure reclining in a chair in the yard.
"Back so soon?" a gruff voice called out.
Noah recognized Daniel, bundled up in a thick down jacket despite the mild weather. His face was pale, his breathing shallow, and he looked considerably older than before.
"Yeah. What are you doing here?" Noah asked calmly, entering the yard and glancing at Daniel. "Out of the hospital already?"
"Disappointed I survived?" Daniel chuckled weakly. "Doctor says I'll be back to normal in a month, good for another few decades. And don't worry, I'm not moving back in. I've taken a suite at Summit Retreat Oasis."
"That's… inconvenient," Noah said flatly.
"You!" Daniel's face darkened, anger flashing in his eyes. "Noah, what's that supposed to mean? Are you wishing I were dead?"
"Yes." Noah clasped his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged.
"You…!" Daniel sputtered, pointing a trembling finger at Noah, his hair practically standing on end. "You ungrateful wretch! You didn't even call an ambulance, and now you're happy I almost died!"
"That's your own fault. Don't try to blame me," Noah rolled his eyes.
"You..." Daniel started to retort, but a sharp pain stabbed at his chest. He broke out in a cold sweat.
Clutching his chest, he doubled over in a fit of coughing, his face turning crimson.
Daniel had just undergone heart surgery and was still fragile. Any emotional upheaval could trigger a relapse.
"Careful now, wouldn't want you kicking the bucket right after getting discharged," Noah said with a smirk.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Lisa rushed out of the house, her face etched with worry.
"I'm fine," Daniel gasped, waving her off.
Lisa saw Noah and immediately guessed they had been arguing, which had likely triggered her father's coughing fit.
"Honey," Lisa bit her lip, hesitating before speaking. "My dad just got out of the hospital. Please, don't argue with him. I don't want anything to happen to him."
"Okay," Noah nodded, a smile softening his features. "Anything for you, babe. I won't upset him anymore."
"Thank you, honey!" Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. Both men were important to her. She hated seeing them clash.
"By the way, honey, Evelyn texted me saying you were delivering food. Is that true?" Lisa asked suddenly.
"Sort of," Noah replied. He had helped the driver complete a delivery, so technically, it wasn't a lie.
"Delivering food?" Daniel's eyes flicked towards the white car parked outside.
"Really?" Daniel licked his lips, looking at Noah with a newfound curiosity. "Noah, I didn't think you had the initiative to find a job! Even if delivering food is hard work, and even if some people might look down on manual labor, it's honest work. I'm… impressed."
Noah rolled his eyes, not dignifying the comment with a response.
Daniel continued, "Delivery jobs pay decent wages, don't they? I saw online that top earners can make over ten grand a month! But Noah, you're still young, and let's be honest, not the sharpest tool in the shed. I can't believe you bought a small truck for deliveries." He gestured towards Noah's car.
"That truck must have cost you fifty grand! Is that really necessary for deliveries?" Daniel frowned. "Most delivery drivers use bikes or scooters. You're driving a truck? The gas alone will eat into your earnings. What are you thinking?"
"Don't worry, even if I'm losing money, it's my money, not yours. It has nothing to do with you," Noah said calmly.
Daniel was taken aback. He hadn't expected that response. Driving a truck for deliveries was a surefire way to lose money.
Then, a thought struck him. The truck must be diesel!
"Wait a minute… you're not as dumb as you look, Noah," Daniel said, surprised. "If it's a diesel truck, it probably only costs about twenty cents a mile. That could actually save you a lot of money on deliveries."
Noah remained silent, watching Daniel’s mental gymnastics with amusement.
He wanted to see how far down this rabbit hole Daniel would go.
Daniel continued, "Even if you only make ten bucks a delivery and spend three on diesel, that's still seven dollars profit. A hundred deliveries a day would be seven hundred dollars. That's over twenty thousand a month!"
Daniel was genuinely impressed. If that was the case, Noah could actually make a decent living if he worked hard!
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
