44. Gratitude and Promise

Ashley shook her head, maintaining her own opinion. “Wanna bet? I'll treat you twice if I guess right.”

Jason laughed, “Shouldn't I be the one to treat you if you win?”

“Don't. Then I won't have a chance to return the favor.”

Jason let out a long sigh. He wondered why Ashley was risking something that she would obviously lose badly. “Are you sure? You won't regret taking twice the time to buy me a meal? Or are you betting like that because you know your chances of winning are almost zero?”

“Of course not,” Ashley smiled widely. “Do you think I'm playing a trick on you? I just feel confident that she won't take it for granted.”

Jason felt even more skeptical about the girl's confident statement. In his opinion, it was very unreasonable. What normal human being would knowingly pass up an opportunity to get money for free.

If he gave an amount that was very unlikely to be rejected by anyone, maybe that old woman would melt and accept it shamelessly.

“Alright. Then I'll give her an amount of money that she won't be able to refuse,” Jason took out his phone to send a message to his assistant to send a large sum of money to Mr. Kwak—though to him it was only a reasonable amount—so that the man could collect it on his way back to that house.

Ashley rounded her eyes as she accidentally read the message sent by Jason from the tail of her eye. “You don't need to push yourself like that. I think she wouldn't accept it easily, even if you give her a little.”

Jason pretended to sneer, “We'll see about that,” Jason's head then lifted in a boastful manner. This time his confidence had increased dramatically.

Meanwhile, Ashley laughed as she was slightly amused by the man's attitude.

After Mr. Kwak returned with two large plastics containing the various cooking ingredients and ready-to-eat meals he ordered, the three of them entered the house. Mr. Kwak put away and organized the ingredients that the old woman and her grandson could use for cooking the next day, while Ashley and Jason prepared the food on the folding dining table.

“Oh my... there's so much... I'm really troubling you guys. How should I repay you? I don't have anything to pay for it. This is—” The old woman, who had been helped by Jason to sit down, pointed at all the foods that filled the entire small table with a very worried face and then burst into tears.

The little boy, who saw his grandmother suddenly act like that, followed to cry loudly as he kept muttering, “Grandma don't cry, Grandma don't cry.”

Ashley quickly went over and hugged the old woman. Intending to calm her down.

“Grandma, you really don't need to think about it. These are all birthday presents for your grandson. So please don't feel like you have to reciprocate. Now, let's eat first. You must be feeling weak from being in the hospital all day.”

But the old woman still continued to shake her head with a furrowed forehead. “I'm really confused. I still feel bad for you. I feel so guilty for being so troublesome.”

“Grandma, as she said, it's a present. Your grandson's birthday present. So please accept it, so that we can feel happy too. Please?” Jason tried to convince the old woman. Then turning to the little boy with a gentle smile, “Eat it. You should eat this soup right away while it's still warm. Come on.”

Jason nodded in reassurance when the boy started to move but was still hesitant and glanced at him repeatedly. “Come on. The food will be happy if you finish it quickly. After finishing your meal, you can blow out your birthday cake and enjoy it,” Jason held up a sealed box with a birthday cake inside, ”Later, you can light the candles yourself, right?”

The boy nodded. He had already picked up the spoon and shifted the bowl filled with seaweed soup closer to him.

“Good boy. I'm sorry I can't help you light the candle. We have to go home soon.”

The woman looked at her grandson with mixed feelings. Then when she heard Jason say they had to go home, her eyes rounded, “Are you leaving? Please stay longer to eat with us.”

Jason replied, “I don't think so. It's already late,” Jason raised his hand circled by his watch, reflexively gesturing and double-checking that it really was late. “We have to go home.”

“Can't wait a little longer?” Ashley asked hesitantly. She didn't understand why Jason suddenly wanted to go home, but also felt awkward if she had to blatantly discourage him since she had to ride in his vehicle to get home.

Jason sighed as he smiled at Ashley. “Josh must be worried because you're not home yet. If I tell him now, it won't make any difference. Or do you want to try calling him first?”

“No,” Ashley quickly refused, ”No need. We'd better go home,” she then looked at the old woman to say goodbye, ”I'll take my leave, Grandma. Please enjoy the food well.”

The woman held Ashley's hand to prevent her from leaving, “Please, eat with us for a while. I can't give you anything. It is you who have given me so much.”

“I'll eat at home,” without Ashley realizing it, she glanced at Jason with some annoyance for making Josh an excuse for them to go home immediately, ”My husband is waiting for me at home.”

The woman's expression suddenly changed. There was a sense of surprise that she couldn't cover up. “Your husband is at home? I thought you two were a married couple,” the woman felt sorry for having misunderstood, ”Sorry, sorry. Alright, then. You can go home. Your husband must be very worried about you right now.”

“Grandmother, here,” Jason was seen handing over a thick brown envelope that Mr. Kwak had secretly given to him earlier, ”is a gift from me to you and your grandson. I hope you'll accept it.” He placed it rather forcefully into the old woman’s hand.

“What is this?” She looked surprised. Then when she opened it and saw a pile of money inside, she was even more surprised and handed it back to Jason, “why are you giving me that much money?! No, no! No!” She kept shaking her head and refusing.