Chapter 5 Funny Jokes

After leaving the Imperial Residential Quarter, they had driven all the way to the mountain that was situated on the west of Ye City.

Aside from their servants, Malcolm's grandmother lived alone in the huge estate on the mountain. She liked the peace and quiet in here. So every once in a while, he had to visit her and keep her company. She was the only family Malcolm had. Naturally, he treated her very well. He provided her each and every need. Moreover, even Poppi immensely spoiled her.

They traveled for an hour along the winding mountain road. It was already late August. This meant that the air was becoming a lot cooler and the leaves were starting to change color.

As they waited in front of the villa, the bodyguards slowly opened the large iron gate. Sean drove past the garden and stopped beside the splendid-looking fountain in front of the magnificent mansion. Then, Poppi and Malcolm got off the car.

"Grandma, we are here! Where are you?" Poppi called out pleasantly as soon as they stepped into the living room. However, there was no immediate response.

A short while after, the door of the living room opened and a capable and experienced-looking young woman came into view. She looked at Malcolm and Poppi then bowed. "Young masters," she greeted respectfully.

"Yes." Poppi and Malcolm looked at her simultaneously. Malcolm answered in a slight whisper.

"Cora, where's Grandma? She knows we were coming, right?" Poppi asked the maid.

Cora merely glanced at the sofa. What she was implying was fairly obvious. Hearing that, the old lady stood up from the sofa. Her face had a trace of annoyance. Then, she spoke in a shrill and spoiled tone. "Little turtle, I'm sitting right here. Don't you see me? Alas! You are such a tease! You're the only one who can bully me."

It was quite evident that she was in a good mood. Malcolm's grandma sported a silver hair and an elegant vibe. Her eyes were shimmering even in her old age. She must be a beauty when she was still young.

"Oh, Grandma! I am not a little turtle," Poppi responded playfully. She immediately let go of Malcolm's arm and walked towards the sofa with the preservation box she brought. "See, every time you call me turtle, it is actually you who bully me."

Poppi was already used to the way she had to talk towards Malcolm's grandma. Because of her old age, her temperament became more and more like a child's. Every time she visited, she always had to sweet-talk her. She also soothed her as though she was merely a child.

Glancing at his empty arm, Malcolm just rubbed his nose with his other hand and walked towards the sofa. "Ah, come on now. Don't get angry with her, Grandma. What would you like to eat tonight?"

"My grandson is really the best! Hmm, what do I want?" With a happy face, the old lady walked over to Malcolm. She held her grandson's arm and pelted him with a lot of questions. Finally, she asked, "Do you have anything you want to eat, Malcolm?"

Malcolm smiled at her gently. "Whatever Grandma wants to eat, I'm sure I'll like it too!"

Poppi turned to look at him and smiled as well. Even though he was just smirking lightly, his eyes said it all. They were brightly shining as he looked at his grandmother. Moreover, he had a very soft and gentle look on his face. This was the truest smile Malcolm ever wore.

"I have already thought about all the food I want to eat. I have already prepared a list!" The old lady seemed pleased with herself. Then, she turned to the maid. "Cora, give the list to the little turtle and ask her to cook quickly. I'm starving!"

"Yes, madam. Right away." Cora nodded and handed over the piece of paper to Poppi. It was about ten centimeters long.

Poppi's eyes widened in surprise. Her mouth fell wide open. "Grandma, the serving of this meal is twice bigger than usual! This one is quite odd too. Stewed pig feet in brown sauce? Are you sure you want that? Grandma, it's too greasy to eat this kind of food at night!"

The old lady pouted and said, "Well, you should always respect the elderly! Understand? This is what I want to eat so you must cook it for me. Okay?" With that, the old lady stared at Poppi. "Why didn't you come to see me for such a long time? Malcolm has gone abroad so he has an alibi. On the other hand, you didn't. Can't you come here by yourself? You have a lot to make up for tonight!"

"Haha! I'm sorry, Grandma!" Poppi gave her a charming smile and said, "Grandma, my car broke down. If it didn't, I would have visited you here much sooner!"

"Humph! So that's your excuse!" The old lady replied grumpily. She let go of Malcolm's hand and walked towards Poppi. She stood beside her and crossed her arms. "I'm mad at you. Tell me a joke. Tell me about the little turtle again."

Poppi pursed her lips and held her chin up high. Then, she replied in a spoiled manner, "I don't want to. Ever since the first time I told you that joke about a little turtle, you have been calling me little turtle. So, I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Humph! You really are teasing me," Grandma retorted. It was apparent that the old lady had no intention of giving this up. "Come here, Malcolm."

Meanwhile, Malcolm was absentmindedly standing in the middle of the living room. He was just watching the two women chat. He didn't realize that he was smiling the whole time. When he heard his grandma calling him, he came to his senses and his dreamy expression disappeared. "Yes, Grandma?"

"Oh, Grandma! That's not fair! Of course, your grandson will take your side," whined Poppi. After thinking for a while, Poppi suddenly said, "Fine! But just two, okay?"

"Oh, good! Come on. Tell me, little turtle!" Grandma coaxed excitedly.

While the two women were busy talking, Malcolm quickly moved to put their things away. Malcolm closed his eyes as he relished this cute interaction between his grandmother and Poppi. Then, he proceeded to take off his suit jacket.

"Young master, you can just hand it over to me. I'll put it away," Cora said respectfully as she walked over to him.

Malcolm paused for a second and nodded, "Okay. Thanks!" He immediately handed his suit jacket to her.

Cora promptly took it and went to the corner of the living room. She hanged it up on the clothes rack. Feeling the warmth Malcolm left on his suit jacket, Cora blushed slightly.

"Let's see. Grandma, do you know who will win when a rabbit goes on a race against a turtle wearing sunglasses?" Poppi raised her eyebrows and spoke in a lively and entertaining way. Even though she only uttered a few words, it already seemed as though she was telling a beautiful story.

"The little turtle!" The old lady answered quickly without as much as a second thought.

"Oh! That's wrong, Grandma! Haha! You have to think about it first, okay?" Poppi clapped her hands gleefully and laughed. "Grandma, I told you. It's a turtle wearing sunglasses. Therefore, it cannot run fast because it can't see the road well. Hahaha!"

The living room was filled with her own laughter. Meanwhile, the old lady sulked when she guessed wrong. At that moment, Malcolm walked over to them and sat on the sofa. "Poppi, can we have a simpler story next?" he asked impassively.

"Okay, I have just one more story. So please, Grandma. Think twice before you make a decision," she said in a playful way.

The old lady really looked forward to it. However, she pretended like she didn't care. "Go ahead," she replied coolly.

Once again, she focused on Poppi's story. "Ahem!" Poppi cleared her throat and said, "Let me put it this way. This time, a little rabbit is racing against a turtle that runs very fast. Who will win?"

The old lady was so excited that she almost blurted out her answer again without any hesitation. But then, she looked at Malcolm and asked, "Malcolm, who do you think the winner is?"

Malcolm raised his eyebrows. He saw that Poppi was looking at him expectantly. He thought for a while and said, "Grandma, are you sure you want me to tell you?"

The old lady hesitated for a moment. "Well, I'll tell you myself. Of course, it has to be the little rabbit... The little rabbit wins!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Grandma. You made a mistake again." "Remember, I told you. It's a turtle that runs very fast! It runs really fast. Therefore, it can win against a little rabbit. Hahaha!"

Grandma stared in dismay at Poppi. She was laughing so hard that she could barely sit up straight. Meanwhile, Malcolm didn't realize he was wearing an inscrutable expression on his face. "Poppi, just go to the kitchen and cook now. That's not funny at all!" The old lady began to sulk even more.

"Oh, uh..." Poppi abruptly stopped laughing. Seeing the looks on Malcolm's and his grandmother's faces, she smiled awkwardly. "Okay, okay. I'll go and cook." Then she tapped her legs lightly and stood up. While walking towards the kitchen, she whispered to the maid, "Cora, don't you think the jokes I just said were funny?"

Her face was quite expressionless. "Yes, ma'am. They are funny."

As Poppi studied Cora's expression, she frowned. The corner of Poppi's mouth twitched slightly. She muttered, "Humph! You're lying." After that, she went straight to the kitchen and began preparing.