I Returned to the Day He Brought His First Love Home-Chapter 125: What Are You?

"Um, Chief Grant, I think there might be a misunderstanding. I’m not really..." Grace Winslow hesitated for a long moment before carefully trying to turn down Ethan Grant’s advances.

Ethan Grant cut her off. "It’s alright. You don’t have to give me an answer right away. There’s plenty of time. I just had to say it, or I was afraid I’d regret it."

"Comrade Grace Winslow, you’re an exceptional woman, and you deserve the best. So please don’t use your divorce as an excuse. I’m not giving up."

Grace Winslow could only manage a helpless, wry smile.

"I’ll see you in Coronet."

Ethan Grant instinctively reached out to hug her, but he stopped himself, realizing it could damage her reputation if someone saw them.

He gave Grace Winslow a wave before getting into the car waiting for him at the curb.

Grace Winslow watched the car drive away and sighed in resignation.

’I really don’t know what he sees in me.’

’We’ve barely spent any time together—we’ve only met a handful of times.’

’Hopefully, with time, he’ll slowly get over it.’

Ethan Grant was clearly from Coronet, sent out to the provinces to gain experience. His family connections were probably incredibly complicated.

’Dealing with Caleb Forrest was enough to make me afraid. I don’t want to get dragged into that kind of drama ever again.’

Grace Winslow stood downstairs for a little while longer before turning to head up.

The Winslow family had certainly caused quite a stir today.

The very next day, a matchmaker showed up at their door, wanting to find a match for Grace Winslow.

Irene Lynch rejected them all outright.

"What kind of nerve do these people have? And what sort of rejects are they suggesting? Do they think our Grace is lacking something?"

Irene Lynch was absolutely livid. Even after shutting the door, she continued muttering and cursing.

Gregory Winslow, smoking his cigarette, snorted coldly. "They see that Grace is divorced, so they think she’s second-class. That’s why they’re only suggesting old men or other divorcees with children."

"Is the packing almost done? The train is early tomorrow morning. We can’t afford to be late."

Irene Lynch nodded. "Everything that needs packing is packed. Tomorrow, Nolan and Brandon will help take our things to the station."

"Sigh... We’ve lived here for so many years. To suddenly leave... it feels strange. Old man, do you think we’ll ever come back?"

Gregory Winslow just shook his head, saying nothing.

Grace Winslow was busy with errands for the next two days and was barely home.

She still had a lot of work to hand off at the factory.

Plus, she needed to buy a few things for the move to Coronet.

On the morning of the twelfth, Nolan and Brandon Winslow came over to help before five.

They loaded the big and small bags onto two bicycles and headed for the station together.

At this hour, the roads were nearly empty and very quiet.

By the time they reached the station, it was already past six o’clock.

The station wasn’t empty at this hour.

Grace Winslow, Gregory Winslow, and Irene Lynch all had tickets for the sleeper car—tickets Gregory had only managed to buy by pulling some strings.

The compartment had four bunks. They took three, leaving one empty.

Grace Winslow took a top bunk. Gregory Winslow and Irene Lynch were getting on in years, and climbing would be difficult, so they both chose lower bunks.

Once their things were stowed away, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is a twenty-some-hour train ride. The sleeper tickets were three times as expensive as the regular ones. If I’d known, your dad and I would have taken the hard seats and let you have the sleeper to yourself." Irene Lynch stretched and rubbed her aching lower back. The thought of how much the tickets cost still pained her.

Grace Winslow smiled. "Mom, Dad’s back could never handle a hard seat for over twenty hours. We don’t want him to get to Coronet and not even be able to walk."

Irene Lynch laughed at that and glanced over at Gregory Winslow.

Gregory Winslow kept a stern face and said nothing.

Because of the early departure, Irene Lynch had been unusually anxious and hadn’t slept well the night before.

As the train began to move, she lay down, planning to catch up on some sleep.

With no strangers in the compartment, the family could relax.

At the next stop, someone else boarded and entered their compartment.

The person who entered their compartment was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties. She wore a green military uniform and carried a satchel, looking quite stylish and pretty.

She entered the compartment, frowned at Gregory Winslow and Irene Lynch, and then glanced at the remaining empty bunk. Pinching her nose, she kicked the duffel bag Irene Lynch had placed on the floor. "You. Switch with me. I don’t want the top bunk. You can sleep up there."

"Honestly, what is wrong with some people? What are farmers doing in a sleeper car? It stinks to high heaven."

Irene Lynch was woken by the commotion, her eyes still hazy with sleep.

When she heard what the woman said, she frowned.

But, thinking it was better to avoid trouble, she didn’t say anything and started to get up, intending to switch with the woman.

Grace Winslow leaned down from the top bunk and said coldly, "Mom, don’t switch."

"We paid for these tickets. Why on earth should we switch with you?"

"My mother’s ticket is for a lower bunk. If you’re so capable, go find a lower bunk in another car to buy. Why should she give her spot to you?"

"And another thing, what did you mean by that remark just now? Why exactly are farmers not good enough for a sleeper car?"

"An attitude like that... you look down on farmers?"

"You eat the grain that farmers grow and wear clothes made from the cotton they pick, yet you dare to insult them? If you’re so high and mighty, then stop eating and stop wearing clothes. If you can’t do that, then shut your mouth."

"You... you..." The woman never expected Grace Winslow to be so sharp-tongued. The tirade made her face flush red. She pointed a finger at Grace, speechless for a long moment.

She turned and stormed out in a huff, but came back a moment later, her face dark.

There were only a few trains to Coronet each day, and you needed connections to get sleeper tickets. Ordinary people couldn’t buy them at all.

She had tried to trade for a lower bunk, but of course, no one paid her any attention.

In the end, she had no choice but to return, fuming.

Still fuming, as she climbed up to her bunk, she deliberately stepped on Irene Lynch’s bedding with her dirty shoes, leaving a footprint.

Grace Winslow watched her childish display with cold eyes.

Irene Lynch didn’t say a word. She just dusted off the dirt from her sheet and quilt, then shook her head at Grace, signaling her to let it go.

Away from home, she didn’t want to stir up trouble.

After all, they still had a full day and night left on the train.

Grace Winslow took a deep breath and held her tongue for now.

When lunchtime arrived, she climbed down from her bunk, glanced at the woman’s shoes on the floor, and kicked them right out of the compartment.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she sat down and took out their prepared lunch.

The fragrant aroma of the food immediately filled the compartment.

Yvonne Hale, who had been dozing on the top bunk, swallowed hard and peeked down below.

There were stewed pork ribs, red-braised pork, big meat-filled buns, and even several large, braised chicken drumsticks.

A spread like that... even with her family’s good standing, was something they only got to eat on major holidays.

"Mom, Dad, let’s eat before it gets cold," Grace said, ushering Gregory and Irene over.

Yvonne Hale’s mouth was watering uncontrollably. She couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, "How can you people afford food like this? You must have stolen it."

"Stolen from who? You?" Grace Winslow didn’t even deign to look at her.

Yvonne Hale was so angry her chest heaved. "You... Don’t you get too smug! Who knows where you stole it from. Looking at how poor and shabby you are, there’s no way you could afford this."

"You’d better fess up, or I’m going to get the railway police."

"Go on, then. Call him over right now. I’d also like to report that there’s a lunatic in our compartment who’s green with envy," Grace shot back rudely.

Yvonne Hale was so furious her chest ached.

Grace had already put a chicken drumstick on both Irene Lynch’s and Gregory Winslow’s plates. "It won’t be as good if it gets cold. Eat up."

"We can check the dining car for our next meal. After we eat and get some sleep, we’ll be there before we know it."