I Returned to the Day He Brought His First Love Home-Chapter 137: I’m So Poor
"I need some time to ask around. How much time do I have?" Grace didn’t give an immediate answer.
She wasn’t sure about Hayley’s situation yet and needed to contact her to find out.
Besides, the factory was due to pay wages in the next few days, and she planned to wait until the money came in before saying anything.
"This is an excellent location, but the seller’s asking price isn’t low. It won’t be easy to secure, but you never know. So it’s best to act as quickly as possible."
"Actually, the shop next door is in a better location and has more space, but the owner doesn’t seem to have any intention of selling. I’ve contacted them several times, and they’ve refused me every time," Sean York said with a helpless smile.
"I understand. Thanks for your trouble." Grace nodded and glanced at the storefront before them again.
’It really is a perfect fit for my needs.’
’It would be great for either a restaurant or a pastry shop.’
"What’s the exact price? I’ll need to know so I can start raising the funds."
"They’re asking for thirty thousand." Sean York hesitated for a moment before revealing the seller’s price.
Grace raised an eyebrow.
The shop had three floors, totaling about 400 square meters.
To ask for thirty thousand at a time like this... the seller was truly asking for the moon.
Money had a lot of purchasing power back then; thirty thousand was equivalent to several million in the future.
She shook her head. "I can’t accept that price. Please keep looking for me."
Although the storefront was indeed nice, the price made Grace give up on it immediately.
Thirty thousand. If she invested that much right at the start, Irene Lynch would be worried sick.
"Alright, that was my oversight. But the location really is prime. The people who live around here have money, so once a shop opens, the profits won’t be bad," Sean York nodded in understanding.
He led Grace on a stroll down the street.
’This area will become the city’s most prosperous commercial hub in the future. If I could just buy that shop, I’d absolutely make a killing later on.’
’A pity about the thirty thousand, though.’
’I couldn’t scrape together thirty thousand even if I sold myself.’
"Miss Winslow?" Just as Grace and Sean York were about to leave and catch a bus back, a surprised voice called out from ahead of them.
The voice sounded familiar, and Grace looked up instinctively. When she got a clear look at the person standing across from her, she was taken aback. "Mr. Lockwood?"
’Isn’t Dylan Lockwood expanding his business in Port Elysia? What’s he doing here in Coronet?’
Dylan Lockwood smiled and walked over to Grace. He glanced at Sean York, who was standing beside her with his hands in his pockets and a devil-may-care look on his face, and raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Winslow, what brings you here?"
"I was thinking of buying a storefront. My parents came here with me, and I was hoping they could start a small business. But the shops here are too expensive; I can’t afford one," Grace said with a smile, answering honestly.
Dylan Lockwood chuckled at her words. "You have your eye on this one?"
Grace nodded.
"How about I buy it for you?"
Grace froze, looking at Dylan Lockwood in confusion. "Mr. Lockwood, this shop is thirty thousand. I don’t think our relationship is close enough for you to be giving me such an extravagant gift."
"I am genuinely trying to recruit you. That batch of clothes you gave me before earned me a huge profit. Thirty thousand is nothing—it’s less than one percent of what I made. You’ve earned this." Dylan Lockwood found Grace’s stunned expression amusing.
Fearing she might misunderstand, he quickly added, "Miss Winslow, please don’t feel burdened by this. I’m hoping you’ll continue to sell your designs to my company in the future. Just think of the thirty thousand as an advance on your design fees."
"Please, take some time to think it over. I’ll be in Coronet for another week, staying at the Sovereign. If you make a decision, you can come find me anytime."
After saying his piece, Dylan Lockwood gave Sean York a polite smile before leaving with his assistant.
Grace watched him leave, her expression complex.
Dylan Lockwood was truly a businessman through and through.
The only thing he cared about was profit.
Grace could bring him profits, so he was willing to pay a high price to win her over.
A mere thirty thousand was nothing in his eyes.
Grace, however, couldn’t help but sigh at the thought.
’It must be nice to be so rich you can be this impulsive.’
’Giving away a thirty-thousand shop just like that.’
She glanced back one last time, shook her head, said a quick goodbye to Sean York, and left ahead of him.
Sean York rubbed his chin. ’So she’s that popular?’
’Giving away thirty thousand just like that... If you told me he didn’t have ulterior motives, I wouldn’t believe you if you beat me to death.’
It made him wince just thinking about it.
Grace took the bus home and told Irene Lynch and Gregory Winslow about the storefront.
The moment Irene Lynch heard it would cost thirty thousand, she was so shocked she dropped her chopsticks. "Th-thirty thousand?"
"That’s too much, way too much! I don’t even know if I’m cut out for this. What if it doesn’t work out? Wouldn’t we lose all that money?"
"Mom, you have to believe in yourself. I’ll spend some time finding some pastry recipes for you, and I’ll find someone to get us an oven. You can practice in the meantime. We probably won’t be able to buy a shop right away anyway, so you can hone your skills first. It won’t be too late to open for business once we’ve found a place." Grace took Irene Lynch’s hand and offered a few words of comfort.
Irene Lynch breathed a sigh of relief. "Actually, if it doesn’t work out, I can just get a job. I heard you can wash dishes or clean... there are a lot of restaurants around here and they’re all hiring. They pay over thirty a month. I really don’t think I can run a business. I’m just not cut out for it."
"No. First, you have to try. If it really doesn’t work out, I won’t stop you from getting a job. Once we buy the shop, you don’t need to worry about losing money. The economy is only going to grow from here. People’s spending will increase, and their purchasing power will get stronger. When that time comes, even if we stop doing business, we can sell the shop and still make a profit. Stop worrying so much about losing money." Grace shook her head, her attitude firm.
Gregory Winslow chimed in from the side. "You’ve been running this household for years. Your cooking and baking are just as good as any of those master chefs in the restaurants. You should believe in yourself, and believe in our daughter’s judgment."
Irene Lynch nodded sheepishly.
Grace knew it wouldn’t be easy to change Irene Lynch’s mind overnight.
After dinner, she headed back to school.
There were only two other people in the dorm room. Grace didn’t bother with a greeting, simply climbing into her bed and drawing the curtain.
A moment later, the clear sound of someone reading aloud emerged.
’To learn a foreign language, you have to practice speaking it out loud.’
She had never been exposed to it before, so everything felt new and fresh.
Her pronunciation wasn’t very accurate; she could only rely on herself to correct it, little by little.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
She was in the middle of reading when someone suddenly knocked on her bedframe.
Grace pulled back the curtain to see a girl in exquisite makeup standing below, glaring at her. "You’re being so loud! If you’re not going to sleep, at least let others sleep! Don’t read in the dorm from now on. It’s so annoying. You think you’re the only one who works hard, huh?"
Grace gave her a single glance, yanked the curtain shut, and resumed reading, even louder this time.
Pearl Thorne stomped her foot in fury. "Grace Winslow! You’re asking for it!"
