Dumping 43

Chapter 43

friends.

After dinner, Irene went over to the neighbors‘ to play with her new f

Irene was from the city, and with her big, inquisitive eyes, she was proving to be very popular with the kids in the neighborhood. She had no airs about her so everyone was curious and wanted to be her friend.

Irene was excited to play with her friends and forgot all about her unwelcome guest.

She laughed in excitement as she ran over to the neighbors. Sharon reminded her to be safe but did not impose any particular restrictions,

The three adults remained in the house. The lights were on dimly and it created a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

Ray continued to enjoy the cozy environment without any hint of disdain or disapproval.

“Mr. Gildon, can you explain what you meant earlier?” Sharon got right to the point.

Ray cleared his throat and broke into a warm smile. The traditional shoemaking method is very exquisite, and it would indeed be a pity if it were lost, so I’m thinking…..”

“Oh, everyone’s here.”

Before Ray could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a loud voice from the doorway.

The three of them were taken by surprise and looked in the direction as the voice.

It was Sophic. She wasn’t dressed as casually as before, and had made a point of combing her hair neatly.

She strode in with a basket of fruit in her hand, smiling broadly. “My son picked some fruits from the garden, so I chose the best ones and decided to bring them here for you all.”

Her lips were spread wide open in an exaggerated grin. She took an orange from the basket and waved it around. This is a top–quality navel orange, there aren’t many of these sold in the market so not everyone has a chance to taste it

Sophie had an ingratiating look on her face, there was no doubt she was trying to get into Sharon’s good books. She had done the math, after all. After renting the house for years, the money she owed was in the thousands,

Sharon watched Sophie.

Sophie was gossipy and she could talk your ear off, but she couldn’t deny there was a warm side to her. She was the one who told her about her father buying a knife, and she also helped to keep an eye on Irene at that time.

Sharon wasn’t a cold–blooded person, of course she wasn’t really planning to get back every penny that was owed.

She thanked Sophie for the fruit and inquired about the cost.

Sophie immediately declined to be paid, and as her eyes darted between the people in the room, she turned to Ray and said. “Oh, you must be Sophie’s husband. I knew you were a man of talent, but you’re so good–looking too. I was wondering why Sharon came back with just her daughter, and thought you might just be busy with work. You must be really devoted to Sharon for traveling all this way to come after her.”

She rattled on and on, but the gleam in her eyes was constant. She was trying to find out if there was a more dramatic reason why they had not returned at the same time.

Nothing scandalous ever happened in the small town, and Sophie wanted to milk this gossip material for all it was worth.

“No, you’ve got it wrong. This man is a guest who came to learn about shoe making” Ethan spoke in a cold voice. He knew that his daughter was fiercely protective of her privacy.

Sophie was flustered at her mistake, and when she looked at Sharon, it was again in a different light. She tried to backtrack but couldn’t steer the conversation smoothly, and finally she gave up and made her exit.

“My apologies about that, Mr. Gildon, Women from rural towns tend to be chatty. Ethan said to Ray.

-Ray shook his head to indicate that he didn’t mind it, then he couldn’t help but glance in Sharon’s direction.

He hadn’t been offended or upset when Sophie had misunderstood their relationship.

“Please continue what you were saying. Mr. Gildon Sharon directed him back to the matter at hand.

Ray righted himself then and said, “What I wanted to say was, I’d like to buy your craftsmanship and arrange a group of apprentices to be trained up to your professional standards. Of course, we’ll have to balance quality with cost efficiency.

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Chapter 43

“What do you mean you’ll buy it? Does that mean I won’t be able to make shoes anymore?” Ethan had a grave look of concern.

Making shoes was his passion. If he couldn’t make shoes anymore, a significant part of his identity would be taken away from him.

Ray smiled kindly and assured him. “You’re the master of traditional shoemaking methods, if you stop making them, the shoes would lose their

souls.”

He paused for a moment, letting some of his long hair fall to the front of his face.

“However, when more apprentices start joining, you’ll probably have to take on an advisory role primarily. There’ll be much less time for shoemaking

“Advisory role?” Ethan had little idea of the requirements of such a position.

“It pretty much means the same thing as being a teacher.” Sharon explained.

“Oh, Ethan let out a soft sigh. He was a quiet man and felt much more comfortable moving his hands than his mouth

Ray explained his rationale. “This way, more people will learn your technique, and more people will be able to wear the shoes made by such traditional shoemaking methods. An important part of history will be not just be preserved, it will also be spread and enjoyed by the masses. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Ethan continued to wear a look of doubt, the wrinkles on his face deepened in thought.

TI think about it.”

Ray doesn’t push him further. “Of course, take all the time you need. Give me a call when you’ve decided” He placed his business card humbly and respectfully on the table,

Ethan didn’t say much else, and soon retreated to the backyard to work on his shoes.

Sharon sighed as she watched her father leave. Shoemaking was his livelihood, and his second great love, after her. Even the smallest changes would have a big impact on him

“Mr. Gildon, are you absolutely positive about breaking into the shoe market?” She focuses her attention on Ray

“Yes” Ray nodded.

“Even though it’s completely different from your family’s line of business? Don’t you think it’s too risky?”

“Risky, perhaps, but it’s definitely profitable, isn’t it?” Ray looked at Sharon steadily. He had a rough idea of her concerns, and proceeded to explain. “I offered to buy your father’s shoemaking because of the number of people who placed orders while you were live.”

He produced a document containing his analysis. It included a breakdown of all the important figures.

“There were five million viewers at the highest point, and six hundred and thirty–eight orders were placed every three minutes. I don’t have to tell you that is an exceptionally high volume of orders”

He flipped the page and placed it in front of her, continuing. “After that, you clarified that you don’t sell shoes, yet five percent of viewers continued to express their desires to purchase. When such a huge business opportunity presents itself, as a businessman, there’s no way that I could look away.”

With the data to back him up, Ray’s reasoning was ironclad. Sharon was speechless for a moment,

The next day. Ethan approached Ray by his own initiative. They had a long discussion then.

Sharon was not aware of the specifics, but at the end of their negotiation, Ethan emerged with a contact in his hand.

Evidently, he had accepted Ray’s proposal.

“Dad, is this really alright?” Sharon asked uneasily. She couldn’t help but proceed with caution. Her father’s precious livelihood was at stake.

Ethan nodded cheerfully. “Mr. Gildon is a business–minded person who is meticulous in his work. I don’t know anything about business, but as long as he can help me pass on my shoemaking craft, I’m suisfied.”

Sharon took the document in his hand and pored over it. Ethan was right, Ray’s terms were professional and few restrictions were placed on him.

Sharon continued to read to the end of the document. When she came to one of the last clauses, she gasped.