Amelie woke up with a start, startled. For a moment, she thought she was still at the Alston Residence and Leo had come back in the middle of the night, kicking the door again.
She hastily got out of bed, almost tripping and falling.
When she ran to the door and saw Steven there, she finally remembered that she had left the Alston Residence, and she no longer had to open the door for Leo.
As Amelie was rubbing her eyes, Steven had already opened the door.
From outside the door, a messy head poked in.
Amelie was surprised at first, but when she took a closer look, she realized that it was Abby.
Abby strode in jovially, and when she saw Steven, she exclaimed in exaggeration, âHey there, Dillon.
You didnât run into any trouble yesterday, did you?â
Steven looked at her in confusion.
Abby didnât mince her words at all. âYesterday, when Amy knew that you bought a knife and went out, she thought you were about to cause trouble. She was so terrified! But Dillon, why exactly did you buy a knife yesterday?â
Amelie didnât even have time to stop Abby before the latter spilled everything.
An obviously awkward look appeared on Stevenâs face, his expressions unnatural.
âWhat brings you here, Mrs. Gordon?â Amelie interrupted her.
âOh, uhâ¦â Abby was tongue-tied since she was just here to spectate.
âOh, itâs nothing.â Noticing that Amelie kept staring at her, she scratched her head awkwardly, then peered inside the house. âHow many days are you planning on staying here, Amy?â
âSheâll be here for a while, Steven answered in Amelieâs stead.
âA while, huh. Abby turned a little bashful.
Then, she continued, âFor someone as fortunate as you, you probably canât get used to living in small houses like this after marrying a rich husband.â
Amelie didnât make a sound as she simply looked at Abby.
Abby hastily pointed in the distance. âA grand hotel recently opened in town, and it was built to accommodate wealthy people who come here on vacation. The environment and service are excellent there, and even all the three meals of the day are included. Amy, you should stay there for a bit with your dad to show him more of the world.â
Iâve lived long enough; what more is there in the world to see?â Steven didnât seem too interested.
Amelie looked at Abby. She had already guessed what Abby was trying to say.
Abby was worried that the family wouldnât have enough space to live in and might insist on moving back to their old house.
Amelieâs father was a kindly and reasonable person; since he never asked Abby for their rent, she was thinking of hogging the place all her life.
Amelie didnât plan on breaching the subject so soon, but now that Abby herself came knocking, she naturally wouldnât let the latter continue taking advantage and feigning ignorance.
Hence, she smiled. âDonât worry, Mrs. Gordon. We wonât move back to the old house no matter where we live, so feel free to keep living there.â
When Abby heard Amelie saying that they wouldnât be moving back, her wizened face immediately blossomed into a smile.
âWell, just as expected. Rich people are really built differently.â
Amelie was still smiling as she said, âDad, about the house Mrs. Gordon and her family are living in, do they pay the rent monthly or yearly?â
âHuh?â Abbyâs blooming face instantly froze.
âIf itâs yearly, you can give them a discount. Why donât we give them 20 percent off?â
Abbyâs expression stiffened so much that it looked weird.
She was beginning to regret making this trip.
She thought she would just be here to join in on the fun and get some juicy gossip, then completely take over that house. In the end, however, they were asking her for the rent nowâ¦.
She didnât dare stay there any longer, so she found a random excuse to escape.
After breakfast, Steven took Bria to the backyard.
Under a shelter in the backyard sat his tool of trade.
Steven sat in front of the old machine and began working it.
The machine was from times long gone, and it kept creaking as it ran.
Bria was curious about everything, and she would touch and peer at everything that caught her fancy.
Her eyes widened as she watched Steven thicken the soles of the shoes, and she would ask a few questions here and there.
Steven answered every question she asked.
The grandfather and his granddaughter spent a peaceful time bonding.
Amelie walked over to them. Just like what she used to do back then, she leaned against Steven as she sat down, placing her head on his arm while feeling the bobbing movements of his arm.
âDad, youâve been toiling all your life. Why donât you quit?â she suggested.
For as long as she could remember, her father had always been sitting in front of this machine, toiling away with abandon.
âThatâs right, Grandpa. Mommy opened up a big company, so she can provide for us,â Bria hastily supplied.
Even though shoe-making looked fun to Bria, her grandfather had to pierce the soles with a very thick needle over and over again. It looked like hard work.
Bria didnât want her grandfather to work too hard.
Steven lovingly caressed Briaâs face, the wrinkles on his face spreading as he smiled. âWhat a good girl you are, Bria. You even know how to worry for your grandfather.â
Bria rubbed her cheek against Stevenâs palm.
She liked the feeling of his large hand covering her small face.
âHowever, Iâm too used to this. If I stop working on the shoes, I would feel very uncomfortable.â
The shoes Steven made were durable and resistant to wear. The price wasnât too high either, so many people would order shoes from him.
Looking at her daughter behaving like a kitten, Amelie felt something in her heart soften.
She shouldâve brought her daughter home earlier.
Her father was elated to see her daughter, and the two were very close to each other as well.
Knowing that Steven didnât want to give up on his job yet, Amelie didnât force him. Instead, she said, âItâs okay if you want to keep working, but you canât take too many orders at once. If you get tired, you have to rest.â
âYes, I know. I got it.â Like an overaged child, Steven nodded obediently.
Seeing that, both Amelie and Bria burst out into laughter.
âDad, why donât I buy a shoplot for you on the street? I can also buy a house while weâre at it, so you donât have to work in such a small space,â Amelie suggested.
âOh, no, itâs fine.â Steven shook his head furiously. âI moved here precisely because the previous house was too big. If the place is too huge and empty, Iâd feel restless.â
Even though Amelie married into the Alston Family, she didnât ignore him at all. She would regularly send him some money via Julia.
Steven could stay alive with his own skills, so he hadnât asked for even a cent. He would return the money every time.
Throughout all the years, Steven hadnât gained anything from Amelie, but she had caused him quite a lot of worry. At the thought of that, Amelie felt regretful again, and her eyes reddened.
âStill, I suppose Iâm growing old. My eyes and legs are failing, so I donât think I can work much longer.â
Steven sighed, a forlorn look on his face. âYoung people these days donât like complicated work like this. Iâm afraid my craft is going to die with me.â
Steven used an ancient method of shoe-making. The procedure was complicated, and the standards were very high.
âMommy, why donât we find an heir for Grandpa?â Bria blinked with her huge eyes as she took the phone and waved it.
Amelie understood what she meant, and she felt that it could work.
She hastily produced her streaming equipment and began setting it up in the yard.
Meanwhile, Bria took out the fox mask she brought back. She put one on, then gave another to Amelie.
âGrandpa, this is for you.â She passed the biggest one to Steven.
When they returned, she had asked Amelie to make a fox mask for Steven too.
She climbed onto a chair and helped Steven put the fox mask on.
Steven chuckled as he allowed his granddaughter to fix the mask for him. He thought that the design was a little weird, but he didnât reject it.
After the three had put on their masks, Bria took a look and was extremely satisfied.
Her little face popped out between Amelie and Steven, then she smiled her wide toothy smile. âNow, weâre the fox family.â
Amelie and Steven couldnât help but laugh at her antics.
Amelie briefed Steven on the rules of live streaming, but there wasnât much to look out for. Steven would be making shoes with his mask on, while Amelie and Bria danced and sang with their masked faces. They would also be showcasing Stevenâs ancient shoe-making technique to the viewers.
Amelie positioned the camera at Steven, capturing his skills and craft from every angle as Bria explained and narrated.
She didnât know much, and when she was at a loss for words at the end, she could only say, âAll in all, my grandpa makes the best shoes in the world. If you want to be as amazing as him, you have to learn from him, okay?â
The viewersâ reactions in the live stream were very supportive.
Everyone was amazed at the craft, and they insisted on ordering from Steven. In a mere few minutes, almost 100 orders were made.
Amelieâs face fell.
Bria waved her hands furiously. âGrandpa is already very busy! No, weâre not accepting orders, no orders! Weâre here to recruit disciples, disciples!â
Her exaggerated movements gained them a wave of fans, but none of them were willing to be disciples.
The one-hour live stream ended. Fearing that Steven would be discouraged, Amelie hastily comforted him again and again.
Steven smiled and waved his hands, saying that it was fine. Still, there was a disappointed look in his covered eyes.
Amelie could see that, and for a moment, she didnât know what to say.
âLook, Mommy! What is this?!â Briaâs voice suddenly sounded.