Letting go was a truly painful thing.

Joanne Chase was in low spirits for several days.

She even got called out and criticized by her teacher for spacing out in class.

Grace Winslow had also spoken with her.

But when it came to matters of the heart, only you knew how deep you were in; others could never truly understand.

No matter what Grace Winslow said, it was of little use. Joanne Chase had to figure it out for herself and move on.

But wanting to let go? That was easier said than done.

The snow fell intermittently over the capital.

In the blink of an eye, it was the New Year holiday again.

Grace Winslow was scheduled for another internship this holiday, though it wasn’t for long—just the few days leading up to the New Year. This was mainly because of the numerous diplomatic events happening at the time. Her skills were now considered good enough that she was brought along to gain some real-world experience.

Joanne Chase, on the other hand, started her vacation early and went home. She helped Irene Lynch prepare New Year’s food and also went to help out at the shop.

Business at the shop was excellent; the pastries they made each day were just enough to meet demand.

Because the health-conscious pastries had become famous in the area, many people came, drawn by its reputation. Sometimes there was even a line at the shop.

The number of apprentices had grown from the original two to eight.

Irene Lynch had also bought the property next to the shop and converted it into a dedicated production area. All the processing was now done there, and the finished goods were brought over to the shop to be sold.

The upstairs of the adjacent building was renovated into rooms, which served as a place for the apprentices to rest.

Irene Lynch was even starting to consider whether or not to open a branch location.

Hayley’s business was also booming.

When Grace Winslow first proposed the concept of haute couture, Hayley was a little worried. She was afraid no one would be interested. If the items didn’t sell at such high prices, it would be difficult to pivot to the low-end market, especially considering the shop’s elegant decor.

Unexpectedly, people here accepted the concept very quickly. In fact, many wives and daughters from wealthy families were exceptionally enthusiastic about haute couture.

What they cared about was uniqueness—not being able to find an identical item anywhere else in the city. To them, this held an irresistible appeal.

Hayley and Lily Callahan were swamped. Every day, many customers came to place custom orders.

They had originally hired two tailors, but business became so good they couldn’t keep up. They used their connections to hire three more people. Now, with five tailors in the shop, they were still struggling to meet deadlines.

After her five-day internship, Grace Winslow returned home. The moment Hayley saw her, she couldn’t help but complain, "Grace, business at our shop is good, that’s true, but we’re just running through the initial design ideas you gave us. If we don’t find a good designer soon, I’m afraid our future sales will be affected."

"Also, about that ’brand effect’ you mentioned before... you told me to go to the business bureau to register our own trademark and brand. I listened to you and did it, so now we officially have our own trademark."

"But there’s still something I don’t quite get. Registering every single design costs a lot of money. Is it really necessary?"

"There are always a lot of copycats and knock-offs out there, mostly from small workshops and such. Are we supposed to go after them one by one?"

Grace Winslow pulled her into the house to sit down. "Hayley, once you’ve registered the trademark and the patents, if you ever encounter someone making a huge profit by copying your designs, you can sue them for infringement directly in court. It’s a guaranteed win. But if you don’t have them registered, it’s very difficult to make your case."

"We’re just protecting our own rights from being violated. How much does it cost to register a trademark and a patent, anyway? It’s not like you can’t earn that money back."

"In the future, as the economy develops, more and more domestic clothing companies will appear. There will even be many other haute couture shops just like yours. The competition will inevitably be fierce."

"We rely on our designs to attract customers."

"I think we can cultivate our own designers. You could look for someone with potential, a budding talent, and train them from a young age. That would be the most reliable way. Of course, you could also try recruiting from the universities."

"But most college students these days are assigned jobs after graduation. They enter state-owned enterprises and get that ’iron rice bowl.’ Not many would be willing to work for you instead. I’ll help you keep an eye out, though."

"Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’m depending on you anyway. Oh, right, I’ve been saving up your share of the profits from the past six months or so. Mom said to keep it for your dowry. I also bought you a New Year’s gift." Hayley grew thoughtful upon hearing this. After a long moment, she nodded, no longer dwelling on the issue.

They were on holiday now, so anything else would have to wait until after the fourth day of the New Year, when businesses reopened.

She pulled Grace Winslow along to see the gift.

It was a set of gold jewelry: earrings, a necklace, a bracelet, and a bangle. The materials were substantial; it probably weighed no less than two hundred grams.

"Hayley, why are you giving me this?" Grace Winslow asked, a look of surprise on her face.

"Didn’t Mom say we should be saving up for your dowry? I figured you always need some jewelry for a wedding, and what’s more valuable than gold?"

"Oh, right. Your eldest and second brothers have been learning ’stone gambling’ from someone lately. I don’t know how risky it is. Can you go check on them for me later? Don’t let them get scammed." Hayley waved her hand dismissively and pushed the items right into Grace Winslow’s arms.

Grace Winslow looked helpless. After a moment of thought, she spoke again, "Actually, Hayley, besides clothes, shoes, and bags, our shop could also sell matching jewelry. If my brothers really get into stone gambling and learn a thing or two, and if they manage to buy some good stones, we could use them to create entire jewelry sets. We could then display and sell them in the shop as matching accessories for the outfits."

"Now *that’s* a truly lucrative business."

"Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? You should come with us, then. Your second brother mentioned there’s a stone gambling convention tomorrow, and it’s not far from here. We can all go check it out for fun." Hayley slapped her forehead, a look of sudden realization on her face.

Grace Winslow had never encountered anything like this before, so she was a little interested as well.

The two of them agreed on a time just as Irene Lynch called them to dinner.

After they had eaten their fill, Grace Winslow mentioned the matter to Joanne Chase.

Her original intention was just to keep Joanne Chase from moping around at home, where she might start thinking about Sean York again and feel miserable.

After hearing Grace Winslow out, Joanne Chase agreed to go to the stone gambling convention the next day to see what it was all about, treating it as a chance to broaden her horizons.

Irene Lynch wasn’t interested in such things, but Gregory Winslow was somewhat curious. And so, the family decided to go out together the next day.

Grace Winslow slept quite well that night. She woke up early the next day and went out for her usual exercise. After running two laps, she came back, washed up, changed her clothes, and then went to have breakfast.

Hayley and Lily Callahan were already ready to go. Nolan Winslow and Brandon Winslow were still quietly discussing the appraisal techniques they had just learned.

Seeing the equipment they brought with them, they actually looked quite professional. Grace Winslow couldn’t help but feel a little excited.