Soul Returns to Hong Kong: From Tailor Shop to Richest Woman

After Uncle Lin and his party left, the Lin family's new house remained quiet for a while.

There were unfinished radish cakes, fried glutinous rice balls, and sugar rings on the large round table, but no one was thinking about eating them.

Lin Qian, still curious, asked, "Sister, is it really true that all fifty households in our Lin Family Village are going to make a movie together?"

"Does that mean we'll be able to see big stars filming movies at the village entrance from now on?" Lin Yue asked as well.

Lin Lanying reached out and slapped each of them on the head: "What are you thinking? Your eldest sister only writes scripts, she doesn't take you guys to chase after celebrities."

He Dazhu sat beside her, holding a teacup in his hand: "Sister, this is no small matter. The whole village has staked their money on it. If you make a profit, everyone will treat you like a god of wealth. If you lose, there will be a lot of gossip."

"So we can't be too ambitious with the first one." Lin Ying carefully put away the red envelope given to her by Uncle Lin. "We can't make it a martial arts film, we can't make it special effects, we can't make it a big production. The more people are involved in the project, the more stable we need to be."

Lin Fu nodded: "That's right. Those people in the village are envious when they see others making money; they're really going to lose out..."

Li Yuzhen brought out a bowl of hot sweet soup from the kitchen and placed it in front of Lin Ying: "Don't think that far ahead. It's the New Year, your brain needs a rest and you should eat something sweet."

Lin Ying agreed with the old woman, saying, "Okay, I'll rest for a bit."

That's what she said, but deep down she just couldn't stay still.

Around 3 p.m., a lively commotion came from outside; my uncle and aunt had finally returned.

The two of them still smelled of the Mong Kok barbershop when they entered; the uncle had two dark circles under his eyes, and the aunt had two plasters stuck to her wrists, but they were both all smiles.

"Dad! Mom! Eldest sister! Brother-in-law! Happy New Year!" Lin Yaoying put down the bags of New Year's goods she was carrying and leaned back in her chair. "I almost lost my life because of those women's hair in Mong Kok."

Deng Hui also sat down and took the tea that Lin Lanying handed her, drinking it in one gulp: "From the 29th of the lunar year to the first of the new year, the line of customers stretched all the way to the street corner. Some people couldn't get a seat, so they just slammed their banknotes on the table and asked to cut in line."

Li Yuzhen said with heartache, "I told you to come back earlier, but you insisted on staying up all night!"

Lin Yaoying struggled to sit up: "We have to keep going! This day's earnings are equivalent to half a month's worth!"

Lin Qian chuckled, "Uncle, you've struck it rich this time?"

"What kind of fortune are we talking about? It's all hard-earned money," Lin Yaoying said modestly. "But the red envelopes I'll give you this year will definitely be more generous than last year's."

Lin Yue immediately extended both hands: "Dou, Happy New Year!"

Lin Yaoying glared at her: "Didn't you already accept it yesterday?"

Lin Yue said matter-of-factly, "That was sent by your grandparents over the phone. Now that you're back in person, of course you need to send a version in your own name."

The room burst into laughter. Deng Hui took out a red envelope from her handbag, gave it to Lin Yue, and then gave one to Lin Qian and Lin Ying as well.

When the document was handed to Lin Ying, Ahui asked an extra question: "Aying, on the way back, I heard from the people at the village entrance that your uncle came to talk to you about a big deal today?"

Lin Ying nodded: "Yes, my uncle wants Linjia Village to invest in a movie together, and I'll write the script and control the direction."

Lin Yaoying was stunned: "The whole village votes for you?! Are you crazy?"

Lin Lanying briefly recounted what had happened that morning to her younger brother.

After listening, Lin Yaoying said, "Actually, it's not impossible. Our village may not have many other things, but we are large and united. If someone comes to cause trouble while we're filming outside, fifty households standing there would be intimidating enough."

Deng Hui was more meticulous than him, and advised, "But you have to choose the notebook carefully. If you lose money the first time, it will be difficult to face the elders in the village in the future."

Lin Ying replied, "I know, I understand."

The Lin family's new house became even more lively in the following days.

The adults spent their days visiting each other's homes in the village to offer New Year's greetings, and their evenings spent playing mahjong and chatting in the living room. Lin Fu carried a thermos cup, and wherever he went, people praised his impressive new house.

Lin Qian and Lin Yue were not so comfortable.

Every morning, Lin Ying would make sure the two younger children were at the coffee table on the second floor to do their worksheets. They were only allowed to go downstairs to eat snacks, set off firecrackers, or play with the village children in the open space after they finished their work for the day.

Lin Qian tried several times to sneak a peek at the comic book by hiding it inside his workbook, but Lin Yue caught him red-handed each time: "Big sister! Lin Qian was daydreaming again!"

Lin Qian was so angry he jumped up and down: "Lin Yue! Don't you have any family feelings at all?"

Lin Yue lowered her head and continued working on the math problem: "There's no room for family in the exam hall. If you get one question wrong, you'll stay away from that boys' school in Wan Chai forever."

Lin Ying, sitting next to her, laughed as she listened: "Remember this, the middle school entrance exam in June is just that cruel."

Despite her playful antics, Lin Ying's mind hadn't stopped working for a moment these past few days; she was constantly thinking about the notebook.

For the first time, fifty households in Linjia Village pooled their money to make a movie, and their first film had to be relevant to the present day.

Too much artistic content would be hard for the village aunties to understand; too much investment would be risky; and heavy themes would also be unsuitable. During the Lunar New Year, the first meal of the family meal should be lively and festive, so that everyone can see the money with a smile.

Until the evening of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, she was sitting in her room on the third floor looking through old drafts when she suddenly remembered a novel title she had written earlier: "The Daily Life of a Girl from a Small Family Creating Things".

It's a novel about a modern person who travels back to ancient times and starts by making soap and glass from soapberry water and broken iron pots, gradually changing his fate with his modern life knowledge.

Lin Ying stared at those words for a long time. Ancient times could create things, and so could Hong Kong. Moreover, Hong Kong was cheaper and more suitable for filming than ancient times.

No need to build grand ancient costume sets or create those flying and darting special effects; just film directly in the New Territories! Shoot village houses, markets, barbershops, minibus stations, and tea restaurants.

The protagonist doesn't need to be skilled in martial arts; the setting is a woman in 2020 with a head full of modern marketing ideas who travels back to Hong Kong in 1985.

She knew how the milk tea shop would become a hit, understood how hair salons made quick money with VIP memberships, knew that ordinary packaging paired with GG could sell roadside radish cakes at high prices, and knew which kind of money was easy to make.

The seemingly trivial small businesses in the village, under the integration of this modern woman, are united and can truly support the entire village.

Add a romance storyline that the market loves to watch.

A modern woman obsessed with making money and building a career clashes with the stubborn, soft-hearted son of a village chief in the New Territories who clings to his family's business. The two argue while simultaneously leading the entire village in doing business.

It's funny, lively, low-budget, and has a down-to-earth feel; most importantly, Linjia Village funded the filming itself, and seeing the familiar village houses and hair salons on the screen creates a strong sense of immersion.

Lin Ying picked up a pen and wrote a few words on the paper: "The New Territories' Path to Wealth".

Having a comedy script with a budget of several hundred thousand is not enough. Linjiacun is trying to play it safe in its first foray into the market, but if it wants to make substantial profits during the heyday of Hong Kong cinema, it needs a second, larger platform to support it.

Lin Ying turned to another page and wrote another line:

A period drama about a modern gangster boss who travels back to the Qin Dynasty.

This subject matter cannot be filmed now; because the costumes, props, weapons, palace sets, and extras for the Qin Dynasty all require a huge investment.

But once this story is released, it will definitely cause a sensation; a cunning and ruthless gangster boss in Hong Kong wakes up to find himself a lowly laborer in the Qin Dynasty. He knows the course of history, but he has to fight his way through the Legalist punishments, aristocratic infighting, and military meritocracy, eventually climbing to a high position step by step.

This show is popular with men, and its overseas rights can fetch a high price.

Lin Ying heavily marked two words next to it: 【Qin Pass】.

The next day at breakfast, Lin Ying explained the general direction of "The New Territories Wealth Creation Story" to her family.

Lin Yaoying was taking a bite of a fried dough stick when she heard "a woman from 2020 travels back to Hong Kong in 1985," and she stopped in her tracks: "Wait a minute, Ah Ying, what year is 2020?"

"The future," Lin Ying explained, "is like a movie; a little exaggeration is acceptable to the audience."

Lin Qian wondered, "Does she know the lottery numbers for every draw in advance?"

"Is that all you think about?" Lin Ying asked helplessly.

Lin Yue thought about it seriously: "If she knew the future, why didn't she just buy stocks and make a fortune?"