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

"Because when she first arrived, she was penniless, didn't have a Hong Kong ID card, and didn't even have the money to take the minibus to the village entrance," Lin Ying explained. "And the point is not that she alone is getting rich, but that she is leading the whole village to get rich."

Deng Hui listened intently: "Like leading all the women in the village to open shops, sell things, and run hair salons?"

Lin Ying nodded: "Yes, we can include the scene of the younger uncle's barbershop in Mong Kok getting a flood of orders during the Lunar New Year. The audience will understand immediately; housewives love watching these kinds of satisfying money-making scenes."

Lin Yaoying immediately agreed: "That's great! It would be best to write about a barber who's highly skilled and handsome!"

Ahui glanced at him sideways: "Are you talking about yourself?"

Lin Yaoying coughed and said shamelessly, "Art imitates life."

Everyone at the table was amused.

Lin Lanying, however, understood the point: "Aying, isn't this script cheaper than those action-packed police and gangster movies?"

"It saves a lot of money," Lin Ying said. "The scenes are all readily available. Village houses, markets, hair salons. At most, we can rent a few minibuses and find some villagers as extras. The female lead earns money with her brains, and the male lead is responsible for arguing with her and helping her avoid trouble with thugs. There are lots of laughs and a sweet romance, making it the perfect stepping stone for a first film."

He Dazhu nodded in agreement: "This is good, it's reliable."

Lin Fu chimed in, "Uncle and the others will definitely love it. Hearing that the whole village will get rich, all those uncles and elders in the village will be laughing in their sleep."

On the morning of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, February 6th, Lin Ying and her family of four packed their luggage and prepared to return to Taikoo Shing on Hong Kong Island.

Lin Yaoying and Deng Hui were exhausted from the Lunar New Year holiday. Since they finally had some free time, they decided to take Lin Yue to stay in the countryside for a few more days and get some good sleep.

Lin Yue watched them pack their things, a little reluctant to leave: "Big sister, if I don't go back with you, will I fall behind on my studies for the next two days?"

Lin Ying pulled a stack of test papers from her bag and handed them over: "I don't know how. After you finish these, I'll check them one by one when we get back to Hong Kong."

Lin Yue: "..."

Lin Qian gloated from the side, "See? I told you family ties are useless, didn't I?"

Lin Ying turned around, pulled out another stack of papers from her bag, and handed them to Lin Qian: "This is yours. Don't relax even when you get back to Taikoo City."

The smile on Lin Qian's face vanished instantly.

Looking at the two children's expressions, Lin Lanying laughed out loud: "Alright, stop pretending to be pitiful. You'll have a better future if you study hard and endure more hardship."

------

The next morning, Lin Ying walked into the British-style apartment in Mid-Levels, Central, on time.

Professor Smith was already waiting for her in his study. The blackboard was spotless, and there was a thick stack of original math books and a wooden box full of chalk on the table.

Good afternoon, Lynn.

"Good afternoon, Professor Smith."

Professor Smith asked with a smile, "How was the New Year celebration in Hong Kong?"

"It's very lively." Lin Ying sat down on a chair nearby. "I also received a lot of practical questions outside of my studies."

"for example?"

"Money, family, and a huge appetite of a group of people who want to change their class fate."

Smith laughed: "This sounds more complicated than calculus."

"That's why I prefer math." Lin Ying opened her notebook. "Math, at least, gives a definite answer."

Smith picked up the chalk, but instead of writing the problem on the blackboard immediately as usual.

"Lynn, there's something I need to tell you. I'll teach you for seven more days, then I'll be going back to England."

Although Lin Ying knew that the old professor was only in Hong Kong for winter vacation and would leave sooner or later, she still felt a little reluctant to see him go when she heard those words.

"Seven days?"

"Yes," Smith said. "My youngest son is urging me to go back and deal with some property matters in England. There are also a few old friends in Cambridge who are waiting for me to go back and meet them."

Lin Ying took a deep breath: "I understand, have a safe journey."

Smith continued, "But this is not the end, Lynn. Every winter and summer vacation from now on, as long as my health permits, I will fly to Hong Kong and continue to teach you."

"Really?" Lin Ying was very happy, as she desperately needed the guidance of this advanced mathematics tutor at this stage;

"Of course," Smith said seriously. "You are the most talented and hardworking student I have seen since I retired."

As he said this, he deliberately added in an arrogant and prejudiced tone, "Although, you are just an Asian girl."

Lin Ying remained calm. She knew very well that Western prejudices were deeply ingrained in this era and would not easily disappear just because she got a perfect score in the Mid-Levels apartment or proved a few topology problems.

The girl just looked at Smith quietly. "Professor, mathematics doesn't discriminate based on skin color."

Smith was taken aback.

Lin Ying continued in fluent English, "If my derivation and proof are wrong, please cross them out with a red pen; that means there's a problem with my logic. But if my proof is correct, it will absolutely not become wrong just because I'm Asian or because I'm a girl."

"Very good." Smith wrote a formula on the blackboard. "Excellent! Lynn, remember what you said today. When you get to Cambridge, you'll hear even more vicious and harsh words than what I just said."

Lin Ying looked him straight in the eye: "Then I'll write a more beautiful proof on the blackboard than theirs."

"As expected of my student!"

In this lesson, Smith spoke faster than usual, jumping from complex functions all the way to algorithmic models...

Lin Ying didn't stop writing even when her wrists ached.

During halftime, Smith handed her a list of books.

"I will borrow these books from the library and send them to you after I return to England; some of them are very difficult, so don't rush to understand them all. Write me a letter every month with your questions in England, and I will send them back to Hong Kong along with the corrections."

Lin Ying accepted the book list with both hands: "I will send it out on time."

"And another thing," Smith said, looking at her, "don't learn math just to pass exams. Exam syllabi will limit your brain."

Lin Ying nodded: "I understand."

After returning to Taikoo City, Lin Ying took a nap, dreaming that she was doing practice problems in class... She slept for two hours straight.

After dinner, Lin Ying first went to the living room to check Lin Qian's test paper with a red pen, then took a glass of water back to the bedroom and turned on the computer on her desk.

The New Territories Wealth Creation Story

The following line of small print reads: A woman from 2020 falls into a village in Hong Kong's New Territories in 1985. Penniless, she is determined to lead an entire village, turning mundane small businesses into a major undertaking for the era.

Lin Ying stared at the screen for a few seconds, then pressed save.

She then created a second document.

Qin Pass

Synopsis: A modern-day gangster boss travels back in time to the Qin Dynasty.

Two similar time-travel themes, one light and one heavy, lie side by side on the screen.