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

At 7:30 p.m., Lam Him took the MTR from Wan Chai back to Taikoo Shing.

He worked overtime at the law firm today, and as soon as he walked in, he smelled the aroma of ginger, scallions, and crab wafting from the kitchen. He immediately perked up: "Mommy's making a big meal today?"

Lin Lanying was stirring something on the stove: "Your sister bought a villa, let's celebrate."

Lin Qian immediately went to the living room and saw Lin Ying sitting on the sofa flipping through a home improvement magazine: "Big sister! A villa? What villa? Where is it?"

Lin Ying turned the page: "Kowloon Tong, Kadoorie Hill."

Lin Qian was stunned: "Kadoorie Hill?! I know that place! I went there with my boss in March to meet a client. Those villas belong to some very wealthy family! You bought it?"

"Bought it, for thirty-eight million."

Lin Qian felt that his older sister's wealth was beyond his comprehension: "Big sister, just how much money do you have?"

"You already asked that last time." Lin Ying put the magazine on the coffee table. "Let's eat."

He Dazhu came in from the balcony, his hands still covered in mud. He had become obsessed with researching what vegetables to plant in the flowerpots on the balcony in preparation for moving to the villa.

"Ah Qian's back? Wash your hands and eat, we have crab today."

At the dinner table, Lin Qian, while munching on a crab leg, pressed for details: "How big is it? How many floors? Does it have a garden?"

"The indoor area is 330 square meters, the garden is over 400 square meters, and there's also a swimming pool." Lin Lanying used scissors to cut open the crab shell for Lin Ying and handed it over.

"Swimming pool!" Lin Qian slammed his hand on the table. "That's awesome! I'll go swimming there every day in the summer! Kowloon Tong isn't too far from Wan Chai where I work; it's only a 40-minute subway ride, right?"

Lin Ying glanced at him but didn't reply.

Lin Lanying spoke first: "Qian, what are you thinking about?"

"What are you thinking? I want to live there from now on! This villa has so many rooms, please reserve one for me that faces south..."

"Dream on." Lin Ying interrupted his fantasy. "Qian, you can only stay in guest rooms over there; you won't get a private room."

Lin Qian stopped eating the crab leg: "What do you mean? Guest room? I'm your own brother, okay?!"

Lin Lanying put down her chopsticks: "Ah Qian, stop making noise and listen to Mommy."

"You'll get married and have kids eventually. Your sister has transferred ownership of this large apartment on the 19th floor of Taikoo Shing to you, which means you can no longer squeeze in with us; you're going to start your own life."

Lin Qian was completely stunned: "So buying a villa is just a way of kicking me out of the house?"

His last hope turned to He Dazhu: "Old Dou! Aren't you going to live with me?"

He Dazhu slurped up some crab roe and said, "Why would I live with you? Your monthly salary is only a few thousand yuan, barely enough to cover the management fees and utilities for this apartment on the nineteenth floor. If I live with you, I'll have to work hard every day carving stones to earn money for your household expenses! You're so poor, and you still want to make your old man suffer?"

Lin Qian was speechless.

Lin Lanying added insult to injury: "Your father is right, I'm not going to live with you; I'll be your maid all day long, washing clothes, cooking, and cleaning the house; you're already in your twenties, so when you have children, you'll have to hire a Filipino maid yourself, or take care of them yourself, don't count on me."

Lin Qian accused her, "Big sister, did you plan this all along? Give me an apartment, tie me to Taikoo Shing, and then you take Old Dou and Mommy off to a villa to enjoy life?"

"What are you saying? I'd give you a 2,000-square-foot penthouse, and you'd have a problem with that?"

"I have no objection, I just..." Lin Qian scratched his head, "I just feel it's sudden; we're still a family living together, and today we're going to live separately?"

He Dazhu glanced at him: "When you were little, you always complained that you wanted to live by yourself and that your sister was too strict with you; now that you're actually living by yourself, you're acting all coy."

"That's different!" Lin Qian exclaimed anxiously, "We were just playing around when we were kids!"

Lin Lanying: "Qian, you're twenty years old now. We've done our duty as parents by raising you. You'll get married and start your own family in the future, and you can't stick to your older sister and us forever. Your sister is giving you this house so that you'll have a respectable place to get married and raise your children. You should be happy."

Lin Qian shoveled a couple of mouthfuls of rice into his mouth and asked, "So, can I come back to the villa for a free meal this weekend?"

"I'm okay with freeloading," Lin Ying said, "but call ahead."

"Do I need to make a reservation to freeload a meal?"

"You think this is a tea restaurant? You can just walk in like that?" He Dazhu snorted.

Lin Qian was completely speechless.

After dinner, he sat alone on the living room sofa for a long time, digesting his food, his mind constantly preoccupied with this matter; this 2,000-square-foot apartment in Taikoo Shing was something he could never afford in two lifetimes without his older sister! His sister was a woman of her word; she promised to buy him a house if he got into university, and now she really did. But the thought of coming home every day after get off work to an empty 2,000 square feet, with no one to talk to…

"What are you thinking about?" Lin Ying came out of the kitchen, holding a glass of water.

"I'm thinking about how I'll cook for myself in the future." Lin Qian looked up at her.

"If you can't cook, just eat out. Didn't you say you wanted to study legal cases? It's quiet living alone, perfect for reading."

Lin Qian sighed, "Fine, fine, I'll definitely go back for a free meal this weekend."

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For the next two weeks, Lin Ying drove with Coach Huang every morning and handled various matters at the villa in the afternoon. Coach Huang was a retired bus driver in his early fifties. He was steady-handed, quiet, and very patient in teaching. Lin Ying picked it up quickly and was able to drive smoothly in straight lines and turns on the training ground on the third day.

"Ms. Lin, you react quickly and have excellent hand-eye coordination; at this pace, getting your license in two and a half months shouldn't be a problem." Coach Huang always praises you.

"Two and a half months? Can it be any faster?"

"There's no rush. The road test schedule takes time. I'll help you schedule the earliest one."

After finishing her driving practice, Lin Ying returned to Taikoo Shing at 3 PM. She took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and found He Dazhu tending to the plants on the balcony in the living room.

"Old Dou, I need to talk to you about something."

He Dazhu turned around, still clutching a small shovel in his hand: "Speak."

"After we move into Kadoorie Hill, according to the custom there, new residents need to get to know their neighbors; the property management will arrange a meeting, and I will have to prepare some gifts to give out."

He Dazhu put down the small shovel: "What are you delivering?"

"I'd like you to carve a batch of safety buckles for me." Lin Ying sat down on a low stool on the balcony. "They should be made of jade, not too big or too expensive, but they must be exquisite."

He Dazhu thought for a moment: "Safety buckles are easy to make, very simple. How many do you want?"

"There are seven neighboring households on that road in Kadoorie Hill. If each household receives a pair, plus a few managers from the property management, it will be about twenty people."

"Twenty? What grade of material are you using?"

"Above average quality is fine. Too cheap is not presentable, and too expensive is unnecessary. You can discuss the selection of materials with Master Su, and I will cover the cost."

He Dazhu perked up: "Okay! I'll take care of this; don't worry, I'll carve it beautifully for you! I'll even put a brocade box on it and write a little card, it'll look very presentable."

"Let Mom write the cards; her handwriting is beautiful."

"Yes, your mom's traditional Chinese characters are definitely a hundred times better than mine," He Dazhu replied cheerfully.

Lin Ying stood up and dusted off her pants: "Old Dou, can this batch of safety amulets be delivered before the end of November? The renovations will be finished in early December, and we'll need them right away after moving in."

"There's plenty of time! One safety buckle takes two days to make, and twenty will only take a little over a month; I'll go find Master Su to choose the materials tomorrow."

"Then I'll leave it to Old Dou."

Lin Ying turned and went into the house. Lin Lanying was sitting in the living room sewing the cuffs of a cheongsam.

"Mommy, you can write the cards for the gifts."

Lin Lanying: "What should we write about?"

"Just write something polite like, 'Our new neighbor has moved in. This is a small gift, and we hope you will take good care of us.'"

"I could write this with my eyes closed," Lin Lanying said, biting off a loose thread. "But, sister, after you move in, what about dealing with those neighbors..."

"I know. Just be polite, but don't be too overly enthusiastic or too cold. Benjamin already told me all that."

Lin Lanying remarked with emotion, "You're becoming more and more like an adult."

"Mommy, I'm twenty-two this year, so I'm an adult."

"In my eyes, you are still that little girl."

Lin Ying returned to her room and began organizing her documents. In a few months, she would be leaving this place; the nineteenth floor of Taikoo City, where she had lived for several years, would soon be Lin Qian's place alone; although her brother complained, he was probably happy inside.

After all, a 20-year-old lawyer owning a 2,000-square-foot apartment on Hong Kong Island is already a huge advantage over his peers.