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

Inspector Luo's first lesson was on Chinese.

Four words were written on the blackboard: Thoughts on the start of the school year.

The question was quite ordinary, and the students in the front row rolled their eyes. Students at São Paulo have been doing this kind of question since first grade; they had done it during the holidays, and they couldn't escape it on the first day of school.

Instead of having anyone write, Inspector Luo took the chalk and wrote a line of small characters next to the blackboard: What I saw, what I heard, what I thought.

"Essays aren't about padding the word count." Mr. Luo turned around, his gaze sweeping across the entire class. "This morning, each of you left home, took the bus, entered the school gate, and returned to the classroom. You all saw things and heard sounds..."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the first class; Mr. Luo had just left the classroom with his lesson plan when the fourth-grade class, which had been quiet for a period, resumed its noisy activity.

Lin Ying had just closed her exercise book and hadn't even had a chance to put it in the drawer when seven or eight people surrounded her from all sides.

"Lin Ying." The first to speak was a boy in the row in front of her wearing round-framed glasses. "Did you really learn everything at home? Didn't you ever go to kindergarten? Or even elementary school?"

"No." Lin Ying put the pencil on the table into her pencil case.

A girl with short hair pushed her way to the front and asked directly, "So what score did you get on the transfer exam? Inspector Luo only said your grades were good. The school wouldn't just add seats randomly!"

Upon hearing this, the people around who had been talking tacitly fell silent. Actually, the whole class wanted to ask the same question. Everyone knew that the entrance exam for St. Paul's was extremely difficult, and it was even rarer for the principal to make an exception and offer a spot.

Lin Ying looked at the group of peers gathered around the table: "The written test was out of 300 points, and I got 299. I also got A's in all the interviews."

Immediately, someone in the back row muttered under their breath, "Wow, crazy!"

"Two hundred and ninety-nine?" The boy with round glasses found it unbelievable. "One point short of a perfect score?! You lost one point in Chinese? But you got a hundred in math and general knowledge?"

Lin Ying nodded: "Yes, there was a fill-in-the-blank question in Chinese. I erased the word 'carry' because the paper wasn't clean enough, and I lost a point."

This time, even the people who had been standing far away all came over.

"One point deducted just for wiping it?"

"Nonsense, that's how they've always graded papers at São Paulo."

"No! You've got the wrong point. The point is, she only lost one point!"

The murmurs in the classroom grew louder and louder. Before, they only knew that this was a transfer student; now they truly understood that this extra spot was earned entirely by several near-perfect test scores.

After the onlookers dispersed, the girl with the high ponytail sitting next to Lin Ying finally spoke up: "You're so sharp."

Lin Ying turned her head to look at her: "Thank you."

"My name is Tang Shiya." The girl glanced at Lin Ying's schoolbag on the table. "From now on... we'll be deskmates."

"Lin Ying".

"I know." Tang Shiya didn't know what else to say, so she lowered her head to tidy up her pencil case.

The second period is English class, and the third period is math class.

Throughout the morning, Lin Ying personally experienced the high pressure of São Paulo; the school's teaching pace was extremely fast, the teachers did not teach slowly and patiently, the English-speaking foreign teachers greeted her in English as soon as they entered the door, and spoke rapidly when taking attendance; after teaching basic concepts in math class, they went straight to advanced practice problems.

Some students got used to this pace and took notes quickly with their heads down; a few others frowned as they listened; Lin Ying had no trouble at all, listening to the lecture while writing down the local Hong Kong vocabulary that the teacher mentioned on the right side of her exercise book.

When Lin Ying went to the cafeteria for lunch, she witnessed another aspect of the prestigious university's ecosystem.

The canteen was huge, with tiled floors and clean, beautiful tables and chairs. Every student wore a student ID badge, and the teachers on duty stood by to supervise discipline. The differences in social class were evident at the dining tables: some ate insulated lunchboxes brought by servants, others paid for expensive Western meals ordered by the school, and the rest ate bread and milk to fill their stomachs.

Lin Ying, carrying the school's provided lunch tray, found a seat on the side. A little while later, Tang Shiya came over with her tray and stopped opposite her.

Is this seat taken?

"no."

Tang Shiya sat down quietly, lowering her head and eating her meal bite by bite.

The two had only taken a few bites when three girls walked by; the girl in the middle had French braids and was carrying a pink double-layered lunchbox.

As she passed Tang Shiya, she drawled, "Shiya, you're sitting here today?"

Tang Shiya shrugged slightly: "Mm."

The girl chuckled, "That's true. Anyway, our table is full. You and your new classmate can eat slowly."

After she finished speaking, she led the other two girls, chatting and laughing, to the round table by the French windows.

Tang Shiya continued eating with her head down.

Lin Ying took a bite of the greens without changing her expression; she understood the implied meaning of those words at a glance.

For the next week, Lin Ying not only attended classes but also thoroughly understood the ecology of Class 1, Grade 4.

The boys are straightforward and disciplined; the top students gather in groups; the active ones rush to the playground after class; and the students who are punished by standing still do as they please.

The relationships on the girls' side are much more complicated.

There were 26 students in the class, 12 of whom were girls, but they were divided into three or four separate groups. They were arranging things like choosing who would go to the restroom together, distributing stickers, and making invitations to the birthday party...

Lin Ying's deskmate, Tang Shiya, unfortunately found herself at the bottom, being the one who was ostracized.

The reason is that Tang Shiya's grades are mediocre, her personality is too soft, and her family's financial situation is barely enough to support her to attend a prestigious school.

She carried a nylon backpack, and the corners of her pencil case were worn white. She didn't try to please others, and when she was snubbed in a sarcastic way, she didn't know how to fight back; she would just lower her head even further. People with this kind of personality are easily used to establish authority in a group of girls.

Lin Ying felt that these people were just bored and had nothing better to do.

In her past life, she was so sick that she could hardly get out of bed. These girls from wealthy families, with healthy bodies and access to the best educational resources in Hong Kong, with strict supervision from teachers and parents paving the way for them, ended up spending all their time figuring out who wouldn't play with whom.

This is a complete waste of time.

Lin Ying didn't intend to interfere in this childish interpersonal dispute. She didn't know the family background of each person or the teacher's bottom line; if she rashly stood up for others, she would only end up getting herself into trouble.

When Tang Shiya asked her to sit with her, she would readily agree; when the girls came up to mock her, Lin Ying would not respond, but would only raise her eyes and silently look over.

The girl in the lead got bored and looked away.

On the last afternoon of the first week, Mr. Luo rearranged class affairs during the class meeting.

"Class monitor, disciplinary committee member, and subject group leaders will all be re-elected this semester." Mr. Luo stood on the podium holding the roster. "Interested students can nominate themselves or be nominated by their classmates."

Many students in the audience immediately became eager to participate. In São Paulo, class committee members have real interests at stake, as they are involved in end-of-term moral character assessments and teacher evaluations, and can even determine the number of nominees for subsequent school activities.

Mr. Luo's gaze swept around the classroom and finally landed on the third row by the window.

"Lin Ying," Mr. Luo called her name directly, "You're new to our class, but your grades are impeccable. Would you be interested in trying to be the math group leader? It would help you integrate into the group more quickly."

All eyes in the class turned to him, and the boy sitting in the front row who wanted the seat dimmed his gaze.

Lin Ying stood up: "Thank you, Sir Luo, but I'm a new transfer student and not yet familiar with my classmates or the school's rules. Right now, I just want to focus on my studies and keep up with St. Paul's. So, I'm sorry, I don't intend to take on any position."

Inspector Luo seemed surprised that this coveted position had been turned down, but he nodded at the young woman and said, "Alright. Focus on your studies first. Sit down."

As soon as she sat down, whispers arose.

"Are you kidding me? You won't even do it when Inspector Luo personally assigned it?"

"Maybe they think the group leader is too insignificant and look down on him."

Tang Shiya peeked at her from behind her book: "Lin Ying, do you really not want to do it?"

"In no mood."

"Why? If you become the group leader, they won't dare to ostracize you anymore," Tang Shiya said in a low voice.

"What a hassle." Lin Ying opened her math textbook, took out a pencil, and said, "I'm here to study, not to manage people. It's such a waste of time to worry about whether others have turned in their homework. Let them do it or not."

Tang Shiya looked at Lin Ying and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

September passed by day by day amidst extremely fast-paced and high-pressure teaching.

Lin Ying's life became very regular; she took the school bus to school in the morning, memorized traditional Chinese characters during breaks, and took the bus back to Sai Wan in the evening. Back at the tailor shop in Yu Fat Building, Lin Lanying was operating the sewing machine, and she and Lin Qian sat at the corner folding table to do their homework.

When He Dazhu returned home from Yau Ma Tei in the evening, the first thing he would ask upon entering the house was, "Little sister, how was school today? Did anyone bully you?"

Lin Ying always answered "No" seriously.

Until the end of September, the atmosphere of the first monthly exam enveloped Class 1 of Grade 4.

Students in São Paulo aren't afraid of regular exams, but the first monthly exam of the fourth grade determines their eligibility for subsequent differentiated activities. The boys who usually love to run around after class have been sitting quietly at their seats doing practice problems these past few days.

On the afternoon before the monthly exam, Mr. Luo walked onto the podium with a stack of notification slips in his arms.

"Stop what you're doing for a moment." Inspector Luo slammed the notice on the podium.

The classroom fell silent instantly.

"Starting tomorrow, we'll have monthly exams for all subjects: Chinese, English, Math, and General Knowledge. I don't need to repeat the rules: only stationery is allowed on your desks, and all backpacks must be placed in the cabinets at the back." Officer Luo then changed the subject, "But the main point I want to discuss today is what happens after the exams."

He pulled one out of the stack of notices and held it up.

"Next week after the monthly exams, the school will officially open registration for this semester's 'interest classes'."

The moment those words were spoken, the classroom erupted in commotion.

"It's finally here!"

"My mom told me to keep an eye on the piano lessons yesterday!"

"I want to sign up for the math olympiad!"

Mr. Luo raised his hand to quell the noise: "Quiet down, let me finish! This year, the school is offering the following extracurricular classes: piano, dance, choir, math olympiad, debate and public speaking, English drama, computer literacy, Go, calligraphy, and swimming."

Upon hearing the words "computer literacy class," Lin Ying stopped writing.

In 1980s Hong Kong, televisions weren't common in ordinary households, and computers were expensive and scarce. St. Paul's, however, offered computer literacy classes as part of their extracurricular activities. This illustrates the power dynamics of social class.

Inspector Luo continued, "I want to remind everyone that the school's extracurricular classes are subsidized by the school board, and the teachers they hire are top-notch instructors that are hard to find elsewhere, so the fees are more than half the price of those outside."

At this point, he tapped the blackboard: "So, don't think that extracurricular classes are just for you to play around with! Every subject has strict requirements!"

"Want to enroll in the Math Olympiad? We only consider your monthly math exam scores; want to participate in debate and public speaking? We assess your Chinese and English scores along with your classroom performance; the Computer Cognition course has the highest entry requirements, prioritizing students who rank in the top ten overall! As for piano and dance, you also need to go through an interview with a professional teacher."

Inspector Luo handed out the registration forms to the front row so that everyone could pass them on to the back.

"Listen carefully, in São Paulo, nothing comes for free; extracurricular classes aren't for leisure, they're another hurdle to overcome. If you can't get good grades, if you can't demonstrate your abilities, then you'd better go home after school!"

The students who had been excited moments before suddenly became serious.

Lin Ying took the registration form and looked down at the lines of black text on the paper.

[Olympiad Math Class (Limited to 15 students in the fourth grade)]

Debate and Speech (Mixed Competition for Upper Grades, Limited to 20 Participants)

[Computer Literacy Class (Limited to 10 students in Grade 4)]

Behind every popular resource lies a brutally limited number of slots.

Tang Shiya held the registration form tightly and asked softly, "Lin Ying, which one do you want to apply for?"

Lin Ying folded the registration form in half and tucked it into her math textbook, saying, "Take the exam first."