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

The next day at noon, Lin Qian left work early.

He changed out of the dark suit he wore at the law firm and put on only a light gray shirt before taking a taxi to a Western restaurant in Central.

Hu Min chose this restaurant. It's not usually too crowded, and the private rooms are quiet, making it a good place to talk.

After Lin Qian sat down, he ordered two set meals and specifically asked the waiter to replace the red wine with juice.

Hu Min sat opposite him and, seeing his arrangement, asked first, "Why did you suddenly ask me to come here today? Is there something you want to say?"

"Amin, my mom and Lao Dou went to your house yesterday, and afterwards... did your parents tell you anything?"

Hu Min nodded: "I did."

"Your mom said the house you're living in belongs to your sister, and that your income isn't as high as people think; my parents did ask me a lot of questions after that."

Lin Qian frowned: "What did they say?"

Hu Min: "They were a little disappointed at first; but you can't blame them for this. You're a lawyer, live in Taikoo Shing, and always dress well, so of course they would assume you're well-off. But later I explained to them that the house was given to you by your sister and that your sister had no obligation to keep subsidizing you, so they didn't say anything more."

Lin Qian said in a low voice, "Amin, I didn't come to see you today to ask what your parents think of me."

Hu Min looked at him: "Then what do you want to ask?"

"I want to ask about our future."

Hu Min quieted down.

Lin Qian said, "I like you very much. I don't want to deny our relationship because of yesterday's meal. But there are some things I can't keep pretending not to see. You are the eldest sister in your family. You have parents, younger brothers and sisters. If we really get married in the future, those things will inevitably have nothing to do with me."

Hu Min's face paled a little. Lin Qian felt bad seeing her reaction, but since the conversation had already started, he couldn't stop halfway through.

"Amin, my family wasn't rich before. My sister was sick for many years when she was young, and my parents worked hard to get through it. Poverty isn't a problem; everyone has difficult times. But I'm not my sister. I don't have her skills or as much money as she does. I'm just a lawyer who's just started handling cases independently. I earn a decent amount of money, but if I have to shoulder everything in the future, I can't handle it."

He looked at Hu Min and said in a low voice, "I only realized last night that I can't be a savior."

The private room remained quiet for a long time.

Hu Min lowered her head, and after a while, she picked up her water glass and took a sip: "I understand."

Seeing her like this, Lin Qian felt even more distressed: "If you're unhappy, you can just say so; I came here today to put all this aside for our future."

Hu Min: "I'm not unhappy. It's better to make things clear now than to blame each other after we're married and problems arise."

Lin Qian didn't urge her.

Hu Min: "After you left yesterday, my parents really talked to me a lot; they said that you are a lawyer and know a lot of people, so in the future, Hu Tao can ask you for help to find shipping documents, Hu Zheng can find clients, and Hu Li can ask you for help to change jobs."

Lin Qian's expression was rather unpleasant.

Hu Min then added, "I told them right then and there that it wouldn't work."

"Hu Tao driving a truck is a job he chose himself; Hu Zheng working as a real estate agent, whether his performance is good or not is also his own business; whether A Qian can help depends on whether he is willing and whether there is a suitable opportunity. We can't treat him as a family connection."

"They are my brothers, not your responsibility."

Lin Qian looked at her without saying a word.

Hu Min said, "It's a fact that my parents raised me and supported my education; even after I get married, I can't completely ignore them; the only part I can take care of is my own."

She explained everything clearly: "I currently earn 8,000 yuan a month; after we get married, I will give them 2,000 yuan a month for living expenses; this money will come from my salary, so you don't need to be responsible for it."

"I will buy things for the holidays and if my parents are unwell and need to see a doctor, I will fulfill my responsibilities as a daughter; I will not shirk these responsibilities."

"My two younger brothers are already adults. Their houses, marriages, and jobs cannot all be the burden of me. At most, I can help them keep an eye out for job postings and introduce them to suitable positions. Whether they can take the jobs or not is up to them."

Hu Min looked at Lin Qian as she said this: "I've also told my parents that when I get married, I'll be starting a new family with you, not finding another man to support the whole family."

Lin Qian was somewhat surprised. He had thought a lot last night, even imagining that Hu Min would cry, say he was materialistic, or think his family looked down on him... He hadn't expected that Hu Min had already thought about these issues first.

"Do your parents agree?" Lin Qian asked.

Hu Min gave a wry smile: "What can I do if they disagree? Of course they hope I can help the family more, but I also have to live my own life."

"I'm 23 this year, not a young girl who just graduated. I know what I should help with and what I shouldn't."

Lin Qian stared at her for a while.

Hu Min felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze: "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Lin Qian suddenly laughed: "I was wondering if I worried for nothing all night."

Hu Min: "What are you worried about?"

"I'm worried that you'll think I'm useless and can't provide anything for your family."

Hu Min looked at him and said earnestly, "Qian, you are a lawyer, you are sensible in your actions, and that's good to me; you're not the kind of person who boasts about how much you're capable as soon as you open your mouth, and I've always liked that about you."

Lin Qian's ears burned after hearing this. He picked up his juice, took a sip, and suppressed the smile on his face: "Then let's make things clear from now on."

Hu Min nodded: "Okay."

Lin Qian thought for a moment and then said, "If there's a real emergency at home in the future, it's not that I can't help at all; just tell me first, and we'll discuss it together."

Hu Min looked at him and said, "I understand. The two of us can't bear the fate of so many people."

After the two finished saying the most difficult things, the steak on the table was served.

Lin Qian cut off a piece and put it in his mouth, finally feeling his appetite return.

Seeing him eating so happily, Hu Min asked, "Did your mom scold you when you got home yesterday?"

Lin Qian... "She didn't scold me."

Hu Min didn't quite believe it.

Lin Qian coughed and said, "He just talked to me a lot of principles."

"Where's your sister?"

"My sister said it too."

Hu Min asked nervously, "Does she not like me?"

Lin Qian immediately shook his head: "No, she has no right to draw conclusions about what the Hu family is like; she only asked me to clarify the money, responsibilities, and boundaries."

Hu Min breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Qian looked at her and said, "My sister is very capable, but she's also very reasonable. You'll see as more of her as you get to know her."

Hu Min said in a low voice, "I'm a little afraid of her."

"What are you afraid of? She doesn't eat people."

"Your sister looks like a very capable person."

Lin Qian recalled Lin Ying's strong-willed nature from childhood and nodded in agreement: "She is indeed impressive."

After finishing their meal, Lin Qian paid the bill and then walked with Hu Min along the street for a while.

------

That evening, Lin Qian returned to his villa in Kadoorie Hill.

The whole family was waiting for Lin Qian's news in the living room. Seeing Lin Qian enter, Lin Lanying asked, "You're back? How did your talk with Amin go?"

Lin Qian didn't mince words: "We've talked it out." He recounted Hu Min's words from beginning to end.

I give my parents two thousand yuan a month for living expenses, and only provide limited help to my younger siblings. I don't take on their life responsibilities, and I don't treat Lin Qian as the Hu family's money bag or network of connections.

After listening, He Dazhu praised, "This girl knows her place."

Lin Lanying didn't find fault: "The fact that she can think this way shows that she's not a fool."

Lin Qian sat down on the sofa, completely relaxing: "I think it's pretty good too."

Lin Ying asked, "Qian, how much do you actually earn now?"

Lin Qian asked in confusion, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Didn't you say before that you only earned nine thousand a month and couldn't support your family? I pay Attorney Shen so much, why is Attorney Lin's salary so low?"

Lin Qian was a little embarrassed: "That was a few years ago; since last year, I've been able to handle cases independently; on good months I can earn 60,000, and on bad months I still earn more than 20,000."

Lin Ying looked at him speechlessly: "Then why do you keep complaining about being poor all the time?"

Lin Qian argued, "The income of lawyers is unstable; it's not like you get 60,000 every month."

"Even if it's over 20,000, you're not considered poor; you don't have a mortgage to pay now, you haven't bought a car, and your spending on clothes, food, and entertainment isn't that high; how much can you save in a year?"

Lin Qian whispered, "I've saved about 500,000 yuan over the years."

Lin Ying was a little surprised: "Oh, Lin Qian! You always call yourself a poor lawyer at home, but it turns out you're a wealthy man who only takes in and never gives out?"

Lin Qian touched his nose: "I save money in case I need it in case."

Lin Ying leaned back on the sofa: "Your sister hasn't spent any of your money yet."

Lin Qian immediately said, "Sister, you spend it, I'll spend it on you."

Lin Yingcai didn't stand on ceremony with him: "Take me to buy some gold bracelets this weekend."

Lin Qian thought his sister was just buying clothes and shoes, or having a meal, so why was she buying gold? "A gold bracelet?"

Lin Ying: "I've raised you for so many years, it's time to give me something in return! Mommy, how much is Ah Qian planning to give as a betrothal gift?"

Lin Qian interrupted, "I want to give 180,000."

"Can."

Lin Ying nodded: "Then I'll give you a red envelope of 660,000 yuan, as start-up capital for your life together."

Lin Qian: "Sister, this is too much."

"I have money, and Hu Min was able to explain these things clearly today. She deserves to be treated with respect."

He Dazhu said, "We'll give some too!"

Lin Lanying chimed in, "Over the years, I've run a tailor shop, and your father has been doing jade carving; we've saved up some money. We'll give Aqian 200,000."

Lin Qian felt like he'd been living a dream these past two days, going from agonizing struggle to suddenly becoming incredibly wealthy: "You're giving me 200,000?"

Lin Lanying glared at him: "What, you don't want it?"

"want."

He Dazhu laughed out loud: "Didn't you just say you had 500,000 in savings?"

"That's mine," Lin Qian said matter-of-factly. "I saved it up little by little over four years! What you're giving me is your heartfelt gift."

Lin Ying, listening from the side, shook her head: "Master Lin is indeed Master Lin; he can calculate every single penny clearly."

Lin Qian didn't refute, he just sat there with a silly grin on his face. He originally thought that after yesterday's meal, there would be another insurmountable obstacle between him and Hu Min.

But now he understands that people who truly want to get married aren't afraid to lay reality on the table; what they fear is saying they like someone while neither of them is willing to face the future.

He and Hu Min, at least, have already taken the first step.