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

The next morning, the sounds of neighbors getting up early could still be heard in the narrow public corridor of Yufa Building.

Inside the Lin family's house, Lin Ying hung her schoolbag on the back of a chair.

"Mommy, I asked for leave from school today." Lin Ying pulled out a chair and sat down. "These last few days of the semester are all about safety education and general knowledge classes. No new knowledge is taught, so missing a day won't make a difference."

Lin Lanying was setting a bowl of congee on the table when she heard this and immediately frowned: "You dare to ask for leave before you've even gotten your footing?"

Lin Ying set out her chopsticks, her tone perfectly justified: "Mommy, that's a million-dollar house. A whole million! If I don't go and see it for myself from top to bottom today, I won't be able to concentrate on the lesson at all, and I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Upon hearing the words "one million," Lin Lanying untied her apron and tossed it aside. "You're right. Not just you, I tossed and turned in bed all night, unable to sleep! Just thinking about spending such a large sum of money makes my heart race!"

He Dazhu stood by the sink brushing his teeth, asking indistinctly, "So, shall we go look at apartments today?"

"Of course I'll go." Lin Lanying turned around and started rummaging through the cabinet, taking out her ID card bag and bank drafts one by one and counting them carefully. "Not only do we need to see the property, but if everything's okay after the inspection, we'll go and complete the formalities this afternoon. Any delays could lead to unforeseen problems!"

Lin Qian was sitting at the table with a bowl of porridge when he heard this and raised his hand: "Mommy! Daddy! Sister! Me too! I want to see the mansion too!"

After stuffing the documents into her purse, Lin Lanying said, "Go to school."

"Why?!" Lin Qian cried out in anguish. "That's a house with three large balconies! Three! As one of the future users of the Lin family home, don't I have the right to inspect it?"

Lin Lanying walked over and slapped Lin Qian on the back of the head: "What right do you have! If you dare to be kept after school and punished to copy texts again today, forget about the three balconies, you won't even have the right to enter the house anymore!"

Lin Qian covered his head, knowing he was in the wrong, and could only slurp down the porridge in his bowl. He then slung his backpack over his shoulder and looked at Lin Ying with a wronged expression: "Sister, remember to check for me. Is that bathtub really that big? Make sure you see it clearly!"

Lin Ying nodded and teased him, "Okay, if the bathtub is big enough, I'll arrange for you to sit in the bathtub every night to memorize English words."

Lin Qian: "..."

After having breakfast, Lin Lanying, He Dazhu, and Lin Ying went downstairs.

Boss Peng was very savvy; his secretary, Zhong, had a car waiting at the alley entrance of Yufa Building. As soon as the three of them came out, Secretary Zhong immediately opened the car door.

"Mrs. Lin, Miss Lin, Mr. He, good morning. Mr. Peng has instructed me to accompany you all to view properties today. We also have an appointment at the Central Law Firm at 2 PM."

Lin Lanying nodded her thanks: "Thank you, Secretary Zhong."

The car headed towards Taikoo Shing.

Lin Ying sat in the back seat, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside the car window. In early 1980s Hong Kong, regional development was uneven. The Western District was full of old, blackened tenement buildings, a dense tangle of tangled electrical wires, and bamboo poles hanging outside the windows. As the car entered the Eastern District, the roads widened, and newly built commercial buildings sprang up, with bright, modern greenery and GG signs along the roadside.

He Dazhu didn't dare to say a word the whole way until the car stopped near Taikoo Shing, at which point he began to look around.

Rows of new buildings stand neatly arranged, their exterior walls so clean they reflect light. The wide roads and bright shops make it seem like a completely different area from the Western District.

Secretary Chung led the way, introducing the properties as they walked: "This area in Taikoo Shing is the best-selling new residential complex in Hong Kong in the past two years. It's surrounded by shopping malls, schools, and bus lines. The Reflection Terrace complex has a total of four buildings. The unit that Mr. Peng reserved for you is in the very front row."

Lin Lanying asked, "Is there a big difference between the front and back rows?"

"It's very big." Secretary Zhong flipped open the floor plan and pointed it out to Lin Lanying. "The two buildings in the front row have the best orientation and the most open view. They also have the largest apartment types. Each building is only twenty-three stories high, so there are fewer residents. The two buildings in the back are mainly smaller apartments, thirty-five stories high, so the buildings are more densely packed."

Lin Lanying understood the importance of front-row, large-sized, low-density housing. Boss Peng lowered the price by 300,000 yuan, giving up this rare and desirable property.

The group entered the lobby, where the floor was paved with gleaming marble. At the entrance, uniformed security guards saluted. He Dazhu quickly nodded to the guards and followed them into the elevator, feeling rather awkward.

With a ding, the elevator stopped on the fifteenth floor.

The corridor was spacious and bright, with no clutter or cooking fumes. Secretary Zhong took out his key, clicked the lock, and pushed open the door.

"This is the 1,200-foot unit."

Lin Ying was the first to step inside.

The first thing you see is a spacious living room. The floor is covered with a new light-colored tile that is currently available in Hong Kong, and the sunlight streams in through the windows without any obstruction, making the whole space bright and airy.

The living room connects to the main balcony. Standing on the balcony and looking out, you can see the lush greenery of the estate and the open buildings in the distance. Unlike in Sai Wan, you don't have to open the window to see the cured meat hanging in the old lady's kitchen across the street.

Lin Lanying began inspecting each room one by one.

"This apartment has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. All the fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms have been installed," Secretary Zhong explained from the side.

Lin Ying walked into the kitchen; the kitchen had upper and lower rows of light wood cabinets, a flat countertop, a double sink, and the exhaust duct was clearly visible. Such a configuration is rarely seen in ordinary Hong Kong homes.

Then I went to the bathroom, where the walls were covered with clean white waterproof tiles; there was a large washbasin and toilet, and a spotless bathtub in the corner.

"This restroom is great," Lin Lanying praised generously, "a hundred times better than the public plumbing in Yufa Building."

All four rooms have wooden floors.

Lin Ying walked into the master bedroom. The master bedroom was sixteen square meters and had a large side window, providing good natural light. Next to it was a secondary bedroom of about fourteen square meters, and there were two smaller rooms, each about ten square meters.

Standing in the corridor, Lin Lanying made the decision on the room assignments: "Aying, you will live in the largest master bedroom from now on."

Lin Ying was taken aback for a moment: "Mommy, you and Lao Dou are the elders, so of course you should live in the master bedroom."

Without hesitation, Lin Lanying said, "This apartment is the result of your hard work, staying up all night writing. You still need to study, write scripts, and you need peace and quiet. The biggest room is for you, with a large desk and bookcase, and good lighting that won't hurt your eyes! Your father and I live in the 14-square-meter second bedroom, which is big enough!"

He Dazhu nodded repeatedly beside him: "Yes, yes, Ah Mei will stay in the master bedroom. Old Dou and your mother can stay anywhere. I've even slept in the woodshed of our old house in the New Territories. This 14-square-meter place is like a palace."

Lin Ying glanced at the end of the corridor: "Where's Ah Qian?"

"Him?" Lin Lanying sneered. "He can just pick one of these two small rooms! Ten square meters isn't enough for him? Even the smallest one is bigger than the Yufa Building!"

Looking out the window at the towering new buildings and neat streets, Lin Ying recalled a documentary from the 1980s that she had watched in her previous life.

In those days in mainland China, many large cities were still scrambling to get the tenement buildings allocated by their work units, with each household using honeycomb briquette stoves in the corridors, and several generations crammed into a space of just over ten square meters; at the same time, Hong Kong had developed a mature and modern housing estate system.

This city is cold and cruel, mocking poverty but not prostitution, yet it puts top-tier material rewards on the table. As long as you have brains, resources, and the ability to monetize them, you can rise to the top.

"No problem." Lin Lanying returned to the living room after checking every corner. "Secretary Zhong, we are very satisfied. We'll go sign the papers this afternoon."

2 PM, Central Law Firm.

A thick stack of house purchase and sale contracts, all in English, lay spread out on the conference table...

After confirming that there are no mortgages, property disputes, or outstanding property fees, the funds will be transferred from the bank draft to the law firm's escrow account.

"The formalities are basically completed." The lawyer handed the stamped interim documents to Lin Lanying. "Because it involves the Housing Authority's filing process with the government, the official title deed will not be issued and handed over for about two months."

"No rush, as long as it gets done." Lin Lanying took the documents with both hands and put them into the inner lining of her purse; Lin Ying's name was clearly written on the documents. Society is cruel; only the steel and concrete of official documents can guarantee a stable life.

As He Dazhu left the law firm, he stroked the bunch of keys to the new house in his hand.

"Lan Ying, a million dollars, just like that? Shall we go back to Sai Wan now?" He Dazhu asked.

Lin Lanying stopped and turned to look at He Dazhu and Lin Ying.

"Why go back to Sai Wan?" Lin Lanying waved her hand dismissively. "We've already bought it, it's such a waste to leave the house empty and collecting dust! Let's go! Since we have some free time today, let's go to the furniture store!"

Half an hour later, the three of them walked into one of the largest furniture stores in Hong Kong at the time.

Lin Lanying usually haggles with the old lady at the market, haggling down to two cents for a fish. Today, she strode into the middle of the aisle and pulled out her banknote.

"A leather sofa! I want the dark brown one, easy to clean and durable!"

"A large coffee table! With solid wood legs!"

"Two double beds! Two single beds! And all the mattresses have to be the kind with taut springs!"

"Ah Ying's master bedroom features that largest Western-style desk and standing bookcase!"

When Lin Ying reached the electronics section, she stopped. She looked at the 14-inch color television on the counter, the screen playing a local Hong Kong channel.

In those days, a color television was an item that was extremely difficult for lower-class families to obtain.

"Mommy," Lin Ying said, "Let's buy this one."

Lin Lanying paused for a moment, then turned to look at the price tag: "Buying a color TV?"

"I'll be writing scripts during my free time in the holidays, and I need to learn about the media industry," Lin Ying replied.

Lin Lanying stared at the television for a few seconds, then glanced at Lin Ying. After a moment, she turned to the sales clerk and called out, "I'll process the order! I'll take this color TV!"

He Dazhu gripped the seam of his trousers tightly: "Lan Ying... this TV is worth half a year's worth of my carpentry work..."

"Won't you have money after you graduate?" Lin Lanying replied.

After selecting everything, a stack of receipts was compiled. The total cost was 18,000 yuan.

After receiving the money, the furniture store manager smiled and said, "Mrs. Lin, don't worry, we'll arrange for a truck to deliver everything to your door the day after tomorrow, and we'll make sure all the large items are installed and put away for you!"

Lin Lanying pointed to the order slip and instructed, "The address is the 15th floor of Yinghu Terrace in Taikoo City! Be careful when you deliver it, don't bump or knock it over."

As evening fell, when the three of them pushed open the door of their home in Yufa Building, Lin Qian had already returned from school.

"How is it? How is it?! Is the house big? Is the bathtub big? Have I chosen my room yet?!" Lin Qian leaned forward and asked repeatedly.

Lin Lanying placed her purse on the table and poured water while saying, "The house is big, the bathtub is big, and there's a room for you. Also, your sister paid for a 14-inch color TV, which will be placed in the living room of the new house."

Lin Qian immediately jumped up.

"Color TV!!! We have a color TV now!!! Sister! You're my dear ancestor!!!" Lin Qian shouted.

"Shut up." Lin Lanying grabbed him and pressed him down. "Stop acting crazy. I'm closing the shop for the day tomorrow."

He Dazhu asked, puzzled, "Why close the shop?"

After taking a big gulp of water, Lin Lanying said, "Starting tomorrow, pack up everything in the house. The day after tomorrow, the furniture store will finish delivering, and the day after that, our whole family will move to Taikoo Shing!"