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

Hearing this, Lin Fu nodded: "I think this method will work; Lan Ying, you used to make wedding dresses for people in the village, you're very skillful. These past few years you've been altering trouser hems every day in Sai Wan, it's been a waste of your time. Now that A Ying has the ability to buy a house in Taikoo Shing, you, as her mother, should also take a step up."

Lin Lanying took a deep breath and nodded vigorously: "Okay! I'll listen to Dad and Ying. But let's not rush to terminate the lease in Sai Wan. Let's finish the orders with our old clients, and then transition for a while until things stabilize in Taikoo Shing before making a complete transfer."

With the business matter settled, the conversation naturally returned to the old building, Yufa Building.

"Grandpa, my original plan was to sell this old house directly," Lin Ying said, revealing her plan.

He Dazhu was taken aback: "Sell?"

Lin Ying nodded: "Although this apartment is small, it can still fetch some money in Sai Wan. I was thinking that since we have some money now, why not use the proceeds from selling the apartment to build a larger cement house back in our village in the New Territories? Building a new building will make you two more comfortable and give you face."

Upon hearing this, Lin Lanying immediately agreed: "That's a great idea! Dad and Mom are getting old, and their old house in the New Territories gets damp during the rainy season. It's time to rebuild it."

Lin Ying had a clear plan in mind: it was a way to give back to her family and also to optimize her assets. Yu Fat Building was too dilapidated and would be troublesome to manage if she kept it. The New Territories weren't far away, so it was better to liquidate it and convert it into fixed assets in her hometown.

This time, Lin Fu did not respond immediately after she finished speaking.

The old man looked at Lin Ying and shook his head: "Little sister, your idea is filial. Your grandfather is touched to hear it; but don't even think about it, it won't work."

Lin Ying was slightly taken aback: "Not enough money?"

"It's not about money." Lin Fu began to explain the situation clearly. "It's not as simple as you think. Building houses in the New Territories isn't something you can just do whenever you have money. Here in Hong Kong's New Territories, there are special rules called 'Ding Quan,' and the houses built are called 'Ding Houses.'"

Lin Ying had vaguely glanced at this word in documents in her previous life, but had not studied it in depth. Now she listened quietly.

Lin Fu began to explain the law to her: "According to the rules, male indigenous residents of the New Territories can only apply to the government for a 'Ding Quan' (a type of residential property right) once in their lifetime to build a 'Ding Quan' house. I used my own 'Ding Quan' decades ago and built the old bungalow we live in now. Once it's used up, it's gone."

He glanced at Lin Lanying: "Your mother is a daughter, and daughters don't have the right to have children."

Lin Fu then looked at He Dazhu: "Although Dazhu has entered our Lin family, he is not a native of the New Territories. He is an adopted son-in-law and does not have any paternity rights."

He Dazhu nodded honestly: "I originally swam here from outside."

Lin Qian panicked: "Grandpa! What about me? My surname is Lin!"

Lin Fu glanced at his eldest grandson and shook his head: "You take your mother's surname, Lin, but according to the government's rules on granting male offspring rights, you are not descended from the bloodline of the indigenous male residents of the New Territories. The village values ​​kinship and recognizes you, but the government does not."

"So, who in our family is qualified to build one now?" Lin Ying asked, puzzled.

"Only your uncle, Yaoying," Lin Fu said. "He's a male from my village, and he's eligible to apply once. But he has his own wife and daughter, his own family. Where and when he gets that one and only chance to use his candidacy is his own business, and we can't take his place."

Li Yuzhen added from the side, "Besides, Ah Ying, even if your uncle is willing to help build it, you can't just build a Ding house as big as you want just because you have money. The government regulations are very strict. The land area can only be 700 square feet, the total height cannot exceed 8.2 meters, and it can be built at most three stories. It's simply unrealistic for you to build a big mansion for your grandparents in the New Territories."

This is the real Hong Kong.

Lin Ying thought that with money, she could solve all her problems effortlessly...

But her grandfather's words shattered the arrogance she felt from her sudden wealth. Land regulations, social status, historical rules... these complex and specific restrictions were far beyond what a million dollars could overcome.

Lin Fu looked at his granddaughter and said, "So, little sister, don't rush to sell this apartment in Yufa Building."

"What does Grandpa mean?"

"Keep it and rent it out; the buildings in Sai Wan are a bit old, but it's lively, and there are plenty of people looking to rent. After you move out, you can collect a few hundred dollars in rent each month, which will be a steady stream of income."

This is all the wisdom Lin Fu gained from a lifetime of struggling at the bottom: "You've bought Taikoo Shing now, and it looks glamorous, but you've lost a lot of cash. At this time, you absolutely cannot kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Lin Lanying immediately realized, "Father is right! Money kept in hand might be spent any day later. Renting out the house provides a steady stream of cash every month; that's the most secure thing!"

Ho Tai-chu agreed: "Small apartments like these in Sai Wan are easy to rent out. If you sell them, it will be difficult to buy another one on Hong Kong Island later."

Lin Ying picked up her pen and heavily crossed out the place in her notebook where she had originally written "For Sale," changing it to two words: "[For Rent]."

She thought she was smart and pragmatic enough, but she overlooked the fact that her elders had a more instinctive and acute intuition about survival and wealth than she did.

Lin Qian muttered to himself, "After it's rented out, can I still come back to visit?"

Lin Lanying glared at him: "What are you doing back here? Playing hide-and-seek with the rats in the hallway?"

That day, the Lin family gathered around the old dining table and discussed things until evening.

The telephone needs to be installed quickly. A detailed list of the range hood and washing machine has been prepared; we'll go buy them tomorrow. Lin Ying drew the curtains, Lin Lanying made them by hand, and Li Yuzhen helped with the hemming.

Yu Fat Building has been cleaned and is ready for rent, while the tailor shop in Sai Wan will be kept temporarily.

Lin Ying wrote down all the items in her notebook.

Looking at the sheet of paper filled with writing, Lin Fu suddenly laughed and said, "My sister really does a seasoned accountant's job when she keeps track of accounts."

Lin Ying closed her notebook: "There's no way around it, money is too expensive to spend recklessly."

Lin Fu nodded and said meaningfully, "Remember, now that you've made a lot of money, what you need to learn is how to keep it and how to make it generate even more."

The old man stood up and patted Lin Ying on the shoulder: "After you have money, the thing you should fear most is not spending it, but not knowing the rules and forgetting where the money came from."

Lin Ying nodded: "I understand, Grandpa."