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

Chen Meishan is quick to act.

The next morning, she made a call to Taikoo Shing's landline.

"Mrs. Lam, I've made the appointment for you," Chan Mei-shan said crisply on the other end of the phone. "Mr. Leung is free at 2 pm today. We'll meet at his office in Wan Chai. He's used to dealing with small shantytowns in the New Territories and knows the ins and outs of land grants and preventing unauthorized construction. Just bring the land grant document from the Lands Department."

Lin Lanying quickly agreed, "Thank you so much, Mrs. Su. You've really gone to a lot of trouble for me."

"Don't be so formal. Just make those two cheongsams for me." Chen Meishan smiled. "Also, you must bring Aying along. She's clear-headed and can understand those professional drawings."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Lanying turned around and started packing her things. She organized all the land administration department's approval documents and the village rules and dimensions that Lin Fu had noted down a few days ago, and put them into a brown paper bag. She also stuffed the checkbook into the innermost part of her handbag.

Around 1 p.m., the Lin family met up in front of an old commercial building in Wan Chai.

Everyone was there today. Besides Lin Lanying and Lin Ying, Lin Fu was also standing downstairs with his hands behind his back, and his aunt Deng Hui had also come over. The house would be occupied by the second wife, and as the future mistress of the house, she felt both nervous and excited.

Several people went upstairs. Designer Liang's office was not big, consisting of two rooms that had been combined. Against the wall were two large, slanted drafting tables, several blueprints were nailed to the wall, and a T-square, a measuring tape, and a thick stack of papers were placed at the corner of the tables.

Designer Liang is around forty years old and wears black-rimmed glasses.

"Mrs. Chan told me about your situation." He gestured for them to sit down and got straight to the point, "In the New Territories, the limit for a single-story house is 700 square feet, and a total height of three stories is no more than 8.2 meters, right?"

Lin Fu handed over the Land Administration Department's documents: "Yes. The blueprints my youngest son brought back last night show that there's a family on the west side who illegally built their house so close together years ago that there's only a one-meter-wide gap between the two houses."

Designer Liang glanced down at the floor veneer and pointed to the narrow gap on the west side: "There's only one meter left. You can't expect any light on the west wall from the first to the third floor. Even if you open a big window, you'll just be looking at other people's walls."

Designer Liang took out a blank sheet of sketch paper, looked up at them, and said, "Since you've come to me, let me state the rules upfront: I'll design the space layout, but you need to give me a clear answer on who will live there and what functions they require. Who will describe the internal needs?"

Lin Lanying glanced at her daughter: "Aying, tell Mr. Liang what the family has discussed."

Lin Ying spoke first: "The first floor is mainly for the grandparents. It doesn't need to be too complicated, just a suite with a bathroom will do, so the elderly won't have to leave their room when they get up at night. The rest of the space can be used for the kitchen and dining room."

As Liang listened, his pencil began sketching out the outer frame on the paper: "How big should the kitchen and dining room be on the first floor?"

"It needs to be big, the bigger the better," Lin Ying said. "When relatives and family members come back for meals during holidays, we need to be able to fit several large tables, so that it's not so crowded that there's no room to even turn around."

"Understood." Designer Liang wrote quickly.

Lin Ying continued, "A separate public restroom will be set up on the first floor. Grandpa specifically instructed that a squat toilet be installed in the public one."

Lin Fu nodded in agreement and added, "When people from the countryside come to visit, their feet are covered in mud. It's convenient and easy to flush a squat toilet. We can't let them keep using the toilet in my house."

Designer Liang continued drawing, sketching a small square near the back wall: "The public toilet will be placed next to the back wall, with the sewage pipes running straight down the exterior wall, ensuring no blockages or leaks."

"What about the second floor?" Designer Liang asked.

Lin Ying looked at Deng Hui beside her: "Aunt, you can stay on the second floor. You can talk to Mr. Liang."

Deng Hui also shared her thoughts: "My husband, daughter, and I will be living on the second floor. We would like two bedrooms, preferably with ensuite bathrooms. We can also add a small living room if there's any space left."

Designer Liang glanced up at her and drew a line in the middle of the second-floor frame: "Cut out two suites and a small living room from 700 square feet. The rooms won't be particularly large, and the beds and wardrobes need to be carefully planned."

Deng Hui nodded: "It doesn't matter if the room is small, the most important thing is that it's convenient for us to stay in."

"What about the third floor?"

Lin Ying picked up the thread: "We'll keep the third floor for our family when we go back on holidays. We'll divide the space into three rooms, and each room will have its own bathroom."

Designer Liang put down his pencil and looked at Lin Ying: "Three full suites on one floor? This area will be very compact, with little extra corridor space."

"It can be small, but the bathroom can't be skimped on," Lin Ying said clearly. "We don't live here often; we only go back as a family during holidays. With so many people, the struggle to get to the toilet and the long queues for washing up are the worst. A small size is fine, but the bathroom must be separate."

Designer Liang: "You understand life. Okay, then let's make a compact suite on the third floor."

Lin Ying concluded by saying, "And then there's storage. We need lots of cabinets—under the stairs, in the hallway ceiling—make as much storage space as possible."

After his granddaughter finished speaking, Lin Fu said, "Mr. Liang, you can decide how to cut the interior. I only have one request: this house is meant to house several generations, so the foundation must be deep, with sufficient cement and steel reinforcement, and the renovation must be sturdy and safe."

Upon hearing this, Designer Liang smiled and said, "Uncle, don't worry. The worst thing about houses is haphazardly installed water pipes and shoddy construction. I've been in this business in Hong Kong for over ten years, and I'll continue to do so in the future. I have a good reputation."

In just half an hour, while listening, designer Liang drew three rough but logically structured 2D sketches on the large drawing table.

Although it was just a simple line drawing, Lin Ying could tell at a glance that the layout of the living and dining room on the first floor, the living area on the second floor, and the guest rooms on the third floor, plus the staircase and pipe shaft on the west side that just avoided the narrow gap, made full use of the 700 square feet of space.

Although Lin Lanying had a hard time reading the blueprints, seeing the satisfied looks in her younger brother's and elderly father's eyes gave her confidence.

"This is roughly the layout of the drawings. I will provide detailed construction blueprints later." Designer Liang put down his pen. "Now let's talk about construction. I have two cooperation options. Either you can use my renovation team, which will handle everything from laying the foundation to buying bricks and materials, and you can just wait to get the keys. Or I can just provide the drawings and not use my construction team. I will be responsible for coordinating with the foreman you find and controlling the quality of key milestones."

Lin Fu chimed in, "I've already hired a renovation team. They're all familiar faces in the village, people who've been building houses for half their lives. We know them inside and out. Using an outside construction team would be awkward in the village, and we're also worried about them not adapting well to the local conditions."

Designer Liang nodded: "I understand. Many people in the New Territories have their houses built by villagers. So I'll take the second approach: I'll only be responsible for providing the complete set of drawings and coordinating with your site foreman on-site. How to tie the steel bars, what thickness of water pipes to use... I will write it all down in black and white in the construction instructions. I will not sign the confirmation form unless they meet the standards."

These words struck a chord with Lin Fu and Lin Lanying, providing them with exactly the layer of protection they needed most.

"How much will it cost?" Lin Lanying asked directly.

"We only provide blueprints, connect with the construction site, and conduct on-site inspections. The price is HK$5,500."

Five thousand five hundred, five hundred more than Chen Meishan's estimate of five thousand.

"Okay, five thousand five hundred. I won't haggle with you. Just please keep a close eye on things, Mr. Liang." Lin Lanying readily agreed. "How do I pay?"

Designer Liang smiled and said, "No need to pay all at once. Pay a design deposit of 1,500 yuan today, and I'll produce the complete set of final drawings within three days. The remaining 4,000 yuan will be paid in installments later, after the first floor is topped out and the plumbing and electrical work is completed. This way, everyone has some security."

"I like the rule of payment according to progress." Lin Lanying opened her handbag, took out her checkbook, wrote down the amount of 1,500 yuan with a pen, tore it off, and handed it over.

Designer Liang accepted the check with both hands, confirmed it was correct, then wrote a receipt and handed it back to Lin Lanying. He also made a copy of the manuscripts and gave them to them to take back for study.

As I stepped out of the office, the sun was high in the sky, and the streets of Wan Chai were bustling with traffic.

"Big sister, if it weren't for you and Mrs. Su today, I would have been blind just looking at that land approval document." Deng Hui held the copies and sighed with emotion, "That five thousand five hundred was really worth it."

Lin Fu walked ahead with his hands behind his back: "That's why it's best to leave professional matters to professionals, which will reduce future troubles."

Time flew by amidst the orderly busyness, on the morning of September 1st.

As dawn broke, there was movement inside the houses of Taikoo Shing.

The aroma of fried eggs and toast wafted from the kitchen as He Dazhu brought freshly heated milk to the table.

Lin Ying pushed open the bedroom door and came out.

She was wearing the brand-new Form 1 uniform from Boya College: a white short-sleeved shirt, a dark blue pleated skirt that went past her knees, and a neat blue and white striped tie. Her hair was also tied into a sleek high ponytail with a hair tie.

He Dazhu looked at his daughter with pride in his eyes: "Little sister, today is the first day of school. Take the bus to Fortress Hill by yourself. Watch out for cars on the way."

"I know, Lao Dou." Lin Ying walked to the dining table, sat down, and took a sip of milk.

"The class placement results will be out soon, don't feel pressured. You'll be in a good middle school soon, take your time, there's no rush." ​​He Dazhu handed her a tissue.

After finishing the last bite of toast, Lin Ying picked up the brand-new backpack that had been prepared earlier and slung it over one shoulder: "Old Dou, I'm going to school."