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

When they came out of the barbershop, it was already past 2 p.m. Deng Hui, with her three children, avoided the crowds and walked along the street toward Nathan Road.

"Since everyone's here today, let's go to the big shopping mall up ahead and buy you some things you'll need for school in September," Deng Hui said to the younger children.

They entered a large, air-conditioned shopping mall; the mall had three floors, with daily necessities on the first floor, stationery and bags on the second floor, and children's clothing and shoes on the third floor. As soon as they entered, the cool air instantly dispelled the summer heat outside.

Deng Hui led the three children directly upstairs to the second floor; as soon as they arrived at the stationery counter, Lin Qian and Lin Yue's eyes widened in amazement; inside the glass counter, colorful pencils, scented erasers, pencil sharpeners shaped like cars, and plastic rulers were displayed in a dazzling array.

Deng Hui was very generous, letting each of them choose a complete set of stationery, and then went to the counter next door to get each of them a thick stack of exercise books.

After buying stationery, the four of them walked to the area selling backpacks; the shelves there took up half a wall, and the variety of styles was dazzling.

The cheapest canvas backpacks at the bottom row cost only a dozen yuan; the ones in the middle are waterproof nylon backpacks, costing forty or fifty yuan; while the expensive leather backpacks at the top row cost over a hundred yuan.

Deng Hui first picked out a sturdy canvas backpack for Lin Qian and Lin Yue, both at a mid-range price. The colors were nice, and the straps were quite thick. Lin Qian chose dark blue, and Lin Yue chose pink. The two of them happily carried them on their backs and refused to take them off no matter what she said.

After settling the two children, Deng Hui walked to the front of the shelf, stood on tiptoe, and reached down a dark brown leather backpack from the top row.

This backpack is made of genuine cowhide, with a fine, natural leather texture and an extremely thick and sturdy feel. All the buckles and zippers are made of brass with a matte finish, and the shoulder straps have been widened and thickened with fine and solid stitching, clearly indicating it's a high-end product from a reputable manufacturer.

Deng Hui glanced at the label at the bottom: 138 yuan; at the time, that was definitely a lot of money.

Lin Ying peeked at the price and subconsciously said, "Auntie, this is too expensive. I'll just buy one of those canvas bags that costs around ten yuan. It'll be fine as long as it can hold books."

"What's so expensive about it?" Deng Hui turned the backpack over so the front was facing up, unzipped the brass zipper, carefully inspected the inner compartments and lining, and nodded in satisfaction.

She squatted down and solemnly placed the dark brown leather backpack in front of Lin Ying.

"Ah Ying, listen to what your auntie has to say," Deng Hui said solemnly. "Your younger brother Lin Qian and younger sister Yueyue will only be in second grade when school starts in September, at a regular government-run primary school. When they move on to fourth grade and go to a bigger school, your auntie will still buy them nice things. But it's different for you."

Deng Hui pointed to the schoolbag: "Next month, you'll be going to study at St. Paul's in Kowloon Tong."

Lin Ying listened quietly without interrupting.

"What kind of place is St. Paul's? Auntie knows. The students there are all rich kids." Deng Hui's fingers gently traced the brass buckle on her schoolbag. "When you first walked in with your schoolbag, did you think the first thing they looked at was your test score? No. They glanced at your clothes, your stationery, and your shoes."

"Your aunt knows you're a smart little girl. Of course, inner qualities are the most important thing in life. But you can't let others look down on you in that kind of place. This isn't vanity; it's about protecting yourself."

Deng Hui laid bare the harsh realities of life for the nine-year-old girl: "In today's society, there are so many people who treat others differently based on their status. If you walk in carrying a cheap canvas bag that costs only a few dollars, those kids who've been used to having nice things since they were little will start gossiping about you and ostracizing you from day one. So what if you got 299 points? They don't care about the score; they care if you fit into their circle. If you can't even fit in on the surface, you'll have a hard time studying there and you'll suffer a lot of disdain, you know?"

Lin Ying quietly looked at Deng Hui; this usually gentle, reserved, and quiet aunt-in-law was still clear-headed and insightful at heart.

"Auntie, I understand." Lin Ying nodded emphatically and took the sturdy leather backpack.

Lin Qian and Lin Yue stood to the side, each holding their own canvas bag, listening to the adults' words with a mixture of understanding and confusion. Suddenly, Lin Yue blurted out, "Mommy, when I'm in fourth grade, will you buy me one of these with brass buckles too?"

"Mommy will buy it for you then!" Deng Hui smiled and flicked Lin Yue's nose with her finger.

"Yay!" Lin Yue smiled contentedly immediately;

Lin Qian looked at his dark blue canvas bag and patted it vigorously: "Mine is great too! Very sturdy! Nobody can tear it!"

Deng Hui stood up, patted the two little ones' heads, and turned to lead them to the shoe counter on the third floor.

She picked out a pair of black leather shoes for each of the three children to wear to school. When Lin Ying tried them on, Deng Hui deliberately squatted down and pressed the toe of the shoes with her thumb.

"Are your toes touching the ground? Are they pinching your toes?"

"No, I won't." Lin Ying replied.

"Stand up and walk a couple of steps to see if your heels are firmly planted on your feet."

Lin Ying walked back and forth in the aisle a few times. The leather of the shoes was a bit stiff, but the size was just right, and her feet did not feel squeezed or restricted when she walked.

"These are good, and the style is also very elegant." Deng Hui stood up with satisfaction, took all three pairs of shoes to the cashier, and paid for them.

Six o'clock in the evening.

As darkness fell outside, neon signs along the street began to light up one after another.

With her three children carrying large and small bags, Deng Hui walked into a long-established tea restaurant on the street next to the barbershop.

This small tea restaurant is covered with handwritten menus in traditional Chinese characters, the edges of which are yellowed and curled from years of use. The dozen or so round tables and booths are crammed full.

"Sit here." Deng Hui picked a booth against the wall where the fan could reach, and let the three children sit down next to each other.

She picked up the greasy menu on the table and waved to the busy waiter: "Excuse me, four bowls of wonton noodles, plus a plate of stir-fried beef noodles and a plate of lettuce with oyster sauce."

"Auntie, I'd like to add a fried egg!" Lin Qian raised his right hand high.

"I want to join too!" Lin Yue said, not wanting to be left behind.

"Okay, okay, two fried eggs," Deng Hui said to the waiter with a smile. "And two sunny-side-up eggs, please."

Just as the steaming hot wonton noodles were served, the barbershop on the next street was closing time.

Lin Yaoying, carrying a black tool bag, pushed open the glass door of the tea restaurant, glanced around the noisy lobby, immediately locked onto the table in the corner, and strode over.

"Wow, quite a commotion today, you've bought a lot of things." Lin Yaoying smiled and pulled out a chair on the outside to sit down.

"Honey, get me a clean pair of chopsticks." Deng Hui pushed a bowl of wonton noodles in front of him.

Lin Yaoying took two pairs of chopsticks from the plastic chopstick holder on the table, handed one pair to his wife, and unwrapped the other pair himself. He didn't rush to eat the noodles, but instead picked up the free tea on the table and took a big gulp.

"This morning, Lao Dou took my brother-in-law to Yau Ma Tei," Deng Hui said to her husband in a low voice as she put lettuce into Lin Yue's bowl.

Lin Yaoying paused, her hand holding chopsticks stilled. "Did you go to pay your respects to that Master Su?"

"Yes." Deng Hui nodded. "My sister and Dazhu went out with Dad before dawn. You heard Dad mention this a couple of days ago."

Lin Yaoying put down her chopsticks, stared at the steaming bowl of wonton noodles in front of her, and gave a short laugh.

"My father, he never says anything nice. He always has a stern face, like someone owes him money," Lin Yaoying said, tapping the table lightly with the tip of her chopsticks. "My brother-in-law is an honest man. He's been married into our family for over ten years, and he's always so respectful and doesn't dare to breathe too loudly in front of my father..."

He changed the subject: "But look at what Dad did. He made the decision to use the family savings to send Ah Ying to a prestigious school; seeing that his brother-in-law's carpentry career had no future, he arranged for him to learn jade carving; he even abandoned his pride and, at his age, swallowed his pride to ask Uncle Lin to help him become an apprentice."

Looking at his wife and children, Lin Yaoying said, "Tell me, what your father has done that wasn't truly for the benefit of this family?"

Deng Hui put down her spoon and nodded seriously.

"That's right." Lin Yaoying picked up a mouthful of beef noodles covered in sauce with her chopsticks, stuffed it into her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and swallowed it. "A family should work together like this. It's not enough for one person to be successful; the whole family has to be of one mind and work in the same direction for life to truly change and get better!"

After saying that, he turned to look at Lin Ying, who was quietly eating wontons with her head down.

"Ah Ying," Lin Yaoying called out.

Lin Ying looked up, still chewing noodles.

"Your uncle's life is pretty much over; I'm not that capable." Lin Yaoying stared intently at her freshly cut, neat short hair. "But when you go to that expensive private school, if you need any stationery or fees, just ask. This pair of scissors I have won't earn millions, but cutting a few more heads will definitely be enough to support your education and the whole family!"

Lin Ying swallowed her noodles and replied solemnly, "Thank you, Uncle. I will study hard."

"No need to thank me." Lin Yaoying casually reached out and ruffled her freshly cut hair. "We're family, no need for thanks!"

Sitting next to him, Lin Qian quickly stuffed the last wonton in his bowl into his mouth and mumbled, "Uncle, you look so cool cutting hair! I'm not going to study anymore, I want to learn how to cut hair from you!"

"You should study your books first! Stop making up stories like this!" Deng Hui said irritably, wiping the soup stains from Lin Qian's mouth with a tissue.

Lin Yue hadn't eaten. She rested her chin on her hands, leaning on the edge of the table, and suddenly announced loudly, "When I grow up, I'm going to open a super barbershop in Mong Kok that's ten times bigger than my dad's now!"

"Great!" Lin Yaoying laughed heartily. "Then Old Dou will work as your boss, sweeping floors!"

Lin Ying lowered her head, drank the last mouthful of noodle soup in the bowl clean, and then neatly placed the chopsticks on the empty bowl.

There are less than forty days left until the start of the new school year at St. Paul's Primary School in September; and her father, Ho Tai-chu, may at this moment be standing in a jade shop in Yau Ma Tei, bowing respectfully, holding a teacup for apprenticeship, and starting the second half of his life with a heart full of awe.

Everyone in this family is doing their best to climb higher.

Each member of the family has their own battlefield and their own path to walk, but they all share the same goal.