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

I returned to Hong Kong at 9 p.m.

The door on the fifteenth floor of Taikoo Shing clicked open, and warm yellow light bathed the clean floor.

Lin Qian was the first to throw his canvas bag onto the carpet and collapse onto the sofa: "I swear, I'll never complain about Taikoo City being far from school again. The outside world is too scary; home is still the best."

Lin Lanying locked the door from the inside, then turned around and slapped him: "Get up! You're covered in dust from the train, don't get the sofa cover dirty. Go take a shower, and take all your clothes off, I'll wash them in the washing machine tomorrow!"

Lin Qian let out a wail and dragged his feet toward the bathroom.

He Dazhu stood at the door, carrying the two heaviest bags in his hands. In the past, he would have silently carried the things into the house and waited like a block of wood for Lin Lanying to assign him tasks, but today was different.

He packed his luggage bag and placed it in the entryway. He first looked at Lin Lanying, then turned to look at Lin Ying.

"Lan Ying, put your return permit and the rest of the money pouches under the closet in the master bedroom. I'll take A-Mei's schoolbag to her room. You rest for a bit, I'll go to the kitchen to boil some water."

He Dazhu arranged everything clearly. After putting the things away, he also straightened out all the shoes that his family had taken off at the door.

Lin Lanying paused for a moment, looking at her husband's back with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Lin Ying also stood in the living room, quietly watching Lao Dou.

He Dazhu felt a little awkward under her gaze: "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

"No." Lin Lanying handed over the purse. "You're absolutely right. Go boil some water."

The next morning, just as dawn broke, He Dazhu was about to head to Master Su's jade carving shop in Yau Ma Tei to begin his work.

Lin Lanying got up early, took two boxes from the kitchen, one containing a box of butterfly cookies, and handed him a paper bag: "Don't go empty-handed. When you go in, if the master asks you about returning to your hometown, just say a few words."

He Dazhu put the items into a cloth bag and nodded: "I know. I thought about it last night."

"And another thing," Lin Lanying stared at him, "if customers come to look at jade in the shop, don't just stand there like an idiot like you used to do at the construction site. Serve them tea, understand?"

"I understand." He Dazhu straightened his shirt collar.

Lin Lanying raised an eyebrow: "You didn't used to."

He Dazhu lowered his head slightly: "I used to think that working hard and talking little meant being honest and dutiful. After coming home this time, I've realized that sometimes talking little isn't honesty, it's being tactless. If you're tactless, you'll be bullied and trampled on; I won't do that anymore."

The room quieted down, and Lin Ying was sitting at the dining table drinking milk, looking at her father with some surprise.

He Dazhu's ears turned slightly red, thinking he had said something wrong: "Sister, did Lao Dou say something too harsh?"

"No." Lin Ying put down her milk glass. "Old Dou, what you said makes a lot of sense."

As evening fell, He Dazhu returned to Taikoo City after work. He carried a faint scent of jade powder and looked very energetic.

Lin Lanying came out of the kitchen carrying dishes and casually asked, "How was things at the shop today?"

While changing his shoes, He Dazhu said, "It's all good. This morning, Master Su asked me how my parents were doing back home. I didn't mention those things or the argument. I just said that I had taken good care of them and that I would settle down in Hong Kong to learn the trade. Master Su didn't ask any more questions after hearing that."

He walked to the dining table, took the bowl and chopsticks from Lin Lanying's hands, and continued, "This afternoon, two wealthy ladies came to the shop to look at the materials. The craftsman was drawing lines in the back, and I was pouring tea for them. They thought it was too expensive, so I followed the craftsman's usual line of conversation and explained to them how translucent the material was and how much work it would take to carve it. The craftsman listened in the back, and after the guests left, he praised me, saying that although I was a bit clumsy with words, I was good at reading people's expressions and that I didn't say anything wrong."

Lin Qian, holding his rice bowl, looked on in surprise: "Old Dou, you've even learned how to sell things?"

"It's not about selling something," He Dazhu corrected his son. "It's about giving the customer a way out, saying the right things. People spend a lot of money to buy jade; they're buying a sense of respectability. If you can't even speak clearly, how can they trust your craftsmanship?"

Lin Lanying nodded in agreement: "That's right. In Hong Kong, physical skills are your capital, but verbal skills are your livelihood."

Lin Ying sat beside her, slowly eating her meal, having finally settled the score in her mind.

While washing the dishes that evening, Lin Lanying left the kitchen door ajar and whispered to Lin Ying, "Your dad seems like a completely different person since he came back. He's become more shrewd and perceptive."

"He's definitely fully awake now." Lin Ying wiped the plate clean with a towel. "Before, he'd open his heart to anyone who said a few nice words from his fellow villagers or relatives. This time, he's been taught a harsh lesson by his own parents and brothers. It'll be much harder for outsiders to coax him with favors in the future."

Lin Lanying listened with satisfaction: "This trip back to my hometown cost me several thousand yuan, but it was worth it!"

"It's worth it," Lin Ying nodded.

Life quickly returned to normal, and time marched on until February 20th.

The box office for "God of Gamblers II" during the Spring Festival season has been firmly established, and Su Zhihao is calling every day in Taikoo Shing to report the good news. Meanwhile, the more important film market is finally showing signs of life.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the landline in the living room rang. Lin Ying put down her first-year middle school math textbook and picked up the receiver: "Feeding?"

"Good afternoon, screenwriter Xiao Lin," Boss Peng's voice came through the receiver. "Are you free?"

"Uncle Peng, what's wrong with our movie?"

"The director, producer, and partners responsible for overseas distribution just landed in Hong Kong this morning." Boss Peng paused, thought for a moment, and continued, "They're flying back to the US early tomorrow morning. They'd like to invite you to dinner tonight to discuss some key plot points of the 'Magic Academy Exchange Students' script and go over the details in person."

Lin Ying knew in her heart that this dinner was not simple; it was a test by international capital after its entry.

"Okay." Lin Ying asked with a smile, "Uncle Peng, could you tell me the time and place? I'll write it down."

"7 PM tonight, private room at the Peninsula Hotel's Chinese restaurant. I'll send a car to pick you up downstairs at Taikoo Shing."

"No need to send a car." Lin Ying glanced at Lin Lanying, who was making soup in the kitchen. "My parents and I will take a taxi ourselves."

Boss Peng chuckled on the other end of the phone: "Alright, bring your family; screenwriter Lin, you're still as strict as ever when it comes to doing things."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Lanying came over and asked, "Boss Peng? Are you going out?"

"Seven o'clock tonight, Peninsula Hotel." Lin Ying briefly explained the situation, "A foreign director and producer want to discuss the script for 'Magic Academy.' You'll be coming with me."

Lin Lanying immediately said, "You're only eleven years old, you definitely can't go to see outsiders alone, not even foreigners. I'll call your father right now and tell him to leave work early."