Chapter 006
Although the journey took place in the scorching heat of summer, Lu Mingzhu’s first-class cabin was equipped with the most advanced air conditioning, maintaining a comfortable temperature that was neither too cold nor too hot, ensuring she did not break into a sweat.
Besides a single bed, the cabin also featured a sofa set, a vanity and wardrobe, a desk, a coffee table, and more, creating an atmosphere akin to a hotel.
Every detail was meticulously attended to, exuding luxury.
In any era, wealth can afford one the finest treatment.
Lu Mingzhu took off her shoes and lay down on the bed, thinking to herself how fortunate she was to have been reborn as a wealthy young lady; had she been born into the impoverished working class or peasantry, she would never have had the chance to board such a luxurious cruise ship in the 1950s.
Ordinary farmers spent their days bent over the yellow earth, laboring tirelessly all year round, only to surrender most of their harvest as tax grain, leaving barely enough for a single full meal; surviving half the year on melons and vegetables and half on grain was considered a rare blessing, while countless others constantly faced starvation. Ordinary workers, meanwhile, left home at dawn and returned at dusk, earning merely a pittance after a month’s toil; once expenses for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation were deducted, hardly two coins remained.
The sole advantage they possessed was not having to flee their homeland as she now must.
Lu Mingzhu tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Unwilling to go outside for some fresh air, she simply got up, slipped on her shoes, and pulled a copy of “Dream of the Red Chamber” from her luggage to pass the time. But…
The moment she sat down at her desk and opened the first page, she awkwardly realized she had become semi-illiterate!
Accustomed to reading simplified Chinese characters arranged horizontally, she found it difficult to adjust to traditional characters printed vertically.
Many characters had annoyingly complex strokes; comparing them with their simplified counterparts allowed her to recognize most of them. Yet some were utterly unfamiliar—they knew Lu Mingzhu, but Lu Mingzhu did not know them.
Although she recognized most of the characters, the few she didn’t know significantly hindered her reading.
Only then did Lu Mingzhu realize that while she had inherited the original owner’s memories, she hadn’t fully acquired her myriad talents. Whether it was the original owner’s fluency in English, Japanese, French, and German, or her mastery of song, dance, and the pipa, everything felt veiled—as if seen through a mist, visible yet utterly out of reach.
Lu Mingzhu had an intuition: unless she started from scratch and practiced persistently, she would never truly master these skills.
She quickly took out her Parker fountain pen and notebook, leaning over the desk to write out her study plan.
Converting from simplified to traditional Chinese characters proved somewhat tricky; a moment’s lapse, and Lu Mingzhu would slip back into simplified script. To avoid raising suspicion, she had no choice but to black out the mistaken characters and rewrite them.
Though not as fluid as writing in simplified characters, the result was hardly unsightly.
By the time she finished drafting her plan, she glanced up at her watch: the hands pointed to 11:23.
The watch belonged to the original owner—a delicate, diamond-encrusted Patek Philippe ladies’ timepiece, dazzling yet understated. Its black strap clung snugly to her slender left wrist, accentuating skin as fair and smooth as jade.
Lu Ping’an knocked and entered, “Auntie, it’s time for dinner.”
“I’m coming right now.” Lu Mingzhu closed her notebook. “Did you call Uncle Li?”
“Miss Mingzhu, I’m here.” Butler Li was dressed in a sharp suit, his graying hair slicked with pomade. At over fifty, he looked less like a servant and more like a successful businessman.
Lu Mingzhu raised an eyebrow. “Uncle Li, why so formally dressed today?”
Butler Li smiled and said, “The journey is long and rather boring. The foreigners on this ship dress up meticulously for every meal—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even afternoon tea are all treated like banquets. Naturally, I must follow local customs.”
Lu Mingzhu searched through the original body’s memories, and indeed, it was true!
The original body had traveled abroad with her parents and once sailed on a similarly luxurious cruise ship.
Lu Mingzhu had not made any special effort to dress up; she still wore her blue blouse and black skirt as she headed to the dining hall with Butler Li and Lu Ping’an, where they were to meet four or five servants staying in third class.
The dining hall was enormous, capable of accommodating over a thousand people.
Columns carved with various patterns supported an ornate ceiling, while the walls on all sides were lavishly decorated; the murals and carvings were highly artistic, making one feel as though stepping into a royal palace.
Oh, and there was also a bar serving drinks.
Lu Mingzhu was utterly awestruck.
As an ordinary citizen, her horizons had been expanded.
This was the 1950s; the ship surpassed even the cruise liners she would board seventy or eighty years later. Only a super-luxury vessel costing several billion and charging hundreds of thousands per night could possibly outshine this one.
At this moment, a foreign waiter speaking fluent English approached to escort them to their table and present the menu.
The menu was thoughtfully provided in both Chinese and English.
It offered Western cuisine alongside Chinese and Japanese dishes, leaving the choice entirely to the guests.
Butler Li, formerly Wang Xingcai’s study companion, was highly intelligent and well-read; he had accompanied Wang abroad during his studies, which accounted for his fluent English. After exchanging a few words with the waiter, he handed the menu to Lu Mingzhu. “Miss Mingzhu, would you care for Western food? I’ve tried it here—the taste is authentic, even better than what some Western restaurants in Shanghai serve.”
“You can try it.” Lu Mingzhu ordered dishes according to her own taste.
Lu Ping’an followed suit, ordering the same items.
The aunt and nephew sat at one table with Butler Li, while the other servants were seated at a separate table.
The dining room was crowded; most patrons were enjoying Western cuisine and drinking foreign wines.
Some were foreigners, some were Chinese employees of foreign enterprises, and others were wealthy merchants and celebrities from Shanghai. Many had brought their entire families along, all dressed in splendid attire; ordinary people were nowhere to be seen.
“Uncle Li, how are housing prices in Hong Kong right now?” Lu Mingzhu asked, particularly concerned about this matter.
The first priority upon arriving in Hong Kong was to secure a home of their own.
Butler Li pondered for a moment before replying, “Two years ago, Hong Kong’s population was only several hundred thousand, and property prices were very low. However, with the massive influx of people over the past two years, the population has reached around two million this year, causing both land and property prices to rise significantly. When the young master first arrived in Hong Kong and entered the real estate business, prices were merely a few dozen yuan per square foot. For a while, they surged dramatically, reaching 200 yuan per square foot for land, while property prices remained at just 20 or 30 yuan.”
Lu Ping’an asked in surprise, “Property prices are lower than land prices?”
“Yes, it’s quite strange, isn’t it? Everyone finds it odd, yet it’s the truth.” Butler Li took a sip of champagne and continued, “Miss Mingzhu, if you and Young Master Ping’an wish to purchase property, I recommend buying along Pok Fu Lam Road. It’s very close to the University of Hong Kong, making it convenient for both of your studies.”
Lu Mingzhu nodded slightly. “Is it easy to buy there?”
Butler Li replied, “Just approach the Eldest Young Master! He has developed a real estate project on Sassoon Road in Pok Fu Lam.”
Lu Mingzhu kept the thought in mind and was about to speak when Lu Ping’an suddenly said, “Buying a building isn’t cost-effective. It’s better to purchase land and construct our own buildings. We can build as many structures as we wish, make them as tall as we desire, and design them however we like.”
Upon hearing this, Butler Li smiled and replied, “Hong Kong has height restrictions; buildings can be no more than five stories high.”
“This gentleman is correct; such a regulation does exist, which is why many buildings here are only four or five stories tall,” interjected a middle-aged man at a nearby table. When Lu Mingzhu and Lu Ping’an turned their gaze toward him, he continued, “Even if you were to buy land immediately, constructing a building would take considerable time, let alone making it ready for occupancy. Therefore, purchasing an existing property would be more practical.”
Butler Li recognized him as a well-known broker in Hong Kong and introduced him to Lu Mingzhu: “Miss Mingzhu, this is Mr. Zhao Sinan, also originally from Shanghai. He moved to Hong Kong many years ago and works as both a jewelry and real estate broker, enjoying an excellent reputation.”
Lu Mingzhu immediately perked up: “A jewelry broker?”
She had heard of real estate agents in Hong Kong, which were like the future property intermediaries on the mainland, known in ancient times as “zhongren.” But what exactly was a jewelry broker? A middleman for jewelry transactions?