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The last time Lin Qingmei came to Hong Kong City, it was nighttime, and the sea had been pitch black—she couldn’t see anything at all.
Now it was just before dusk. The afterglow of the setting sun shone upon the sea, making the surface glitter like it was sprinkled with gold. The shimmering waves were truly beautiful.
Since Lin Qingmei didn’t have to steer the boat on the way back today, she was happy to relax. Bored, she extended her spiritual power to explore beneath the sea.
At this time, the ocean hadn’t been polluted yet, and marine life was still thriving.
Not long after her psychic energy reached into the water, Lin Qingmei discovered a coral reef. The coral formations varied in shape—some looked like antlers, others like mushrooms. Small fish swam back and forth through them like it was a bustling underwater city.
The seabed really was quite beautiful. It was just a pity that there were other people around, so she couldn’t conveniently dive down for a closer look.
…
At 10 p.m., the fishing boat finally docked at Lin Family Bay.
“Second Grandpa, Third Grandpa, please wait here on the boat for a bit. I’ll go inform the brigade leader so he can arrange people to help us move the grain.”
“Qingmei, girl, you should first take the stuff you bought home, and take a few bags of grain with you, too. As for informing the brigade leader, let’s hold off on that. Once we move our own things, I’ll have my son go tell him. If word gets out that we brought back so much good stuff, it might stir up trouble,” said Third Grandpa Lin.
He said all this for her sake. After all, aside from the grain, most of the goods on the fishing boat were bought by her.
Take that fat pig, for example—who wouldn’t be tempted by it?
“Huh? I was actually thinking of asking the brigade leader if he wanted some pork, then I could share it with everyone!”
Even though it was winter, Lin Family Bay wasn’t cold. A single pig would rot before she could finish eating it.
“Then leave the pork here and bring the rest home. You don’t even have to ask. Of course people will want pork. It’s just the payment may have to wait until the meat is sold.”
Who didn’t love pork? Third Grandpa Lin had originally planned to ask Qingmei to sell him a few pounds. Now that she was offering it to the village, he figured he’d just buy it then like everyone else.
“Alright! One chicken and one duck each for you and Second Grandpa—consider it my gift for taking me as your student.”
Lin Qingmei pulled two chickens and two ducks from a burlap sack. This trip to Hong Kong City had only been possible thanks to their help.
They had taught her so much about navigating the seas. It was only right for her to express her gratitude.
“Just pretend we bought them. You’re a young girl trying to make a living. As your uncles, it’s already embarrassing that we let you shoulder so much. How could we take your things too?” said Third Grandpa Lin sincerely.
“Qingmei, listen to your Third Grandpa. We’ve worked for years and saved up a bit. We’re not so poor that we have to take advantage of the younger generation,” said Second Grandpa Lin.
“Come on, don’t be so polite with me. I learned a lot from this trip. Just treat the chickens and ducks as my treat to you both.”
Although Lin Qingmei could be a bit silly and generous, she was sincere. These two old men in their sixties had risked going out to sea with her. That kind of loyalty deserved to be repaid.
“Alright then, we’ll accept them. You hurry up and take your stuff home. Old Lin, help me carry my share too, and have my three sons come over to move the grain.”
The two old men hadn’t bought much daily-use stuff themselves, so Second Grandpa could carry it all in one trip.
What they bought in bulk was grain. Especially Third Grandpa Lin—he alone had bought over a thousand jin (about 500 kg). Second Grandpa had bought a bit less, but still over several hundred jin.
Since the brigade leader hadn’t come yet, Third Grandpa Lin couldn’t leave the fishing boat. With so much grain on board, even losing a few bags would cost him dearly.
After Second Grandpa left, Lin Qingmei started moving her own stuff off the boat. Lin Qinglan was already on the way with a pushcart. With her help, they could take everything in one go—no need for a second trip.
“How did you know I was back?”
“Seriously? I was just about to go to sleep when I suddenly felt like someone was watching me. So I used my psychic power to check the pier—and of course it was you! Can you stop using your powers like that? You scared me to death!”
Lin Qinglan was terrified of her. But she couldn’t beat her, couldn’t scold her, so all she could do was endure it!
“It’s just a habit to check if you’re still up. I was just wondering how to notify you—who knew you’d be smart enough to check the dock!”
“Weren’t you supposed to be back in a few more days? Why so soon?”
“Come on, let’s talk at home. I made a nice little fortune in Hong Kong City this time. I’ll show you tonight.”
“Then hurry up! I’m dying of curiosity.”
When they got home, Lin Qingmei and Lin Qinglan took a flashlight and snuck into the empty room next door to ‘sort the loot.’ There were still several safes she hadn’t opened yet.
“Lan’er, quick! You’re the expert at opening safes!”
“So many safes—did you rob a bank?”
“As if a bank is that easy to rob. Besides, a bank may not even have as much money as the Governor’s Mansion!”
Thinking back to that treasure vault, Lin Qingmei’s eyes sparkled. The gold alone was enough to last her a lifetime. And those crates of antiques—she had no idea if they had been stolen from the mainland.
Next time she returned to Hong Kong City, she’d have to investigate that thoroughly. If they were smuggled from the mainland, she wanted to know who the traitor was.
“How did you even know where the Governor’s Mansion was? Hong Kong City now must be pretty different from how it was before the apocalypse.”
“I didn’t know. I just asked around! Let me tell you, that Governor’s Mansion was loaded. Gold bars packed in crates!”
To prove she wasn’t lying, Lin Qingmei pulled out ten crates of gold bars she had looted from the Governor’s Mansion.
“Whoa! Qingmei, you’re rich! You could retire now and still live the good life. I don’t care—I’m clinging to your golden thigh. From now on, I’m eating your food and wearing your clothes!”
In their past lives, before the apocalypse, they had both come from ordinary families. Lin Qinglan had wanted to latch onto her best friend’s success but never got the chance. After the apocalypse, they had money but nowhere to spend it.
Who would’ve thought that after transmigrating, her best friend would suddenly become a rich lady? She was absolutely going to hold tight to this golden thigh.
“Don’t act like you don’t have gold too. Last life, you looted several bank vaults. The gold bars in your space probably aren’t any fewer than mine.”
Lin Qingmei rolled her eyes. With their relationship, who didn’t know who had what?