Chapter 272

After nearly ten hours of flight, Jonina's family finally arrived over Hong Kong.

Looking through the airplane window at the night view of Hong Kong below, she finally understood why Hong Kong was called the "Pearl of the Orient."

The colorful lights gathered into a sheet, truly as brilliant as pearls studded on a black velvet carpet.

In the eighties, if one only considered the night view, Hong Kong could rank in the top three on this planet.

"Mom, this city is so beautiful. That bay seems even more beautiful than London. Can we go play there tomorrow?"

Jonina's son, Dean, lay on the window, greedily watching the night view of Victoria Harbour, and couldn't help but make his little request.

But his older sister, Louisa, said sternly, "Dean, sit properly in your seat right now. Also, don't make excessive demands. Mom is here to work, not to take you on a tour."

Dean, who had always been suppressed by his sister's bloodline, rarely talked back this time: "We can ask Miss Lu to take us to play!

You tell me stories about adventures all day, but I only remember the two rooms at home; I haven't even been to the seaside."

"..."

The stern sister could no longer suppress her younger brother.

After Jonina moved them to Manchester, they spent 330 out of 365 days at home. The scope of the siblings' activities was limited to a hundred-meter radius around their rented house.

Her younger brother had just started to remember things this year, and his understanding of the world was limited to this hundred-meter radius.

So, when sister Louisa told Dean various adventure stories, even if Dean was hungry, he would listen obediently, imagining that he might one day be able to have adventures like the protagonists in the stories.

And Louisa, who told the stories, was she not the same?

Jonina felt ashamed beyond measure.

A child's childhood should be happy and mischievous, but her children were quiet and well-behaved.

But Jonina was socially anxious, not stupid. As a writer with a delicate mind, how could she not know that beneath this quietness and obedience lay suppressed timidity and hidden longing?

"If... if Mom has time after finishing work, I can take you to play for a bit."

"Really? That's great, Mom! Thank you, Mom."

Dean almost jumped up in excitement, but remembering his sister's constraints, he quickly sat back in his seat, his blue eyes filled with excited vitality.

But when he carefully looked at his sister, he found that she seemed just as excited as he was.

Jonina looked at her children with guilt, and then looked at Lu Jingyao, who was sitting across the aisle.

"Lu, could I trouble you to accompany us to see the sea? I can pay a bit more in compensation."

"No need, Ms. Jonina, you have already paid the compensation."

"..."

"Thank you, Lu."

Jonina now felt that her decision in the restaurant the day before yesterday was the most brilliant idea imaginable.

It could be said that Lu Jingyao was a "savior" tailor-made for Jonina.

At the time, Jonina wanted to find someone who understood Chinese to accompany her to Hong Kong, and then she casually asked Lu Jingyao if she had a suitable candidate.

Then she was surprised to find that this Lu Jingyao was a loyal reader of hers, Jonina Walls.

At the time, Jonina didn't believe it, but Lu Jingyao took out a portable trial copy of "A Song of Ice and Fire," and the translator was none other than Jonina.

Everything went much more smoothly after that. Lu Jingyao agreed to Jonina's request without hesitation and accepted the "ultra-low price" of 150 pounds.

Although the average monthly income of British people in the early 80s was only two or three hundred pounds, a weekly salary of 150 pounds for an interpreter to personally accompany her thousands of miles away was really low.

But Lu Jingyao didn't seem to care about money at all; she enthusiastically discussed the plot of "A Song of Ice and Fire" with Jonina.

Then the two realized they had countless common languages.

In short, they both thought they were very much like Daenerys Targaryen in "A Song of Ice and Fire"—both were arranged by fate, both unable to control their own destinies, and could only struggle silently and humbly.

But fortunately, both of their struggles had yielded results, and both had seen the dawn.

Jonina was very likely to receive a huge sum of 20,000 US dollars, and Lu Jingyao had also come to Britain from the distant East to study.

The resonance in literature brought Jonina and Lu Jingyao closer, and in the next two days, Jonina didn't have to worry about anything.

Everything was completely taken care of by this Chinese girl, Lu Jingyao.

She took Jonina's family of three to the discount market and bought brand-new clothes and equipment at prices that Jonina found unbelievable, fully helping Jonina understand what it meant to "spend a penny as two" and "use the best steel on the blade."

And in terms of itinerary planning, handling procedures, and other life skills, this girl, who was much younger than Jonina, appeared very experienced and mature.

What was even more rare was that the two children also liked Lu Jingyao very much; throughout the journey, they didn't need Jonina's care at all.

Or rather, Lu Jingyao took care of her family of three; she did the work of a nanny, an assistant, and an interpreter all by herself.

Jonina felt very bad about it, but she had only received 2,000 US dollars, and after taxes, she still had to repay a debt of over 700 pounds, and she had bought some necessities, and there was no TV at home...

【If I can win the first prize, I must give her reasonable compensation, even though she is an "illegal worker."】

At the Taiping Mountain villa, Pei Wencong knocked on Li Ye's door.

"Mr. Li, Mr. Jeff from the Americas will board the plane tomorrow afternoon and will arrive in Hong Kong the morning after tomorrow, but he requested that the meeting time be set for the morning after tomorrow because he has to catch the afternoon flight back to the Lighthouse."

"Since he's coming, why is he in such a rush?" Li Ye said strangely, "Did you tell him that we are very likely going to discuss a contract?"

Pei Wencong said, "Mr. Li, I told him, but he said he is an amateur author, and if he doesn't rush back in time, he might get fired."

"Heh, interesting," Li Ye nodded and said, "Then let's arrange it for the morning after tomorrow!"

"Alright, I'll go notify the other three right away."

Pei Wencong turned to leave, but when he reached the door, he turned back and asked Li Ye, "Mr. Li, are we really not considering Mr. Wood? He might really be very busy."

Li Ye said lightly, "Then let him be busy! The people we select will be able to lie down and enjoy life in the future, without needing to rush about."

Pei Wencong's eyes widened suddenly, as if he understood something.

How did he get to know Li Ye in the first place?

Ever since he hooked up with Mr. Li, didn't he, Pei Wencong, start... lying down and enjoying life?

But, since Mr. Li already had him, Pei Wencong, why did he need others?

Pei Wencong walked out in a tangle of thoughts, almost bumping into his sister who had just come out of Li Dayong's room.

He put on a straight face and asked, "What's wrong, Xiaohui? What are you doing in such a panic?"

Pei Wenhui rolled her eyes at Pei Wencong and said, "Where am I in a panic? It's you who are absent-minded."

Pei Wencong smiled and said, "Big brother is thinking about things. It's getting late, go to sleep quickly!"

Pei Wenhui curled her lips and passed by Pei Wencong, but was immediately called back by her big brother.

"Xiaohui, have you been with that Li Dayong in the factory recently?"

"Not really!" Pei Wenhui said puzzledly, "I have my own things to do, but I definitely took good care of him and got him a lot of data on sewing machinery.

But that Mr. Li really has so much strength! And he's simply adorable. Do you know..."

Pei Wenhui leaned over, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "Today he saw the Macau horse racing on TV and actually asked me if the horses of our Hong Kong tycoons run fast. Giggle, giggle, giggle, it really cracked me up!"

Watching his youthful and invincible sister laughing heartily, Pei Wencong couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

If only Mr. Li didn't have a girlfriend.

No, I have to go ask A-Qiang again.

Pei Wencong turned and walked quickly to A-Qiang's room. As soon as he entered, he saw him holding a letter, giggling blankly.

"A-Qiang, what are you daydreaming about again? Have you finished this issue of the manga? Eating my food and living in my place all day, you're getting lazier and lazier."

The blank-faced A-Qiang slowly turned his head, just like an invisible big boss in a manga, ready to release a wisp of murderous aura to annihilate everything around him after being disturbed.

"I'm in love, what do you, a single dog, know?"

Pei Wencong was stunned, then roared with rage, "Who are you calling a single dog? Who taught you that dirty language?"

"Pfft~"

A-Qiang said disdainfully, "Mr. Li said it, go find him."

Then A-Qiang went back to looking at the letter paper, laughing happily as if Pei Wencong didn't exist.

Pei Wencong's rage suddenly vanished into thin air.

He was already thirty years old; it was time to have a romance.

On the morning of the third day, Lu Jingyao, with two dark circles under her eyes, tidied Jonina's hair and clothes.

"Ms. Jonina, I've read all your reader letters over the past two days and analyzed the reviews of you in seven literary newspapers on the market. I believe your translation has a very high probability of winning.

Then the original author will definitely grant you the translation rights. You must strive for the licensing fee..."

"Lu, can't you help me strive for it? I'm not good at these things."

"I'm not very good at this either," Lu Jingyao said hesitantly, "Today's interview is too important, and I can't be sure if I can secure the greatest benefit for you."

Jonina smiled and said, "No, I believe in you, Lu. You are the smartest person I have ever met. Believe in yourself, you can definitely do it."

"Alright then!"

Lu Jingyao agreed reluctantly.

In fact, before coming to Hong Kong, she had consulted several alumni from her school, understood several key issues regarding translation rights, and made corresponding preparations.

But when Lu Jingyao arrived in Hong Kong, she encountered an unexpected problem.

She didn't understand Cantonese.

During yesterday's day of sightseeing, Lu Jingyao had been despised and scolded by locals more than once for speaking Mandarin.

In the end, she chose to speak English. Although her English wasn't a "London accent," the treatment she received was immediately different.

But since they were both speaking English, how could she demonstrate the value of her translation? Didn't Jonina speak English?

Today was an important interview. If the other party discovered her identity as a mainlander, would it affect Jonina's translation contract?

You have to know that once Jonina obtained the translation authorization, the copyright of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" she translated would belong to Jonina herself, not the original author.

So today's interview was very, very important.

(End of chapter)