"Young lady. The sailors on the boat say we'll reach Shanghai in about three days. We'll be able to eat home-cooked meals soon!" Zhang Ma's tone was very happy.
"Yes, I wonder if Father is in good health after not seeing him for four years. We've only exchanged letters; I'm still a bit worried not seeing him," Lin Yan said, recalling as she spoke. Read books here.
She was currently on a cruise ship returning from studying abroad. Four years of overseas life had led to very little communication with her father, with only a few letters exchanged annually.
After all, communication at this time was far inferior to later periods, with a letter taking months to arrive. Telegrams, while faster, were also quite troublesome.
"Master must be fine; you don't need to worry. Didn't you receive a telegram from Master before? Master dotes on you so much; he'll definitely be waiting for you at the dock when the ship arrives."
Zhang Ma cut the bread and steak for Lin Yan, then poured her a glass of milk.
Lin Yan also knew that Father Lin was surely fine. In her memory, when she returned to Shanghai, Father Lin was waiting at the dock. Despite not seeing each other for over four years, Father Lin had changed very little.
"Yes, I can finally return. I really miss Father," Lin Yan sighed again.
Her memory was still stuck on the Lin family's ruin and her original self's capture, so she was eager to see Father Lin quickly and confirm his well-being.
When Lin Yan went abroad, she took two guards and a wet nurse. For many years, she had diligently studied almost all the knowledge she could acquire.
The original owner, like Lin Yan, had an excellent memory, and the original owner's linguistic talent was even higher. As a child, she could repeat the hometown dialect of the family's servants after hearing it once. Kan Dun.
Before going abroad, she already knew several dialects. Father Lin felt he couldn't let her talent go to waste, so he hired a tutor for her, later discovering her rapid language acquisition skills.
At that time, Father Lin even joked that if she were a boy, she could join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and communicate with people from various countries.
Later, when Lin Yan went abroad, there were many students from different countries at her school. Lin Yan was also outgoing and generous, making her almost a celebrity at the school and a frequent attendee at parties.
Thus, she learned many languages and made many friends from different countries.
After Lin Yan finished her meal, Zhang Ma took away the dishes. Lin Yan casually picked up the original owner's book and started reading.
Looking at the densely written notes in the book, she patiently read, familiarizing herself with the original owner's writing habits. Although she possessed the original owner's memories, she still needed to reacquaint herself with these small habits.
The original owner's studies were indeed diligent but also very scattered. It seemed like a waste of talent for her to later become a middle school teacher.
However, teaching was only the original owner's sideline; her main occupation was Father Lin's translator and assistant.
Of course, outsiders didn't see it that way. Every time Father Lin took her to various gatherings, everyone would simply assume Father Lin was looking for a future husband for his daughter.
Her identity served as the best disguise, and her status as a teacher and her beautiful appearance were her protective colors.
"Young lady, the light in the cabin isn't good; you should read less, it's bad for your eyes!" Zhang Ma returned and saw Lin Yan reading, so she cautioned her.
"Alright, I won't read anymore." Lin Yan closed the book and walked to the dressing table to sit down.
The person in the mirror had a beautiful face with delicate features. Her contours were slightly deeper than those of the average Asian, making her more recognizable to Westerners.
Her hair was permed into voluminous curls and styled up, pinned high at the back. She didn't know how this hairstyle was done, and she suspected a wig pad was used to achieve such volume!
Zhang Ma also came behind Lin Yan, helping her to undo her pinned-up hair, remove the wig pad inside, and then use a wooden comb to brush out her hair strand by strand.
"Zhang Ma, tomorrow I won't wear such troublesome hair. After all, we're almost home; I should change into my own clothes," Lin Yan said, looking at Zhang Ma in the mirror.
"But young lady, your clothes are old and outdated. You haven't had any new ones made in the last two years, and besides, the fabrics popular here aren't available in France.
So, you should still wear Western dresses. I'll style your hair simply then."
"Alright, I guess that's the only way." Lin Yan knew the situation. She couldn't wear clothes from a few years ago; regardless of whether they fit, they would be outdated.
Respect the attire before respecting the person; she couldn't disembark in old clothes.
"Then wear something more conservative. I remember a Western dress made last month that's quite suitable. Put away the others; they probably won't be worn much anymore."
To attend parties, the original owner had made many formal gowns. And with her fair and delicate skin, refined features, she was always the focus of attention at parties, and her clothes always led fashion trends.
However, China at this time was not as open and accepting of revealing dresses that showed shoulders or legs.
"Ah! Finally, I don't have to wear those clothes. When we get back, young lady, you must make some aoqun (traditional Chinese jackets and skirts). Our own clothes look so much better. These Western dresses, all that lace and gauze, are truly inferior to our silk embroidery."
Zhang Ma spoke of her life abroad with disdain. It was likely that only Zhang Ma felt this way now; many people considered foreign countries to be exceptionally civilized and developed.
Listening to Zhang Ma's chatter, Lin Yan felt a sense of warmth. After all, on this ship, the original owner had never left her room and was quite bored.
The next few days passed quickly. When the ship docked at Shanghai's port, Zhang Ma had already packed Lin Yan's luggage. The guards at the door came in to help Lin Yan carry her belongings.
Lin Yan, along with the guards and Zhang Ma, walked out of the cabin and onto the deck.
"Hey, Lin. You're really hard to find. I wanted to invite you to a dance the entire journey but never saw you!" A red-haired man approached Lin Yan to speak to her. His attire indicated he was likely a foreign nobleman.
"Sorry, Charles. I was feeling seasick, so I didn't come out," Lin Yan recognized him as the heir to a British earldom, and they had attended a few parties together.
From her memories, Lin Yan knew that this Charles had some interest in the original owner, but the original owner had never responded to him. This time, it was the same; even though they were on the same cruise ship, the original owner had stayed in her cabin specifically to avoid him.
After all, he was the heir to an earldom, and she couldn't afford to offend him at the moment.
"Are you feeling better now? Seasickness is indeed very uncomfortable!" The red-haired man, Charles, looked at Lin Yan with concern. He was quite fond of this Chinese woman.
She was elegant and knowledgeable, undoubtedly from a noble family. If only she weren't of Asian descent, she could certainly have been his wife. However, she could still be his mistress.
He believed that with his status, as long as he expressed his feelings, Miss Lin would definitely accept him. But he hadn't expected to have so few opportunities to interact with her.
If he couldn't find her, how could he express his feelings?