Nos. 2, 4, and 6 Daffodil Street were terraced houses with polygonal hipped roofs, grayish-blue exteriors, and three conspicuous chimneys.
There were, of course, no lawns or gardens here, nor any porches. The entrances faced the street directly.
Scarter from the Tingen City Housing Improvement Company held a bunch of brass keys and introduced the place as he unlocked the front door:
"Our terraced houses have no entrance halls. You step straight into the living room, which has a bay window facing Daffodil Street. It gets quite good light..."
What greeted Klein, Benson, and Melissa was a set of fabric sofas bathed in golden sunlight and a space as large as their previous two-bedroom apartment.
"This living room can also serve as a sitting room. To its right is the dining room, and on the wall to the left is a large fireplace to keep you warm in winter." Scarter pointed things out with practiced ease.
Klein glanced around and confirmed that it was a rudimentary open-plan layout. There was no partition whatsoever between the dining room and living room, but the dining room was far from the bay window and looked rather dim.
A small, red rectangular wooden table stood there, surrounded by six hardwood chairs with padded seats and backrests. The fireplace on the left wall was just like those Klein had seen in foreign films and television dramas.
"Behind the dining room is the kitchen, but we don't provide any utensils. Opposite the living room are a small guest bedroom and a bathroom..." Scarter set off, explaining the rest of the ground floor's layout in detail.
The bathroom was divided into an outer and an inner section. The outer section was for washing, while the inner section contained the toilet, separated by a folding door. The guest bedroom was described as small, but it was as large as the partitioned room Melissa currently occupied, leaving her somewhat dazed.
After showing them the ground floor, Scarter led the three siblings to the staircase beside the bathroom.
"Downstairs is an underground storeroom. The air inside is very stuffy, so remember to ventilate it before going in each time."
Benson nodded without betraying any emotion and followed Scarter upstairs.
"To my left is a bathroom, with two bedrooms on the same side. The layout on my right is identical, except that the bathroom is near the little balcony."
As he spoke, Scarter opened the bathroom door and stepped aside so that Klein, Benson, and Melissa could inspect it without obstruction.
This bathroom had a bathtub in addition to what the downstairs one offered, and there was likewise a folding door beside the toilet. Although some dust had accumulated, there was no other dirt. It neither stank nor felt cramped.
Melissa stared blankly at it. Only when Scarter headed toward the neighboring bedroom did she look away and slowly follow.
After a few steps, she glanced back again.
Even Klein, who had seen more of the world, was quite delighted and full of anticipation. Despite their landlord frequently supervising everyone's cleaning, the communal bathroom was still not clean enough and often made people want to vomit, not to mention that they could easily encounter a queue when they were desperate.
The other bathroom was identical to this one. Of the four bedrooms, only one was slightly larger and furnished with a bookshelf. The others were about the same size, each with a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.
"The balcony is small, so you can't hang too many clothes out at once." Standing at the end of the corridor, Scarter pointed at the area separated by a lockable door. "There's also a complete sewer system, gas pipes, a meter, and other facilities. It's very suitable for gentlemen and young ladies like yourselves. The weekly rent is only thirteen soli, with a furniture fee of five pence. We also require a two-week deposit."
Before Benson could speak, Klein looked around curiously and asked:
"If we wanted to buy it, roughly how many pounds would this house cost?"
As a transmigrator from the great nation of foodies, the desire to buy a home had always remained in his heart.
Benson and Melissa were both startled by the question and looked at Klein as though he were a monster. Scarter, however, replied firmly:
"Buy it? No, we don't sell properties. We only rent them out."
"I just wanted to get an idea, understand? Just get an idea," Klein explained awkwardly.
Scarter hesitated for a few seconds before saying:
"Last month, the owner of No. 11 Daffodil Street happened to sell a similar house on a leasehold basis-three hundred pounds for fifteen years. That's much cheaper than renting outright, but not everyone can produce such a large sum at once. To purchase it outright, the owner's asking price was eight hundred and fifty pounds."
Eight hundred and fifty pounds? Klein quickly began calculating in his head.
I earn three pounds a week, and Benson earns one pound ten soli... Rent is thirteen soli. If we eat well every day, we'll spend close to two pounds a week, plus clothing expenses spread over time, transport, social expenses, and so on and so forth. At most, we could save a dozen or so soli a week. In a year, that's about thirty-five pounds. Eight hundred and fifty pounds would take twenty-something years... Even the three hundred pounds for the leasehold would take at least eight or nine years... And that doesn't account for getting married, setting up separate households, having children, traveling, and things like that...
In this world without personal housing loans, most people probably have no choice but to rent...
Having reached an understanding, he took a step back and glanced at his elder brother Benson, signaling for him to negotiate the rent.
As for Melissa's wishes, one only had to look at her eyes, which had been sparkling all this time!
At that instant, Klein had the illusion of "shut the doors and unleash Benson."
Benson tapped his cane, which had no silver inlay, looked around, and said:
"We ought to look at a few other houses. The lighting in the dining room here is too poor, and the balcony is very small. Look, only that bedroom has a fireplace, and the furniture is all too old. We'd have to replace more than half of it when we moved in..."
Speaking neither too quickly nor too slowly, he picked out a whole string of faults. Within ten minutes, he successfully "persuaded" Scarter to lower the rent to twelve soli and the furniture fee to three pence, with the deposit rounded to two pounds.
Without wasting any more time, the three siblings followed Scarter back to the Tingen City Housing Improvement Company, signed two copies of the contract, and had it notarized by a notary at the Tingen City Notary Office.
After paying the deposit and the first week's rent, Klein and Benson had a combined total of nine pounds, two soli, and eight pence left.
Standing at the entrance to No. 2 Daffodil Street, each holding a bunch of brass keys, they found themselves unable to look away for a time as all manner of emotions surged within them.
"It feels like a dream..." After a while, Melissa raised her head and gazed at what would henceforth be the "Moretti home," speaking in a low, airy voice.
Benson exhaled and smiled.
"Then don't wake up."
Klein was not as deeply moved as they were. He nodded and said:
"We need to change the locks on the front door and balcony door as soon as possible."
"There's no rush. The Tingen City Housing Improvement Company has an excellent reputation. What remains is the expense of your formal suit. Before that, though, we need to visit Mr. Franky." Benson pointed in the direction of their apartment.
After going home and making do with some rye bread, the three siblings headed to the terraced apartments on the upper section of Iron Cross Street and knocked on their landlord's door.
"You should know my principle. I absolutely will not allow overdue rent!" The short Mr. Franky sat on the sofa and declared this with considerable authority.
Benson leaned forward and began with a smile:
"Mr. Franky, we're here to terminate our tenancy."
So direct? Is this really a good way to negotiate? Listening beside him, Klein was taken aback.
On the way over, Benson had said that his bottom line was twelve soli in compensation.
"Terminate your tenancy? No! We have a contract, with another six months left!" Franky glared at Benson and waved his arms.
Benson watched him seriously, waiting until he settled down before speaking calmly:
"Mr. Franky, you should be quite aware that you ought to be earning more."
"Earning more?" Franky touched his gaunt face and asked with great interest.
Benson straightened up and explained with a smile:
"You rent a two-bedroom apartment to the three of us for five soli and six pence. But if you rented it to a family of five or six, with two or even three working members drawing salaries, I think they'd certainly be willing to pay more rather than move to somewhere as unsafe as the lower street. Five soli and ten pence, or six soli, would be a reasonable price, I believe."
Seeing Franky's eyes light up and his throat move, he continued:
"Besides, you certainly know that rents have been rising these past few years. The longer we stay, the more you lose."
"But... I need time to find new tenants." Mr. Franky, who had inherited the apartments, was clearly tempted.
"I believe you'll find them very soon. You have the ability and the resources. Perhaps two days, perhaps three... We'll compensate you for the loss during that time with the deposit we paid-three soli. That's very fair!" Benson immediately "settled the matter."
Franky nodded in satisfaction.
"Benson, you truly are a conscientious and honest young man. Very well, let's sign a termination agreement."
Klein watched in a daze from the side, thoroughly understanding how easily Mr. Franky could be "persuaded."
Isn't he far too easy to persuade...?
Having resolved the matter of their old contract, the three siblings first went to buy Klein a formal suit, then busied themselves with moving.
They had no heavy or bulky belongings, since those all belonged to the landlord. Thus, Benson and Melissa jointly "rejected" Klein's suggestion of hiring a carriage. They did it themselves, making trip after trip between Daffodil Street and Iron Cross Street.
Outside the window, the blazing sun slanted westward. Its golden light, now tinged with fiery hues, passed through the bay window and spilled across the desk. Klein glanced at the neatly arranged books and notebooks on the shelf, then gently placed the ink and fountain pen on the desk he had wiped clean.
Finally done... He exhaled and felt his stomach rumble. Lowering his rolled-up sleeves, he headed for the door.
He now had a bed all to himself. The sheets and quilt were white, old but clean.
Klein turned the handle and stepped out of his bedroom. Just as he was about to speak, the two doors opposite opened in unison, revealing Benson and Melissa.
Looking at the gray dust and dirty smudges on one another's faces, Klein and Benson suddenly burst into laughter, laughing with unusual abandon.
Melissa lightly bit her lip, gradually caught up in their laughter, and let out a quiet laugh herself.
Early the next morning.
Klein stood before a full-length mirror that no longer had any cracks, carefully adjusting his shirt collar and cuffs.
The outfit, which included a white shirt, black tailcoat, half-height silk top hat, black waistcoat and trousers, leather boots, and a bow tie, had cost him eight pounds in total, making his heart ache terribly.
The effect was excellent, however. Klein felt that his reflection looked even more scholarly and seemed a little more handsome.
Click!
He closed his pocket watch and slipped it into an inner pocket, then picked up his cane, concealed his revolver, and took a public rail carriage to Zouteland Street.
Only when he was about to enter the Blackthorn Security Company did he realize that he had grown so used to his previous way of life that he had not given Melissa any extra money that morning, leaving her to continue walking to school.
Shaking his head and making a mental note of it, Klein entered the Blackthorn Security Company and saw the brown-haired Rozanne brewing coffee, filling the place with its rich aroma.
"Good morning, Klein. Lovely weather today." Rozanne greeted him with a bright smile. "Honestly, I've always wondered: don't you gentlemen feel hot wearing formal suits in weather like this? I know Tingen's summers can't compare with those in the south and aren't all that hot, but it's still summer."
"That's the price of elegance," Klein replied humorously. "Good morning, Miss Rozanne. Where's the captain?"
"The usual place." Rozanne pointed inside.
Klein nodded almost imperceptibly, passed the partition, and knocked on the door to Dunn Smith's office.
"Come in." Dunn's voice and tone were as deep and gentle as ever.
Seeing that Klein had indeed changed into a fine formal suit, he nodded slightly, his gray eyes smiling.
"Have you thought it over?"
Klein took a deep breath and answered solemnly:
"Yes, I've made my choice."
Dunn slowly sat upright, his expression quickly turning serious, his gray eyes remaining deep.
"Tell me your answer."
Klein answered without hesitation:
"Seer!"