Chapter 30: 30. Chapter 30: A New Beginning

Chapter 30: A New Beginning

Numbers 2, 4, and 6 Narcissus Street were terraced buildings with polygonal hipped roofs. Their overall appearance was grayish-blue, with three prominent chimneys standing tall.

Naturally, there were no lawns or gardens, nor any porches; the entrances faced directly onto the street.

Scott, from the "Tingen Housing Improvement Company," held a ring of copper keys and introduced the property as he opened the main gate

"None of our terraced houses have foyers; you enter directly into the living room. There is a bay window facing Narcissus Street, so the natural light is quite good..."

What met the eyes of Klein, Benson, and Melissa was a set of fabric sofas bathed in golden sunlight and a spacious area comparable to their previous two-bedroom residence.

"This living room can also serve as a parlor. To its right is the dining room, and on the left wall, there is a large fireplace to keep you warm in the winter," Scott pointed out familiarly.

Klein scanned the area, confirming it was a crude open layout. There was no partition between the dining room and the living room, but the dining area was far from the bay window and appeared quite dim.

There sat a small rectangular red wooden table surrounded by six padded hardwood high-back chairs, and the fireplace on the left wall looked just like the ones in the foreign movies and TV shows Klein had seen before.

"Behind the dining room is the kitchen, but we do not provide any utensils. Opposite the living room are a small guest room and a washroom..." Scott strode forward, detailing the rest of the first-floor layout.

The washroom was divided into an outer and inner section: the outer part was for washing, and the inner part was the toilet, separated by a folding door. The guest room was said to be small, but it was about the same size as the cubicle Melissa currently lived in, leaving her staring blankly for a moment.

After finishing the first floor, Scott led the three siblings to the stairwell next to the washroom

"Downstairs is an underground storeroom. The air in there is very stuffy, so remember to ventilate it before going in."

Benson nodded imperceptibly and followed Scott up the stairs to the second floor.

"To my left is a washroom, and on the same side, there are two bedrooms. The layout on my right is the same, except the washroom is closer to the small balcony."

As he spoke, Scott opened the washroom door and stepped aside, allowing Klein, Benson, and Melissa to inspect it without obstruction.

This washroom was better than the one on the first floor as it included a bathtub. There was also a folding door next to the toilet; although it had gathered some dust, there were no other dirty areas, and it was neither malodorous nor cramped.

Melissa stared blankly at the room until Scott walked toward the adjacent bedroom, at which point she withdrew her gaze and followed him slowly.

After a few steps, she looked back once more.

Klein, having seen more of the world, was also quite delighted and expectant. Even though the landlord frequently supervised cleaning, the public washrooms were still not clean enough and often induced an urge to vomit, not to mention the tendency to encounter queues during urgent moments.

The other washroom was identical to this one. Of the four bedrooms, only one was slightly larger and contained a bookshelf; the others were roughly the same size, each equipped with a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.

"The balcony is very small; you won't be able to dry too many clothes at once." Scott stood at the end of the hallway, pointing to the area partitioned by a door and a lock. "This place also has complete facilities such as sewers, gas pipes, and meters. It is very suitable for gentlemen and ladies like yourselves. The rent is only 13 soles per week, plus a 5 pence furniture usage fee. Additionally, a deposit of four weeks' rent is required."

Before Benson could speak, Klein looked around curiously and asked

"If we wanted to buy this house, roughly how many pounds would it cost?"

As a transmigrator from a nation of foodies, the desire to own property always resided in his heart.

Hearing this question, both Benson and Melissa were startled, looking at Klein as if he were a monster. Scott, however, answered firmly

"Buy? No, we do not sell properties; we only offer leases."

"I was just curious, you understand? Just curious," Klein explained awkwardly.

Scott hesitated for a few seconds before saying

"Last month, the owner of No. 11 Narcissus Street happened to sell a similar house via a ground lease—300 pounds for 15 years. This is much cheaper than renting directly, but not everyone can produce such a large sum of money at once. If you wanted to purchase it outright, the owner's asking price was 850 pounds."

850 pounds? Klein quickly began mental arithmetic

*My weekly wage is 3 pounds, Benson's is 1 pound 10 soles... Rent is 13 soles. Adding in eating well every day, I'll spend nearly 2 pounds a week. Then there's the cost of clothing, transportation, social expenses, and so on. At most, I can save a dozen or so soles a week. In a year... about 35 pounds a year. 850 pounds would take about twenty-some years... Even the 300 pounds for the ground lease would take at least eight or nine years... and that's without considering future marriage, splitting the household, having children, traveling, etc...*

In this world without personal home loans, most people would likely have to choose renting...

Having reached this realization, he took a step back and glanced at his brother Benson, signaling him to negotiate the rent.

As for Melissa's wishes, one only had to look at her bright, sparkling eyes to understand!

In this moment, Klein had the illusion of "closing the door and letting Benson out."

Benson tapped his silverless cane and glanced left and right, saying

"We should look at other houses. The lighting in this dining room is too poor, and the balcony is too small. Look, only that bedroom has a fireplace, and the furniture is too old. We'll have to replace more than half of it when we move in..."

He picked out a list of flaws at a moderate pace, successfully "persuading" Scott within ten minutes to lower the rent to 12 soles and the furniture fee to 3 pence, while rounding the deposit to exactly 2 pounds.

Without wasting more time, the three siblings followed Scott back to the "Tingen Housing Improvement Company" to sign two copies of the contract and then went to the Tingen Notary Office to have it notarized.

After paying the deposit and the first week's rent, Klein and Benson had a combined total of 9 pounds, 2 soles, and 8 pence remaining.

Standing at the entrance of No. 2 Narcissus Street, each holding a ring of copper keys, they found themselves unable to look away, their emotions swirling.

"It feels like a dream..." After a while, Melissa looked up at their future "Moretti home" and spoke in a low, drifting voice.

Benson exhaled and smiled

"Then don't wake up."

Klein didn't feel as much as they did. He nodded and said

"We need to change the locks on the front door and the balcony door as soon as possible."

"There's no rush for that; the Tingen Housing Improvement Company has a very good reputation. What's left is the cost of your formal wear. However, before that, we need to go to Mr. French's place," Benson said, pointing toward the apartment area.

***

After returning home to make do with some rye bread, the three siblings headed to the terraced apartments on the main street of Iron Cross Street and knocked on the landlord's door.

"You should know my principle: absolutely no late rent!" the short Mr. French declared with great authority while sitting on his sofa.

Benson leaned forward and spoke with a smile

"Mr. French, we are here to terminate our lease."

*So direct? Is this really a good way to negotiate?* Klein was astonished as he listened from the side.

On the way here, Benson had mentioned that his bottom line was compensating 12 soles.

"Terminate the lease? No! We have a contract, with six months left!" French glared at Benson, waving his arms.

Benson looked at him earnestly, and only after the man calmed down did he say steadily

"Mr. French, you should be well aware that you could be earning much more."

"Earning more?" French touched his thin face and asked back with interest.

Benson sat up straight and explained with a smile

"Renting this two-bedroom to the three of us costs 5 soles and 6 pence. But if you rent it to families of five or six, with two or even three working members earning wages, I believe they would certainly be willing to pay more rather than going to the lower streets where security is very poor. 5 soles 10 pence, or even 6 soles, I believe is a reasonable price."

Seeing French's eyes light up and his throat move, he continued

"And, as you surely know, house rents have been on an upward trend in recent years. The longer we stay, the more you lose."

"But... I need time to find new tenants." Mr. French, who had inherited the apartment, was clearly tempted.

"I believe you will find someone very quickly; you have the ability and the resources. Perhaps in two days, perhaps three... We will compensate you for the loss during this period using our deposit. 3 soles—that is very fair!" Benson "settled" the matter immediately.

French nodded with satisfaction

"Benson, you truly are a conscientious and honest young man. Very well, we shall sign a 'Contract Termination'."

Klein watched from the side in a daze, completely understanding how easily Mr. French could be "persuaded."

*He's way too easy to persuade...*

Having resolved the issue with the previous contract, the three siblings first helped Klein buy his formal wear and then began the busy work of moving.

They didn't have any heavy or massive items; those belonged to the landlord. Therefore, Benson and Melissa jointly "rejected" Klein's idea of hiring a carriage and did it themselves, making trip after trip between Narcissus Street and Iron Cross Street.

Outside the window, the setting sun cast a fiery golden light through the bay window, spilling across the surface of the desk. Klein glanced at the neatly arranged books and notebooks on the shelf, then gently placed his ink and steel pen on the wiped-clean desk.

*Finally finished...* He exhaled, feeling his stomach growl. He lowered his rolled-up sleeves and walked toward the door.

He finally had a bed that belonged only to him; the sheets and quilt were white, old but clean.

Klein turned the handle and stepped out of the bedroom. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the two doors opposite open simultaneously, revealing Benson and Melissa.

Seeing the gray dust and dirty stains on each other's faces, Klein and Benson suddenly burst into laughter, laughing with extraordinary relief.

Melissa bit her lip lightly and was gradually infected by them, expressing her amusement in a small voice.

***

The next morning.

Klein stood before a dressing mirror that no longer had cracks, earnestly tidying the collar and cuffs of his shirt.

It was a complete set consisting of a white shirt, a black tailcoat, a silk top hat, a black vest and trousers, leather boots, and a bow tie. It had cost him a total of 8 pounds, which pained him immensely.

However, the effect was excellent. Klein felt that his scholarly temperament was much stronger in the mirror, and he seemed a bit more handsome.

*Click!*

He snapped his pocket watch shut, placed it in his inner pocket, took up his cane, hid his revolver, and took a rail omnibus to Zotlan Street.

It wasn't until he was about to enter the "Blackthorn Security Company" that he realized he had fallen into his old habits; he hadn't given Melissa any extra money this morning, leaving her to continue walking to school.

Shaking his head and noting the matter, Klein stepped into the "Blackthorn Security Company" and saw the brown-haired girl, Roselle, brewing coffee, filling the air with a rich aroma.

"Good morning, Klein. The weather is quite nice today," Roselle greeted him with a smile. "To be honest, I've always wondered, don't you gentlemen feel hot in formal wear in this kind of weather? I know Tingen's summer can't compare to the south and isn't hot enough, but it's still summer."

"It is the price of elegance," Klein replied humorously. "Good morning, Miss Roselle. Where is the Captain?"

"The usual place," Roselle pointed inside.

Klein gave an imperceptible nod and, through the partition, knocked on Dunn Smith's office door.

"Come in." Dunn's voice and tone were as deep and gentle as ever.

Seeing that Klein had indeed changed into a nice set of formal wear, he nodded slightly, his gray eyes smiling

"Have you made up your mind?"

Klein took a deep breath and answered solemnly

"Yes, I have made my choice."

Dunn slowly sat up straight, his expression turning serious, his deep gray eyes unchanging

"Tell me your answer."

Klein answered without hesitation

"Diviner!"