No. 2, No. 4 and No. 6 Narcissus Street are terraced buildings with polygonal hipped roofs. The overall appearance is gray-blue and three chimneys stand out prominently.

There were certainly no lawns or gardens, no porches, and the entrance faced directly onto the street.

Skat from the Tingen City Housing Improvement Company held a bunch of copper keys and opened the door while introducing:

"Our townhouse has no entrance hall. The first thing you enter is the living room, which has a bay window facing Daffodil Street, so the light is quite good..."

What greeted Klein, Benson, and Melissa was a set of fabric sofas bathed in golden sunlight and a spacious space comparable to their previous two-bedroom apartment.

"This living room can also be used as a living room. To the right of it is the dining room, and on the left wall there is a large fireplace for you to keep warm in winter." Scat pointed out familiarly.

Klein took a quick glance and confirmed that it was a rough open-plan layout. There was no partition between the dining room and the living room, but it was far away from the bay window and looked quite dim.

There was a small red rectangular wooden table, surrounded by six cushioned hardwood chairs, and the fireplace on the left wall was the same as the one in the foreign movies and TV series Klein had watched before.

"Behind the restaurant is the kitchen, but we don't provide any utensils. Opposite the living room is the small guest room and bathroom..." Skat took a step forward and explained the rest of the layout of the first floor in detail.

The bathroom is divided into two rooms, the outer one is for washing and the inner one is for the toilet, separated by a folding door. The guest room is said to be very small, but it is as big as the cubicle where Melissa currently lives, which made her a little dazed.

After looking at the first floor, Skat led the three siblings to the staircase next to the bathroom:

"There's an underground storage room down there. The air inside is very stuffy. Remember to ventilate it before you go in."

Benson nodded calmly and followed Scutt up the stairs to the second floor.

"To my left is a bathroom, and on the same side are two bedrooms. To my right is the same layout, except that the bathroom is near the small balcony."

As he spoke, Scat opened the bathroom door and turned sideways, allowing Klein, Benson, and Melissa to look around without obstruction.

This bathroom has a bathtub compared to the one on the first floor, and there is also a folding door next to the toilet. Although there is some dust, there is no other dirty places, and it is not smelly or crowded.

Melissa stared at this place in a daze until Scott walked towards the bedroom next door, then she retracted her gaze and followed slowly.

After walking a few steps, she looked back again.

Klein, who had seen the world, was also very happy and looking forward to this, because even though the landlord often supervised everyone to clean, the public bathroom was still not clean enough, often making people want to vomit, not to mention that when people were impatient, they would easily encounter long queues.

The other bathroom is the same as this one. Among the four bedrooms, only one is slightly larger and has a bookshelf. The rest are about the same size and have a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.

"The balcony is small, so we can't hang too many clothes at a time." Scat stood at the end of the corridor and pointed to the place separated by a door and lock. "There are complete sewers, gas pipes, meters and other facilities here. It is very suitable for gentlemen and ladies like you to live in. The weekly rent is only 13 soli and the furniture fee is 5 pence. In addition, a two-week deposit is required."

Before Benson could speak, Klein looked around curiously and said:

"If I want to buy it, how many pounds would this house cost?"

As a time traveler from a country of big foodies, the desire to buy a house is always in his heart.

Upon hearing this question, Benson and Melissa were both startled and looked at Klein as if he were a monster. Scat answered firmly:

"Buy? No, we don't sell properties, only rent them."

"I just want to understand, understand? Understand." Klein explained awkwardly.

Skat hesitated for a few seconds and said:

"Last month, the owner of 11 Daffodil Street just sold a similar house with a lease term of 300 pounds for 15 years. This is much cheaper than renting it directly, but not everyone can come up with such a large sum of money at once. If you want to buy it outright, the owner's price is 850 pounds."

850 pounds? Klein quickly began to do mental calculations:

My weekly salary is 3 pounds, Benson's is 1 pound 10 soli... The rent is 13 soli, and if I eat well every day, I will spend about 2 pounds a week, and there are also clothing expenses, transportation costs, social expenses, etc., etc., I can save at most a dozen soli a week, about 35 pounds a year, 850 pounds will take about 20 years... Even if it is just 300 pounds in the form of a land lease, it will take at least ** years... This does not take into account things like marriage, separation, having children, traveling, etc. in the future...

In this world without personal housing loans, most people will probably only be able to choose to rent a house...

He realized something and took a step back, glanced at his brother Benson, and signaled him to negotiate the rent price.

As for Melissa's wishes, you can tell just by looking at her bright eyes!

At this moment, Klein had the illusion of "Close the door and release Benson."

Benson pointed with his unsilvered cane, glanced around and said:

"We should go look at other houses. The lighting in the restaurant here is too poor, and the balcony is too small. Look, only the 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 bunch of problems at a moderate pace, and in ten minutes he successfully "convinced" Scat to lower the price to 12 soli for the rent, 3 pence for the furniture, and a deposit of 2 pounds.

Without wasting any more time, the three siblings followed Skat back to the Tingen City Housing Improvement Company, signed two copies of the contract, and went to the Tingen City Notary Office to have it notarized.

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

Standing at the door of No. 2 Narcissus Street, they each held a bunch of copper keys, and could not take their eyes away for a moment, with all kinds of emotions surging.

"It feels like a dream..." After a while, Melissa raised her head and looked at the "Morretti family" and said in a low and floating voice.

Benson exhaled and smiled:

"Then don't wake up."

Klein didn’t feel as touched as they did. He nodded and said:

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

"Don't worry about that. The Tingen City Housing Improvement Company has a very good reputation. The rest is for the cost of your formal suit. But before that, we have to go to Mr. Franky." Benson pointed in the direction of the apartment.

…………

After returning home and eating some rye bread, the three siblings went to the townhouse on Iron Cross Street and knocked on the landlord's door.

"You should know my principles. Rent arrears are absolutely not allowed!" The short Mr. Franky declared imposingly while sitting on the sofa.

Benson leaned forward and said with a smile:

"Mr. Franky, we are here to cancel our lease."

So direct? Is this really a good way to negotiate? Klein was surprised when he heard this.

On the way here, Benson said that his bottom line was to pay 12 soli as compensation.

"Cancel the lease? No! We have a contract and it still lasts for half a year!" Franky glared at Benson and waved his arms.

Benson looked at him seriously, and waited until he calmed down before saying calmly:

"Mr. French, you should know that you should earn more."

"Earn more?" Franky touched his thin face and asked with interest.

Benson sat up straight and explained with a smile:

"The two-bedroom apartment for the three of us is 5 soli and 6 pence, but if you rent it to a family of five or six, with two or even three working and earning a salary, I think they would definitely be willing to pay more for it, rather than going to a place like Lower Street where the security is very bad. 5 soli and 10 pence, or 6 soli, I think is a reasonable price."

Seeing Franky's eyes light up and his throat moving, he continued:

"And, as you must know, the rent of houses has been on the rise in recent years. The longer we stay, the more you lose."

"But... I need time to find a new tenant." Mr. Franky, who inherited the apartment, was obviously tempted.

"I believe you will find it soon. You have the ability and resources. Maybe it will take two days, maybe three days... We will compensate you for your losses during this period with the deposit we paid, 3 soli. This is fair!" Benson immediately made the decision.

Franky nodded with satisfaction:

"Benson, you are truly a conscientious and honest young man. All right, let's sign the 'Termination Agreement'."

Klein was stunned as he watched from the side, and he completely understood why Mr. Franky was so easy to "persuade."

This is so convincing...

After resolving the previous contract issue, the three siblings first went to buy formal clothes for Klein, and then began to busy themselves with the moving process.

They didn't have any heavy or bulky belongings, as they all belonged to the landlord, so Benson and Melissa jointly "rejected" Klein's idea of ​​hiring a carriage and did it themselves, going back and forth between Daffodil Street and Iron Cross Street.

The scorching sun was setting outside the window, and the golden light with a burnt smell shone through the oriel window and sprinkled onto the surface of the desk. Klein glanced at the neatly arranged books and notes on the shelf, and gently placed the ink and pen on the clean table.

Finally done... He let out a breath, felt his stomach rumbling, and walked towards the door while lowering his rolled-up sleeves.

He had a bed that belonged to him alone. The sheets and quilt were white, old but clean.

Klein turned the handle and walked out of the bedroom. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the two doors opposite him open at the same time, revealing the figures of Benson and Melissa.

Looking at the gray dust and dirty stains on each other's faces, Klein and Benson suddenly laughed, and their laughter was extremely happy.

Melissa bit her lip lightly, and was gradually infected by them, and smiled softly.

…………

The next morning.

Klein stood in front of the dressing mirror that no longer had cracks, carefully adjusting the collar and cuffs of his shirt.

This set included a white shirt, a black tailcoat, a half-high silk hat, a black vest and trousers, leather boots, and a bow tie. It cost him a total of 8 pounds, which made him feel extremely sorry.

But the effect was also very good. Klein felt that the person in the mirror had a stronger scholarly temperament and seemed a little more handsome.

Snap!

He closed his pocket watch and put it in his inner pocket, then took his cane, hid his revolver, and took a public carriage to Zouteland Street.

When he was about to enter the "Blackthorn Security Company", he realized that he was used to his previous lifestyle and did not give Melissa extra money this morning, allowing her to continue walking to school.

Shaking his head and making a note of the matter, Klein walked into the Blackthorn Security Company and saw the brown-haired girl, Roxanne, brewing coffee there, creating a rich aroma.

"Good morning, Klein. The weather is nice today." Luo Shan greeted with a smile. "To be honest, I've always been curious. In this kind of weather, don't you men feel hot wearing formal clothes? I know that Tingen's summer can't be compared to the south. It's not hot enough, but it's still summer."

"This is the price of grace." Klein replied humorously, "Good morning, Miss Roxanne, where is the captain?"

"The old place." Luo Shan pointed inside.

Klein nodded imperceptibly, passed through the partition, and knocked on Dunn Smith's office door.

"Come in." Dunn's voice and tone were as low and gentle as always.

Seeing that Klein had indeed changed into a nice suit, he nodded slightly, smiling in his gray eyes, and said:

"Have you thought about it?"

Klein took a deep breath and answered solemnly:

"Yes, I have made my choice."

Dunn slowly sat up straight, his expression quickly became serious, his grey eyes remained deep as he spoke:

"Tell me your answer."

Klein answered without hesitation:

"Fortune teller!"