boyutpedia Chapter 47 Renting a House
Chapter 47 Renting a House
"Yes, Dongcheng District... To be honest, I don't recommend you go there. It's synonymous with chaos and is the dirtiest place in Dongchui Port."
Rowan's tone was disdainful.
Zag carefully examined the map and asked, "It looks like there's another dock to the east, right?"
"That's right, there are two wharves in the Eastern Port. The wharf in the north is called Golden Helmet Wharf, and the one in the east is called Margarita Wharf. Yes, you guessed it right. It was originally opened specifically for Margarita Island and was mainly used for trade with the Kun people. Goods from there used to be subject to very high taxes."
"After the Great Calamity, the Gore people fled everywhere, and the relationship between Quen Island and the Kingdom was sometimes good and sometimes bad. Gradually, the two docks were used interchangeably."
"However, because Golden Helmet Pier is larger and more formal, most normal businesses and travelers use Golden Helmet Pier. As for those that dock at Margarita Pier, they are either some capable people or some shady businesses that are protected. Well... the entire area around Margarita Pier is somewhat shady, with casinos, underground black markets, and even underground gladiatorial arenas all located there."
At this point, Rowan suddenly chuckled and joked, "By the way, the famous Nightingale Bar Street is over there too. If you like that kind of thing, you can go check it out."
Zag didn't immediately understand what "Nightingale Tavern" meant, but seeing the smile on Rowan's face, he finally dredged up the original owner's memories from some obscure corner of his mind—
Well... that's a polite way of saying "red-light district." It's legal because it generates a lot of tax revenue and is even encouraged in many places to some extent.
Zag, who considers himself a well-rounded young man with sound values, awkwardly explained, "No, no, I... I don't really like it."
"Hehehe..."
Zag's explanation was worse than no explanation at all, and Rowan's smile became even stranger.
Fortunately, this topic was quickly moved on, and Rowan specifically told Zag that if he wanted to rent a house at a reasonable price, he should go to the church.
"You know, many landlords are devout believers who will pay the monks enough to rent a house at a good price. Of course, looking for houses in the newspaper's GG section is also a good option."
Before leaving, she also gave Zag all the newspapers from the past two weeks so that he could check the house rental and sales information.
Rowan and Matthew are like two extremes. Matthew always looks like he's being stingy, as if someone owes him money, but Rowan seems much more generous. At least if these newspapers were left with Matthew, Zag wouldn't be able to take them without spending a few pence.
Of course, both of them are kind-hearted at heart.
After agreeing on the official start date with Rowan, Zag left the shop and returned wearily to the inn.
Mrs. Marsh was in good spirits and was playing a game of catching the ball with Helford.
That cloth ball Zag had never even seen before!
"Where did this cloth ball come from?"
Mrs. Marsh replied, "I sewed it for him this afternoon, haha, the little guy loves it and takes it everywhere he goes."
Zag stared at Herford, who had completely "dog-like" and was happily fetching balls, his expression indescribable.
Do you really remember that you were once a human being?!
"Hmph, you stupid dog!"
Clearly, Xueqiu also had a strong urge to criticize Helford's behavior.
The only difference is that the direction of the criticism was a little different from what Zag had imagined...
"It's just a cloth ball, what's so special about it!"
It has a very sour taste.
Ignoring the two furry creatures vying for attention, Zag piled the newspapers he had been carrying under his arm onto the table and introduced them to Mrs. Marsh: "Look, this is what Ms. Rowan gave me. It lists all the houses for rent and sale for the past two weeks. We can take a look. Tomorrow I'll go to the Meritla Temple to inquire. Perhaps the monks know where there are suitable houses."
"Ms. Rowan is such a kind person!"
Mrs. Marsh sighed with delight, sat down at the table, took out her reading glasses, and began to decipher the words on the newspaper.
When Snowball took over the ball, Hakimi perked up immediately and began to take on Mrs. Marsh's ecological niche, constantly throwing the ball towards the door. Watching Helford howl and run over to retrieve it, the dog would throw the ball again. The cat and dog were having a great time. If the room weren't so small, the two furry creatures would probably be running wild.
"This is good, only 2 shillings per week!"
Mrs. Marsh, clearly an older woman more price-sensitive, pointed to the house with the lowest price in the newspaper and said...
Zag sighed, "It's just one room with only one bed, and it's a shared bathroom. It's so small you couldn't even fit a lump of coal in it, it's simply unacceptable!"
"And this one? 5 shillings a week? It has two rooms!"
"I specifically inquired about the East District; it's home to a notorious gangster club and the Nightingale Tavern. You probably won't be able to sleep well there. If I work hard all day and then come home to find my neighbor playing 'Symphony' music, I might as well be dead!"
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Mrs. Marsh glared at Zag, then pointed to the third guy and asked, "Isn't this one pretty good? 8 shillings and 11 pence, not in the East End, and it's a whole house with three rooms—enough to set aside one for Snowball and Coalball! There's nothing more suitable!"
"this……"
Zha Ge carefully read the description on GG and was somewhat tempted.
Aside from the fact that the address seems to be near the dock, there doesn't seem to be any downside.
"I'll go and inquire about it tomorrow. Ms. Rowan and I have discussed it, and we'll start working next week, so we have a whole week to choose a house that suits our taste."
Mrs. Marsh said, "We should book as soon as possible; the hotel prices here are quite high!"
In this situation, all Zag could do was coax the old lady, "Yes, yes."
The two flipped through the newspaper for a while and finally narrowed it down to three houses.
Besides the one next to the pier, there is also an apartment in the South District and a detached house with a garden in the West District.
The apartment is a bit more expensive than the one at the pier. Although it has two rooms, it costs a full 8 shillings and 5 pence per week. However, the advantage is that there is no property tax to pay—this is something the owners of the entire building have to worry about, as it is already included in the rent, which actually saves you some money.
The most expensive property is a detached house in the western part of the city. It has four bedrooms, a small garden, and is very close to the city hall and the security headquarters, offering excellent security. Normally, with Zag's income and savings, such a house would be unthinkable, but for some reason, it only costs 21 shillings per week!
Of course, this price is still very expensive. Spending more than £1 per week to rent a house is completely over budget. However, compared to another detached house in the same West End that only has a swimming pool and two more rooms, it is incredibly cheap. The other house in the West End costs 65 shillings, which is £3.5 per week!
What prompted Zag to set his sights on this house was actually a line from GG: "Those who come to discuss the details may have their rent reduced or waived depending on the circumstances."
Hmm... even though he knew there was definitely something wrong with this bargain, Zag still shamefully got tempted.
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[Holland Daily Mini-Theatre]: As factories increase, the demands of the working class in factories are being taken seriously by the market. Workers with stable incomes need more decent and convenient housing, which is why apartment housing (Loding House) was born.
These apartments typically charge rent weekly, some even offer free meals, and most do not require payment of property taxes, making them a top choice for workers.
Of course, it is also the first choice for citizens with decent jobs and stable incomes. However, they have higher requirements for apartments, usually requiring regular house cleaning services and independent private bathrooms. The famous Weyland company is building an "apartment empire" to meet more needs, and you can see "Weyland Apartments" in many cities.