"Two bedrooms, with a separate bathroom, and you can use it for business downstairs. Is that paradise?"
"But the rent is really high. I have been cleaning people's shoes on the street for a whole year, and the money I saved is not enough to rent..."
Mi Gao held the newspaper in his hand, unable to conceal the excitement in his voice, and counted on his fingers:
He got six pence a day, and after deducting the cost of three meals, there was probably two pence left. After all, he had been busy for a whole year without taking a break every day, and his business had been very good, and he could rent this place for two months.
Of course, this does not include the money deposited in the special account helped by the association.
Thinking of this, Mi Gao was a little nervous. What should he tell the president? Will part of the money in the account be deducted?
In addition, the luggage has not been packed yet. It is all left at Father Tony's place. When will I pick it up?
All kinds of questions arose in his mind, but they couldn't suppress Mi Gao's excitement and expectation.
Become an apprentice and learn medical skills while saving money. When you grow up, you will go to university and open a clinic in London.
It must be said that this child has his own ideas and knows how to plan for the future early.
Lu Li stood nearby, looking for the carriage. He had been walking for a long time. He saw not only 10,000 but also 5,000 faces along the way. He felt a little conflicted and did not want to walk among the crowds anymore.
For those who are afraid of society and those who are road crazy, the foggy city of this era is not friendly at all. Just walking on the street during the day for half an hour will drive you crazy——
Weary of countless stagecoaches, cabs, and drays, tired of endless noisy crowds, and what's worse, no matter where you go or how far you go, you can't get out of the crowd.
"Baker Street."
In the end, Lu Li stopped a neat-looking carriage and packed it whole.
"Two shillings, sir."
"Well, hurry up."
After giving instructions, Lu Li and his little boy Mi Gao got into the semi-enclosed carriage.
The car drove smoothly, but there was a cold wind mixed with small water droplets pouring in through the broken hood of the car, and Mi Gao couldn't help but shudder.
Seeing this, Lu Li helped him lift up his collar.
About two-quarters of an hour later, the destination arrived.
White porcelain walls, red roofs, and black-framed wooden doors with glass are placed one after another, with a unified layout.
Although the advertisement states that there is no private lawn, in front of each room, next to the window, there is still a small area surrounded by iron railings on three sides for residents to plant some of their favorite things.
The most important thing is that when you step into this street, the whole world becomes quiet.
"Quiet than the Financial City..."
Lu Li whispered. He liked this place very much, even if it had no resemblance to Baker Street in that world.
"Like it?"
A hand was placed on the top of Mi Gao's head, and he kept rubbing it. It might be out of pity, or it might be because of the chance to close his eyes. Lu Li really planned to use his free time in the next three months to teach this child a good lesson so that he could survive in the foggy city. .
"I like it." Mi Gao nodded heavily.
"When I rent the entire apartment, you can choose a room first, a room of your own."
With that said, Lu Li arrived at Building A of No. 1 and pushed the door open.
"Mr. Johnny?"
The person in charge of the reception was a middle-aged man with a stout figure. He was wearing a vest but no suit. He probably didn't like the tight feeling. After all, he was too honest, like a groundhog in winter.
"That's right."
Johnny nodded, looked at Lu Li and Mi Gao doubtfully, and thought to himself: What kind of combination is this?
Mainly because he is 1.6 meters tall, he is easily recognized by wearing the red uniform distributed by the Shoe Shine Association. Baker Street is located in Westminster, West London. Most of the residents are middle-class, and there are almost no poor people.
"I saw in the newspaper that there is a house for rent in this neighborhood, right?" Lu Li opened the newspaper and pointed to the square where the advertisement was posted.
"That's right."
Johnny glanced at the wolf-headed cane in Lu Li's hand, and his attitude became cordial. He reached out his right hand and unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth, "The specific situation has been introduced in the newspaper. On the 23rd, it is very close to here. There are two rooms." bedroom."
"It's spacious and has good air circulation. With the windows opened very wide, as long as it's a sunny day, there will be enough light in the room..."
With that said, he walked towards the outside of the house and said with a warm invitation: "You can go and take a look. It has been cleaned."
Baker Street, No. 23.
A row building is divided into four buildings a, b, c, and d. The overall style is the same, or in other words, the style of the entire street is the same.
"When I posted it, I deliberately didn't say that every household actually has a small lawn of about four square yards. You can plant whatever you like."
"The only drawback is probably that it doesn't have a porch and faces the street."
There was a click.
The door opened from the outside, and three people filed in. Mr. Johnny, the landlord, continued to introduce:
"This is the front office. The original tenant was a dentist, but he wasn't very good at it, so he left in despair. I heard he moved to the East District, where people are not picky."
Fate?
The previous resident was a doctor, and his current identity is also a doctor.
Behind him, Mi Gao couldn't help but exclaimed, "Mr. Lu is also a doctor."
"What a coincidence! Forgive me for not seeing who you are. Are you a pharmacist or a surgeon?"
It is indeed a bit presumptuous to ask this, but it can be seen that Mr. Joni does not have any deep meaning. He is simply curious, "Or, internal medicine?"
"Member of the Surgeons Association, but he knows a bit about pharmacy and internal medicine." Lu Li said modestly based on the unfamiliar memory.
General?
Mr. Johnny was stunned for a moment and looked at the ordinary Lu Li seriously.
In London, the medical community strictly adheres to the three-caste system, with physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries descending in rank and status, and each has its own association.
However, for patients, this kind of separation is crazy. Many symptoms need to be treated internally and externally. Is it possible that three doctors need to be hired at the same time?
One is for internal treatment, one is for external treatment, and the remaining one is responsible for dispensing the medicine. Let’s not talk about the cost. Just getting these people together will take a lot of time. This may happen:
After finally calling all the doctors, the patient lying inside couldn't hold on and took the first step.
Therefore, when the concept of general practitioners was proposed, all walks of life hope to break the traditional constraints and establish a new medical order led by general practitioners.
Unfortunately, there are very few doctors who are proficient in many fields, and the old order still prevails.
"From now on, I will leave the medical work in this neighborhood to Mr. Lu."
Johnny became even more enthusiastic and put his big, sturdy hands on Lu Li's shoulders, as if he was sure that he would definitely settle here.
As for the scam?
Since Lu Li said that he was a member of the Association of Surgeons, it was impossible to lie. This thing can be known to be true or false at a glance.
"Look at the house first." Lu Li said reservedly.
Hearing this, Mr. Johnny stepped forward and began to introduce the layout of the house in detail, with an irrepressible smile on his face.
Mi Gao shined people's shoes on the street, so he had some skills in observing people's emotions. Because of this, he looked at Lu Li with admiration.
A person with knowledge will go wherever he goes. They are all highly respected.
"Because the previous resident was a dentist, the front hall was converted into a consulting room, and behind it was the kitchen and dining room, with a small bathroom."
What comes into view is the operating table. The main body is made of wood and some areas are made of metal. A kerosene lamp is hung on it for lighting.
On the left is the waiting area, with a sofa and a table with matching cups and saucers.
Leaving in such a hurry?
These things are not cheap.
Probably seeing the doubts in Lu Li's heart, Mr. Qiao Ni explained in a helpless tone:
"The dentist named Joseph signed a three-year rental contract, but he only paid two years' rent. Now nearly a month and a half has passed in the third year, and this guy still can't pay. He has no choice but to take these Equipment debt.”
"To be honest, I know they are worth a lot of money, but compared to the liquidated damages, they are nothing at all, and getting rid of these second-hand goods is also a headache."
Lu Li didn't say much about this, and nodded slightly to show that he already knew.
In fact, he really wanted to get these things. After all, he was qualified to practice medicine, but he still needed the tools——
It's not like a priest can cure the disease by chanting a spell.
However, Lu Li is currently short of money, and his financial strength does not allow him to buy all the things in front of him.
At the same time, Mr. Joni opened the door to the back hall, "This is the kitchen. It can hold three pots and comes with tools for grinding coffee."
"You can think about it, in your free time waiting for the patient to come to your door, you sit on the sofa, holding a cup and saucer, sipping coffee, and placing a stack of newspapers next to you..."
It has to be said that this kind of life is indeed full of attraction. Mi Gao's thoughts are already wandering. He likes comfort, especially after being bumpy on the streets for a long time, he is increasingly eager to stabilize.
Lu Li did not interrupt Mr. Johnny's introduction. After a long time, he said, "Go up and take a look?"
"certainly."
Adhering to the principle of putting customers first, Johnny stepped onto the stairs. It could be seen that this two-story building was newly built not long ago. The red paint on the handrails was intact and not a single piece of it had fallen off.
Boom... boom... boom...
A group of three people came upstairs. The first floor was used for business, and here was the living area, which was more elegantly decorated.
Fortunately, there was sunshine even in the fog today, and the thick fog has now dissipated. The sunlight shines through the windows into the large living room, coating the furniture with a layer of light gold.
"Winter is coming soon, you can use this big fireplace to keep warm." Johnny pointed to the living room next to the fireplace and added: "With hardwood upholstered armchairs, you don't have to worry about catching fire."
"That's the bathroom over there. It's divided into two floors, separated by a baffle. There's a big bathtub inside, and the outside is used for washing."
"The toilet is next door. It has a flush toilet and a partition. There is a small bathtub in it."
At this point, Johnny couldn't help but look at the little follower Mi Gao who was doing the whole thing.
A GP, a shoe boy.
How are the two connected?
While he was thinking, Lu Li walked to the smaller guest room.
It was about 20 square meters, with four windows, a bed, a wardrobe, a table, and even a bookshelf, but it was empty, with only four or five books scattered around.
It was probably of little value and was left as trash by that Dr. Joseph.
"The balcony is in the master bedroom. You can dry clothes. When the sun is nice, you can bring a small table out and have afternoon tea."
After saying that, Mr. Johnny, who was standing outside, stopped talking. He was really tired from saying so many things at once, so he wiped the sweat from his forehead and waited for Lu Li to make a decision.
First of all, the name Baker Street has its own legendary attributes, and living here will definitely be rewarding.
Secondly, Lu Li is nostalgic and has lived here before.
In the end, this house is really good. Whether it’s lighting, furniture, or decoration style, it all suits my taste.
"Sir, can it be cheaper? I just came back from Atlantic City, and to tell you the truth, I'm a little nervous." Lu Li was honest and told the truth.
"Let's do this. The rent remains unchanged at 12 shillings per week, but all furniture usage fees are waived."
Mr. Jonny regretted that he had gone out in a hurry and did not bring his cane. He supported the square table in the living room and added: "In addition, we at Baker Street particularly welcome young and promising doctors like you, so the deposit can also be discussed. "
On the side, Mi Gao remained silent.
It's not a situation he can get in on, but it's easy to see both sides hoping to get the deal done.
In the end, the two negotiated the deal.
Lu Li took out two months' rent, which was five pounds, as a deposit and drafted a half-year rental contract. From the date of signing, he would pay Mr. Jonny twelve shillings in rent every week.
The weekly settlement model seems strange, but in this era, it is indeed very popular.
Then, they found a local notary and signed face to face.
Later in the evening, Lu Li got a bunch of copper keys. Hearing the crisp sound of the collision, his heart couldn't help but ripples:
Finally found a place to stay in the foggy city.
"Sir, is this a dream?"
Looking at the background of the landlord, Uncle Johnny, walking away, Mi Gao's voice was low and hazy, as if he was worried that the sound would be too loud and wake him up.
Hearing this, Lu Li patted the backup key into his hand and said with a smile: "Of course not, young man, I'll leave dinner to you today. Go buy whatever you want on the street. There are still a lot of things to deal with tomorrow."
What was handed over along with it was a silver coin, which was enough for the two of them to have a sumptuous dinner.
After being stunned for a long time, the young man nodded heavily, then grabbed the dinner money that Lu Li handed him and ran outside.
The quiet street in front of you, the wind blowing freely in your ears, and the home behind you.
Mi Gao felt like he was in heaven.
…
at night.
The fireplace on the second floor gave off a soft glow, and smoke drifted outward down the chimney.
"Sir, this is my gift to you."
Mi Gao stepped on his feet and pushed a small, simply wrapped box in front of Lu Li.
"Are you going to tear it down now?"
"certainly."
Facing Lu Li's smile, the boy raised his head slightly, his face full of expectation.
"You came back an hour late just to buy it?" Lu Li asked, the smile on his face getting wider.
"Yes, please take it apart and take a look."
With urging, Lu Li untied the rope and slowly opened the package.
Inside the gift box is a brand new deer hunting hat with blue and gray stripes, which feels warm to the touch.
I really didn't expect it to be this.
Lu Li took off his old, pilled hat and put it on without hesitation. At the same time, he rubbed Mi Gao's short, fluffy chestnut hair out of habit.
This kid has probably used up all his savings...
