Chapter 475: 231 Zhang London Observations (5.8K)_2
The former includes some nobles, while the latter two are 99% commoners.
Elizabeth Gaskell wrote a work in 1885 called South and North, which describes the lives of the lower-class commoners in the United Kingdom. (For those interested, you can directly watch the British series South and North).
Apart from the love story between the male and female protagonists, you can see the lower class depicted within, truly having no protection at all...
During that time, even children had to work, and if they didn’t show up for a day, they would immediately lose their jobs.
Wanting a raise? Difficult!
Wanting to improve working conditions? Still difficult!
For example, the female protagonist’s friend died from pneumoconiosis, caused by inhaling too much cotton dust.
There were so many people inside, striving desperately to stay alive, just to provide a piece of bread for their children.
In stark contrast to the lives of the common people, there was the noble life in London.
These nobles drank red wine and ate beef every day, reciting the 242 details to pay attention to at a banquet, considering if they should spend dozens of Pounds more to buy jewelry the next day...
In 1850.
The prosperity brought by the Industrial Revolution had nothing to do with the people who were just trying to survive.
"In the initial stages of capital, every pore drips with blood" is the best annotation of this era.
Just as Xu Yun was heavy-hearted, a weak voice suddenly rang in his ear:
"Sir, please give me something to eat."
Xu Yun turned his head and saw a seven or eight-year-old girl standing next to him.
The little girl’s face was pitch black, her eyes were very bright, her clothes were tattered, and mud and weeds clung to her hair.
Obviously of standard white descent, yet her complexion was extremely unhealthy and sallow.
Seeing this, Xu Yun couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief in his heart.
Although he never had a good impression of foreigners, nor did he have a Holy Mother nature, and the Huadun Biotech he later founded was even fiercely competitive with the Europe and America Region and the Japan-Korea District.
But this hostility did not apply to the current situation, any person with a basic empathetic feeling encountering this situation would inevitably feel a trace of compassion.
Then he pondered for a moment.
He turned around and took a few potatoes from the carriage, Wheat also tacitly took out a few pieces of bread, placing them at the front of the carriage together.
Xu Yun packed these items into a small cloth bag, handed it to the little girl, and instructed:
"Take it, hold it tight, don’t let anyone snatch it away, if you’re very hungry, don’t eat too fast, it’s not good for your stomach."
Gulp——
The little girl swallowed, took the cloth bag, bowed, and quickly ran back into the crowd.
Seeing this, Xu Yun exchanged a glance with Wheat and they both sighed.
Before they could continue lamenting, Mr. Thomson, who had been watching coldly from the side, suddenly spoke:
"Gentlemen, does it feel good to act charitable?"
Wheat, this simple-minded fellow, failed to detect the sarcasm in Thomson’s tone and nodded vigorously:
"That’s right, Mr. Thomson, this little girl is so pitiable."
Upon hearing this, the corners of Thomson’s mouth curled up slightly:
"Pitiable? You should check your pockets before speaking."
Wheat was taken aback, then immediately looked toward his waist.
A moment later.
He suddenly exclaimed, quickly feeling around his waist with both hands:
"Huh, where’s my tobacco pouch?"
Seeing this.
Xu Yun also gradually realized something, and his left hand quickly pressed against his waist.
Fortunately.
His kidney was still there.
But the two Gold Blocks he intended to break down into small change were gone.
Then he looked at Thomson, thoughtfully asking:
"Mr. Thomson, that child...is a thief?"
Thomson sighed, nodding gravely:
"Indeed, she should be part of the pickpocket group active in this area. I saw what she took wasn’t very valuable, so I didn’t warn you."
"Sometimes losing some money is actually beneficial; it’s better to learn a lesson than to suffer irreversible losses or even lose your life in the future."
Xu Yun opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something.
But in the end, he didn’t speak.
Who would have thought, the seemingly desolate little girl, turned out to be a pickpocket?
And to be able to steal things without Xu Yun and Wheat noticing...
Not to say her skills were superb, but at the very least, it couldn’t be an ability acquired in a day or two.
Thinking of this.
Xu Yun’s mind suddenly conjured up the title of a book:
Oliver Twist.
The protagonist Oliver, after arriving in London, accidentally fell into Fagin’s den of thieves, where more than a dozen children were trained into pickpockets.
Oliver Twist was written in 1838, and the social background was not much different from now, providing plenty of information for reference.
Thus, in this period, child pickpockets were actually a very common ’tool’.
"Now, with industrial development, many children become orphans and wander the streets in London annually, making those child pickpockets even harder to distinguish."
Thomson shook his head, looking in the direction where the little girl disappeared, his face filled with emotion:
"These child pickpockets’ stolen goods would generally be handed over to the gang leaders, they actually get very little for themselves."
"Like the bag of food you and Maxwell gave her, three or four potatoes along with an equal amount of bread...if she gets half a piece of bread and one potato, it’s considered a lot."
After saying this, he sighed long and hard, patting the face of the bewildered Wheat, pointing towards the checkpoint and saying:
