Chapter 43 Golden Age

8pm is the busiest time on Walker Street.

The day shift workers came off work in groups, and the night shift workers went to work in groups. The snow on Walker Street was almost flattened, and there was no need to even spread salt to prevent slipping.

Even in the old city, Walker Street is considered an old street. This old street has a long history and can even be traced back as far as eighty years ago.

The accommodation conditions for workers on Walker Street are very poor. Basically, they all share dormitories and there are no independent bathrooms.

Migrant workers make up the majority, which means the community will be even more chaotic.

The low official crime rate on Walker Street means that Klein Justice effectively controlled this workers' street.

Before Chen Yan came here to buy real estate, he actually went to places farther away—Xiacheng District, which borders the old city, where there are a large number of crudely built bungalows.

Those bungalows were built by speculators in Yanan City. Those real estate developers with evil intentions only care about making money and obviously do not consider any living experience at all——

The rows of coffin-like bungalows not only have a bad environment, they also squeeze public transportation——

As a result, the streets became narrow and cramped, and steam buses were even inaccessible in some places.

Most importantly, the rent is high.

As we all know, 1 pound = 50 shillings, 1 shilling = 120 pence,

According to the current price standards in Yanan City,

The weekly rent for a coffin house in Lower Town is 2 shillings and 8 pence per room.

The wages of casual workers are even less than 3 pence a day.

In other words, a casual worker has to work 12 hours a day, without eating, drinking, playing, smoking, or skipping meals for three months, just to be able to afford a week's rent for a house.

When Chen Yan first heard about this situation from his third uncle, he immediately felt that his third uncle was lying to him.

Later, after doing my own research, I realized that reality is really so fucking magical.

Even a normal worker working in a factory earns less than 5 pence a day.

This means that if you want to work in Yanan, you can only live in a shared apartment with others.

What are the tenancy rules for shared housing?

When Chen Yan saw the shared house in Xiacheng District for the first time, he almost bit off his tongue.

Generally, low-end temporary hotels have 4 to 6 beds in each room.

The bed is not big, just a little bigger than an ordinary large bed.

But each bed must sleep at least 4 to 6 people.

How can I sleep?

The hotel owner's proud, ugly, seemingly smart but actually disgusting expression would never be forgotten by Chen Yan for the rest of his life.

"If you squeeze in a little bit, you'll be able to sleep."

Such a hotel owner is not a big shot, nor is he a top student. He did not open such a hotel through his own efforts.

He's just lucky enough.

When Chen Yan bought No. 33 Walker Street, his third uncle also told him this method of renting a house.

But the situation on Walker Street is different from that in downtown.

Migrant workers and new immigrants from all over live in Xiacheng District.

Dozens or even hundreds of years ago, the older generation of migrant workers and immigrants from all over lived in Walker Street - the old city was not yet an old city at that time, and the lower city area did not even have construction drawings.

Those old migrant workers and immigrants have accumulated a certain amount of savings after a lifetime of hard work.

For them, even if they don't have their own house, they won't live in a shared house like a pigsty.

Chen Yan thought to himself, when doing business with such people, they are not sleazy, and neither am I.

Chen Yan knew that this was just his inner self-comfort. From the moment he bought 33 Walker Street, he became a speculator just like the owner of the Lower City Hotel, enjoying the benefits of the times, but with a bad face.

It's not that ugly, it's essentially the same.

But so what...

If you don’t make money, how can you survive, how can you go to college, and how can you live a better life?

He has asked himself many times, isn't coming to the empire just for a better life?

Other than that, nothing else.

Chen Yan knew that he had no choice. The times were forcing people to move forward. All he could do was accept it. He could only obey the rules of this society, work harder, make more money, and live a better life...

In a daze, Chen Yan found that he had arrived at the door of his house.

He went up the steps, took out the key, and put it in the keyhole.

"Bata..."

Chen Yan was stunned.

The door was opened after only one turn of the key - this meant that the door was not locked.

The door was not locked, indicating that Ogami and Nuomiguo might have gone out.

Chen Yan was a little angry. Isn't Ogami a ninja from Sakura Country?

Aren’t ninjas supposed to be able to walk over walls?!

Why do ninjas still take the main entrance?

He subconsciously turned his head and glanced in the direction of the police station on the street.

If Klein Justice discovers that he is harboring a gangster...

Chen Yan gritted his teeth and pushed open the door, then picked up the kerosene lantern from his hand and lit it.

Holding a kerosene lantern in his left hand, he quietly went upstairs, looked through the gap in the stairs on the second floor to the third floor, and managed to see some light in the window of Room 303 next to the stairs.

They're still in the room... at least one of them is still in the room.

Only then did Chen Yan remember that he had forgotten to buy food for them.

At this time, the shops were closed, and the street vendors were afraid of the street police and did not dare to set up stalls.

There was nothing to eat today, and I don’t know if they found anything to eat when they went out during the day.

He stood on the stairs between the second floor and the third floor and thought for a long time, and finally decided to say hello.

He walked up to the third floor, coughed twice, stood at the door of Room 303, and asked in as gentle a tone as possible: "I'm back!"

It seems inappropriate to say this...

Chen Yan was feeling annoyed by his awkward greeting when the sound of Nuomiguo came from the door.

"Ah, landlord, you are back!"

It seems to be a habit of Sakura people to add an adult after their name.

"Yes, Nuomi Guo, have you eaten?"

"I've eaten. Ogami found something to eat for me."

I found something to eat...

Chen Yan didn't feel good.

How can he, a ninja carrying two samurai swords, find food for you?

Isn't it just killing people and selling goods?

Chen Yan didn't dare to ask, so he pretended that he didn't know, and said, "If it's inconvenient for you to go out, I will buy breakfast tomorrow morning and I can bring it to you..."

etc……

Why am I posting again!

Am I the kind of fool who can't walk around when seeing a woman?

Obviously not!

It must be because of kindness... it must be because of humanitarianism!

Chen Yan comforted himself. He told himself that when he was away from home in a foreign country, it was human nature to help whenever he could...

Before Chen Yan could speak, Nuomiguo had already responded.

"The landlord is a good man, thank you very much!"

Chen Yan felt a little heartache, and the heartache continued to expand as he calculated the remaining change in his wallet. After a while, he was so heartbroken that he couldn't breathe.

Counting the money in the bank, his entire net worth was just over 1 shilling and 20 pence - this was the point where he was about to starve to death!

Not to mention, Bijnworth College is about to start spring enrollment. If he can't pay the tuition, he will be delayed for half a year!
Chapter completed!