Chapter 497 East District

Although Zhang Heng and Sherlock Holmes got along quite happily during this time, they had only known each other for a few weeks after all, and it was not a deep friendship. They are all adults and have enough qualifications to take responsibility for their actions.

Before Zhang Heng left the room, Holmes let out a sigh of satisfaction, and suggested, "It's rare for you to come to London, so go out and wander around when you have time, not only to see with your eyes, but also to observe the city carefully and record those details. , it will also be helpful for you to solve the case in the future.”

Zhang Heng hummed, "I asked Mrs. Hudson to bring you lunch."

"Greatful."

…………

In fact, even without Holmes' reminder, visiting London has always been in Zhang Heng's plan. Holmes undoubtedly knows the city very well, and he can walk around the balls and banquets of the upper class (although he is quite hypocritical about the red tape. To sneer), you can also drink stout and laugh with those coachmen and workers.

If Zhang Heng wants to win this competition and complete the main task, he needs to narrow the gap between the two sides as much as possible.

So he also walked out of the house in the afternoon. Zhang Heng didn't call for a carriage, but walked directly to the street like this.

He first went to the lively Queen's Bazaar, where he could see the Royal Clarence vase for only one shilling. This glass, enamel and gold product custom-made for George IV is said to have taken 15 skilled workers for three years. It took time to produce it. In addition, there were gadgets from all over the world in the market, cotton clothes from India, tea from China... Afterwards, Zhang Heng took a boat tour of the Thames River. There are factories and houses on both sides of the river. , the dense chimneys are constantly emitting black smoke, and countless ships are parked on the shore, becoming more and more dense, leaving only a narrow passage in the middle, and the bare-chested boatman is smoking at the stern, which is called by Dickens "" Sliding Evil” fog enveloped the entire city.

The carriage speeds past on the road, the flower girls shuttle lightly among the crowd with flower baskets, and the shoe cleaners squat on the ground and wave their shoe brushes diligently, expecting to earn more tips.

To the west of Charing Cross is London's main commercial and entertainment center and the largest business center in England. The famous West End theater group is also located here. On the contrary, the East End to the east of Bishopsgate Street and north of the Thames River is another scene.

In the Middle Ages, it was still a rural area with a vast land and few people. However, with the rapid expansion of the city of London, the population became denser. The houses here are generally old and dilapidated, low and dense, and the roads in the middle are narrow and curved. Originally home to sailors, shipwrights and a large part of the Jewish people, it is now home to all low-income groups.

The population here is very dense. There are 30,000 people gathered in half a square mile of streets. Basically, a large family lives in each house. The lighting conditions are poor and ventilation measures are lacking. The shared toilets are extremely dirty. There is a stench in the air, and the result is frequent outbreaks of epidemics.

Spotted rash and typhoid were the most common epidemics. The first cholera in the early 19th century killed about six thousand people, and subsequent outbreaks killed tens of thousands more, most of them The poor of the East End.

At the same time, the East End is also the most dangerous place with the highest crime rate in London.

There are 2 million people living here, but there are no important public facilities, no municipality, no theater galleries, no soldiers... - nothing, like a forgotten corner, where there is no history and no future.

High-class people from the West End would not come here unless they had to contact the Scotland Yard police and be accompanied by several people to ensure safety.

Zhang Heng also came here after changing into coarse clothes, but he was still followed by someone after a while.

The main reason is that his oriental face is more eye-catching, and as a modern person in the 21st century, his skin is better than many nobles in this era even if he doesn't take care of it. Even if he changes his clothes, he still looks different from the poor people living in the East District.

Two little ghosts passed him by playing with branches all the way, and one of them slipped and fell on him.

"I'm sorry, sir," the kid rolled his eyes in a circle, got up and was about to continue chasing his companion, but just as he took a step, he was picked up by his collar.

"What are you doing, don't touch me! I warn you, do you know who my brother is?! No one in this neighborhood dares to mess with him!" the kid yelled.

"Really?" Zhang Heng said, without stopping, and directly turned the little devil down. Zhang Heng grabbed one of the latter's legs and shook it vigorously. As a result, three wallets fell out of the little devil. There are also some odds and ends.

"Your harvest today is pretty good." Zhang Heng threw the kid aside, and then picked up his wallet.

"You wait for me, don't even think about leaving here today!" The kid felt insulted, his face puffed up, he didn't go to pick up the rest of the loot, and ran away in a hurry.

Of course, Zhang Heng wasn't interested in dealing with the brat's appointment, so he patted the dust off his wallet and continued walking forward.

In fact, Zhang Heng had already heard about the notoriety of the Eastern District, but he had stayed in the Pirate's Den, and he didn't think there was any place in the world that was more chaotic than that, until he came to the Whitechapel District in the Eastern District. I have to admit that the situation here is worse than that in Nassau.

Although the pirates at the bottom of Nassau are also very poor, at least they still have freedom and hope for the future. In the taverns on the island, people can be heard talking about those ancient and mysterious treasures, talking about how rich they are. Oily merchant ships, monsters in the sea, and beautiful mermaids, even though they haven't even found a boat, and no pirate group is willing to accept them, everyone's face is still filled with a sense of confidence.

It seems that everyone is the future black beard. This is what Zhang Heng likes about Nassau. Under the chaos and disorder, there is a vigorous vitality hidden, and this is exactly what the East District lacks.

Worse than poverty is numbness and despair.

This may also be the reason why people like Pearson want to leave here desperately. All Zhang Heng saw along the way were hungry children, painful fathers and daughters, and drunken villains. Only then will I think of this.

Zhang Heng walked for a while, and suddenly heard the sound of arguing in front of him.