The sky was drizzling, and London's dusk was like an old painter carelessly scattering a palette, dyeing the horizon into a misty blend of gray-blue and dark purple. The rain was like a woven fabric, quietly weaving a thin veil that covered the entire city. The rain, though light, was enough to make the air moist and heavy, intertwined with London's peculiar haze, forming an indescribable, almost tangible mist.
"This terrible weather."
Lady Yelena opened an umbrella and handed another one to the little fellow. Raindrops slid along the old black umbrella, making a subtle and crisp sound.
"Is there actually such heavy smog even in summer?" Ian was somewhat surprised. This layer of fog not only blurred the outlines of distant buildings but also made the nearby pedestrians seem hazy, as if everyone was a blurred silhouette in this city, hurriedly traversing the mist where history and reality intertwined.
Many films depict the gravitas of London for a reason. Being in it, one can indeed feel two completely different eras merging in this once-glorious city.
"It's all those damned capitalists." Lady Yelena didn't notice the little fellow hanging his head guiltily and continued to complain fiercely, just like most people in the United Kingdom nowadays.
"The economic environment is getting worse and worse. On the streets, you often see homeless people, yet those capitalist factories still operate non-stop 24 hours a day."
"They tell people there are no jobs, no profits, while they crazily reduce people's wages, trying to get fewer people to do the work that two or even three people are needed to complete."
"It's ridiculous. What do you mean by no profits? Despite the lack of profits, you don't see them stopping their factories even for a minute, releasing large amounts of pollution into the air every day."
Lady Yelena angrily criticized the British capitalists.
"Didn't I hear that our country has unions that can guarantee workers' rights and the eight-hour workday?" Ian was indeed not very familiar with the employment situation in the United Kingdom.
His understanding of Europe before he traveled was only through a forum on Somewhere.
"Hah, unions only guarantee their own interests. Child, you must know that those workers who can join the union are not of the same class as the real working workers."
"Parents are union workers, then their children can join the union... As for the real laboring masses, the dock workers, the Prime Minister wouldn't count them when assessing the workers' living standards." Lady Yelena looked sorrowful, revealing the recent state of the Great British Empire that could only rely on embellishment to maintain its facade.
"Especially this year is harder. Those gentlemen have lost their channels to plunder others' wealth and now oppress ordinary people. Can you imagine Sir Charles's family can only eat roasted meat from the freezer?" The Sir Charles mentioned by Yelena lived a few blocks away as a fallen noble.
But even if fallen, the daily life was still good, and even a knight having to begin economizing on food shows that the economic situation of the Great British Empire is indeed far inferior to before.
"Is it related to the area returning to the Eastern Giant Dragon?" Ian caught some meanings from Lady Yelena's words. Before a certain area returned to the embrace of the Eastern Giant Dragon, every year the Great British Empire would plunder billions from there, and the people there had always been exploited and oppressed by the British.
"It's associated with the greed of those gentlemen! These guys are simply a group of insatiable beasts! Watch! Someday they'll all be hanged on lamp posts!"
"A civilization developed through plunder is ultimately difficult to sustain, and this sin of those gentlemen will eventually also devour us!" Lady Yelena indeed might have unique insights.
She seemed to have already seen the moment when the Sun Never Sets Empire's sun would eventually set.
"Your topic is a bit heavy." Ian agreed with Lady Yelena's perspective, but he felt his age wasn't quite suitable to discuss the rise and fall of the Great British Empire.
"Ah, I've seen too many upsetting things lately... You're right, we shouldn't discuss these on your homecoming day." Lady Yelena touched Ian's head.
"Of course, actually, our orphanage's life isn't that hard. There are still quite a few good-hearted people donating to us, especially the gentleman who has been donating a large sum of Pounds to us these years."
"He donated even more this year... Maybe it's because you went to that school to study. During his donation, he patiently told me after my prodding that he was your schoolmate."
Lady Yelena's tone was full of gratitude. "Although he's not easy to get along with, I believe he's certainly a great person."
"Just like the professor who took you to that school, both gave me the same feeling." Lady Yelena's words caused Ian's eyes to flicker slightly.
"Then this gentleman is quite proud."
Ian's tone had a touch of amusement.
"You're right."
Lady Yelena immediately nodded in agreement.
"So, in fact, the orphanage's life is sustainable. You don't need to ask your professor to bring back your scholarship for us. It's meant to be used for you to complete your own studies."
Round and round.