Bringing Warmth and Studying Abroad

While Grandet was discussing the sale of the steam engine with Watt by the warm fireplace, in Petticoat Lane, young Oliver was with Fagin delivering warmth Petticoat Lane some of the residents.

This act of kindness was genuine. A week after the cold snap arrived, a cold, unwelcome guest, invisible to the naked eye and whom doctors called "pneumonia," crept stealthily through Petticoat Lane, touching and feeling here and there with his icy fingers. This scoundrel moved about brazenly, and every time he entered a courtyard, a dozen or even dozens of unfortunate souls would become his victims.

For the poor people of Petticoat Lane, falling ill at this time was practically a death sentence. Starting three days ago, every morning, frozen corpses would be dragged from the dark shacks lining the Petticoat Lane and tossed onto a hard, flatbed cart—one, two... until the cart was full. Then the shivering driver would crack his whip, and the horse's nostrils would puff out white steam. Its horseshoes would pound against the frozen, iron-like ground, and the cart would slowly move forward. The unlubricated axles would groan and creak, like a worker's wife waking in the middle of the night, cold and worried about what would fill her husband's and children's bellies the next day, and then let out a mournful sigh.

This situation greatly worried Boss Fagin. He didn't have many solutions for pneumonia; it was far beyond his capabilities. Now, he could only hope to rely on natural methods, letting everyone rely on their own immunity and God's blessing to get through this ordeal, and then develop immunity. Then, after the elderly and children have basically all died, perhaps... herd immunity can be achieved.

This also demonstrates that Fagin had outstanding talent and insight, enough to serve as Prime Minister of the UK centuries later. It would be a waste of his talents to merely be the leader of a small gang.

However, Fagin still tried his best to help the neighbors solve some problems. He felt that the main reason why the pneumonia was so serious was that the houses in Petticoat Lane were too cold.

In the homes of the wealthy, there are thick walls, double-glazed windows, and fireplaces that burn 24 hours a day. Their beds are covered with several layers of thick mattresses and quilts, so thick that if you put a pea under one, you wouldn't feel it at all, except for a few people with an extreme case of princess syndrome. Not to mention that on top of these mattresses and quilts are silk fabrics filled with light and soft down comforters.

In this way, unless it gets so cold outside that it's like in Frostpunk where carbon dioxide snow falls, they can always stay warm and cozy at home, just like in springtime.

In Petticoat Lane, the walls of the houses are generally just wooden planks, the windows have no glass and are simply blocked with broken planks, and the doors have gaps so wide that a fist can fit through them. Such drafty houses naturally offer no insulation whatsoever, and the temperature inside is almost identical to the outside, except that the wind is slightly less.

The people living here naturally don't have thick mattresses or blankets. Their mattresses are made from waste newspapers, scraps of cloth, and various kinds of dry grass, even dry leaves and sawdust, which they collect from outside. As for blankets, they are just thick pieces of cloth full of holes, stuffed with the same things as mattresses.

Boss Fagin believed that the severity of pneumonia in Petticoat Lane was largely due to the cold weather there. Therefore, he had to find a way to increase the temperature at night.

The recent economic situation has improved, which is reflected in the earnings of Fagin's men. The pickpockets haven't succeeded more often, but the amount of money they successfully solicit from a gentleman each time has increased significantly.

Not long ago, he successfully partnered with a young man who was eager to extract more money from his stingy father to spend on bars and girls, and together they carried out a kidnapping. With the "victim's" wholehearted cooperation and help, they obtained a full three thousand pounds from an old gentleman. (Another three thousand pounds were taken by the "victim.") In addition, his now-wealthy friend, who was France, generously donated another thousand francs. This year, Fagin's purse was bulging like never before.

This allowed Fagin to be more generous in his charity work this year. Previously, he could only provide each household in Petticoat Lane with a small piece of cloth, but this year he was able to give each household a real blanket.

These blankets are all secondhand, salvaged by Fagin's friends from various flea markets. Compared to buying brand new blankets, these are much more cost-effective. If Joseph were there, he would probably suggest they put these secondhand blankets in a big pot and boil them thoroughly.

However, in this era, although bacteria had been discovered, the relationship between bacteria and disease had not been proven. People did not know that some bacteria could cause disease, nor did they know how to eliminate bacteria, so naturally no one cared about this matter.

Oliver accompanied Fagin, delivering blankets to each household. Every family was deeply grateful to the generous Fagin, and even Oliver felt honored. However, Fagin himself didn't smile much. Or rather, he did smile when facing the residents of Petticoat Lane, but as soon as he stepped out of their houses, Fagin cold wind outside would immediately blow away the smile from his face.

That evening, Boss Fagin gathered the most important members of the gang together and told them something that surprised them all.

"Iron Tooth, Butcher, and Cuckoo, come sit with me. I've called you here today because I have something to tell you. You know, Jacques Gallen is back, and he's even become the Second Secretary at the French Embassy. He's come to see me several times and even donated some money to us."

"I know. When we were kids, we all heard you tell the story of 'Ghost's Dread.' He was such a loyal and righteous man. Even now that he's successful, he hasn't forgotten us."

"Buck, Yag Goleng came back and talked to me several times. He felt that what we were doing was wrong," Fagin said.

"We're doing something wrong?" Iron Tooth was taken aback. "Does that mean that now that he's successful, he's just siding with the other side?"

Fagin shook his head and said, "No, not at all. Jacques Gallen has always been our brother. It's just that he's been in France for so many years, and what he's seen is different from what we've seen. His mindset has also become more sophisticated. He feels that our petty squabbles won't solve anything."

"What does he want to do? Does he want to Fagin again?"

"If he wanted to be Fagin, I'd really feel comfortable handing the position over to him. If he hadn't had to flee to France because of that incident, the position would have been his. But as I just said, the Jacques Gallen brothers have a much broader vision. You know, he participated in the France Revolution, and when Louis XVI was led to the guillotine, he was cheering from the sidelines."

"My God! He actually witnessed a king's head fall to the ground!"

"He was involved in this whole affair. He participated in the storming of the Bastille, he followed Saint-Just —the archangel of the revolution, as the France call him—who sentenced the king to death, he served as Saint-Just's messenger on the battlefield, and he gathered intelligence for the Jacobin in Paris. He personally sent many noblemen to the guillotine—now you know what I mean by 'he had a big heart.'"

"God, he wouldn't be thinking of getting one of these here too, would he?" Buck said.

"He hopes we can unite the poor in the entire slums to fight for more rights—not just strike for higher wages, but to unite and fight for political rights, to have us set new rules for this country and this world."

At this point, Fagin paused, then said, "You know, this is a matter of life and death."

"Who among us hasn't done something that could cost us our lives?" Buck said.

"It's different." Fagin shook his head. "I've thought about it for a long time. I feel that although I trust Jacques Gallen and I think what he said makes a lot of sense, I must go to France myself and see for myself the place after the revolution. Then I'll come back and discuss it with you before I can make a decision."

"Boss, you're going to be away for a while? Who's going to take care of us then?" Iron Tooth quickly asked.

"Jacob Gallen also agreed that I should go to France and take a look around. He even suggested that I go to the Toulon Training Camp in France to study—well, Russell from Ireland is said to have studied there, and he's built a very successful business now. Maybe I'll go to Paris first, then to Toulon, and then... maybe even to Ireland, and then come back."

"How long is it going to take you Fagin?" Buck asked hurriedly.

"At least six months, maybe longer, but no more than a year," Fagin said.

He then looked at everyone and said, "After I leave, Butcher will temporarily take my place. Butcher, you can discuss anything with Iron Tooth. Also, if you encounter any difficulties, you can go to Yag Goleng. You can completely trust him; he is still our brother. I'll probably be gone next month. In the meantime, you'll be in charge of the gang's affairs. I can also take this opportunity to give you some pointers."