Chapter 12: London's Biochemical Apocalypse

I have to admit that although Mrs. Bennet of the original version of "Pride and Prejudice" is ignorant and shallow, self-righteous, yelling all day long, and very undignified, she is at least a well-informed person in the village and an important source of information for the Bennet family. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

And once Mrs. Bennet, who chatted all day long, was gone, the current time-traveling version of the five Bennet sisters suddenly became closed-minded. So much so that "Netherfield Manor was rented out", an important news that heralded the beginning of the plot, was completely unaware...... Fortunately, after a few days of belation, Elizabeth finally got Charlotte. Lucas got the news out of his mouth.

In general, Charlotte. Miss Lucas's description of the situation was not much different from the original Pride and Prejudice - the man who rented Netherfield Manor was a young man with the surname Bentley and Charles. Bentley, and more importantly, he was a bachelor with an income of four or five thousand pounds a year!

The Mr. Bentley, who is said to have been born in the north of England, came to Langborne on Monday in a carriage to look at the house, and was so pleased with it that it was agreed on the spot to move in before the "Feast of Michael" (September 29), and the maid was already cleaning it.

“…… Oh! A bachelor, dear Eliza, a bachelor indeed! a rich bachelor; There is an income of four or five thousand pounds a year. And when he came to see the house, I happened to be out looking. Oh! That's handsome! It's so beautiful! ”

Charlotte said wistfully, but quickly became depressed, "...... Of course, someone like me is certainly not worthy of his ......"

Charlotte, though not very knowledgeable, has gained some self-knowledge after all these years of marriage, and knows very well that it is almost impossible for a gentleman of wealth and status to marry a poor lady from the country, unless the poor lady is of a thrilling and extraordinary beauty......

It's a pity that Charlotte's looks are not ugly at best, and they are far from being beautiful enough to make a gentleman fall for them.

And Elizabeth could only smile awkwardly - what could she say in this situation? Do you want to spoil Charlotte: "Mr. Bingley is Jane's official match, don't think about it"? Besides, the plot is already messed up now, who knows how it will develop next?

Besides, if it weren't for the rescue team that came through time and space, Charlotte's current embarrassing situation would also appear on her own - although Elizabeth has a good appearance compared to Charlotte, this is still far from enough.

Many merry and handsome gentlemen may be happy to play a game of love with some beautiful "poor lady" (compared to the wealthy heiresses), or take them as mistresses, but they will never marry them, even if they themselves have the urge to do so, and the family and elders behind them will pressure them to take up the responsibilities of the family and choose a political marriage that will bring benefits......

In this era, upper-class women did not have much choice about their fate in the absence of adequate dowry. Either an arranged marriage, or a governess, or a convent for the rest of your life, there is also a way to be an indishonorable mistress......

If they aspire to independence like modern women, there is only one way: to further abandon the constraints of morality and reputation, boldly explore the pleasures of the boudoir, pursue the pleasures of fish and water, become the goddess of the night, and take pleasure in hunting men—in short, to be courtesans.

In those days, courtesans were a symbol of beauty, boldness, and sexual freedom. Scandal-ridden is their distinguishing feature. But don't compare them, the goddesses of the night who can call the wind and rain in Vanity Fair, to some vulgar fans who casually fade their skirts to the base of their thighs. Despite the depravity and decay of life, the vast majority of courtesans are not victims. In fact, they often make their admirers lose both their fortune and fame.

If you want to be a successful courtesan, beauty is only the minimum premise, ambition, control of people's hearts and shrewdness are necessary qualities, in addition to an extraordinary set of climbing dragon and phoenix kung fu...... Elizabeth did not think that she had such terrible psychological qualities......

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Getting back to the point, after further detailed discussion, Elizabeth keenly discovered that although Charlotte's description of Mr. Bingley seems to be basically the same as the original content of "Pride and Prejudice", there are also some situations that are not described in the plot of the novel:

“…… I heard that there was a plague in London recently, and the dignitaries who originally lived in the city were evacuated to the countryside to avoid the invasion of the disease. Mr. Bingley, who had rented the Nesserfield Manor, had now hurried back to London, and seemed to be planning to bring many of the gentlemen and ladies of the city to our village for a few months, and it would surely be very lively, with lots of balls and banquets......"

“…… Pestilence?! It sounds scary. Can you elaborate on that? Elizabeth quickly asked with a frightened expression.

Unfortunately, as the epidemic had not yet spread, Charlotte's attention seemed to be focused on Mr. Bingley's handsome appearance and wealth, and she knew very little about the details of the plague, not even what kind of plague it was causing her......

Then, after returning home for dinner after a walk, Elizabeth brought the news of "Mr. Bingley's Arrival" and the plague in London to Wang Qiu and others, who unsurprisingly failed to pay attention to it - there were no antibiotics or vaccines, the hygiene was terrible, the recovery of the sick depended mainly on prayer, the maternal and neonatal mortality rate was as high as one in five, a cold could kill a person, plague, cholera, leprosy, syphilis, smallpox, tuberculosis, ...... A large number of infectious diseases have been circulating for a long time, and the crowded big cities are concentration camps for all kinds of germs, and it is normal for plagues to occur twice in three days.

Not to mention the terrible Black Death in the distant Middle Ages, the anthrax that wiped out a quarter of London's population in the early 17th century, and just a decade earlier, at the end of the American Revolution, in 1781, Britain was hit by a widespread and severe flu epidemic. It is said that about three-quarters of the British were infected, and gradually spread throughout Europe and even to the Americas. Although compared to the plague that turned Europe into a living hell in the Middle Ages, the flu was much milder. But the death rate was at least as high as that of the Spanish flu at the end of World War I, and even worse, there was no cure for it – even in modern times, the only way to deal with the flu is to prevent and isolate, as in the case of the SARS epidemic and the bird flu that has been spreading like a ghost ever since. At the end of the eighteenth century, when aspirin had not even been invented, if you contracted the flu, you could only wait for God's choice, and if you had pneumonia or encephalitis or something, it would be even worse......

(In the later stages of the American Revolution, there were a series of natural and man-made disasters on the British mainland, so in the end it was really impossible to fight.) ）

It can be seen that in this year's London, it is normal for one or two small plagues to break out from time to time, and there is nothing to make a fuss about. And the main plot stage of "Pride and Prejudice" is not in the city. Instead of caring about such a trivial matter that is far away in the world, it is better to study what kind of route these Bennet sisters who have changed their souls after the storyline of "Pride and Prejudice" opens, so as to be able to earn more points......

However, Wang Qiu and his companions did not realize the terrifying true face of the plague that had now broken out in London.

And Mr. Bingley, who was beautiful and wealthy, never had the opportunity to return to Longborne Village from London......

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At the end of the eighteenth century, London was making great strides from a small border town of the Roman Empire to the "world capital" that dominated the modern world.

If we look at the history of Britain in the previous century from a sociological perspective, we can find many of the standard patterns of rise seen in classic farming texts: good and safe geographical conditions, a booming urban population, rapid industrial and commercial development, and a golden finger explosion of technology...... Although the country is only a small island, it has had a huge impact on countless peoples in the vast world for four hundred years.

At the same time, the advantageous natural geographical conditions and the concentrated development of industry and commerce have also made London the core engine of England's economic development.

The unrelenting urbanization policy from the Tudor dynasty has enabled London's population to grow far faster than any other European city, and even surpassed Paris in France to become the largest city in Europe in this century, driving the entire British Isle to continue to move forward into a new era.

However, behind these glorious processes of "going to greatness" lies endless suffering and darkness......

-- The ruling class of England, relying on the "sheep eating man" enclosure movement, drove thousands of the rural poor into the cities, but did not plan their fate at all. As a result, the initial rise of urbanization in the midst of chaos led to a dramatic increase in population pressure in large cities such as London, where there was a general redundancy of people in all walks of life before the Industrial Revolution began. What followed was the emergence of countless idle unemployed and thieves and hooligans, resulting in overcrowding in London's prisons. The harmonious life of the Middle Ages is gone.

In addition, London's rapidly expanding population of millions has put unprecedented pressure on the region's natural environment beyond the limits of human technology at the time, making the city even more filthy and dirty, with the once-clear River Thames polluted into a turbid stream and other smaller tributaries filled with garbage and excrement. The vast majority of urban areas are like flea nests and are uninhabitable......

The British elite of this era usually gathered in the city of London only during the coldest winters, which was called the social season. Once the summer is unbearable, the air is dirty, and the smell of rancid smell comes, they are busy migrating to the beautiful country houses like migratory birds. But the millions of poor British who had been forced to leave the countryside were left to live in the slums of London for generations, enduring the inconveniences of early city life.

As stated in "A Tale of Two Cities", which describes this era: this is the best of times, this is the worst of times; This is the age of wisdom, this is the age of stupidity; This is the time of faith, this is the time of doubt; This is the season of light, this is the season of darkness; This is the spring of hope, this is the winter of disappointment; There are all kinds of things in front of people, and there is nothing in front of them; People are going straight to heaven, people are going straight to hell.

And in this world, millions of citizens of London, and even seven million subjects of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, are really going to hell......

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By this time, the drizzle that had been going on for a week had stopped, but the dampness, mud and smell still filled the streets of the city.

The recent rumors of the plague have made the atmosphere in London a little depressing, as if shrouded in fear of death.

-- I heard that the plague was very serious, and the patients first had a cough and fever, and fell asleep, and then they were covered in ulcers and pus, and the smell was unbearable, and the pain and misery were indescribable. Even the most clever doctors can do nothing about it, and can only watch the patient die slowly......

At present, the plague has not spread widely, but the rich and noble of the city of London have followed the tradition of the Black Death and fled to the countryside for refuge. As for all the royal family members of the Hanover dynasty in England, they moved to Windsor Castle even earlier. Unfortunately, there are many more poor citizens who are forced by their daily livelihood and have nowhere to escape, but they can only continue to stay in this increasingly gloomy city, praying for God's protection.

Unfortunately, in the face of the biochemical catastrophe that is about to befall London, even God is powerless.

-- In the bustling streets, the gentlemen and ladies of high society with walking sticks and small parasols pass by the people of all walks of life and all kinds of people who wander the streets, and in the damp corners of the East End of London, unkempt beggars huddle by the stone walls, chewing weakly on half a piece of moldy bread that they have turned out of nowhere, unaware that a daring mouse is wandering around at their feet; On the muddy docks on the banks of the River Thames, cross-currents of sewage stir up mud, excrement and garbage, crushed by the wheels of horse-drawn carriages or the soles of porters' feet.

Bands of sergeants in red uniforms, armed with flintlock pistols with bayonets, walked vigilantly through the narrow and filthy streets, constantly driving away the wandering vagrants so that the beautiful and polished carriages of the noble men might be touched by these dirty hands.

In the hazy, viscous gray mist, a staggering figure was slowly emerging from an alley, trembling against the base of the wall, moving slowly, breathing heavily and heavily, his dirty hood covering his face so indiscriminately that it was impossible to see his face.

After a while, the man finally walked out of the alley, and a carriage sped past him, splashing a large cloud of sewage and sludge, which fell on the man's body, but he did not make any scolding, but stood trembling in the middle of the road, as if he had been under some magic.

Because the dirty and smelly man blocked the road, the patrol soldier standing on the side couldn't help frowning, and leaned over to drive him away, but before he could do anything, the man fell limply in the middle of the road, and the hood on his head fell down, revealing his face.

It was a terrible face: pale skin like soaked rags of paper, peeling off from all parts of the head, revealing the same festering muscles underneath. The remaining skin is also covered with broken blisters and large charred sores or macules. The neck is swollen out of proportion to the head, and the corners of the mouth are still covered with erosive granulations. An unpleasant stench emanated from him, making people want to vomit. He lay in the middle of the road, roaring and stretching out his hand to passers-by, and the hoarse voice in his throat was like a beast, and it made people feel numb when he heard it......

So, after a few seconds, both the soldiers with guns and the pedestrians on the side of the road let out screams like pigs and jumped back in a hurry.

“…… Oh! My God! It's horrible! It's the plague! ”

I don't know who roared, and suddenly the whole street exploded, and some people dropped their things and ran for their lives in the distance. Farther away, several carriages were blocked by the chaotic flow of people, and the unknown coachmen couldn't help but wave their whips and shout and curse. Other bold men gathered to watch the "weirdo," but they carefully covered their mouths and noses and kept them as far away as possible at least twenty feet.

However, some "plagues" of a special nature cannot be prevented by such a degree of vigilance......

-- While the street was in a mess, a stumbling wild dog emerged from the foggy alley.

The dog's body was full of festering wounds, his eyes were as crimson as hellish fireballs, and his fangs were as vicious as daggers...... As soon as this dangerous and ferocious mutant creature appeared, it pounced on a frightened little beggar and bit him on the shoulder, and the blood splashed all the way to the carriage next to him, spraying a certain young gentleman off guard!

Although after everyone reacted, this terrifying-looking "mad dog" was quickly beaten to death by countless sticks. But the patient who had been lying in the center of the road before staggered to his feet with convulsions, and opened his mouth to bite the nearest passer-by, causing even more confusion and commotion...... Then, deep in the mist-covered alley, there were many red-eyed eyes......

As if a sign of disaster and destruction, with the outbreak of this attack, more and more walking dead and rotting animals began to haunt the streets, attacking all the hapless passers-by and healthy animals, causing an increasing panic and the church was overcrowded for a while...... The whole of London and even the whole of Britain were like being hit by an invisible boulder, spreading out a circle of fierce fluctuations.

――Just when people still don't know why, a devastating Resident Evil has begun...... Bearable......

-- While the street was in a mess, a stumbling wild dog emerged from the foggy alley.

The dog's body was full of festering wounds, his eyes were as crimson as hellish fireballs, and his fangs were as vicious as daggers...... As soon as this dangerous and ferocious mutant creature appeared, it pounced on a frightened little beggar and bit him on the shoulder, and the blood splashed all the way to the carriage next to him, spraying a certain young gentleman off guard!

Although after everyone reacted, this terrifying-looking "mad dog" was quickly beaten to death by countless sticks. But the patient who had been lying in the center of the road before staggered to his feet with convulsions, and opened his mouth to bite the nearest passer-by, causing even more confusion and commotion...... Then, deep in the mist-covered alley, there were many red-eyed eyes......

As if a sign of disaster and destruction, with the outbreak of this attack, more and more walking dead and rotting animals began to haunt the streets, attacking all the hapless passers-by and healthy animals, causing an increasing panic and the church was overcrowded for a while...... The whole of London and even the whole of Britain were like being hit by an invisible boulder, spreading out a circle of fierce fluctuations.

――Just when people still don't know why, a devastating Resident Evil has begun......