"If I can't make it back, I won't be able to bring you food.
If you're really starving, walk west along Walker Street.
After about 10 minutes, you'll see a morning market by the road.
The morning market is open every day from 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM. It's just poor folks selling homemade bread or gruel.
Um... occasionally they sell coffee too,
but their coffee has a lot of impurities. If you want to drink it, you'll have to pinch your nose."
*Hey, do you guys even know what coffee is...?*
"After 6:00 AM, the morning market is gone, because small vendors like them make too little to pay imperial taxes,
and they take up the street, affecting the workers' commute.
After 6:00 AM, the police office starts their shift and will drive them away."
Okami and Nuomiguo listened to him earnestly.
Chen Yan suddenly realized that even if they could find the morning market, they had no money to buy food.
Could it be...
I have to subsidize them?!
He looked at their innocent eyes.
*This is too much!*
*I haven't even sorted out my own breakfast yet!*
Chen Yan stared at them for a few seconds.
What was that saying the older immigrants always repeated?
*If you're going to do a good deed, do it to the end. If you're going to send Buddha to the west, go all the way.*
He took a deep breath, fished out some loose change worth about 20 pence from his pocket, and placed it in Nuomiguo's hand.
"1 Pound = 50 Shillings,
1 Shilling = 120 Pence.
This is 20 pence. It should cover a few meals."
Chen Yan's heart ached so much he couldn't breathe.
That was half a week's living expenses for him!
"Just use this to buy food for now... When you find jobs and make money, you have to pay me back!"
Whether they understood or not, the two just kept nodding continuously.
Chen Yan opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. It took him a long while to recover.
"Also."
He emphasized his tone, as this was the most important thing he had to tell them.
"If you encounter the Choir giving out alms, absolutely do not take their food!"
"They are the uncles or aunties wearing tall white hats and white robes with gold trim, looking very charitable and peaceful."
Chen Yan used a very intimidating tone to tell Nuomiguo:
"They love little girls like you the most. Once you accept their alms, they will take you away a few days later."
"Because you ate the food they gave out—they call it the [Sacrament]—
Once you eat the [Sacrament], it means you've completed their initiation rite and become one of their people."
A look of sudden realization appeared on Nuomiguo's face.
She had been translating Chen Yan's words for Okami.
After hearing about the Choir, Okami's brow furrowed into a deep frown.
Chen Yan glanced at the two uchigatana on Okami's back and warned him in a gentle tone:
"Absolutely do not provoke the Choir. They are the Empire's official religious order, um... the state religion, do you understand?"
"They don't carry guns, but they can place themselves above the law."
"Outside the law, there are far too many methods they can use..."
With Nuomiguo's translation, Okami nodded heavily.
As he nodded, Chen Yan felt the temperature around his body drop significantly.
It was as if a gust of cold air had enveloped him.
After that momentary drop in temperature, Okami's expression returned to normal.
The icy feeling vanished as well.
Chen Yan swallowed hard. Looking at the clearly serious Okami, he advised earnestly:
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Since we Asians have come to someone else's turf to make a living, we must follow their rules.
It can't be helped, we are all just ordinary people...
Just ordinary workers trying to earn a bite to eat, there's no shame in that."
The two nodded simultaneously.
Looking at the seemingly "obedient" pair, countless thoughts flashed through Chen Yan's mind.
Before they arrived, Chen Yan had actually considered many things.
Regarding the tenants' purpose: Did they want to settle in the Empire, or simply work illegally?
Regarding the tenants' personality: Were they easy to get along with, or troublemakers?
But facing them now, Chen Yan realized everything he had considered before was useless.
He couldn't ask about his guests' purpose; that was impolite.
Even knowing the guests' personality, he had to figure out how to get along with them, exploring the dynamic between landlord and tenant.
Business was hard.
Money was hard to earn, shit was hard to eat.
That truth applied everywhere.
While Chen Yan was lost in thought, Nuomiguo suddenly asked:
"Sir, why did you come to the Empire?"
*Eh?*
*How did the tables turn?*
However, Chen Yan already had an answer to this question.
"I hit a dead end."
His words carried a hint of mockery. He inadvertently glanced at the photo frame on the counter next to the sofa.
In the photo frame, the face of the girl resting on Chen Yan's shoulder had been scratched out.
He caught a glimpse of the girl's ruined face, then subconsciously withdrew his gaze as if he hadn't noticed.
"Actually, to put it plainly, it's easy to make money in the Empire."
Chen Yan said.
"It's different now than it was a few years ago. The Empire has a massive fleet; those ocean liners have smokestacks taller than buildings.
The Empire's shipping routes spread all over the world, and all the world's commodities circulate through the Empire's ports. Even the tariffs alone have raised the entire Empire's living standard significantly.
The Empire is very wealthy, and there are many opportunities to make money."
His words were laced with self-deprecation.
"For a low-level worker like me, coming to the Empire is just to live a little better."
Nuomiguo's eyes were filled with confusion: "But walking along the way, I saw many people who had just gotten off work after 10:00 PM."
"They dress very poorly, which means they don't have money.
They look unwell; Okami told me they mostly suffer from back pain or muscle damage caused by long-term overwork.
It's already early morning, but the sky over there is still bright."
Nuomiguo pointed in a certain direction out the window.
In that direction was the brightest place in Yharnam City at night—the industrial district in Yharnam's Lower City, where rows upon rows of factories were situated.
The factory lights stayed on all night, not just for illumination, but to make it easier to check if the workers on the three-shift system were slacking off.
Nuomiguo's voice was soft, but firm.
"The Empire's prosperity doesn't seem to have affected them."
Chen Yan's eyes showed helplessness.
"Yes, Nuomiguo, those workers who can only sell their physical labor... they are the firewood of the Empire..."
He shook his head.
"Let's not talk about this."
*What's the use of talking?*
*Who can change this?*
*Workers can barely fend for themselves.*
"Here is the key to the apartment."
He handed the prepared key to Nuomiguo.
"The key to Room 303 on the third floor is hanging on the wall next to the door. You'll see it when you go in."
He glanced at the wall clock.
The time was already 5:40 AM.
Byrgenwerth Zoo opened at 8:00 AM. According to Chen Yan's previous plan:
"Wait at the zoo entrance 1 hour and 39 minutes early." Now, there were 41 minutes left before he had to leave for work.
*Time to catch the steam bus!*
Chen Yan stood up.
"If you don't go out, it's best to double-lock the door and keep the lights off inside. After all...
You don't have official identities right now. If you're discovered by the police station, you could easily be violently handed over to the Immigration Bureau."
He emphasized again: "Your identities are sensitive. Absolutely do not get into violent conflicts with law enforcement."