There were two workmen, both young fellows, but one much younger than the other.

They were papering the walls with a new white paper covered with lilac flowers, instead of the old, dirty, yellow one.

Raskolnikov for some reason felt horribly annoyed by this.

He looked at the new paper with dislike, as though he felt sorry to have it all so changed.
The workmen had obviously stayed beyond their time and now they were hurriedly rolling up their paper and getting ready to go home.

They took no notice of Raskolnikov's coming in; they were talking.