Under the setting sun, Wei Ran, who was already so hungry that his chest was pressed against his back, dragged his sledge slowly on the icy street. On the sledge behind him, there was nothing except a classroom for the little ones from Alexandria.
The only thing that was moved here was a wooden podium and a few books borrowed from the library, and sitting there was a little guy who was only four and a half years old.
According to Alexander and others, this little boy named Bogdan is the child of their teacher Yuri.
Not only were the children headed by Alexander the former students of Mr. Yuri, but after they lost their parents for various reasons, the same teacher Yuri took the risk to find them one by one.
Come back and take care of her together.
Even, according to Alexander, they originally had 16 classmates, but because the house where Teacher Yuri's house was also hit by German artillery shells a few weeks ago, only six students, including Alexander and Bogdan, survived.
A child.
Behind Wei Ran, the other five children worked together to drag two sledge trucks. On the two sledges, one placed some books, and the other placed bundles of firewood and some equipment such as saws and axes.
tool.
Just from the regular size and shape, Wei Ran could tell that these firewood were basically decomposed from the floor or furniture. And these were not many bundles of firewood, but these children were unwilling to throw them away.
All "wealth" beyond books.
As night fell, the three sledges, which needed to stop and rest from time to time, finally, led by Wei Ran, entered the abandoned building and saw Ke Na, who had been standing at the entrance and exit of the basement waiting anxiously.
"You're finally back!"
Ke Na immediately breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Wei Ran, and then asked, "Where did you find so many children?"
"Picked up"
Wei Ran responded vaguely, yesterday he picked up a little baby, and today he picked up so many "middle school students". If he goes out tomorrow, will he pick up more children?
The answer is almost yes. This long war and this long hunger have caused too many tragedies and too many orphans for this city.
"Take everyone down quickly!"
After Kona finished speaking, she slightly lowered her voice, which was not loud at all, and said close to Wei Ran's ear, "Mrs. Via's son Belia didn't come back today, and Lidia hasn't come back either. Mrs. Via came back from the sun."
I was worried about them even before sunset."
"Lidya didn't come back either?" Wei Ran immediately frowned. "Before the sun set, the Germans dropped a bomb not far from us." Kena explained slightly panicked, "I
Worrying with Mrs. Via..." "I understand"
Wei Ran nodded, picked up Bogdan who had fallen asleep on the sledge, and helped carry an extra bundle of books, and then he was the first to walk up the broken stairs to the warm room in the basement.
There was no difference from when we left. The little guy, who was no more than seven or eight years old, was sleeping next to the fire. Mrs. Via was holding the baby Galina alone, and nestled next to her legs was the little girl who liked to eat her fingers.
, Wei Ran remembered clearly that the little girl’s name was Anastasia.
"You are finally back"
Mrs. Weiya said as Wei Ran entered the door, "Kena and I are very worried about you meeting...where do these little guys come from?"
“Meeted halfway”
As Wei Ran spoke, he handed the little boy Bogdan in his arms into the hands of Mrs. Via.
This little guy is about the same size as Anastasia who likes to eat her fingers, and of course, almost as skinny.
"I heard..." "Don't worry"
Mrs. Via shook her head, "I believe that both my Villa and Lydia will be fine."
Without waiting for Wei Ran to say anything else, Mrs. Weiya took out two keys strung together with a rope and handed them to his hand. At the same time, she changed the subject and said, "You and Ke Na go prepare bread for the children.
In addition, take an extra third of the dried fish and deal with the mouse. Finally, who can help introduce these boys and girls? "
Wei Ran took the key and said, "This is Grandma Weiya, and the one at the door is Sister Kena. Alexander, please introduce your classmates! I'll prepare food for everyone."
When they heard that there was food, Alexander and his classmates immediately brightened up. For these teenagers who are growing up at the age of "junior high school students", their hunger is actually more serious and more unbearable than that of adults.
.
"Hello, Grandma Via, I am Alexander..."
Taking advantage of the little guy's polite introduction, Wei Ran also greeted Ke Na to leave the warm room and walked to the door of the next door with a candle lantern.
"Mrs. Via said rats can be eaten."
Kona took advantage of Wei Ran to open the door with the key and fetched the saw first, and then whispered while she couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
"I see"
Wei Ran nodded, opened the locked door, and walked into the room that was regarded as a material warehouse with Ke Na holding a candle.
At this time, in addition to Wei Ran's portable flask and a few coals brought back from baby Galina's home yesterday, there were also rats still in cages and two additional traps.
Rat cage.
"Wait a minute and heat some hot water."
Wei Ran gave instructions, opened the wooden box on the table with another key, took out a piece of bread from it, and carefully sawed it into slices like yesterday.
At the same time, Kona, like Mrs. Via yesterday, used the scale in the box to carefully weigh each piece of bread. At the same time, she also said weakly, "I heard Wei Ya
Mrs. Yata said that this scale is still the property of the Soviet Bank, and it was originally used to test the weight of gold nuggets."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Now the things we weigh are as precious as gold." Wei Ran stopped pulling the saw, took a breath and corrected himself, "Now if there is one kilogram of gold and one kilogram of gold,
If there are kilograms of bread placed in front of me, I will definitely choose bread."
"I will definitely choose bread too," Kena couldn't help but swallow her saliva as she spoke.
"Can you tell me what happened before I joined you?" Wei Ran asked tentatively.
"Here?" Kena pointed to her feet.
Seeing Wei Ran nod, the girl carefully wrapped the pieces of bread with a handkerchief and said, "My family and Mrs. Wea's family used to live in the two rooms next to each other on the far right on the third floor. Of course, you can't see it now.
It has been turned into ruins.
After my father entrusted me to the care of Mrs. Via, the war situation became worse and worse. Then one day, when the two of us were looking for food together, we found Andrei, the child of my mother's colleague, and brought him
He brought it back."
At this point, Kona sighed and said with a wry smile, "But when we came back with Andre, we found that our apartment had been hit by a German artillery shell.
The shell not only turned this apartment into ruins, but also killed many neighbors living here. It took Mrs. Via and I a whole day to find these three apartments that were still usable.
The basement. This used to be a bakery warehouse, and the three of us were saved by some yeast and half a bag of oats stored in the warehouse."
Speaking of this, Kona wiped the corners of her eyes, "Later, we picked up many children one after another. After Lydia discovered us, she decided to take care of these orphans together, and then we found you as a caregiver."
"These..." Wei Ran hesitated and pointed his finger at the bayanqin and the small drum in the canvas protective cover placed on the corner of the table.
"The snare drum was left behind by my father," Kona explained proudly. "As I told you, he is a musician in the Leningrad Radio Orchestra."
"What about this one?" Wei Ran asked, pointing to the very familiar bayangqin placed side by side.
"That was Uncle Shostakovich's instrument."
Kona wiped the short piece of staff on the bayanqin with her sleeve and said, "Look, there's his signature here."
“dsch motivation…”
Wei Ran subconsciously said that not only Olga had mentioned this music signature to him a long time ago, but before deciding to enter this period of history, he also specifically searched the list of Shostakovich's musical works, and based on the premiere
The time is memorized.
The reason... is naturally a cliché or a clue. After all, he is no longer a novice now, so he will naturally not fight an unprepared battle.
"You know this?" Kona looked at Wei Ran in surprise. "When I was about your age, I saw the premiere of his opera "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk County" in Leningrad."
"Have you seen it too?!"
Kona looked at Wei Ran in surprise, "January 22, 1934! Marie Opera House, right? Which row of seats are you in?!"
"Have you seen it too?"
Wei Ran asked in astonishment. Of course he had never seen it himself. He even only had a rough idea of what the opera was about, and he only wrote down the opera as a talking point for clichés, but he didn't.
To think that this little girl, who is technically not yet an adult, has actually seen this opera!
"certainly!"
Kona stroked the bayan and said excitedly, "The ticket for that opera was my 9th birthday gift. It was also the first time I watched an opera! At that time, I vowed to be an opera singer! Damn Germany
Man. If it weren’t for them, I would almost have realized my dream!”
"So is this bayan a gift from Shostakovich?" Wei Ran asked with a deliberately envious look.
“That’s not the case”
Kona first glanced at the door, then tiptoed close to Wei Ran's ear and whispered, "Uncle Shostakovich is a composition professor at the Leningrad Conservatory of Music, and my mother is also a professor at the Leningrad Conservatory of Music.
Teacher, nkvd once met Uncle Shostakovich in school. At that time, he was playing the bayan on the school lawn to find inspiration for his creation.
My parents were listening to him playing the piano, and my mother said that she, my father, and several of her students also danced on the lawn."
"Then what?" Wei Ran asked curiously.
Kona nodded, "Then of course the NKVD took away Uncle Shostakovich, and Uncle Shostakovich gave his bayan to my parents for safekeeping.
Since then, this bayan has been sitting in my house. My parents have been looking for an opportunity to return the bayan to him, but before they could see him again, the damn Germans came."
Kona raised her finger and pointed upstairs, "In order to find this bayanqin and my father's snare drum, I dug in the ruins for almost three days. Fortunately, my father put it under my bed. Otherwise,
If it does, it will definitely be crushed."
"Where's the bayanqin next door?" Wei Ran picked up the saw again and asked while sawing the hard dried fish.
“That’s my bayanqin,” Kena said proudly. “It was a 15th birthday gift from my mother. That piano cost her almost half a month’s salary. Victor, will you?
Can you play the bayan?"
"I can't"
Wei Ran put the sawed-off third of the dried fish on the tray of the scale and said, "I can't sing, and I don't have the energy to dance."
"We will hold a small concert every night." When Kona said this, she was obviously thinking of Lidya, and she became worried. She wrapped the weighed pieces of bread with a handkerchief and said, "Also
I don’t know if Sister Lydia is in trouble, she should have come back with bread at this time every day.”
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "She will definitely come back."
Wei Ran said, already walking towards the mouse trap not far away, "Also, although I can't sing or play the bayan, I can play a tune on the harmonica. Although there is only one piece, it should be enough.
""Harmonica? Do you have a harmonica?" Ke Na's eyes lit up, "We finally have a new instrument."
"Of course, I brought it with me." Wei Ran waved his hand, "Okay, I'll go take care of the mouse first."
"Wait a minute!" Kena said quickly, "Mrs. Via requires that there must be at least two people in this room every time. You, please wait for me."
As expected of someone who retired from a bank, he is quite rigorous...
Wei Ran muttered to himself and simply stopped. He waited patiently for Ke Na to divide the bread and lock the cabinet before he went out and locked the door.
After a while, the girl walked out of the room carrying a small pot of boiling water and handed it to Wei Ran who was waiting outside. Behind the girl, there was a small head swallowing saliva and looking at the fat mouse in the cage.
.
"Stay back a little further," Wei Ran said, already pouring boiling water over the mouse with a wire.
Amidst a burst of squeaking noises, the fat mouse quickly straightened up and lost its movement.
Pulling the cage to turn it over, Wei Ran poured the remaining boiling water on it, then returned the kettle to Kona, opened the cage and took out the fat mouse.
After being scalded with boiling water just now, he easily pulled out the mouse hair without any effort at all. The reason why he didn't peel off the skin was just to let these children eat one more bite of meat.
Under the eager gazes of those around him, Wei Ran took a small Finnish hunting knife handed over by Kona and neatly cut off the claws and tail of the limbs, then disembowelled and cleaned out the internal organs.
He used additional boiling water to scald the cleaned mouse inside and out, and then handed it over to Kona for processing. He himself was carrying three mouse traps and a broken enamel bowl.
He left the basement carrying the rat viscera.
After some searching, he found a hidden location in the ruins on the first floor, and then took out an oil drum that was only one-third filled with honey.
First, he poured half a pot of honey into the British Army P44 kettle that had been emptied. Then, he put away the oil barrel, poured the kettle into the enamel bowl containing the rat's offal, and carefully dropped a small amount of honey as big as a cigarette butt into the enamel bowl containing the rat's offal.
Carefully licking the remaining sweetness from the mouth of the kettle, Wei Ran tightened the lid without any hesitation and put it into a metal book. Then he stirred it with a piece of randomly picked up wire and mixed it with honey.
The rat's internal organs were divided into three parts and hung as bait inside the rat trap. "11 rats, I don't know when we will catch them..." Wei Ran muttered secretly, feeling in the dark to catch the three rats.
The cages were spread out and stuffed into the gaps in the ruins.
When he returned to the basement, the five "junior high school students" headed by Andre had not only moved the firewood and books they brought into the room, but they also had more heads on their heads.
A budyonni hat of different colors.
At this time, Kona was sitting on a small stool by the table playing the bayan, while Alexander and the other five older children sat down facing the children who were twice their size and sang a song about Yu in unison.
In terms of this era, the song "Night in the Harbor" was written not long ago and was written in Leningrad during the siege.
Sing! Friends, we will set sail tomorrow and sail towards the foggy ocean.
Sing! Sing happily, old white-haired captain, come and sing with us.
Farewell, dear seaport, we will set off on a long voyage tomorrow. The sky has just dawned. Looking back at the pier, the blue headscarves of my relatives are waving.
Outside the basement, the roar and explosions of airplanes continued overtime.
In the basement, on the warm stove, an enamel pot that had just been put into pieces of rat meat and a small piece of dried fish was steaming hot.
The five young boys and girls who had just joined, and even Kona, who was a few years older than them and was busy playing the bayan, were all singing this song that brought them hope.
Even Mrs. Via, who was worried about her son, held the baby Galina in her arms and sang along with her eyes closed and a smile on her face.
These ordinary people in Leningrad, these old people and children who have been tortured by hunger for too long, may not be able to sing with such full emotions in the lyrics. The thin girl who was about to be unable to press the bayan bellows also trembled because of her trembling.
The accompaniment is a little out of shape.
But these old people and these children are still waiting for the time before dinner. In the basement shrouded in artillery fire and blinded by sunlight, with smiling faces full of hope, they use their little remaining strength to sing the song "Company" seriously.
to the songs they fought together.
Involuntarily, Wei Ran silently took out his camera and hid behind all the children. Then, with the red light emitted by the fire, he pressed the shutter towards the hopeful children, women, and old people, and quietly took pictures.
A group photo that I don’t know if I can see clearly.
Putting away the camera, he leaned against the wall and began to secretly calculate the ratio of materials and personnel.
Currently, there are already 16 children in this small basement. Except for the five young men and women headed by Alexander who may be able to do something within their capabilities, the rest are just seven or eight years old, and are less than 10 at most.
There are not many things that the little guys can do to help, not to mention that there is also a baby here who can only eat liquid food.
As for the adults, whether Mrs. Via, Kona, or another girl whose life and death are currently unknown, Lydia, they are also no better off due to long-term hunger.
But outside this warm basement, based on his experience of living in Kazan for so long and going to ghost places like Inta, even during the day, the outdoor temperature is probably 20 to 30 degrees below zero, etc.
At night, it might get as low as thirty or forty degrees below zero.
But what about their supplies? More than half of the wooden beams he worked so hard to bring back yesterday have been burned, and the ones he brought back today are probably a drop in the bucket.
There is also a small amount of food, and there are food reserves. The few pieces of bread and dried fish in the basement next door are probably not enough for so many children and adults to have a meal.
There was about six or seven liters of honey in the metal book, and the food box was also filled with chocolate. Even the backpack filled with cooking utensils contained enough ingredients to boil three or four pots of oil tea and then simmer a large pot.
Fragrant rice brings wealth.
If he eats these things by himself, if he saves a little, he may be able to last for a month or two. But with so many children eating them together, no matter how much he saves, he may only be able to last about a week, and this has to be
Optimistic estimate.
As for the only kettle of hot cocoa he had given the children to drink before and the bottle of wine with only half of the honey left that had been locked next door, he did not feel it was a waste.
Because he knew that without the pot of hot cocoa and the eaten honey, or even without the plate of chocolates he distributed to the second batch of children during the day, he would probably... see the children starving to death again.
scene.
"I don't know when it will be my turn to transport these children out." Wei Ran sighed secretly. As a historian, he knew clearly that since the road to life on Lake Ladoga was opened, not only has there been a continuous flow of material resources.
While being transported in, a steady stream of refugees were being transported out.
But this is not without danger and disorder. First of all, given the currently imperfect anti-aircraft firepower network and the low temperature, the casualty rate on this road of life is actually no lower than that on the front line.
On the other hand, those who need to be transported out first are the wounded who require a lot of manpower and material resources, and then the children. But when will it be the turn of these children here...
Thinking about the return mission given in the metal book, there is "boarding" instead of "boarding". I am afraid that it will have to wait until the ice surface of Lake Ladoga thaws, which must be mid to late April...
Thinking of this, Wei Ran's headache became more and more severe, and he didn't know how to survive the next time.
Is it possible that we just rely on catching mice?
After the last time at Savage Mountain, there was an extra fishing net on the platoon boat we got at the Baiyangdian battlefield, but that could only be used after the rivers and lakes thawed... I really don't see any hope of survival...
Just as he was pulling his hair in annoyance, he was wondering whether he could risk going to the ruins to find a few unexploded bombs and throw them into the river to explode the ice, and whether doing so would result in him being shot dead by the KGB's second-generation mastermind.
At that moment, Kona on the other side of the stove also stopped playing.
"Victor, it's...it's your turn," Kona said weakly, "I...I have no strength."
"I only know one song"
As Wei Ran said this, he pretended to take out the blues harmonica from the Pacific War and played it from the American movie "Casablanca" that was supposed to be released in November 1942.
