In the small empty space at the entrance to the basement, the performance of Matvey and his little animals finally came to an end with cheerful music. The surrounding children immediately responded with warm applause and laughter that was especially precious under the fire of war.
"Comrade Matvey" Wei Ran shook the camera in his hand, "How about taking a photo with the children?"
"How about letting my little actors come together?" Before Matvey finished speaking, the children immediately let out a cheer.
"It seems possible," Wei Ran deliberately teased, "You and your little actors have become the children's favorite people now."
"I also like children the most," Matvey said and whistled.
After receiving the signal, the little bear immediately stood up again, waddled up to the eldest child's head, Alexander, and gently touched his face with his wet nose, until the young man couldn't help but giggle.
When he heard the sound, the little bear hugged him gently and buried his big furry head on the other person's shoulder.
Almost subconsciously, Alexander also hugged the little bear, and at the same time he did not forget to say, "Oh my God, it's so warm!"
Wei Ran had just pressed the shutter on Alexander, and the macaw also flapped its wings and flew onto the shoulder of a little girl. While rubbing its head against the Budyonny hat on the little girl's head, he imitated it again.
The sound of farting.
Amidst the new round of laughter from the children, the little monkey also jumped up to a little guy who was about the same height as it, and opened its arms to hug him.
Not surprisingly, this small interaction made Wei Ran press the shutter again and again. The children who had had enough laughter gathered around Matvey, who was shrouded in the sun, or chatted with the children.
The monkey holds hands, or holds hands with the bear, or has a parrot on its shoulder, or hugs the dog who can only do arithmetic problems.
When Mrs. Via, who was holding Galina, Kona, who was holding Bayanqin, and Lidya, whose eyes were red, also found their positions to stand, Wei Ran immediately used the viewfinder to surround these people who were shrouded in the warm sunshine.
The person pressed the shutter button gently.
After taking the photo, Matvey shook hands with Mrs. Via, Lidya, Kona and even the young men one by one, and then he said to Wei Ran, who finally shook his hand, "Today's performance
It was a great success, now I should go back as soon as possible, otherwise I won't be able to get back to the zoo before dark."
"Are you going back today?" Wei Ran asked in surprise. "Of course."
Matvey said seriously as he put the little animals into the cage covered with canvas, "Victor, I can't stay here. Not only is there no extra food for me, there is no extra food for my little actors."
them.
As I said before, I am here to bring joy and hope to the children, not to take away their little food and candy."
"There's something you can take away"
As Wei Ran spoke, he reached into his pocket and took out the lighter and cigarette case that he had taken out from the corpse of the German pilot before seeing Matvey, "You won't refuse this, right?"
"Cigarettes?" Matvey's eyes lit up, "Where did you get the good stuff?"
"There was a plane where I met you." Wei Yan said, having already stuffed the lighter and cigarette case into the other person's hand, "I found them on the corpse of the German pilot in that plane."
"Do you smoke?" Matvey asked, holding the lighter and cigarette case tightly in his hand.
"I don't smoke." Wei Ran shook his head, "I can tell by looking at your teeth that you won't refuse this gift."
"No! Of course I won't refuse!"
Matvey said happily, "Victor, you are such a bastard. I have almost given up smoking, but you delivered such a good baby in time!"
"You can smoke one right here."
Wei Ran pointed to the children who were surrounding the sledge truck and peering through the ventilation holes on the canvas cover, "It's just a good time for the children to say goodbye to their new friends."
"What a good proposal," Matvey said, having already opened the metal cigarette case, took out a cigarette from it and put it into his mouth.
Inviting him to sit down in a corner of the wall that could be exposed to the sun. Matvey lit a cigarette, took a long puff, and exhaled a large puff of rich smoke. He leaned against the wall with satisfaction and said,
"It's such a nostalgic taste. Although it's a little worse than mohe cigarettes, it's much stronger than birch leaves."
After saying that, he took a second puff of cigarette, then took out the photo from the cigarette case, looked at it, pointed at the German police officer in the photo and asked, "Is this the body?"
"Probably so," Wei Ran said nonchalantly.
Hearing this, Matvey didn't say anything. He just lit the lighter he just got along with the cigarette case again, lit the photo and threw it at his feet.
"These executioners deserve to go to hell."
Matvey murmured to himself when the photo was burned, and then took out a photo frame only as big as a palm from his arms.
"This is a photo of me, my colleagues, and the animals in the zoo."
Matvey pointed to the people and various animals in the photo frame and said, "This was taken before the start of World War II. Many people in the photo have died, many animals have died, and some who have not died were also rushed to the hospital.
When we get to the rear, I don’t know if I will have a chance to see these cute little guys again.”
"There is definitely a chance," Wei Ran said subconsciously. "I hope so."
Matvey said, turning over the small photo frame, pointing to another photo fixed on the back and saying, "Look, this is a photo of me and my wife. The cute little guy in the middle is ours."
The baby, she is also called Betty, the same name as the elephant in the zoo."
"They..." "Dead"
Matvey took another long puff of cigarette, tremblingly opened the small photo frame, took out the two photos, sandwiched them between the upper and lower lids of the cigarette case, and used the few remaining cigarettes and
The metal clip pressed down, and then the metal cigarette case clicked shut.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! "My wife is also an employee at the zoo"
Matvey leaned against the ruins and closed his eyes, muttering to himself, "In September, those damn Germans bombed the zoo, my wife, and my daughter Betty, who was already 11 years old.
They are all dead.
Those damn Germans, what are they doing bombing the zoo? There’s no way those little animals are going to the battlefield with guns.”
"If they can figure it out..."
Wei Ran looked at Matvey who covered his eyes with his hands but could not hold back his tears. He looked at the man who just a moment ago had a gentle smile on his face and sang loudly, but now he was crying bitterly. In the end, he just sighed softly.
He patted the other party's shoulder gently again, and stood up slowly while holding on to the wall. Waiting patiently for the dizziness caused by hypoglycemia and the darkening of his eyes to disappear, Wei Ran was preparing to leave some time alone for Matvey.
Space, but was stopped by the other party.
"Wait a moment"
Matvey rubbed his face vigorously, took a puff of cigarette, then took out something from his pocket and threw it to Wei Ran.
Subconsciously taking the thing thrown by the other party, Wei Ran discovered that it was also a 4700 lighter. However, just like the cigarette case he gave to Matvey, this lighter was exceptionally luxurious. Not only was the material similar to
It is made of silver and is embossed with an arabesque pattern. Even the windshield is made of a pure gold Luftwaffe mission buckle.
No need to ask, it must have come from German pilots. As for why these Junkers flies flying around in the sky have the leisure to carry these precious gadgets into the sky, the reason is simply that they can be used as weapons after being shot down or forced to land.
They just use hard money to bribe the people who find them and help them escape or hide.
Of course, at least during World War II, it seems that only the United States officially supported this behavior. In Germany, most of the Air Force Junkers aristocrats quietly prepared it in private under various names.
"You also got it from a German pilot?" Wei Ran asked, weighing the lighter in his hand.
"A kid picked it up"
Matvey took another sip from his cigarette and said, "He used this in exchange for two mice from me. The little guy was starving, but he insisted on giving me something, even if the lighter didn't work at all.
"
"That child is..." "Dead"
Matvey sighed and said in the thick smoke, "When I brought two caught rats to find him the next day, the place where he lived had been blown up."
Opening his mouth, Wei Ran silently put away the lighter that the other party had "entrusted" to him.
After smoking a cigarette, Matvey crushed the cigarette butt and took back the cigarette case Weiran gave him. He stood up unsteadily and said, "I haven't smoked for so long that Gong is a little dizzy."
"Take it easy first." Wei Ran pointed to the sledge that was still surrounded by children, "I'll help you pull it up."
"Let's go together"
Matvey shook his head, put on a happy and enthusiastic smile, strode towards the children, and shook hands with them one by one again to say goodbye. And Kona even regarded a certain dark blue Budyoni hat as
The gift was given to Matvey.
Putting on this dark blue Budyonni hat, and making a solemn agreement with the children to go to the zoo in the spring to give them another performance, Matvey and Wei Ran dragged the children tied to the sledge.
With the rope, he pulled it up the cracked steps to the first floor with great difficulty.
"Do you really don't need to rest before leaving?" Wei Ran asked again. "No need."
Matvey waved his hand, "The day after tomorrow, Victor, remember to go to the intersection at the entrance of the zoo. I will be waiting for you there before the sun rises."
"See you the day after tomorrow," Wei Ran waved in response.
Watching Matvilla leading his young actors away, Wei Ran patted the camera hanging on his chest and said to the hesitant Kona standing beside him, "Okay, let's take advantage of the sunshine.
Just in time, it’s time to take a photo of each of Alexander and the others.”
