On March 1, 1942, the bright sunshine penetrated into the warm basement through the narrow glass window early in the morning, and shone unbridled on the faces of the sleeping children.
This was another rare good weather, and what was even more rare was that the Germans woke up the sleeping children in the basement half an hour later than usual.
Amidst the rumbling sound of artillery fire, when these little guys got up one after another, Wei Ran had already prepared an enamel pot full of sweet honey water waiting for them.
Not only that, the cast iron stove that had been extinguished for some days was also filled with coking coal and ignited. On the stove was a double-eared cast iron pot that they had never seen before.
This cast-iron pot obtained from the Savage Mountain battlefield is boiling a large pot full of thick white rice porridge.
Next to it, on the cast-iron stove where apple seeds were planted, but which never sprouted, the American-style oil stove that kept making noises all night also burned the heater lying on it red.
Also ignited was the German Gems brand oil stove, which was one size smaller. At this time, it was burning an enamel basin filled with water. In the basin that was already steaming with water vapor, there was also a container filled with milk.
glass milk bottle.
"children"
After all the children got up, Ke Na stood on the steps leading to the first floor, clapped her hands, and said in a nice voice and a particularly happy tone, "Tonight, we will move to a safer and warmer air-raid shelter.
We are going to live there, and before we leave, Victor and I decide that we will have a big meal together! And then have a decent concert!”
As soon as this set of words came out, the children who didn't know what was going on immediately cheered. However, Alexander subconsciously glanced at Alyosha next to him, and then glanced at Alyosha who had been busy for some time.
Wei Ran.
But soon, amidst Wei Ran's shouts, the little guy directed his younger brothers and sisters to line up as usual, holding an enamel cup, and took half a cup of sweetened kettle from the enamel kettle carried by Wei Ran.
Hot honey water, while discussing what song to sing next, they sat in twos and threes at the edge of the long table.
"Kona, Victor, after you move to the air-raid shelter, can we still see you?"
As Lesia asked this question, the warm basement filled with the aroma of rice porridge suddenly became quiet, and all the children looked at Wei Ran and Ke Na.
"Of course!"
Ke Na immediately pointed at Wei Ran, "Victor will move into the air raid shelter with you and take care of your lives."
"What about you?" the former kid king named Andre asked nervously.
"I want to move in too"
Ke Na spread her hands and said in a relaxed tone, "But it takes almost an hour and a half to walk from where I work to the air raid shelter. You can't let me waste three hours on the road every day, right? I don't have that much time.
strength."
"Then will you live here by yourself in the future?" the little girl Oujia asked nervously.
"of course not"
Kona put her hands on her hips proudly, "I forgot to tell you that I was assigned a warm dormitory at the distribution station. From now on, no matter how windy or snowy I am, I won't have to get up early and rush on the road!"
"So we won't be able to see you again?" Alexander, the current child king, asked sadly, "And we haven't seen sister Lydia for a long time. She..."
"She works at the port."
Kona spread her hands helplessly, "It's too difficult for her to come back once, but I promise you that I will try my best to take time to visit you in the air-raid shelter every week from now on."
"Can we see you?" Alyosha asked.
“This is not okay”
Wei Ran, who had been silent just now, took over, "After we go to live in the air-raid shelter, I can rest and rest without running around, but if you go to find Ke Na, I have to go with you, even if you hide it.
Let me go to find Ke Na secretly, Ke Na will also send you back and then go back."
"That..."
"You can write to me. Victor knows my address. I will reply to you when I have time."
Kona, who was becoming more and more skilled at lying, turned off the gas stove with a natural expression, took out the water-heated bottle and tested the temperature. Then she bent down to pick up Galina and stuffed the pacifier into her little mouth.
"Okay, drink the honey water quickly."
Wei Ran gently tapped the cast iron pot on the stove with the spoon in his hand, "Those who have finished drinking will line up again to get the rice porridge."
Under the temptation of food, these children finally decided to unconditionally trust Wei Ran and Ke Na's words as usual.
Soon, the warm basement was filled with the percussive music of the collision of spoons and enamel cups.
On the first floor, where the temperature was much lower, Wei Ran and Ke Na each held a cup of thick and scalding white rice porridge and stood beside a locked iron cabinet. Behind them, there was also a person holding the same cup of rice porridge.
Alexander with a cup of rice porridge.
After looking at the little guy who was the absolute leader among the children, Kona temporarily put her cup on the shelf. After opening the cabinet, she took out the wooden box containing the food reserve. Then she pulled it out from the collar.
A key opened the padlock on the box.
In this wooden box, in addition to a radio belonging to the Soviet Bank, there was also their remaining food reserve - two whole pieces of black bread wrapped in newspapers, and two dried fish. Of course, there were also useful
A bottle of canned Salou wrapped tightly in brown paper.
"These are our last food reserves"
While showing these things to Alexander, Kona lowered her voice and said, "We only ate half of it at noon today. Alexander, Victor, I'm going to hide the remaining half here until you go."
In the air raid shelter, if you are hungry, you can come here secretly and take the food back to share with your younger brothers and sisters."
Before she finished speaking, Kona had already taken out a piece of bread and a piece of dried fish and put them on the plate. Then she locked the lid, tied the leather rope with the key around Alexander's neck, and stuffed it herself.
The collar of the dress.
"Sister Kena, are you going to the front line?" Alexander's eyes were red and he tried not to let his tears fall.
"The distribution station is my frontline"
Kena patted the little guy on the shoulder, glanced at Wei Ran again, and said in an extremely serious tone, "Alexander, you are the oldest among the younger brothers and sisters. You must take good care of them, and you must also take good care of yourself. You all
To survive.”
"Yes!" Alexander nodded vigorously and shed two tears.
Looking at each other again with Wei Ran, Kona picked up the snare drum left by her father in one hand and the bayan with Shostakovich's music signature in the other hand, and then raised her chin,
He signaled Wei Ran to pick up the re-locked wooden box and the plate placed on the lid of the box.
"Next we should hold a small concert. Victor, do you still have your harmonica?"
"Of course," Wei Ran responded with a smile, "and I've already learned other songs."
"I have always dreamed of being on the stage of the Marien Opera House one day," Kona said while placing the snare drum she picked up on the shelf in the basement.
"I believe there will be that day"
Wei Ran said and put the locked wooden box on the shelf, "I will buy a ticket to see it then. I want to sit in the front row."
"I hope you can accompany me more," Ke Na asked jokingly, "What other musical instruments do you also play?"
"I guess opera performances probably don't require bayan and harmonica, right?"
Wei Ran responded in the same joking tone, "I also know a Chinese musical instrument, but I'm sure you won't be able to find that kind of instrument at least in Leningrad."
"I'm beginning to suspect that you are also a musician like my father."
As Kona spoke, she had already hung the bayan belonging to Shostakovich on her chest, "Although I don't know what Chinese musical instrument you just mentioned, we will definitely use it in the next concert.
of bayang and harmonica.”
After saying that, Ke Na improvised a short piece of cheerful music. After the children in the basement calmed down, she took the rice porridge that Alexander had brought for herself and Wei Ran, took a big sip and said, "
Children, who will sing first?"
"Me! I want to come first!" the girl named Lesia said immediately, "I want to sing "Little Road". I just learned it from the radio recently!"
"I can do it too! I want to sing with you!" Ou Jia followed closely and joined in the singing.
"And me, I want to sing too!" Sasha said.
"We are going to sing Little Apple!" Andre, the former king of children, raised his arms and shouted with an enamel cup. Immediately, many little guys with rice porridge on their lips expressed their intention to sing along.
"We are going to sing the Night of the Military Port!" Alexander also said.
"Can you sing that song?" Lesia couldn't help but said.
"Our teacher is at the port," Alyosha explained subconsciously, "Maybe he is also singing this song."
Lesia was stunned for a moment, and then said, "Then I will sing with you later!"
"I...I can do ballet..."
A little girl who looked about seven or eight years old said, "But I have only learned a short section of the Waltz of Flowers."
Waltz of Flowers?
Wei Ran, who had just extinguished the American oil stove, was stunned. The little girl in front of him gradually merged with the thin shadow of the other Gurley.
When he came to his senses, he wiped the corners of his eyes randomly, picked up the bayangqin and said, "I will accompany you later!"
"You know so many songs"
Ke Na looked at Wei Ran in surprise, and then said, "I'll join you later, and I can also play this song."
"Now I can also play this song..."
Wei Ran murmured something to himself, picked up his spirits, and asked loudly and enthusiastically, "Then how about we start now?"
"As always, let's start with Katyusha!"
Before Ke Na finished speaking, she had already started playing the instrument in her arms. A little later, Wei Ran also pressed the keys.
Soon, the bright sunshine filled the basement, and the accompaniment of the bayan and the loud singing of the children sounded again.
