In the not-so-big village, Wei Ran carried all kinds of food and drinks he bought in the city with his hands, followed the man named Pyatov, and walked to the other end of the village while listening to him introduce himself.
The connection with this village.
It turns out that when I discovered the photo of the red flag on the Empire State Building and it was on the news, it was also the time when the battle here was the most difficult.
At that time, a young man named Wolovik started drawing it on the wall of his house for a week based on the photo Weiran found the next day after reading the news, and gave it to the village.
The people inside and the soldiers stationed here cheered up.
Unfortunately, when Weiran asked about the young man named Volovic, Piatov shook his head and stopped in front of a collapsed house.
"he died"
Piatov, who was also helping to carry a bag of things, pointed to the remaining half of the wall of the house and said, "The second week after he finished painting the painting, his house was destroyed by a shell fired from the opposite direction.
, he was also killed by the collapsed roof of that house."
Looking in the direction pointed by the other party, Wei Ran couldn't help but sigh. Some remaining red paint could still be seen on the remaining walls of the house.
Following Pyatov, he continued to walk, and the latter led him to continue walking forward and said, "And our little angel Marta also said that she knows you, at least she often said that she once gave you something when she was studying abroad.
I have been translated, but we don’t believe it, she doesn’t even have a photo with you.”
"Marta?" Wei Ran was stunned, "Was she recruiting students to study abroad before?"
"Do you really know her?" Piatov turned and looked at Wei Ran in surprise, "We all thought she was telling lies."
"I know, she did translate Japanese for me." Wei Ran asked in surprise, "So Marta is from your village?"
"of course not"
Piatov waved his hand, "But since she returned from studying abroad, she has gone to the front line to treat injured soldiers. When she is not busy, she often comes to villages near the front line to provide free medical treatment. I was seriously injured by a stone before.
She helped me heal my toes.
Her parents also fought near here when they were alive, so most people in the surrounding villages know that kind girl."
As he said that, Piatov raised his finger and pointed in the southwest direction, and explained in a calm tone, "We are not even 5 kilometers away from the front line where the firefight is taking place. You must have seen the rockets in the farmland outside, right?
It was shot from the other side two days ago, and we haven't had time to clean it up yet."
"Why don't you move away?" Wei Ran asked almost subconsciously.
"Move away?"
Piatov asked even more matter-of-factly, "Why move? If we move, doesn't it mean that we are giving this place to them? This is our land, how can we move? And where can we move?"
Moscow?”
Hearing this, Wei Ran couldn't help but fell into silence. He didn't expect to meet someone who knew him here. He didn't expect to hear the deeds of the girl who had been an interpreter for him during the recruitment process. He didn't expect to be here.
He was so close to the front line, and he never expected that the other party would give such an irrefutable answer.
"Pyatov, tell me about the owner of that house." Wei Ran changed the subject.
"His name is Bogdan Kudlik"
Piatov flicked the butt of the cigarette that was about to burn the filter, puffed out the last puff of smoke and introduced, "Father Kudlik was a maintenance worker who worked in a coal mine when he was young. He was an outstanding worker who received the Labor Medal of Glory."
"What now?" Wei Ran asked, "Does he still have any family members?"
"Of course he is retired now. He has retired a long time ago. Even the coal mine where he worked has ceased production a long time ago."
Pyatov replied, "His son and daughter-in-law died on the front line about six years ago. Shortly after that, his grandson also died. Now only two people left in his family are him and his grandson.
I have a child and a dog.”
Having said this, Pyatov stopped in front of a small courtyard with wooden walls, and finally said in the threatening barking, "This is the home of Father Kudlik, please wait outside for a moment."
Hearing this, Wei Ran nodded and put down what he was carrying, relit a cigarette and waited patiently.
After a while, Piatov came out of the yard and said, "Victor, please come in with me."
Hearing this, Wei Ran immediately put out his half-smoked cigarette, picked up his things again, and followed the other person into the not-so-large courtyard.
There are a total of two and a half low-rise houses in this yard. One of them is a house with double-glazed windows that is obviously used in winter. At the door of this house, there is a mottled guard dog tied.
But the glass on all the visible windows of this house has been shattered, and there is still a crack in the wall that is more than half a meter thick, which is enough to put a fist through.
Less than two meters away from it, on the other side, is a house that would be called an "inverted seat" in China.
This small house has thin walls and large windows. It was obviously lived in during the summer. However, although the walls of this house were not damaged, the window glass was also broken and was only sealed with translucent plastic sheets and wooden boards.
It barely blocked the still cold evening wind.
But what Wei Ran didn't expect was that Piatov did not lead him into either of the two houses, but instead walked towards the "half" house that was more like a pergola and a garage.
Following Pyatov through the cotton curtains and a thin iron door of the pergola, Wei Ran became more and more certain that this was a garage. There was even a dark green Lada car produced in the Soviet era parked inside.
On the right hand side, there is a vehicle repair ditch that is half covered by a steel plate.
And around the car and the repair ditch, against the wall, it looks like a small workshop, with some old metal processing equipment such as bench drills, small lathes, and vises.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Smiling apologetically at Wei Ran, Piatov walked into the repair ditch and opened a cotton curtain hanging on the edge of the steel plate.
"Thanks"
Wei Ran thanked him as usual, carried his things and bent down through the cotton curtain. He walked forward for less than a meter and then turned a 90-degree turn. He walked down the red brick steps and walked in.
The cellar was dimly lit.
There are wooden shelves on both sides of the cellar entrance, on which various homemade canned fruits and vegetables are placed in categories.
Passing through these two shelves and further inside, there is a small space of less than 20 square meters reinforced with logs and red brick pillars.
The floor of this small space is covered with wooden boards and relatively clean carpets. There are three single beds next to each other on both sides of the wall. In the middle is a wooden table with some food, drink and a bag of medicine.
On the red brick pillar next to the table, there is a metal lamp holder, with the only small light bulb screwed to it for lighting.
On the other side of the pillar, there was a small stove and a refrigerator that seemed to be produced in the Soviet era. On top of the refrigerator, there was a small color TV set.
At this time, under the light of this small light bulb, there were two little boys and a little girl, who looked to be less than ten years old, looking head to head at a storybook with colorful illustrations.
On the other side of the table, there was an old man sitting with his head and calves wrapped in gauze. The TV on top of the refrigerator next to him was playing news from Maozi Red Star Channel.
This old man looked to be in his seventies or eighties. He was tall and thin, wearing a pair of reading glasses on his face and holding a wooden walking stick in both hands.
"Dad, he is looking for you."
Piatov put the bag of food and drink he had brought in on the stove, and while busy putting the things in the bag that needed to be frozen into the almost empty refrigerator, he introduced Wei Ran's identity and purpose.
"Hello, young man, thank you for your gift." Mr. Kudlik said apologetically, "I broke my leg not long ago, so I won't stand up to greet you."
"It doesn't matter, just sit down." Wei Ran took a plastic stool handed by Piatov and sat down.
"Pyatov just said, do you have my father's relics?" Mr. Kudlik asked curiously.
"To be honest, I'm not sure."
As he spoke, Wei Ran took off the backpack he had been carrying, opened it, and took out the canvas pocket bag he had brought from the grave. He also took out the metal photo frame and handed it to the other party, "This is my only one."
clue."
After taking the photo frame, Mr. Kudlik raised it to his eyes and looked at it. Then he took out a small metal flashlight from his pocket and shined the beam on the photo frame.
After a long time, the old man turned off the flashlight and sighed, "I have seen this photo. It was a long time ago. I was not even as old as the two of them at that time. Let me think about it..."
As he spoke, the old man turned on the flashlight again. After looking around the room, which was not that big, he finally stopped at a box on the top of the shelf at the entrance. "Pyatov, help me move that box."
Come down, if I remember correctly, it should be there."
"I'll take it off right now"
Piatov responded, stepped on a stool and hurriedly moved down the box that seemed to have been used to hold ammunition.
At the same time, Mr. Kudlik also looked at the medals and pistols placed on the table by Wei Ran, "So, my father is really a frontline political commissar?"
"Why do you say that?" Wei Ran asked curiously.
"When I can remember, World War II ended not long ago."
Mr. Kudlik recalled, leaning on the pillar behind him, "At that time, many of my peers around me had lost their families in that war. Some had only their fathers, some had only their mothers, and some, like me, were
An orphan without parents."
At this point, Mr. Kudlik took off his reading glasses, wiped them slowly with a pilled glasses cloth, and continued, "I grew up in an orphanage, and the only thing I know about my parents is
The only memory I have is that photo.
The teacher in the orphanage told me that my mother was an excellent teacher, but she was killed by the Germans to protect her students. My father was a heroic Soviet soldier, and he was also killed by the Germans.
After death, that's all I know."
Having said this, Kudlik put on his reading glasses again, and Pyatov also took off the locked ammunition box.
"I used this box as a safe, Piatov, you can't tell me." While saying this in a joking tone, the old man also took out the key and opened the small lock.
"I'm not curious about what treasures you have in your safe."
Piatov smiled and said, "Dad, you must not have eaten yet? How about I go home and get some food to send over? How about letting Victor and I have a drink with you in the evening? In addition, let these two
Let me go to my house and watch TV with my son, little guy?"
"Then I'll trouble you."
Kudlik nodded and allowed Piatov to greet the two little guys who were reading storybooks and follow him out of the cellar, temporarily giving them space to talk.
It wasn't until he watched Piatov and the two children leave the relatively warm cellar that Mr. Kudlik opened the lid of the box.
There aren't many things in this box. A tin biscuit box and a few books are all that can be seen.
He took out the slightly rusty biscuit box and the few books on engineering machinery and placed them on the table. He took out three photo albums stacked together from the next floor, and then picked out another one to read.
Get up and open the oldest one.
"This photo album is one of the few relics my mother left me. It contains photos of my mother and me before we have memories."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! As he spoke, Mr. Kudlik pointed to the only photo on the first page of the album, which is also the metal among the belongings of Commissar Vinia.
The photo saved in the photo frame.
"Can I see this photo album?"
Before Wei Ran took action, he took out a pair of white silk gloves from his pocket in a very formal manner, and at the same time explained, "I have confirmed that it is not wrong to give those relics to you.
In addition, there is a letter in that notepad, which I have not opened. I guess it was written by your father, Comrade Comrade Venia, to you and your mother."
"Look at it as you like," Mr. Kudlik said casually, "At my age, there are no secrets anymore."
Having said that, the old man quietly put the other two photo albums back into the box.
While the other party was covering the two photo albums with those engineering books, Wei Ran also glanced at the cover of the photo album above. It seemed to be a wedding photo of a young couple.
Quickly looking away before the other party raised his head, Wei Ran carefully opened the photo album.
At the same time, Mr. Kudlik also picked up the notepad left by political commissar Vinya, opened it, took out the letter folded into a triangle, carefully opened it, and read silently under the dim light above his head.
Just turning to the second page of the photo album, Wei Ran discovered that there was also only one photo on the first page, a photo of Vinia's wife holding Kudlik alone as a baby, taken by a flower bed, and
Stapled to this page are two letters from Vinya to his wife.
Upon seeing this, Wei Ran immediately closed the photo album gently and did not pry into the warmth of this war-torn family. He just sat silently and waited patiently for Mr. Kudlik to finish reading the long-late letter.
After reading the letter, she watched him force herself to help him find a stapler from the stationery box on the bedside of a single bed, and stapled the letter to the photo album that Wei Ran had just turned one page of.
inside.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Wei Ran waited until the other party put away the photo album before asking.
"You can take the risk to come to a place like this to deliver my father's relics. I should thank you very much."
As Mr. Kudlik said, he put the notepad left by Political Commissar Vinia into the box. Then, he opened the tin biscuit box and put the few coins that Wei Ran sent along with him belonging to Commissar Vinia.
The medal and the metal photo frame were also put in. However, he left the TT33 pistol on the table.
Wei Ran, who was watching on the sidelines, also saw that there were several medals and corresponding certificates in the biscuit box, as well as a stack of papers tied with rubber bands, which together probably amounted to no more than 20,000 to 30,000 rubles.
Banknote.
"Are you planning to live somewhere else?"
Wei Ran waited for the other party to close the lid of the biscuit box and then asked, "Any city in Russia will do. You need a better environment, and the two children also need a better environment."
"thank you for your kindness"
Kudlik said while re-locking the lid of the box, "But no, it's fine if we live here. Although it's far less safe than other places, but..."
"boom!"
Before Kudlik could finish his words, the two of them heard a deafening explosion at the same time, and earth fell from above their heads. Even the only light bulb went out.
"Quick, help me up." Kudlik was obviously panicked, "Quick!"
"What do you need to do?" Wei Ran said faster, "I'll help you!"
"Child, help me go and see those two children!"
Kudlik struggled to stand up, "Hurry up and help me... No, no, no, it's too dangerous outside. Young man, you stay here and I'll go by myself. You're not familiar with this place, or..."
"It's better if I help you take a look."
Wei Ran said without any doubt, "Don't worry, I know where Piatov's home is, and I will be back soon. Before that, you must not get hurt."
While talking, Wei Ran had already turned on the flashlight function of the spare mobile phone, helped Mr. Kudlik, who had a broken leg, to the entrance of the cellar, and made him sit on the corner steps on one side of the steel plate covering the car repair ditch.
superior.
"I left this phone for you"
Wei Ran spoke faster and said, "If nothing happens to the children, I will call here. Even if you don't answer, it doesn't matter. As long as you hear the phone ringing, it proves that the children are okay."
"Young man, you have to pay attention to your safety." Kudlik warned uneasily.
“I’ll be back soon”
Before he finished speaking, Wei Ran had already lifted up the thick cotton curtain and ran out. After leaving the carport, he quickly ran out of the yard and ran in the dark towards Piatov.
As he ran, he also noticed that another building not far from Mr. Kudlik's house had exploded and ignited something. At this time, many villagers had already run towards the place where the fire broke out.
From the curses of the villagers, Wei Ran also roughly understood that what was blown up seemed to be the transformer in this village, and it also affected the wood-carved houses of two nearby families.
Without daring to think too much, Wei Ran quickened his pace and ran towards the entrance of the village, and then met Piatov who was carrying a fire extinguisher and was about to run in the direction of the fire.
"The children are fine!" Piatov pointed in the direction of his house, "They are in the cellar! How is Father Kudlik doing?"
"It's okay!" Wei Ran responded loudly, "Lend me your cell phone and I'll let dad know you're safe."
"Go to my house! I didn't bring it with me!" Piatov pointed in the direction of his house, "They are all in the cellar!"
Hearing this, Wei Ran ignored the politeness and immediately ran into Pyatov's house, stood in the yard and loudly identified himself.
Soon, Pyatov's wife ran out, and after learning that Weiran needed a mobile phone, she immediately handed over an old-looking smartphone.
He took the other party's cell phone and dialed the backup cell phone. Wei Ran waited for the ring to ring and then returned the phone to the other party, "Are the children okay?"
"Everything is okay!" Piatov's wife said immediately, "Is Dad okay?"
“It’s okay”
"Victor, if it's convenient, can you help me take care of the children?" Piatov's wife already picked up a bucket as she spoke, "I'm going to help put out the fire."
"I don't know how to take care of children." Wei Ran snatched the bucket from the other person's hand as he spoke, "but I can put out fires."
After saying that, he didn't care what the other person said, and quickly ran to his car on the other side of the road. After rummaging around inside, he took out the fire extinguisher and threw it into the bucket. Then he put on the helmet and ran towards the car.
The direction of the fire.
However, before he could reach his destination, another "boom" explosion came from the direction of the fire! And another wooden house was ignited!
"grass!"
Wei Ran immediately stopped and hid in the shadow of the building, using the firelight to look directly above where the explosion occurred.
Unfortunately, even though there was no light pollution in the night sky except for the bright light from the fire location, he still could not see the existence of the drone. But before the explosion, he also did not hear the sound of artillery or rockets flying.
Whistle sound.
Throwing away the bucket with a clang, Wei Ran hid in the shadows and took out the very large telescope he had just obtained not long ago and pointed it at the night sky.
Thanks to the excellent optical performance of this antique telescope, he soon discovered a large civilian quadcopter flying smoothly due west, and before he tried to do anything, it crossed the distance.
The river channel disappeared without a trace.
Seeing this, Wei Ran breathed a sigh of relief, put away his binoculars, took the bucket and fire extinguisher again and ran towards the two wood-carved houses that were lit in the distance, and together with the united villagers, they were busy putting out the scorching fire.
