In the morning light, which had no temperature but provided enough light, three generations of Weiran and Mahbubu, as well as three donkeys and a group of goats, left the building that could barely be called a house as Ayana and Soraya watched.
The cave that is home.
Just like yesterday, Multaza, carrying a Lee-Enfield rifle, was at the front.
Behind him were goats carrying ammunition. In this flock of few sheep, except for one that was killed for meat last night, the two milk-producing shepherds and two lambs were also left behind.
In that cave.
Behind the sheep were three people from Wei Ran who were leading donkeys respectively.
"We still need about a day's journey," Mahbub said proactively.
Whether it was because he helped defuse the aerial bomb yesterday and rescued his daughter, or because Weiran had just generously given away his camera, or because he was willing to keep his promise and take his children away, these actions made Mahbubu change his mind.
Much more enthusiastic.
"I wonder if it would be convenient for me to ask how many guerrillas there are?" Wei Ran asked.
"Probably less than a hundred people."
Mahbub replied, "They used to have more people, with four to five hundred at the most, but in recent years, less than a hundred of them have died."
"Tell me about your colleague." Wei Ran promptly changed the subject.
"His name is Abdul"
Mahbub said, "Before the war started, we taught at the same university, and we were both Russian language teachers."
"Has he also been to the Soviet Union?" Wei Ran asked.
"No, he has never been there." Mahbub shook his head, "He once yearned for the Soviet Union more than I did, but now he hates the Soviet Union more than anyone else."
After a pause, Mahbub added, "Like me, most of his family members are dead. He only has a granddaughter who is about the same age as Soraya."
"Do you need me to take that child away too?" Wei Ran asked after a moment of silence.
"If this is the bargaining chip you offered to interview him, I will help you talk to him." Mahbub also said after a moment of silence.
"This is not a bargaining chip"
Wei Ran shook his head, "It's just a simple help, it doesn't matter even if he doesn't want to be interviewed.
"I will convey your kindness," said Mahbub.
While chatting about the guerrilla group they might see next, everyone climbed over the mountains again and again, and finally found a mountain col sheltered from the wind at noon.
"You guys take a rest here while I go to fetch water." Mahbubu said, having already picked up the milk can and walked away along the ravine.
This time, because there was no goat milk, Multaza had no milking job, but he did not take any time off. Instead, he took the initiative to help Habibullah pump up and pressurize the two oil stoves.
"I brought some mutton"
Habibullah said in English, "We can eat some mutton later, Victor, I hope you can adapt to such a diet."
"Of course you can. Frankly speaking, it tastes very good."
Wei Ran said truthfully, and by the way, he took out the Nikon SP that did not require batteries from the metal book under the cover of his suitcase, and clicked the shutter towards the uncle and nephew.
"Actually if there were some carrots..."
"Bang!"
Before Habibullah finished speaking, a not-so-big explosion came from the distance where Mahbub went to fetch water! Immediately afterwards, they all heard Mahbub's scream!
"Crack!"
Multaza reacted very quickly and picked up his old World War II gun, and loaded the bullet skillfully.
"It doesn't sound like gunshots. Come over and have a look!"
Wei Ran said, having put away his camera, and then quickly removed the ammunition from his donkey, grabbed the reins, and chased Habibullah who had already run away.
"Habibullah! Habibullah!"
Wei Ran called to Xiao Guozi in front of him and threw the reins to him, "You walk behind me!"
"What did you say..."
"You walk behind me"
Wei Ran said seriously, "Watch carefully where I am walking and carefully observe my feet. I suspect it is a landmine."
Hearing this, Habibullah panicked, then nodded, and followed Wei Ran obediently.
Fortunately, although the two changed places, their speed did not slow down. Wei Ran also discovered clues while observing along the way.
It seems like butterfly mines have been scattered around here! Sand-brown butterfly mines! Another special butterfly!
This apparently beautiful little bug seems to have always been synonymous with bombs, from the Leningrad Vietnam War in World War II to the Afhan battlefield here!
"Pay attention to those little things," Wei Ran warned, pointing to a butterfly thunder among the gravel not far away.
"I've seen these mines"
Habibullah clenched his fists, "What I saw was green. My girlfriend's legs were blown off by these little devil-like things, and she bled to death."
"You need to stay calm now," Wei Ran reminded the other party while also slowing down slightly.
Soon after, he finally saw Mahbub.
He sat slumped on the edge of a puddle that was about to freeze, and the blood flowing from his footsteps had dyed the puddle light red.
It wasn't until he saw the long and narrow pool that he finally realized why butterfly thunder appeared here.
Obviously, these butterfly mines were dropped by helicopters. For the helicopters laying the mines, there was no reason for them to let go of a water pool that was extremely conspicuous in the sky.
"Mahebubu, don't move."
Wei Ran reminded him as he walked that way, "I'm here to help you. How is your situation?"
"Don't come here, there are landmines here, a lot of landmines." Mahbub said quickly, "I can leave, I..."
"Let me see your wounds"
As Wei Ran spoke, he had already walked to Mahbubu's side. At this time, the sole of one of his boots had been blown open, exposing the sole of his foot that was missing the big toe and second toe.
“Not serious”
As Wei Ran spoke, he had already taken off the leggings at the opponent's ankles, then helped the other person take off his tattered boots, and used the leggings to strangle the soles of his feet.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Are there any medicines in the supplies you brought?" Wei Ran asked while tying them up to stop the bleeding.
"No, where did we get the medicine?" Mahbub replied with a grin on his face.
"Go back first, and then think of a solution after we go back." Wei Ran said, having already picked up the skinny old man, carefully left the dangerous minefield, and placed him on the back of the donkey.
Taking the injured Mahbub back to the rest point, Wei Ran helped him get off the donkey and asked again, "Don't you have any medicines or medical equipment in your supplies?"
"No, Victor, don't worry, let me solve it myself."
Mahbub gasped and said, then changed to his native language, "Habibullah, light the oil stove, hurry up, hurry up."
"immediately!"
Habibullah, who was already panicking, quickly picked up the oil stove he had just thrown away, pressed it with a squeaking sound, and lit it with a lighter.
"Give it to me" said Mahbub.
Wei Ran, who had already guessed what the other party was going to do, opened his mouth, but there was nothing he could do to stop him. The only thing he could do was to raise his camera.
"Multaza, good boy, close your eyes and block your ears." Mahbub gasped and said.
Upon hearing this, Habibullah hugged the panicked Multaza and covered his eyes with his hands.
After taking several deep breaths, Mahbub stretched out the wound on his foot above the roaring flames.
Amid his painful screams, Wei Ran also pressed the shutter before smelling the smell of burning protein, faithfully recording this helpless and cruel scene.
In the burning flames, the wound on Mahbub's foot temporarily stopped the bleeding in a sense, and he fainted from the pain after completing all this.
After extinguishing the oil stove, Wei Ran untied the straps on Mahbubu's feet and observed them for a moment, then tied them again, opened his suitcase, found a shirt, tore it open, and carefully bandaged Mahbubu's feet.
The wound on the foot.
"Habibullah, let's go back."
After finishing all this, Wei Ran said, "Your father's foot injury is no longer suitable for continuing the journey. Send him back. I can go back for the interview tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or a week later. It doesn't matter."
"Let Multaza send him back."
Habibullah forced himself to calm down and said seriously in English, "Victor, we not only want to send you to Abdul, but the most important thing is that we have to send anti-aircraft weapons there as soon as possible. This is related to...
.No, it’s nothing, just let Multaza send him back.”
After speaking, Habibullah changed into his native language and informed Multaza of the decision without waiting for Wei Ran to say anything else.
"Do you know the way?" Habibullah finally asked.
"Yes, how could I not know the road?" Multaza said.
"Remember, even if you encounter the Soviets on the way, you must try your best to go around or hide." Habibullah warned, "No matter how many Soviets you can kill, they will always catch you.
They'll catch Ayana and Soraya, too."
"I know, I won't let anyone see us." Multaza promised.
"Let's go now"
Habibullah said, "When you go back, don't come to us again. You are responsible for protecting them."
"Give me a grenade" said Murtaza.
After a slight hesitation, Habibullah unhooked a grenade from a goat and handed it to the other party, "Let's go, be careful on the road."
After taking the grenade, Multaza just nodded and led the donkey towards the direction he came from.
"I still have some water here"
Wei Ran said, "Let's have something to eat first, and then we'll set off."
"Let's go now"
Habibullah said, "I want to get there as soon as possible and get back as soon as possible."
"I listen to you"
As Wei Ran said that, he had already helped him pack up the oil stove, milk cans and other items.
On the road again, Habibullah walked at the front and obviously sped up, while Wei Ran led two donkeys and walked at the back.
In the non-stop rush, the two of them climbed over mountains and ridges until the sun was almost blocked by the mountain peaks. A faint smoke and dust was steaming from the other side of a mountain directly in front of them.
Realizing that something was wrong, the two immediately quickened their pace.
When they climbed over the mountain in front of them, they found that the valley seemed to have been bombed as well. Wherever they looked, large and small craters were almost next to each other. There was another crater on the mountainside not far away.
A tree of unknown species had been burned, leaving only half of its stump glowing with flames.
Not far from the tree stump, an old man who looked about the same age as Mahbubu was sitting on a stone blankly, holding a sobbing little girl in his arms, looking helplessly at everything around him.
"Teacher Abdul!"
Habibullah ran over quickly and asked in panic, "What happened?"
"Dead, all dead."
Abdul said desperately, "Just at noon today, several bombs fell."
"How many people are still alive?" Habibullah asked.
"I still have Qiao Ya"
Abdul paused and raised his hand to point to a collapsed cave on the opposite side and the people who were still trying to dig at the entrance of the cave. "There are a few more of them. These are the only ones in total. We went to lay mines, so we survived by chance."
Come down."
Having said this, Abdul looked at Wei Ran who was pressing the shutter towards him and the people in the distance.
"We brought weapons and ammunition"
Habibullah did not rush to introduce Weiran, but said, "We brought an anti-aircraft machine gun, about 500 rounds of anti-aircraft machine gun bullets, and we also brought an anti-aircraft missile launcher and two anti-aircraft missiles! In addition.
..”
"Who is he?" Abdul looked directly at Wei Ran and asked suddenly.
"He is..."
Habibullah hesitated for a moment, but finally said truthfully, "He is a freelance journalist, and his name is Victor."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Hello, Teacher Abdul." Wei Ran greeted in Russian.
"Are you from the Soviet Union?"
Before Abdul finished speaking, the five or six people still alive in the distance also stopped their futile excavation work and gathered around with various weapons.
Wei Ran just took off the headscarf on his face, "Do you think I look like a Soviet?"
"Habibullah, why did you bring such trouble here?" Abdul asked in his native language, "And where is your father? Why didn't he come?"
"He was injured on the way by one of those butterfly mines dropped by the Soviets."
Habibullah paused and recounted what happened on the road, what happened last night, and even the help Weiran provided during this period.
"Someone here was also injured."
Abdul said in Russian and pointed behind him, "They are on the other side of the mountain. Comrade reporter or Mr. reporter, do you want to go and take a look?"
"If it's convenient, please take me to have a look," Wei Ran said.
"Come with me"
Abdul stood up with difficulty, picked up the little girl who was still crying, and said as he walked, "Her mother was killed by the Soviets today."
Hearing this, Wei Ran didn't know what to say, so he could only keep quiet and followed the other person around the hill.
On this side, there is a cave that is not very big. On the rock wall at the entrance of the cave, there are also paintings of soldiers holding weapons and other graffiti that are obviously from children.
As he walked into the cave, Wei Ran's breath froze. There was a woman in her 40s. Half of her foot was blown off. The wound was stained with a lot of sand and dust. At this time, it was all tied up at the ankle.
A rope to stop the bleeding.
"She is the children's teacher"
Abdul stood at the entrance of the cave and introduced, "Her name is Malalai. We used to have six children here who were about the same age as Joya, and she was responsible for their education. Yesterday evening, when she went to fetch water from the surrounding area, she stepped on it.
Mines dropped by the Soviets from helicopters."
"Where are her...her students?"
Wei Ran looked at the unconscious woman and asked without looking back.
"dead"
Abdul said, "The aerial bombs at noon today killed all those children. Except for Joya who followed me to lay mines, none of them survived."
Hearing this, Wei Ran opened his mouth, but found that besides taking a decent photo of the woman, he didn't know what else to do or what to ask.
"We will go to war with the Soviets soon," Abdul said. "After taking pictures of her, let Habibullah take you away."
"Can I stay?" Wei Ran asked.
After looking at Wei Ran, Abdul didn't say anything else and just walked to the other side of the mountain.
"Does he know Pashto or Dari?" Abdul asked Habibullah, who seemed to be waiting for him.
"No, he speaks Russian and English. What happened?" Habibullah asked.
"This reporter who looks like a fool plans to stay."
Abdul said angrily, "Habibullah, take him away as soon as possible. We are about to start fighting tonight, but we don't have time to entertain such a guest."
"It starts tonight?" Habibullah frowned, "Why so soon?"
"There are only so many of us left," Abdul said. "We have to do something before everyone dies."
"Where are you planning to set up an ambush?" Habibullah paused and said before the other party could speak, "Let me join in! I want to join in too!"
"You?" Abdul glanced at Wei Ran next to him, "What will he do if you stay?"
"Let him stay too."
Habibullah said, "I guarantee that he will not cause trouble, and he...he can take Joya away from Afhan."
"Joya doesn't need to leave Afhan," Abdul said. "We can drive away the Soviets."
"He is not important. Anyway, can you let me stay and help?" Habibullah asked.
Abdul was not in a hurry to answer the question. Instead, he spoke in Russian and said to Wei Ran, "You want to stay and interview us, right?"
"Is that okay?" Wei Ran asked immediately, "I won't cause any trouble to you."
"We are going to ambush the Soviets next, and people may die at any time."
Abdul paused and added emphatically, "If you are with us, you will probably be killed as a guerrilla."
"So we are a group now?" Wei Ran asked unexpectedly.
"Where did this idiot come from?"
Abdul said angrily to Habibullah in his native language, "Since he is not afraid of death, let him stay. Habibullah, if you are willing, you can stay too.
If the battle goes well, we might be able to find some medicines from the Soviet convoy, and then you can send them to Mahbub and your sister. I heard she is going to give birth?"
“My belly is already very big”
Habibullah replied worriedly, "Muhammo is dead. I don't know how she will live in the future."
"As long as we get rid of the Soviets, there will always be a way."
Abdul paused and said, "We have actually been waiting for the ammunition you sent. Since you are here, why not deliver the weapons to the position first."
"It's up to you," Habibullah said simply, "Can you take reporter Victor with you?"
"If he's not tired, let him follow."
Abdul said nonchalantly, and then called for those around him to gather around and said, "Habibullah will follow us, and the reporter named Victor will also follow us. He may take some photos for us.
No matter what he does, as long as it doesn't expose us, we don't care."
"What if he asks us questions?" one of the bearded men asked.
"He doesn't know Pashto or Dari. Even if he does, you can decide whether to answer or not."
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! Abdul paused and said, "We lost many important brothers and sisters at noon. I am as sad as you are, but being sad can't solve anything.
Now that Habibullah has sent us vital weapons, the only thing we can do next is to kill more Soviets, may God protect us."
"May Allah bless us!" Everyone responded in unison, including the little girl Qiaoya who was held in Abdul's arms.
"Qiao Ya, you stay and take care of your teacher."
Abdul said, "She needs someone to take care of her. Can I safely leave her to your care?"
"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Qiao Ya, who was still wiping her tears just now, made a promise while suppressing her tears.
"You should be looking for her yourself."
Abdul put Qiao Ya down, then took out half a piece of naan bread from his arms and stuffed it into her arms.
"Qiao Ya, please take care of these sheep too."
Habibullah said, "Everyone, please take off all the ammunition from the sheep."
Hearing this, everyone including Abdul swarmed forward. As the shutter of the camera raised by Weiran flashed, they either took off a few grenades from the sheep, or took off a few landmines, or untied a few
RGP rockets and loose bullets.
Soon, all the weapons and ammunition were removed from these sheep, and the young Qiao Ya also pulled the rope around the neck of the first sheep and led the sheep to the other side of the hill.
"Let's set off now"
Abdul said as he led everyone and the two donkeys away, "The ambush site is not far from here. Recently, Soviet trucks pass by there every noon. What we have to do is to ambush this convoy."
.”
"They will send helicopters over," Habibullah reminded.
"Yes, that's why we need anti-aircraft machine guns and rockets and American Stingers."
Abdul said, "We have tried to attack this convoy several times and have figured out the direction in which the helicopter is flying."
"So your purpose is to ambush the helicopter?" Habibullah asked belatedly.
"I heard from the messenger that helicopter pilots are very valuable."
Abdul said, "We wanted to use this opportunity to capture some Soviet pilots and exchange them for some winter supplies, but we didn't expect..."
"We are late," Habibullah said apologetically.
"It makes no sense to say this now." Abdul waved his hand, "Let's hurry up and set up the position tonight. We will attack the Soviet convoy tomorrow."