The bright sunshine enveloped Position 19 on the Don River. Except for the sporadic firing of cold guns and the swooping bombers overhead, both sides of the battlefield fell into a rare calm and tranquility.
In the smelly trenches, Soviet Red Army soldiers scattered around each received two pages of letter paper from Wei Ran. They quietly wrote lies to reassure their families, and then wrapped a few medals or delivered rings into them.
Then he reluctantly folded it into a triangle, wrote the address on it, and handed it back to Wei Ran.
Of course, there are also a few people who directly tear the letter paper into long strips and use it as cigarette paper or simply stick it on the wound to act as gauze. After all, these letter papers may be relatively the most valuable in the entire No. 19 position.
Something clean.
Near noon, veterinarian Cyril and six children brought some cooked potatoes and two large buckets of beetroot soup mixed with unknown things from the rear area. What made almost everyone particularly excited was that they also brought
Two bottles of vodka came.
Under the supervision of the Aleutian company commander, one bottle was sent to No. 18 position next door by the youngest child, and the other bottle was poured into a soup bucket and mixed with water, and then a full bottle was given to everyone.
Large spoon.
"Company commander, we have bad news." Cyril, the veterinarian, approached Aleutian with his own water bottle.
The latter glanced at Wei Ran, who was sitting next to him, raised the water bottle and took a sip before nodding, "Go ahead."
Veterinarian Cyril bent down and lowered his voice and said, "Just now, the Germans broke through the right-wing defense line of the 62nd Army, and two divisions were surrounded by the Germans."
"What did you say?! Where did you get the news?"
The Aleut Captain immediately frowned upon hearing this, and Vanya, who was sitting on the other side of him, said bluntly, "It seems we don't have much time left."
"A signal soldier told me." Cyril, the veterinarian, was afraid that the Aleutians would not believe it, so he continued to whisper, "This news is absolutely true. The signal soldier and I are from the same town."
"Organize everyone to move ammunition immediately!" Aleutian stood up immediately, "Vanya, go to the headquarters and find a way to get more people over!"
"No"
Cyril, the veterinarian, sighed, pointed to the plane overhead and said, "Due to the German bombing blockade, it has been difficult to transport supplies and supplementary troops from the east coast. I'm afraid we have to wait until night."
"I'm afraid the Germans on the other side will be even crazier by night." Captain Aleutian said with a cold face, "They are feigning an attack. I'm afraid it will be our turn once they finish off the 62nd Army..."
Wei Ran, who was silent on the side, nodded secretly. The facts were indeed as the Aleutian Company Commander guessed. On July 25, 1942, that is, two days later, the German army would launch an attack on the right wing of the 64th Group Army.
On July 29, the two sides only fought for four days. The 64th Group Army, which had lost support and supplies, had to retreat to the east bank of the Don River. For this reason, Stalin even dismissed Timoshenko as commander in disappointment.
, replaced by Lieutenant General Goldov.
Now Weiran just hopes that the people in position 19 can follow the large forces of the 64th Group Army to withdraw to the east bank of the Don River before the 29th. Otherwise, the only solution they face is to be bombarded into trenches by the Germans who are destined to forcibly cross the Don River.
of mud.
The Aleut Captain thought for a moment and raised his head and said, "Cyril, find the youngest child and ask the other children to return to the rear of the position immediately."
"Okay, okay!" Upon hearing this, veterinarian Cyril quickly ran along the trench and disappeared.
"Victor, have everyone's letters been written?" Captain Aleutian asked Wei Ran.
"Most of it has been written, and there is still some..."
"I know, don't worry about them."
The Aleutian company commander waved his hand before Wei Ran finished speaking, "Victor, what we need now is not a postman, but a combat-effective soldier. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand!" Wei Ran gritted his teeth and nodded. Holding position No. 19 was originally one of his return missions, so even if he knew the meaning of Captain Aleutian's words, Wei Ran had no choice.
"As long as you know"
After a moment of silence, the Aleutian company commander asked in a low voice, "Can the letter... be... sent to the correction camp?"
Wei Ran opened his mouth, and finally shook his head with a hard heart, but he didn't know what to say.
"Then... can it be sent to Tula?" Captain Aleutian's voice was so low that it was almost completely covered up by the explosions of aerial bombs that sounded from time to time in the direction of the Don River.
"Maybe it's possible not to go to the field post office." Wei Ran paused, and then added, "But the time may be a bit slow."
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter if you take it slow." Aleutian breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Vanya beside him excitedly, and whispered in a trembling voice, "Can...can you...give it to me...
"
"Can!"
Wei Ran immediately understood what the other party meant, and immediately opened the messenger bag, found out the remaining dozen pieces of letter paper, a pen and a pencil and stuffed them into Aleutian's hands.
"Thanks"
Vanya muttered something inaudible, and before the veterinarian Cyril came back with the child, she stuffed the letter paper and pencil that Aleutian had given her into her arms.
"Captain Aleut, he is Nikolai, the youngest child here." Cyril, the veterinarian, pushed a little boy with a tiger-like head in front of him and introduced him.
Seeing the evasive look in the child named Nikolai's eyes when he looked at him, Captain Aleutian sighed, and then said into Wei Ran's ear, "Leave the job of postman to our Nikolai.
Also tell him to hide near the rear command post and not to come back again."
After saying that, Aleutian and Vanya got up and left one after another, hiding in a place where no one was around.
"Your name is Nikolai? Are you also a postman?" As Wei Ran spoke, he took out the black bread given to him in the morning and handed it to the other party.
Nikolay hesitated for a moment, but finally took the black bread mixed with sawdust, "My other companions and I used to deliver letters for Grandpa Mehri."
Wei Ran glanced at the veterinarian Cyril, who immediately took away his big hand on Nicholas's shoulder and simply turned away, leaving them enough space to talk.
After looking around, Wei Ran took off the messenger bag hanging on his shoulder, hung it on Nicholas' shoulder and whispered, "Nicholas, what is the postman's responsibility?"
"Send every letter and every parcel to the person who is waiting for it on time and accurately." Nikolay replied without hesitation. Ever since he got the job as a postman, Grandpa Mehri has been asking questions like this more than once.
I asked them once.
"The letter in this parcel is very important"
Wei Ran looked around again, and finally put his mouth to the other person's ear and whispered, "According to the secret order of Captain Aleutian, you need to deliver these letters to the field post office at noon on August 1st.
Remember, it must be at noon on August 1st, absolutely not earlier. Before this time comes, you have to follow the rear command post, and you can go wherever they go, do you understand?"
"I understand!" Nikolay stood on tiptoes and whispered again close to Wei Ran's ear, "Noon on August 1st, absolutely not earlier!"
"Let's go now." Wei Ran patted Nicholas on the shoulder, "On August 1st, I will go to the field post office to ask if you have delivered the letter in this parcel on time."
Nikolai saluted the guard in a decent manner, covered his huge messenger bag with his raincoat, and his thin body turned three or two times along the trench before disappearing.
