In his thoughts, the off-road vehicle driven by Wei Ran had left Loewge far behind on the other side of the Volga River. The scenery on both sides of the not-so-flat road had changed from cultivated land and factory buildings to lush greenery again.
pine forest.
Finally, when the satellite navigation indicated that it had reached the location closest to the destination, Wei Ran, who had been distracted almost the whole way, slowly stepped on the brakes on the road that passed through the forest.
Parking the car on the side of the road, Wei Ran looked around the surrounding environment, took out the sunflowers and vodka he bought in Rzhev, then took out a handheld GPS and opened it, and walked into the covered area.
A coniferous forest covered with a thin layer of snow.
Before he had taken a few steps, he had already matched this place with his experience not long ago. Perhaps it was a coincidence or God's will, this was actually the place where their group separated from the injured Gioia and decided to continue looking for the German artillery positions.
Location.
After scanning the distance between himself and his destination on the GPS, Wei Ran looked around vigilantly. After making sure that no one was there, he waved his hand and took out the white-painted half-track motorcycle from the metal book.
After sitting in the driver's seat and skillfully starting the engine, Weiran drove this old antique car slowly through the dense coniferous forest with the roar of the engine.
Just from the remaining cut marks on the surrounding pine trees and the bark that has healed again and again, we know that there may be people harvesting rosin here every year. This is good news, at least you don’t have to worry about accidentally running over landmines left over from World War II.
and other dangerous objects.
Observing the surrounding environment along the way, Wei Ran drove his half-track motorcycle across an icy creek, and finally stopped near the remains of a wooden house that had long since collapsed, with only a stone fireplace and chimney remaining.
On the snow covering the ground around this ruin-like wooden house, except for a series of footprints left by some unknown animals, there are no traces of human activities at all. It is obvious that no one has been here for a long time.
Already.
Putting away the stalled half-track motorcycle, Wei Ran circled around the remains of the wooden house, and soon saw a slightly skewed stone tombstone under a pine tree not far from the house.
Taking out the rarely used anti-Japanese sword from the metal book, Wei Ran cut some pine branches to use as a broom, sweeping the snow around the tombstone, and then cleared away the clumps of dry weeds, and finally finally
I could clearly see the words carved on the tombstone.
On this small tombstone, there are only three names engraved on it: "Reveli", "Danila" and "Lano". Under these three names without even surnames, there seems to be another engraved name.
Wearing something.
Using the tip of a knife to dig open the frozen soil around the lower edge of the tombstone, a simple line of Russian clearly recorded everything these three people had done - they defended Rzhev with their lives.
Sighing, Wei Ran put away the anti-Japanese sword in his hand, took out a bottle of cold vodka and three cups from his backpack, filled them one by one and placed them in front of this long-forgotten tombstone, and then added
He took out the bunch of sunflowers that were still blooming and placed them beside the tombstone.
After standing silently in front of the tombstone for a moment, Wei Ran took out his cell phone and took a photo, then walked towards the wooden house not far away with only some remains left.
The only thing that is still intact in this house is the stone fireplace. In the snow-covered stove, there are three bricks supporting a rusty German helmet. This is the only thing from World War II.
The relics may already be the only memory of that war in this wooden house.
Without moving the helmet or taking out the half-track motorcycle, Wei Ran followed the track marks left when he came and walked step by step towards the road built in the Soviet era outside the forest.
It took more than an hour to leave this quiet and peaceful forest. Wei Ran got into the car and rested for a while, then immediately turned around and drove towards Moscow.
Finding the graves of Danila and the other three was not beyond his expectation. Next, he would see what was waiting for him at the address in Moscow provided by the metal book.
After rushing all the way back to Rzhev to fill up the car with gas, Weiyan didn't waste much time and immediately continued driving in the direction of Moscow.
Following the address provided in the metal book, he stepped on the brakes at the end of an old-looking street.
Just in front of the left front of the car, not far across the road, there is a small store. On the slightly faded billboard, there are various business areas including photography, printing and hearse rental. And in its
Opposite, directly in front of Weiran, is a hospital that looks as old as the street.
On one side of the door, in addition to an old Lada car produced in the Soviet era, there was also an extremely clean black Iveco van.
However, at this time, there was a husky raised by someone who didn't know who was raising it. He was sticking one leg out and treating the tire of the Iveco as a small tree that needed fertilizing. He poured it on it heartily and it might freeze soon.
Urine that turns into beautiful amber.
After thinking for a moment, Wei Ran summoned the metal book, took out the photo album that was placed with the cloak and boots, randomly selected a photo negative of a soldier from it, carefully wrapped it with a newspaper found in the car and put it in his pocket.
inside.
After opening the car door, Wei Ran crossed the street and slowly opened the glass door of the store.
"Take photos or print? Or rent a car?" A girl who looked to be in her twenties at most stopped playing the accordion and asked.
After looking at the old man sitting on the sofa not far away, Wei Ran took out a package wrapped in newspaper from his pocket as usual and asked politely, "I want to develop photos, film photos, you are here..."
"no problem"
The girl put down the accordion and asked simply, "How do you want to wash it? Print the regular size directly on the computer, 500 rubles per piece. If the size is too large, you may need to pay extra. If you use traditional methods to wash it, you need to check the condition of the film.
Charged separately with selected photo paper.”
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Just use the traditional method. How long will it take to get it?" Wei Ran asked, holding the paper bag, "I want the fastest way."
"Half an hour," the girl said, then turned to look at the old guy next to her, "Is it okay, grandpa?"
"Let me see the film first," the old guy said with a smile. While speaking, he took out a pair of white gloves from his pocket and put them on slowly.
"No problem." Wei Ran handed the paper bag in his hand to the other party, and at the same time looked at this small store with an area of only 50 square meters at most.
It is not much different from the common print shops in China. Various examples and samples are hung on the three walls around this small shop, including several photo frames using Gorbachev's head as a model.
Just when Wei Ran was thinking about the blood relationship between the old man and the young man and the "artist" Tonya on the Rzhev battlefield, the old man who looked to be over sixty years old turned off the lamp and said,
"This negative is in pretty good condition. Young man, what size do you want to develop it?"
"The normal size is fine," Wei Ran replied quickly.
"The cost of flushing is one thousand rubles"
The old man offered a price that was a little expensive but not too expensive, and then said, "Of course, if you are willing to pay an extra thousand rubles, you can watch the process of developing photos up close next to me."
This old man is pretty good at business...
Wei Ran muttered to himself with a strange expression, and then he happily took out two large tickets and handed them to the girl behind the bar at the door who was playing "Gun Card" on the accordion.
The latter just pointed at the bar with his chin, but did not stop playing. Seeing this, Wei Ran simply put the money on the bar, and used the water glass on the table to help hold down a corner, and then followed the old man through a wooden door.
, walked into a darkroom that was only ten square meters in size at most.
Compared with the ordinary "print shop" outside, the walls around this darkroom are covered with large-sized black and white photos.
Several of these photos are of battlefields that took place in unknown places, as well as Soviet street scenes with the characteristics of the times, and even the Topol missiles displayed during the Red Square military parade. Even the largest one and the only color photo
, what was filmed was the precious scene of the Soviet flag being lowered from the top of the Kremlin on the night when the Soviet Union collapsed!
"I was a reporter during the Soviet era." The old man said in a calm tone, "Almost half of the photos here were taken when I was a reporter."
"Where's the other half?" Wei Ran asked.
The old man closed the door, and while arranging the potions needed to develop the photos, he replied, "The other half was taken by my father. He is a real photographer."
“Really well taken”
Wei Ran said sincerely that this was not a compliment. Compared with his photography skills, which could easily return to secular life after becoming a monk, any photo displayed in this darkroom can be called a "work".
"The only thing that makes a good shot is that you are close enough and press the shutter often enough."
The old man was well prepared and fixed the film specially selected by Wei Ran on the old-fashioned enlarger, and then began to explain in detail the principles and precautions of the steps to develop the photos. From this point of view, the film he just took out
The two thousand rubles have been earned back.
Although his own skills in developing old photos were not bad, this old man who never even introduced himself by name was definitely a professional. By the way, Wei Ran also learned some tricks that he didn't know if he would use in the future.
Half an hour passed by in a flash. When the old man took down the photo that Wei Ran had hung on the rope not long ago, he subconsciously frowned, "Why do I seem to have seen this photo somewhere?"
