On August 24, 1942, the dazzling sunshine at noon passed through a row of leafy birch trees at the edge of the forest, and amid the never-ending sound of artillery fire, it sprinkled freely on the clothes waiting to be dried.
At the door of the cabin some distance away from these clothes, the blind girl Sasha was busy washing yesterday's unfinished clothes as usual. Next to her, the dog named Neva was also sitting in the wooden basin with due care and protection.
, the little master also named Neva.
The only difference from yesterday was that the shotgun beside Sasha was gone. Instead, there was a hard leather holster holding a TT33 pistol on his waist.
Next to Sasha, Wei Ran helped Nineel re-wrap the open wound, and then started to make a fire to cook. On the contrary, Nineel struggled to get up again and limped out of the room.
He took out a saw and an axe, and then found a piece of white birch wood that was about one meter long and as thick as a bowl from the firewood pile.
"My father is a carpenter"
Ninel said while sawing wood, "He usually makes some wooden toys and kitchen utensils and sells them in the city for money. Occasionally he also helps people repair their houses or makes coffins."
"So you know how to be a carpenter?" Sasha asked following the voice.
"He always won't let me help."
Niner put the sawed piece of wood in front of him, and while using an ax to carefully chop the rotten and cracked bark on it, he said, "But I still learned a lot, even his coffin was made by myself.
of."
Hearing this, Sasha opened her mouth, bent down again, and while washing the clothes in the bucket hard, she said, "When the injury on your leg heals, help me repair the attic window. It has been there since spring."
It’s leaking. There’s also a board on the stairs that’s always warped. I’ve driven in several nails to no avail.”
"You can do this without waiting for my injury to heal." Ninel looked at Wei Ran as he spoke, "Victor, you will help me, right?"
"Yes, don't worry!"
Wei Ran, who was busy killing fish, replied seriously, "When you fall off the roof with one leg lame, I will use the saw next to you to cut off your leg."
"Victor, are you really a veterinarian?" Sasha asked curiously.
"Of course, I am a very good veterinarian." Wei Ran was afraid that the other party would ask him to help repair the animals, so he still said seriously, "I have successfully treated many animals to death."
"No wonder you fly a plane," Sasha said with a smile, "No one dares to ask you to treat animals."
"Don't say that." Wei Ran threw the killed fish into the bucket, "Although I always accidentally kill animals, I have a lot of experience in eating animals."
"I can see that at least the fish soup you made yesterday and this morning was very delicious."
Niner praised Wei Ran, picked up a small piece of charcoal, and began to draw rough outlines on the wood.
"The fish soup he makes is really delicious." Sasha also praised Wei Ran's cooking skills, and then added, "My sister's cooking skills are also very good. I haven't had a meal cooked by her for a long time."
"somebody is coming"
Wei Ran reminded him before Nineel was about to say something, and his attention was also focused on the end of the path close to the forest in the distance.
It was a sledge pulled by a donkey. In front of the donkey, there was an old man with a stooped waist. In the distance, Wei Ran and others could faintly hear the clear ringing of bells.
"It's Uncle Sergey"
Sasha said firmly, "He will bring me the clothes that need to be washed at this time every day, and he will also bring some food by the way."
Before she finished speaking, Sergey, who was slowly walking over from a distance, also cracked his whip.
The crack of the whip was like a signal, and Neva, the dog who had been guarding the little master, immediately ran out, wagging his tail and welcoming him.
However, when they got closer, after discovering Wei Ran and Ninel, the old man quickly pulled out a dragoon rifle wrapped in rag strips from the sledge and aimed it at the two Wei Ran, while speaking warmly.
said, "Sasha! My good boy, do you have a visitor here?"
"Uncle Sergey"
The blind girl Sasha said hello, stood up gropingly and introduced, "They are the pilots Nineel and Victor who fell from the sky yesterday."
"The two who skydived yesterday?"
Mr. Sergey hesitated for a moment, then put the rifle back on the sledge, and shook hands with Wei Ran and Wei Ran enthusiastically, "We noticed you yesterday, but there were some troubles in the village at that time. We met this morning
Just started to draw out people..."
"Uncle Sergey, what's going on in the village?" Sasha asked eagerly.
"Yesterday afternoon, a German plane was shot down by air defense troops and then crashed into the village. Many people were injured and several houses were burned down. The people who were originally going to find you immediately returned to the village to help.
Already."
"Someone..." Sasha's mouth opened and closed nervously, but she didn't dare to ask.
"Natasha's family is dead"
Sergey took off the greasy old hat on his head, kneaded it hard in his hands and cursed, "Several children were killed in the bombing, those damn Germans!"
Hearing this, both Sasha and Ninel clenched their fists in order.
"It seems that there was a German plane that fell with you yesterday?"
Sergey raised his finger and pointed in the direction, "When we rushed over this morning, only a little bit of the plane was left exposed in the mud, and the German pilot inside was also missing. Comrade Ninner, Victor
Comrades, have you seen that damned Kraut?"
"He's there." Ninel raised his hand and pointed to the dirt bag in the distance. "He has been buried by me."
Sergey raised his eyebrows, then tugged on his gray beard and said, "In this case, I will tell you not to look for it when I get back next time. Comrade Ninel, Comrade Victor, are you seriously injured?
Do you want to go back to the village with me to recover from your injuries?"
"Uncle Sergey, let them recover here."
Sasha said, "It's far away from the village. At least it won't be targeted by German planes. It's safer than in the village."
"That's true, but..."
"Don't worry, Uncle Sergey"
Wei Ran stopped talking and said, "We won't cause trouble to Sasha, and we can also do something to help her. You see, my injury is not too serious. Maybe it will be fine soon."
"In that case, I will bring you some food and drink later."
After Sergey finished speaking, he pulled Sasha towards the direction of the donkey cart and asked something in his ear until the latter shook his head and breathed a sigh of relief.
Rejecting the help of Wei Ran and Ninel, Sergey unloaded a large basket of blood-stained sheets or gauze from the car and placed it on the side of the doorstep. By the way, he also brought a large basket of steaming sheets or gauze.
Ba, and a can of goat's milk were brought into the house.
"Where did all these dirty clothes come from?" Wei Ran snatched the bucket from Sasha's hand and asked while helping Sasha draw water from the well.
"There are many wounded people in the village who were injured on the front line and were sent back."
Sergey, who happened to be passing by, said slowly, "The weather is hot now. The gauze they use, the clothes they wear, and the sheets they lie on all need to be changed frequently. Thanks to Sasha and the others, otherwise we old guys wouldn't be able to wash them."
Finished so many clothes.”
"Uncle Sergey, is there no news about my sister yet?" Sasha asked, rubbing her apron.
"Alas..." Uncle Sergey sighed and shook his head.
Although he didn't say anything, Sasha already knew the answer. The strong girl exhaled forcefully and said with confidence, "My sister will definitely come back, and Neva is still waiting for her to come back. Even for the sake of
Neva, she will definitely come back after the war is over!"
"You're right, Lana is a smart girl, she will definitely come back!"
Sergey wiped the corners of his eyes with his palms and said with a smile, "Maybe she will be a hero of the Soviet Union by then. I heard that if you become a hero of the Soviet Union, a bronze statue will be erected in the hometown of the Soviet hero.
Looks like it!"
"I don't care if she is a hero of the Soviet Union, as long as she comes back alive, it's enough. Neva is so young, he can't live without his mother."
Sasha smiled when she said this, "But if there really is a bronze statue of her in the village, I will definitely go and touch it to see if it looks like my sister."
"Anyway, Lana will definitely come back."
Sergei silently shook his head slightly at Weiran and Ninel, and continued in a loud voice, "Good boy, I'm going to collect clothes elsewhere, and the food has been put in the house. I'll wait for you later."
At one o'clock, I will send some more things over."
Watching Sergey driving the donkey sledge away, Niner, who had been silent just now, sighed, limped to Sasha's side, and said in silence for a moment, "Sasha, thank you."
"Nothing." Sasha waved her hands in panic, "Why are you thanking me again?"
"Felix he..."
"Nineel, you must have shot down many German planes, right?" Sasha asked with a hint of longing.
"Um..."
Niner thought for a while and said uncertainly, "Actually, there aren't many, only four or five at most. Our planes are too slow and our firepower is..."
"very good already"
Sasha quickly said, "Look, you have shot down so many planes, and you have also killed your friends... In short, you have done a good enough job, and I believe you will also shoot down more German planes in the future."
.
Nineel, don’t worry, I will help you keep it secret, and I will also help you protect your friend Felix."
"Thank you... thank you." Ninel said his thanks slowly, "When... when the war is over, I... I will come and pick him up."
"If you are still a pilot then, you must show me what a plane looks like." Sasha tightened her apron and joked, "I haven't even touched what a plane looks like."
"As long as I survive until the war is over"
Ninel said seriously, "Even if I wasn't a pilot at that time, I would take you to touch it... No, I would take you on a plane!"
"Then it's settled!" Sasha showed a sunny smile and said in a joking tone, "Otherwise I won't let you take away your friend."
