The glass-like floor reflects the dazzling light, and eighteen carved and painted golden pillars stand on both sides of the avenue. The space here is huge and luxuriously decorated.
This is the Grand Kremlin, and it is the identity of the Kremlin. It was destroyed by war in the 181 War. The newly built palace was built with all the luxury for the Tsar.
In that plane, Yang Mingzhi had only seen the interior of the palace from TV. Everything was like a dream, and he never imagined that one day he would become a guest of the palace.
Stalin led the way in high spirits, and Yang Mingzhi also held up his chest and held his wife's arm. Behind them were more than a dozen Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel wearing simple uniforms.
Compared to the prosperity of the palace, everyone who comes here is dressed simply. Times have really changed.
It was originally a palace of nobles, but now it has become a palace of the people. This evening, Yang Mingzhi will accept Stalin's banquet at the highest level.
A large painted oak table was placed in the gilded room. The glass window facing Red Square and the Moskva River was slightly opened, and the comfortable autumn breeze gently poured into the room.
Stalin sat in the host's seat wearing simple casual clothes tailor-made for him. Yang Mingzhi, who was wearing military uniform, and Star Tao, who was wearing the uniform of the Soviet Communist Youth League, sat on his right side.
"Please wait a moment, the delicious food will be served soon." Stalin said with a smile, while glancing at the weak star fruit.
"General Belikov, it seems your wife is really hungry?"
"She...is okay." Yang Mingzhi smiled awkwardly.
He knew very well how his wife felt. The girl visited most of the palace throughout the afternoon, and the meat she ate for lunch must have been completely digested. What's more, she was still pregnant, and her small body had to cope with it.
Consumption for two people.
But Yang Tao couldn't save his face: "Dear Comrade Leader, I...I'm fine."
"No! I think your situation is not good." Stalin pretended to be angry, "I ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to entertain you well. It seems that Comrade Beria did not do a good job in this regard."
"That's not the case." Yang Mingzhi said quickly, "He prepared a sumptuous meal for us! There was endless bread and a roasted suckling pig. My wife ate a lot of meat, and I even kissed her.
I saw Comrade Speroskina, the heroic sniper, chewing off a whole pig leg."
"Oh? It seems that girls are very good at eating?!"
"Yes, we ate light meals in the swamps, and when we came to Moscow we had a sumptuous meal. I think the enemy must have thought that the Soviet Union was so short of supplies that they couldn't even afford bread. That's obviously not the case.
Sample."
Stalin did not answer immediately. He remained calm and composed, and then lit a cigar for himself.
General Berekov's words were ironic. Stalin knew very well what kind of life the common people in the Soviet Union were living now. The lives of state-owned factory workers in the city were pretty good, while those in the ground
The collective farm members in Fang Shang really had no choice but to make a living by chewing potatoes. Catching a prairie dog and catching a fish would improve their lives.
But the living standards of officials everywhere are still relatively high, especially those in the Ministry of Internal Affairs!
However, the problem of eating is just a small problem. Stalin thought this was a minor problem. No matter how greedy a person is, how much can he eat? Besides, senior personnel should eat well, and middle-level personnel should eat less.
This is also a means to stimulate subordinates to work hard and be promoted.
Stalin took a few puffs of cigarette and said: "Comrade Beria is a glutton. I wonder if you are also a glutton, Comrade Berekov?"
"I... my stomach is very limited, and I can eat easily. In my opinion, people should not be full. Only in a half-full state, whether working or studying, the efficiency is the highest."
After saying this, Yang Mingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. He really didn't know what Stalin meant by what he suddenly said after hesitating for a while.
Anyway, this bearded man is cunning and scheming, and the amiable and affectionate behavior he is showing now can be understood as a disguise. After all, he acquiesces that there is something in his words, so he answers cleverly.
is the wisest.
Yes, there is something in Stalin's words. He used "greedy" to describe Beria. Although Beria was greedy, he was indeed a very efficient work machine. If it was because of
If this person is removed from office because of his corruption, the work efficiency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will plummet catastrophically, and it will be a disaster for the Patriotic War.
In fact, Stalin tacitly allowed his subordinates to be greedy, and gave them some special bonuses or special allowances in various names, thereby strengthening his control over his subordinates. But it is also possible to be too greedy.
This is not possible, because the Council of Ministers and the Defense Committee are not monolithic. Many senior personnel are allies of Stalin, and they collectively lead the development of the Soviet Union.
"A fat pig that cannot be fed enough" should be eliminated at the appropriate time, even if this person is Stalin's confidant.
"Very good, Comrade Belekov. As a pregnant woman, your wife should eat more. Tomorrow I will meet Comrade Speroskina. Her situation is even more special. I know that you are among the many refugees.
Having discovered this hero who will write legends in the future, just like you, the country will also give her a high bonus and make up for the arrears of allowances."
"I thank you on her behalf! Comrade Leader."
Stalin Yaoyao held a cigar in her hand: "I want to thank you. You don't know, but now the propaganda against Comrade Speroskina has begun. What should you know about Comrade Pavlyuchenko?
"
"I know that the legendary female sniper is Natasha's role model."
"Natasha?"
"Ah, that's Comrade Speroskina's name."
"A beautiful name. Now let me tell you, Pavlyuchenko is visiting the United States on behalf of the Soviet Union. At this point, we must shape a new Pavlyuchenko. Obviously, Nata
Sha, this poor child suffered the most misfortune, and she has the highest record. She will become a benchmark for the members of the Communist Youth League of the entire Soviet Union. Of course, you also played a strong role in her success."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"I'm telling the truth. Anyone who makes outstanding contributions to the Great Alliance will be richly rewarded, especially during the war. I look forward to meeting her tomorrow."
"She is also looking forward to meeting you, Comrade Stalin." Since the words are here, Yang Mingzhi might as well tell Stalin about the girl's thoughts, "Comrade Speroskina has a
She has some dreams, she hopes to study in a military academy or go to university for further studies."
"Her dream will become a reality."
"She is also very concerned about her younger brother, a boy who is not yet nine years old. That is her only relative."
"This is easy to handle. I will find the best guardian for these siblings, so you don't have to worry about anything."
"Here...I have a suggestion."
Before the food was served, Stalin was in a good mood. Yang Mingzhi expressed his most hopeful thoughts: "I would like to make an outstanding request to you. I hope to become the guardian of that boy."
"What?" Stalin was a little confused, "You mean, you plan to be the stepfather of Comrade Speroskina's brother?"
"That's pretty much what it means. To be honest, I personally saved their siblings. In the following year, I discovered that the boy was a malleable person. That boy should not live in this world.
Under the brilliance of my sister, I plan to train him personally, and in more than ten years, he will become a talented person."
Stalin hesitated again and continued to take a sip of his cigar: "This matter can be implemented, but the procedure is a bit cumbersome. Since you only plan to be the boy's teacher, why do you have to obtain custody?"
Since you will be a father in a few months, why worry about having another stepson?"
"If you object, I have nothing to say."
"The child is not yet nine years old, and he still needs to learn a lot of cultural knowledge. According to the plan we have formulated, you will soon go to the factory in the rear to organize the development of new weapons. How do you find time to take care of it?
Child. Besides, if he is really talented, it would be most appropriate for him to become your student directly after he graduates from the tenth grade!"
"You're still right."
Yang Mingzhi answered very decisively. The next step was to think about it. Stalin’s words were not wrong. Besides, Natasha and Kostya were both free. As citizens of the Soviet Union, they had to obey
National arrangements are also obligations.
At this moment, the long-awaited meal finally began to be served.
The plainly dressed female staff came pushing the fragrant dining cart. Yang Mingzhi noticed that the largest dining cart had the largest silver plate, which was covered with a silver cover.
The smell of human beings is unmistakably roasted lamb.
Suddenly, a feeling of tightness in the front and tightness in the back came to Yang Mingzhi's mind.
It's really ironic. Stalin accused Beria of being gluttonous in every sense of the word. This huge silver platter with an unknown amount of roast lamb was served to the table. Aren't we all gluttons?!
When the service staff opened the lid, there was indeed a roasted lamb inside.
"Haha, Comrade Berekov, I am a Georgian, and today I would like to invite you, a Chinese, to try my favorite Georgian meal. Comrade Beria provided you with roasted suckling pig. It seems that my
The banquet needs to be upgraded to a higher level, but luckily I had the foresight. What do you think?"
"Ah! It's roasted lamb. I really like it. To be honest, we Chinese also love eating lamb very much."
Stalin could not feel a trace of flattery. Looking at the face of this oriental-faced general, it was full of strong enthusiasm for eating.
Compared with the Moscow region, the Georgia and Southern Russia regions far to the south of the Union prefer to play tricks when it comes to eating.
Stalin was still accustomed to Georgian cuisine, so the Soviet state banquets of this era were filled with Georgian dishes. As for the Khrushchev era, in addition to the Ukrainian steppe style,
It’s corn in a variety of ways.
Roast lamb is a tough dish, and besides this time there are also a variety of Georgian dishes.
Beef Soup, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Azar Khachapuri (cheese bread), Georgian Maize Steak, and Lettuce and Onion Salad.
The staple food is brown bread flavored with oak tree chips, which is loved by people across the alliance.
Wine is also loved by people across the union, and the Caucasus region represented by Georgia produces the best wine in the Soviet Union. But Yang Mingzhi is already very familiar with the wine on the table, labeled Gio
Yang Mingzhi noticed a difference in the details of the label of Er brand red wine. Because the red wine airdropped to the swamp was marked "Specially supplied by the Ministry of Internal Affairs", this red wine said "Exclusively supplied by the Kremlin".
Apparently this was the best red wine in the Soviet Union.
Facing these dishes, Yang Mingzhi can see from a Chinese perspective that this is a sumptuous dinner, and it can be described as big fish and meat.
Life in the swamp is harsh, and the main source of fat intake comes from airdrops or captured canned meat, or boiled fish oil.
The meal-sharing system is popular in the West. When the staff finished distributing the dishes, what was placed in front of Yang Mingzhi was still very rich.
Can just three people finish a small roast lamb? The answer is no.
Of course, Yang Mingzhi also seriously underestimated Stalin's appetite. This man with an iron will was also a rough guy.
Stalin ate a leg of lamb and wiped off the grease from the corner of his mouth before wiping off two slices of bread. Only when it came to drinking, the son of a Georgian shoemaker pretended to be elegant in front of the tall man.
Hold the glass and sip it gently.
Yang Mingzhi didn't say anything either. He really knew that Westerners were more taboo about talking while eating, unless everyone had almost eaten.
Stalin drank half a bottle of red wine, and taking advantage of his excitement, he couldn't help stroking the bottle and talking about the current war situation.
"Now, the Germans are approaching the Caucasus Mountains. They have climbed over the mountains and reached my hometown. The people of Georgia, the people of Azerbaijan, and the people of southern Russia will fight to the death!"
"We will achieve great victory, Comrade Stalin."
"Of course, if we fail, the most wonderful red wine will no longer be available, and we must fight to protect it."
Stalin has not visited Georgia for a long time, and now that the war situation is at a stalemate, he cannot leave Moscow. No matter how remote Georgia is, she is his beautiful hometown.
Looking at the bottle of red wine, Stalin was moved by the scene and couldn't help humming the cheerful song "Georgia".
The leader of the Soviet Union was also a human being. It was reasonable to hum a song. But for Yang Mingzhi, why was this tune so familiar?
Suddenly, Yang Mingzhi suddenly remembered that in that dimension, he had watched a TV series by Mao Zi, which included an episode of this song.
"It's a Lezkin dance! It's called Georgian."
Yang Mingzhi puffed up his chest, and his words shocked Stalin.
"Comrade Berekov, do you know this?"
"Of course, the famous Georgian dance music!"
"You actually know this?!" Stalin had already widened his bright eyes with surprise on his face.
"This..." Yang Mingzhi shivered and lied: "Our troops in the swamp are composed of all kinds of people, including many Georgians. Life in the swamp is boring, and the sound is...
Music and dancing are excellent forms of entertainment.”
In Moscow, there was no Georgian around Stalin, and Belekov was not Georgian, but this man at least knew something about Georgia.
He raised his glass: "Dear Peter Ivanovich, we drank this glass of wine. I wish us success in winning the Battle of Stalingrad."
"I hope we can win this war faster." (To be continued)