War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1046 Exchanging gifts, exchanging. Tragedy
In the not-so-big empty field at the entrance of the basement, the performance of Matvey and his little animals finally ended with cheerful music, and the surrounding children immediately responded with warm applause and laughter that was especially precious under the flames of war.

"Comrade Matvey" Wei Ran shook the camera in his hand, "Shall I take a photo with the children?"

"How about bringing my little actors together?" Before Matvey finished speaking, the children immediately cheered.

"It seems to be possible." Wei Ran teased deliberately, "You and your little actors have become the children's favorite people now."

"I like children the most," Matvey said, and whistled.

Upon receiving the signal, the little bear immediately stood up again, staggered up to Alexander, the head of the older child, and touched the other's face lightly with its wet nose, and waited until the boy couldn't help but giggled. When the sound came, the little bear hugged him gently, and buried his big furry head on the other's shoulder.

Almost subconsciously, Alexander also hugged the little bear, and at the same time said, "My God, it's so warm!"

Wei Ran just pressed the shutter on Alexander, and the macaw fluttered its wings and flew onto the shoulder of a little girl. While rubbing its head against the Budyonny hat on the little girl's head, it imitated the scene again. There was a farting sound.

Amidst the children's new round of laughter, the little monkey also jumped up and down in front of a little guy who was about the same height as it, and embraced him with its arms wide open.

Not surprisingly, this small interaction made Wei Ran press the shutter again and again, and those children who had had enough laughing also gathered around Matvey who was shrouded in the sun, or talked with the little ones. The monkey is holding hands, or holding hands with the little bear, or standing on the shoulder of the parrot, or hugging the dog who can only do arithmetic problems.

When Mrs. Via holding Galina, Ke Na holding the bayanqin, and Lydia with red eyes also found their positions, Wei Ran immediately used the viewfinder to surround these people covered by the warm sun. The person pressed the shutter lightly.

After taking the photo, after Matvey shook hands with Mrs. Via, Lydia, Kona and even the boys one by one, he said to Wei Ran, who finally held his hand together, "Today's performance Very successful, now I have to go back as soon as possible, otherwise there is no way to get back to the zoo before dark."

"Are you going back today?" Wei Ran asked in surprise.

"certainly"

Matvey said seriously while sending the little animals into the cage covered with canvas, "Victor, I can't stay here, not only there is no extra food for me, but there is no extra food for my little actor them.

Like I said before, I'm here to bring joy and hope to the children, not to take away their meager food and sweets. "

"There's one thing you can take with you"

As Wei Ran said, he reached out his hand and took out the lighter and cigarette case from the dead body of the German pilot before meeting Matvey, "You won't refuse this, will you?"

"Cigarettes?" Matvey's eyes lit up, "Where did you get the good stuff?"

"The location where I met you, there is a plane there."

As Wei Ran said, he had already stuffed the lighter and the cigarette case into the opponent's hand, "I found it on the dead body of the German pilot in that plane."

"Do you smoke?" Matvey asked, clutching the lighter and the cigarette case in his hand.

"Non-smoking." Wei Ran shook his head, "I can tell by looking at your teeth, you won't refuse this gift."

"No! Of course I won't refuse!"

Matvey said happily, "Victor, you are such a bastard. I have almost quit smoking, but you sent such a good baby in time!"

"You can smoke one right here"

Wei Ran pointed to the children who were surrounding the sledge cart and looking in through the air vents on the canvas cover, "It's just a good time for the children to say goodbye to their new friends."

"That's a good idea," said Matvey, who had already opened the metal cigarette case, took a cigarette out of it, and stuffed it into his mouth.

After beckoning him to find a corner of the wall that can be exposed to the sun and sit down, Matvey lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and exhaled a large mouthful of rich smoke comfortably, leaning against the wall in satisfaction and said, "It's really a nostalgic taste. Although it is worse than Moheyan, it is much stronger than birch leaves."

After finishing speaking, he took a second puff of the cigarette, then took out the photo from the cigarette case to look at it, pointed to the German officer in the photo and asked, "Is this the corpse?"

"Probably so," Wei Ran said indifferently.

Hearing this, Matvey didn't say anything, but lit the lighter he just got with the cigarette case again, lit the photo and threw it at his feet.

"These executioners deserve hell"

Matvey muttered to himself when the photo was burned out, and turned to take out a photo frame that was only the size of a palm from his arms.

"This is a group photo of me, my colleagues, and the animals in the zoo"

Matvey pointed to the people and various animals in the photo frame and said, "This was taken before World War II began. Many people in the photo have died, and many animals have died. Some of the ones that did not die were also sent to the hospital urgently." When we get to the rear, I don’t know if I will have the chance to see these cute little guys in the future.”

"There must be a chance," Wei Ran said subconsciously.

"hope so"

As Matvi said, he turned the small photo frame over, pointed to another photo fixed on the back and said, "Look, this is a photo of me and my wife, and the cute little guy in the middle is ours." Baby, she's also called Betty, the same name as the elephant in the zoo."

"they."

"died"

Matvey took another puff of his cigarette, tremblingly opened the small photo frame, took out the two photos, put them in the upper and lower lids of the cigarette case, and used the few remaining cigarettes It was pressed against the metal clip, and then the metal cigarette case was closed with a "click".

“My wife is also an employee at the zoo”

Matvey leaned against the ruins and closed his eyes, muttering to himself, "In September, those damn Germans bombed the zoo, my wife, and my daughter Betty, she is 9 years old, They are all dead.

Those damn Germans, what are they bombing the zoo for?It is impossible for those small animals to go to the battlefield with a gun. "

"If they can figure it out."

Wei Ran looked at Matvey who covered his eyes with his hands but couldn't hold back his tears, and looked at the man who was smiling softly and singing loudly just now, but now he was crying bitterly, finally he just sighed softly, He patted the other person's shoulder lightly, and stood up slowly while leaning on the wall alone.

Waiting patiently until the dizziness and dark eyes caused by hypoglycemia disappeared, Wei Ran was about to leave some space for Matwei to be alone, but was stopped by the other party.

"Wait a moment"

Matvey rubbed his face vigorously, took a deep puff of the cigarette, then took out something from his pocket and threw it to Wei Ran.

Subconsciously took the things thrown by the other party, Wei Ran found that it was also a 4700 lighter, but, just like the cigarette case he gave to Matvey, this lighter was extraordinarily luxurious, not only the material was like It is made of silver, and there is a circle of Arabic arabesques embossed on it. Even the windshield is made of a pure gold Luftwaffe mission buckle.

Needless to ask, it must have come from the pilots of the German army.

As for why these Junker flies flying around in the sky have the leisure to take these precious gadgets to the sky, the reason is that after being shot down or forced to land on the ground, they can be used as hard currency to bribe the people who found them and help them Run away or hide.

Of course, at least during World War II, the only official support for such behavior seemed to be the United States.In Germany, most of the Air Force Junker nobles secretly prepared them in various names in private.

"You also got it from a German pilot?" Wei Ran asked as he weighed the lighter in his hand.

"Picked up by a child"

Matvey took another drag on his cigarette and said, "He traded two mice for this, the little guy was starving, but he insisted on giving me something, even though the lighter didn't work at all. "

"The kid is here"

"died"

Matvey sighed, and said in the smog, "When I brought the two caught mice to him the next day, the place where he lived was blown down."

Opening his mouth, Wei Ran silently put away the lighter "entrusted" to him by the other party.

After smoking a cigarette, Matvey put the crushed cigarette butt back into the cigarette case Wei Ran gave him, stood up unsteadily and said, "I haven't smoked for a long time, I'm a little dizzy."

"Take it easy first." Wei Ran pointed to the sledge still surrounded by children, "I'll help you pull it up."

"Let's go together"

Matvey shook his head, put on a happy, sunny and enthusiastic smile, strode towards the children, and shook hands with them again as a farewell.And Kona even gave Matvey a certain dark blue Budyonny hat as a gift.

Putting on this dark blue Budyonny hat, and making a solemn agreement with the children to go to the zoo in the spring to give them another performance, Matvey and Wei Ran dragged the sledge tied to the sledge. Pulling the rope, he climbed up the cracked steps to the first floor with difficulty.

"Is there really no need to rest before leaving?" Wei Ran asked again.

"no need"

Matvey waved his hand, "The morning after tomorrow, Victor, remember to go to the crossroads at the gate of the zoo. I will wait for you there until the sun rises."

"See you the day after tomorrow" Wei Ran also waved his hand in response.

Watching Matwei pull his little actors away, Wei Ran patted the camera hanging on his chest, and said to Ke Na, who was standing beside him, who hesitated to speak, "Okay, let's take advantage of the sunshine Just in time, it's time to take a photo of Alexander and the others."

(End of this chapter)