War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1047 A decent dinner should have a decent meal song
On the afternoon when Matvey left, Wei Ran, after obtaining Mrs. Via's permission, first disemboweled the headless pike that Lydia had brought back, and melted the frozen fish internal organs with warm water. After cleaning it carefully, I threw it all into the enamel pot on the stove, and then took a single photo of each of the older children who joined yesterday.

There is broth to drink, new hats to wear, chocolate to eat, animal shows and even a chance to take photos to prove that they have at least existed. These older children brought back by Wei Ran soon have a sense of belonging here .

Not only that, this night, in addition to the bread that Lydia brought back, all the children also had some fresh diced fish and minced meat in their enamel cups.

As for the main part of the pike, it was naturally re-watered and iced, and hung on the wall of the next room.

In the warm basement, Wei Ran, who had had dinner, was nestled in the corner of the wall, absently playing with the luxury lighter that Matvey gave him in return. After he refilled the kerosene, the lighter was ready to be re-ignited.

Compared to the flames he ignited again and again, Ke Na, who was leaning against the wall next to him, also asked repeatedly, "So the day after tomorrow."

"To catch mice the day after tomorrow," Wei Ran put away the lighter and responded again.

"Is it necessary to go so far to catch mice?"

Ke Na looked at Wei Ran suspiciously. It is a few kilometers away from the zoo. It would not be far if the tram transportation system was still in operation.

But now, if this distance is walked on foot, with the physical strength of the residents of Leningrad, it is not a surprise even if they die halfway.

"I can't catch it near here," Wei Ran spread his hands, "so we can only go further afield."

"In this case, I will go with you the day after tomorrow." Ke Na said immediately, "You go catch mice, and I will go find firewood."

"no problem"

Wei Ran did not refuse this time as before, "The firewood in the next room is only enough to burn for two days at most, if you are willing to take the risk of spending a day to gamble with me, you will be able to find firewood, then go together gone."

"You're playing tricks," Ke Na muttered dissatisfiedly.

"Go to bed early while you're not hungry." Wei Ran said, wrapping the dirty woolen blanket tightly around his body.

"Last question." Ke Na looked at Wei Ran unwillingly.

"what is the problem?"

"those chocolates"

"It was found on a German pilot." Wei Ran yawned deliberately, "Okay, I'm going to sleep, good night, Kona."

After finishing speaking, he didn't care what the curious girl said, so he simply closed his eyes.

After another night of extreme hunger, Wei Ran was woken up early by the sound of gunfire, wrapped his clothes and blankets tightly, and left the room alone to check the three mouse traps he had set up yesterday.

Both expected and unexpected, the three mouse traps still did not catch any mice at all.

Not only that, the low temperature and the beautiful goose feather snow on the top of the day also exceeded his expectations.Let alone people in this weather, even mice would probably hide in their dens and would not come out.

Wrapped tightly in the blanket, Wei Ran, who had nothing to gain, returned to the warm basement, lightly adding a few logs of firewood to the stove in the center of the room.

While he was busy here, Lydia had already wobbled up.

"It's very cold outside today," Wei Ran reminded, "If you go out to work, you'd better wear more."

"Thank you"

Lydia thanked feebly, and helped Wei Ran prepare the most important breakfast for the children - broth.

"Eat this." Wei Ran handed a piece of chocolate to Lydia while speaking.

"No"

"Everyone has it, especially if you still need a job." Wei Ran said, and put this piece of chocolate to Lydia's mouth.

But this time, she was unwilling to open her mouth.

Seeing this, Wei Ran shook his head helplessly, and threw the piece of chocolate directly into his mouth, followed by stuffing a small piece of chocolate wrapped in paper into the opponent's pocket.

Ignoring Lydia who tried to refuse, Wei Ran continued to work, filling the cups for each child with broth.By the way, a piece of chocolate was stuffed into each child's mouth.

After a simple breakfast, Lydia went out to work as usual. Wei Ran and Kona also stared at Mrs. Via after eating the chocolates given to her, and then went out with several older children headed by Alexander. Find vital firewood.

"It's so damn cold"

Cona shrank her body and muttered weakly, and by the way, swallowed the chocolate that had just melted in her mouth into her stomach.

"Firewood is becoming more and more difficult to find. Does anyone of you know where to find firewood?"

Wei Ran followed with a sigh. I don’t know how many people will be frozen to death in such a ghostly weather, but this kind of ghostly weather also makes the ice layer of Lake Ladoga stronger, allowing the road of life to be transported in More provisions.

But at this time, none of the girls and children wandering the streets under heavy snowfall could answer Wei Ran's inquiry.

"We still need more cotton coats and blankets." Kona put forward a new demand. "The weather is too cold, and I suspect it may be even colder tomorrow."

"Try to look for it." Wei Ran sighed, and randomly walked into a snow-covered ruin.

On this snowy day, Wei Ran and Ke Na took a few older children to search the city for four or five hours, but the only thing they found was a few pieces dug out of the river to provide drinking water It's just ice.

Although there is no decent harvest today, Wei Ran is not idle. In order to keep warm and resist the low temperature of minus [-] to [-] degrees, he not only made some mud balls with plant ash and mud that can be seen everywhere. The air leakage gap on the edge of the door frame was covered, and the wooden beams found before were moved into the room. With the help of those children, they sawed them into small pieces suitable for burning, and neatly stacked them against the wall.

As the evening approached, Lydia returned to the basement on time, and brought back the corresponding weight of black bread for everyone, as well as a quarter of the infusion bottle of milk for the baby Galina.

"There is good news!"

After Lydia waited for Mrs. Via to put away the food, she put an extra sack on the ground, "Because of the low temperature last night and the blizzard all day today, the German planes were not dispatched, and the people on Lake Ladoga The ice is also stronger, so today not only is the supply of milk increased, but most importantly—”

Speaking of this, Lydia finally opened the sack on the ground, pointed to the things inside and said happily, "Every family can get some coal. Because there are so many children here, Comrade Comrade Comrade Comrade specially provided coal for us. A full 20 kilograms of coking coal was rationed!"

"so much?!"

Ke Na's eyes immediately brightened. With these vital coals, at least tonight or even tomorrow night, there is no need to worry that the children will freeze or even freeze to death.

"there's something else"

Lydia didn't open her canvas satchel until this time, and then took out two potatoes the size of an adult's fist, two onions almost the same size, and two carrots with soil remaining!

Putting these precious vegetables on the table, Lydia whispered before Mrs. Via could speak, "This is a gift from Captain Simon of the transport team to the children. He said that these things must be eaten before dawn tomorrow." Drop it, or you'll get him into trouble."

Hearing this, Mrs. Weiya, who originally wanted to say something, thought for a while and said, "In this case, let's make a vegetable soup and put all these ingredients in."

"Let the children drink up all the Tsarist-era broth in the pot first"

Wei Ran joked, "While they are eating soup, let's make a decent dinner with these precious vegetables."

Seeing the surrounding children and even the two girls looking at her expectantly, and seeing Wei Ran's hesitation to speak, Mrs. Weiya sighed and finally nodded.Seeing this, both the children and the two girls cheered.

While the two girls were distributing the seemingly endless broth in the enamel pot to the children, Mrs. Via also winked at Wei Ran, and the two left the room one after the other, holding candles The lamp went to the locked next door.

"What did you want to say just now?" Mrs. Weiya closed the door, looked at Wei Ran with a candle lamp and asked.

"Tomorrow Comrade Matvey and I will go to the front to find horse meat"

Wei Ran said truthfully, "I will definitely bring back enough horse meat to fill the stomachs of the children, and at least some horse bones."

Mrs. Via opened her mouth, and finally took out a small TK pistol from her pocket and handed it to Wei Ran, "I know I should stop your adventurous behavior, but the children need food, and I, an old guy, can't help at all. Fuck you. So boy, take it, this is the pistol I was issued when I worked at the Soviet Bank, and it might help you."

"You should keep this pistol to protect the children."

While Wei Ran was speaking, he pretended to reach into his bosom, and when he pulled it out again, his left hand was already holding a Nagant revolver, "Look, I have the ability to protect myself, and you stay to protect me Good boys, that is the greatest help.

Of course, if you can, help me stop Ke Na, if she follows, she will become my burden. "

Hearing this, Mrs. Via sighed softly, put the pistol back into her pocket and said, "Don't worry, I will stop Ke Na."

“Let's go make dinner”

Wei Ran was the first to walk out of the room while he was speaking, and quickly ran back to the warm next door, took a small enamel cup, left the room again, and left the basement under Mrs. Weiya's suspicious gaze.

Climbing all the way up to the second floor, Wei Ran found a hidden room in the ruins, took out the pannier containing all kinds of kitchen utensils as quickly as possible, dug out half a cup of solidified fat from the bamboo tube full of meat oil, and put The remaining half of the cup was filled with crushed peanuts and sesame seeds for cooking camellia oleifera and golden yin rice. Then I put away the basket and returned to the basement with the small enamel cup.

She used various reasons to prevaricate the curious inquiries of the two semi-adult women. The addition of these seasonings also made Mrs. Via generous once in a while. Bread crumbs, and also cut half a dried fish and a small piece of pike tail, as if "this day is over" boldly.

But only Wei Ran knew that this old lady was actually worried about herself, that she would not have the strength to come back alive, so she wanted to let him eat as well as possible before leaving.

Soon, as the fat in the enamel pot melted, an alluring aroma filled the not-so-big room, and the children unconsciously twitched their noses and swallowed their saliva.

With a soft sound of "呲啦", the two chopped onions were thrown into the pot, and soon, they were fried into transparent particles by the fragrant meat oil.

Under Mrs. Via's own hands, the chopped pike tail was thrown in first, followed by the chopped carrots.

When the scalding hot water was poured into the pot, a large piece of oily oily flowers suddenly floated on the surface of the water.

These modern people have no appetite at all after watching the one-pot cooking, but at this time it is irresistible deliciousness, so even if it is far from the time when the pot is ready, the children can't help getting closer, and a few younger ones, She couldn't help drooling.

The lid was not closed on purpose, and Mrs. Via even gently fanned it with the spoon in her hand to make the tempting fragrance float more diligently and make the children's saliva flow more.

"It's been a long time since I smelled such a tempting fragrance"

Ke Na swallowed hard, turned to look at Lydia next to her, "Shall we sing a song?"

"What are you singing?" Lydia asked, resting her chin on her hands, staring at the enamel pot on the stove.

"Such a tempting fragrance, of course I have to sing a Leningrad meal song." Before she finished her sentence, Kona played a beautiful melody with the bayan in her hand.

"Children, who of you knows the Leningrad meal song?" Lydia, who was sitting on a small stool, straightened up and asked.

"I will!" A little girl raised her hand and said, "Ms. Yuri sang it for us."

"Then let's sing together!"

After Lydia finished speaking, she tapped the time with her hands and led the children to sing the battle meal song that was also born and sung in this besieged city:

beautiful holiday
Invite some good friends to have a happy party

prosperity for the motherland

for everyone's health

let's have a drink

(End of this chapter)