War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1078

As night fell, the autumn rain that enveloped the abandoned lumberyard finally stopped as if it was still unfinished after taking away the little warmth left.

But in the tent under the birch tree, a warm kerosene lamp was hung on the hook on the top of the tent pole and on the handle of the airdrop box.

And the crackling firewood burning fire continued to release the temperature while patiently heating the enamel kettle with hawthorn leaf tea.

On the folding bed covered with bearskin by the stove, Wei Ran, who was full of food, entered an extremely warm dreamland where braised pork was everywhere.

Folding the door of the tent beside the bed, the dog Belia lay on a canvas blanket prepared for him, staring at the forest covered by night outside the tent, and occasionally yawning with his mouth wide open.

While this person and dog came out to let themselves go, Sui Sui brought her twin assistants, Sui Xin and Lola who came to help, and was still busy working overtime in the office on the second floor of the library.

And on the island in the middle of the Neva River, which is thousands of kilometers apart, huge black and white photos were placed in various parts of the exhibition hall under the busyness of Dalia and Ivan's family, almost In a ruthless way, the horror and sadness of the siege battle more than half a century ago were undisguised.

And in the exhibition hall next door, the changing group photos next to each other silently tell about the things that release light in the abyss-like darkness.

After hanging the color photo of the elderly Galina and Mr. Zurab under the apple tree in the last position, Olga inevitably asked a little nervously, "Aunt Daria, we really want to hold a photo exhibition ?"

"It's a music photography exhibition." Olena couldn't help stretching her body while correcting it.

"Olena is right." Daria said with a smile while hugging Olena, "This is a music photography exhibition."

"Okay, music photography exhibition." Olga also couldn't help stretching, "I will rehearse those songs as soon as possible."

"How's your preparation going?" Dalia turned to look at the girl who was holding her shoulders.

"It's already started." Olena promised confidently, "I'm sure I can finish those two sculptures."

It is still this time, and Osinovitz, Galina and Zurab, who are not too far away from Lidalia and others, are also like Wei Ran, guarding a nearly identical cast iron stove, listening to the sound on the table. One after another, they chatted about today's harvest, tomorrow's weather, the coming winter, and next spring, what to plant in the yard.

On the wooden wall where the two old men are next to each other, there is also a huge photo that represents the end of World War II and the victory over Natsu.

On the small table between the two old men, besides the radio produced in the Soviet era, there is also the largest photo album of the Time Library.

At noon today, a very polite and respectful young man came to the door to add photos that his family had kept for more than half a century, as well as more old photos that were not in their album.

"Look, there are still people who remember my brothers and sisters."

Galina pointed to the Russian names listed under a group photo, and read them one by one, "Comrade Via, a retired accountant of the Soviet Bank, Comrade Matvey, a keeper of the Leningrad Zoo, and Lily, a teller of the Soviet Bank. Comrade Dia, Comrade Kona of the Leningrad Conservatory, this is my mother, this little fellow, he calls them comrades."

"It's been a long time since I've heard that name"

Grandpa Zurab put on his reading glasses and continued to read the Russian list on the photo album and the notes on each name, "Alexander, I guess he is a king of children. Alyosha, he must be Alexander's best friend."

"He guessed right." Galina wiped the corners of her eyes and nodded with a smile.

"Sasha, she."

"Lecia, she must be a gentle and strong girl."

Also in another wooden house in Osinovec, Anastasia, who wears reading glasses on her face, is also holding a huge photo album that is exactly the same, sitting in a wheelchair, guarding the same style, except that there is no airdrop The cast-iron stove of the box, thinking with a deep smile of the list and the suffix on the same page.

The old lady nodded approvingly, and couldn't help but look at the fire beside her, "Laixia is indeed a gentle and strong girl, I still have an impression of her. She, relying on this stove, brings With 6 younger siblings, he persisted until brother Alexander brought them back."

Opposite the old lady, an old man over half a century old, a woman with gray hair, and a little girl who was only four or five years old listened carefully. From time to time, the little girl would ask some questions about their childhood. Questions that seem to have been asked.

"So Great Grandma"

The little girl raised her neck and asked, "Were you afraid at that time? Would you cry if you couldn't eat enough?"

"Not afraid"

Anastasia closed the album, let the little girl nimbly climb onto her lap, hugged her and said gently but firmly, "We were only as old as you at that time, and we would cry too. But we were never afraid.

Good boy, hunger and cold cannot hit us, and we have never been afraid of hunger and cold. "

"I'm not afraid either!"

The little girl clenched her white and tender fists tightly, but her big flickering eyes were full of determination.

In the blink of an eye, it was the next morning. Before the early morning mist dissipated, Wei Ran, who was revived with blood, watched over the stove that burned all night and cooked a pot of rice porridge to fill his stomach. Then he packed up all his things and took the dog with him Zizi drove to the direction of the city again.

However, before he could drive the car to the shore of Kaban Lake, Anfeya called.

"What's the matter?" Wei Ran slowed down the speed of the car a little, and then turned on the question-free.

"Boss, remember that lucky Luke? The Australian who pitched a tent in front of his house."

"Remember, he sent a message?" Wei Ran asked curiously.

"No, he's missing." Anfeya gave a surprising answer.

"What did you just say? He's missing?" Wei Ran stepped on the brakes while speaking, and slowly stopped the car on the side of the road.

The weird guy who said he would sell him a photo album has never been in touch since he left, which is no different from disappearing.

But there is a problem if Anfeiya can take the initiative to call and explain that he is missing.

"A piece of news I saw last night"

Anfeya explained, "The general content is that an Australian guide and several Japanese tourists encountered a flash flood while hiking in the tropical rainforest of Papua New Guinea. At present, the guide and several tourists have all been confirmed dead."

After a short pause, Anfeya continued, "I saw a photo of the hiking guide on the news, and I'm sure he is Luke who came to the door."

"Where are you now?" Wei Ran asked directly.

“I was buying breakfast”

"I'll be waiting for you by the lake." Wei Ran said, hung up the phone and stepped on the accelerator again.

The car was driven all the way to the shore of Kaban Lake at lightning speed, and within 2 minutes, an armored commercial vehicle also stopped behind the pickup, followed by Anfei Ya, who was holding a tablet computer, got into Wei Ran's co-pilot .

"The girls from Hella and I have been following the news about Zhaohe recently"

An Feiya closed the car door, handed the tablet to Wei Ran and explained, "This news appeared two days ago. According to the information disclosed so far, lucky Luke is from Papua New Guinea, and his official I am a sailor by profession, and I usually work on passenger ships traveling between Papua New Guinea and the northern port of Australia, and part-time as a rainforest hiking guide in the rest of the time."

"So he's an unlicensed wild tour guide?" Wei Ran muttered subconsciously.

"maybe"

An Feiya pointed to the tablet in Wei Ran's hand, "Currently the local authorities are looking for Luke's family members through the media, but it seems that the progress is not satisfactory. In addition, last night I hacked into the network of the local police station and found Luke's autopsy results."

Seeing this, Wei Ran looked at the tablet in his hand. The photo on it was very clear, clear enough for him to recognize that the young man whose body was mostly buried in the mud was the lucky one who came to the door. Luke.

Continue to swipe backwards, and in the second picture, there is a screenshot of the autopsy results in English and an additional Russian translation.

"Died by shooting?" Wei Ran frowned, "What do you want to say?"

"I have nothing to say"

An Feiya took the tablet in Wei Ran's hand, "My sister and I just guessed that he lost contact after seeing us, and then took some Japanese tourists to hike, maybe he was looking for other people who can Buyer who pays more."

"Then those Japanese buyers chose to pay by killing him?" Wei Ran frowned, "What secrets are there in that album that is worth killing?"

"I'm curious too"

An Feiya spread her hands, "If there is any secret in that album, it may be helpful to our next plan. Even if there is no secret, we can let the old photos in it participate in the photography exhibition proposed by Sister Aurora .”

"So we're going to Papua New Guinea?"

"Sorry, it's you, not us."

An Feiya had already opened the car door while speaking, "We will be busy targeting the Beiwei family for a while, and Sister Aurora has a lot of work here, so my sister and I probably don't have time to go with you. All we can do is provide remote assistance, but you can try to ask Ms. Jia Ya, whom you met in the Monkey Country last time, she might be able to help you.”

Watching the girl in the rearview mirror get into the armored commercial vehicle behind and drive away, Wei Ran waited for a while until the taillights of the car could not be seen, then slowly stepped on the accelerator and drove home direction.

(End of this chapter)