War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1298 The kindness of friends

In the busy work of many villagers and Wei Ran, an outsider, the fire that ignited two wooden houses was finally extinguished. These villagers also carried all four or five villagers injured in the second round of explosions to the roadside.

At this moment, a truck with a red cross on it and a van also with a red cross opened about a hundred meters apart and drove into the village. They stopped with a creak and were extinguished. next to the fire scene.

With a "crash", the door of the van was opened from the inside. A female doctor wearing a camouflage uniform, an unbuttoned white coat, and a steel helmet on her head was the first to get out. come out.

Immediately afterwards, four more girls dressed similarly and two men who looked to be in their 30s came out, carrying RPG launchers and tool boxes respectively.

"Is anyone hurt?"

The female doctor who came out first shouted with a small tweeter hanging on her waist, "Where are the wounded!"

"Marta is here! Come here quickly! Several people are injured!"

Someone in the crowd shouted in surprise, and the villagers who had just been putting out the fire also made a way to let out the wounded.

Upon seeing this, Wei Ran, who was about to take out the medical kit, looked at the female doctor who ran over quickly, quietly withdrew from the crowd, and slipped into Mr. Kudlik's house.Fortunately, the old man was not injured.

“The kids are fine”

Wei Ran sat next to him on the red brick steps, took out the cigarette case and handed it to him, "Would you like one?"

“This couldn’t be better”

Kudlik took the cigarette case with a smile, took one out and held it in his mouth, letting Wei Yan use a lighter to light the cigarette for him.

"I haven't bought cigarettes in a long time"

Kudlik puffed out, "The life here is so difficult. The money you spend to buy a pack of cigarettes is enough to buy bread for me and my children for a whole day."

Hearing this, Wei Ran also lit a cigarette and held it in his mouth. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Mr. Kudlik, do you often suffer such attacks here?"

Mr. Kudlik sighed, "There has been fighting on the front line recently. Those bastards will randomly attack surrounding villages to draw the attention of the front line. By the way, they also want to see which village hides their enemies or prepares to supply supplies to the front line. .”

"Are you really not considering moving the children to a relatively safe place?" Wei Yan asked again in the swirling smoke.

Glancing warily at Wei Ran, who was shrouded in darkness in the light of his cell phone's flashlight, the old man finally shook his head, "No, life here is difficult, but we can still survive."

"All right"

Wei Ran wisely suppressed his good intentions. He had already seen from the old man's vigilance at that moment that he did not believe in himself, and he indeed had no reason to believe in himself.

So what is the old man guarding against?Almost subconsciously, he thought of those two children.

This old man doesn't think of himself as a human trafficker anymore, does he?

Wei Ran reacted belatedly, but soon, he sighed secretly. In troubled times, human lives are like nothing, so it is understandable that this old man is so vigilant.

For him, it no longer matters how his father was alive. How to protect the two children from growing up relatively safe is the top priority for him.

Although this place is close to the battlefield, with the help of the surrounding villagers, no matter how difficult it is, you can always survive.

I want this old man to put down his guard against Wei Ran, a stranger who suddenly appears, and hand over the fate of himself and his children to such a young man who may be temporarily blinded by love. How could this old man dare to bet on Wei Ran? Wouldn't he sell his child for money?
In the slightly awkward silence, the only communication between the old and the young was the flickering red light of the cigarette butts.

Almost as soon as Wei Ran finished smoking the cigarette, Piatov and his wife walked into the yard each carrying two rattan baskets.Behind the couple, there were also two little guys who made Mr. Kudlik particularly worried.

It wasn't until the old man carefully checked that the two children were okay that he breathed a sigh of relief and allowed Piatov's wife to lead the children away temporarily, and also allowed Wei Ran and Piatov to leave. He helped him to the table and sat down again.

Putting a rechargeable desk lamp he brought in the middle of the table, Piatov first took out a few side dishes, chopped ribs, and red cabbage soup in a thermos bucket from the basket, and then took it out of his arms. A bottle of vodka was opened and the three glasses brought along were filled.

"Dad, Victor, I'm just going to have a drink with you. I'm going to help Ivan's family later."

Piatov held the wine glass and said, "Although the fire in his house has been put out, there are still many unburned things in the house that have not been moved out."

"How is his family doing?"

Father Kudlik also picked up the cup and clinked it with the other party and asked, "If there is no place to live, I should still be able to accommodate some people here."

"It's just that the roof of the house was burned and some people were injured."

Piatov and Wei Ran also touched each other and drank down their drinks. They gritted their teeth and explained, "Those bastards are the same as before. They dropped incendiary bombs again. They insist on burning down all our villages and killing us all." You can’t drive them away.”

"Go and do your work, and please pay attention to your safety." After speaking, Mr. Kudlik sighed and drank all the wine in the glass.

"I'll ask you to take care of me, dad. I'll come back later." Pyatov asked after Wei Ran also drank the wine in the cup.

"Don't worry," Wei Ran responded solemnly.

Watching Piatov leave, Mr. Kudlik refilled Wei Ran's and his own cups with wine and said, "Young man, why don't you tell me about my father? Piatov said you are a very good man. Famous historian, how much do you know about my father?"

“Not too knowledgeable”

Wei Ran clinked glasses with the other party again, watching the cold light emitted by the small rechargeable desk lamp, drinking with the old man, while taking a look at the epoxy "artwork" that was found and the 12-star Anti-tank gun barrel begins.

He carefully talked about Mr. Alexander's commission, all his "investigation" findings, the forest he had been to, the two abandoned guerrilla camps in the forest, the graves of Commissar Vinya and others, and Those battle experiences he "surmised".

"So my father is still a fighting hero?" Kudlik picked up two pieces of sausage and threw them into his mouth, chewing them while asking with interest.

"Of course!"

Wei Ran replied matter-of-factly, "He is a well-deserved hero. The only regret is that he was not recorded in the file in the name of the frontline political commissar of the [-]nd Guards Cavalry Division, but was recorded as a guerrilla and was awarded Of medals and honors.”

"It's not a pity"

Kudlik poured another small glass of wine, "When I was as young as you, the worship of heroes was very pure, no matter where the hero came from. Army, police, guerrillas , and factories, those who receive honors will be loved and admired by everyone."

"You must have been a hero loved and admired by everyone at that time, right?"

Wei Ran asked while holding the wine glass, "I heard from Pyatov that you were once a coal miner who received the Order of Glory for Labor."

"I received the Second Class Labor Medal of Glory"

Mr. Kudlik seemed to be more than ten years younger and said proudly, "It was Comrade Minister of Mining who personally hung the medal on my chest at the commendation meeting in Donetsk. I was even published in the newspaper at that time. Woolen cloth."

As he spoke, the old man knocked on the wooden box and said, "I still have that newspaper. Young man, do you want to read it?"

"Of course!"

Wei Ran put down his cup and nodded. He could tell that this old man must be very lonely. In this village, which is close to the front line and lives in fear every day, probably no one would be in the mood to listen to the memories of such an old man. The ones he was most proud of.

After hearing this, Mr. Kudlik immediately put down his cup, took out the key again and opened the locked wooden box. After rummaging inside for a while, he took out a wooden photo frame, wiped it carefully with his sleeve and handed it to Wei Ran. .

This photo frame contains a newspaper folded into a quarter size. The front page headline is a report on commending labor templates on May Day. There is also a not very clear picture on it. photo.

"this is me"

Father Kudlik gently pointed to the young man on the right in the photo with the other end of his fork, and said brightly, "That was when I was 36 years old. In addition to the medal, the coal mine also rewarded me with a car. car."

"Is it the one outside?" Wei Ran pointed to the top of his head.

"right"

Kudlik nodded and said proudly, "He is a reliable old comrade. Last spring, little Joniya had appendicitis, and I drove her to the hospital in the city in that car."

"You are also a reliable old comrade," Wei Ran said with a smile.

"In your place, do you still use the title "comrade"?

Kudlik picked up the wine glass again, clinked it with Wei Ran first, and then the pistol on the table, "We rarely have people here calling others that way."

“Definitely still using it”

Wei Ran picked up the cup and touched the pistol as well, "In our place, in very formal occasions, that is a more cohesive and equal title than Mr. or Ms."

“It used to be the same here”

Kudlik put down his glass with emotion, "Donetsk was so prosperous in the past. The coal miners all competed to do the hardest and most tiring work, and they all wanted to be model workers.

But look at it now, ha!Everyone is busy fighting, but what is the difference between Russians and Ukrainians?Do Ukrainians have an extra pair of hands or do Russians have an extra leg? "

"Everyone is indeed the same." The person who said this was a female voice coming from the door, "but there are a lot of dirty things in Wu Ke's mind."

When Wei Ran turned around, he recognized at a glance that the person walking in from the outside was none other than Marta, who had been his translator for a few days during the recruitment process.

"Long time no see, Victor, let me call you Comrade Victor."

Marta had already walked to the table while she was talking, sat down next to Mr. Kudlik as if she were familiar with it, and then placed the blood pressure monitor she brought on the table and opened it.

Compared with last year when she was recruiting, this pretty girl was much more determined in both tone and temperament. At the same time, she also had a faint smell of gunpowder smoke brought from the front lines of the battlefield.

Wei Ran glanced at the TT33 pistol in the holster on the girl's waist and the medical kit he had just put down. Wei Ran took advantage of the other party to take Mr. Kudlik's blood pressure and replied, "It's been a long time indeed. Marta, are you really coming back here to be a field doctor?"

"Of course, I'm not joking." Marta asked while pressing the inflated leather cavity, "What about you? Why are you here too? When I received the call from Brother Piatov, I thought he You're kidding me."

"To help a certain girl prove that she is not lying and that she does know the historian." Wei Ran replied jokingly, and not surprisingly, the girl's face turned a lot red.

Marta glanced at the mercury column on the blood pressure meter and changed the topic to a less embarrassing topic, "Dad, you can't drink anymore. The injury on your leg hasn't healed yet."

“good good”

Mr. Kudlik agreed wholeheartedly, but without any delay he picked up the cup and drank down the wine he had just filled.

Seeing this, Marta rolled her eyes, put away the blood pressure monitor, took off the water bottle hanging from her waist, unscrewed the lid and used it as a wine glass, and poured herself a full glass of vodka.

"What are you doing here with us?"

Marta picked up the lid of the kettle and touched it with Wei Ran, "This place is too close to the front line, so it's not that safe."

Hearing this, Wei Ran glanced at Mr. Kudlik, who nodded kindly, "You don't have to hide anything from our little angel, and it seems that she did not lie and really knows you."

"Dad, you are making fun of me too."

Marta took a sip of wine in embarrassment, then picked up a piece of sliced ​​ham and threw it into her mouth to chew, trying to relieve the embarrassment she had just suppressed.

“I’m here because of work.”

As Wei Ran spoke, he reduced a considerable portion of the situation he had just explained and explained the key content again. By the way, he also mentioned that his attempt to help the Kudlik family move to a safer place was rejected. matter.

Unfortunately, this girl's focus was on something Wei Ran didn't expect, "Victor, you are so brave. You dare to come here just for this?"

"You dare to fight here, why don't I dare to come and take a look?" Wei Ran spread his hands as a matter of course.

"This is my home"

Marta naturally gave an irrefutable answer, then picked up the cup again and said very calmly, "Anyway, thank you for sending those things to dad, and thank you for helping me prove that we really know each other."

Wei Ran picked up the cup and clinked it with the other party. After drinking it in one gulp, he asked, "Dad, can I go to your yard with this beautiful girl to have a private chat?"

"sure"

Mr. Kudlik waved his hand in an easy-going manner, "Don't worry, I will keep it a secret. Also, don't blame me for not reminding you that our Marta has always been single. You must seize the opportunity."

Hearing this, Wei Ran and Marta each smiled, but they tacitly understood each other and did not explain anything to the old man. They just got up and left the basement one after another, walked out of the carport, and walked to the yard where they could see the stars when they looked up.

"Father Kudlik needs a different place to live"

After Wei Ran tried to give the other party a cigarette and was not rejected, he helped the other party light the cigarette and said, "Frankly speaking, in such an environment, both he and the two children are in danger at any time. .”

"He doesn't trust you"

Marta took a long drag on her cigarette and answered frankly, "And where can he move to? Donetsk? The only difference between there and here is that the cost of living is higher."

"Or a little further?" Wei Ran paused and said, "If you are willing to vouch for me and let him give me some trust."

"The most I can do is give it a try. After all, you and I don't actually know each other very well."

Marta said uncertainly, "Besides trust, this is our home. No one wants to leave their home, especially when it is being invaded."

Wei Ran was stunned when he heard this, and after a moment of silence he asked, "What about you? Do you need any help? Weapons, medicine, or anything like cash."

"What's this?" Marta suddenly smiled, "Pity?"

"Out of kindness as a friend," Wei Ran spread his hands, "It's rare that we can meet here again, so I don't mind helping you, if you think we are friends."

"Enough is enough"

Marta smiled and waved her hand, "The fact that you can risk your life at any time to send a story of a Soviet hero is enough to inspire us, just like the photo you found."

Hearing this, Wei Ran wisely did not continue on this topic and instead asked, "How is life as a field doctor?"

"At least it's not as easy as translating for you."

Marta leaned against the cracked wall, looked at the night sky above her head, and said in the clouds and mist, "But this is what I have always wanted to do, rescue those injured soldiers, and participate in battles when necessary. In my spare time, When I was young, I helped the surrounding residents, just like my parents did, doing everything they could."

"Is it hard?" Wei Ran asked with almost certainty.

Young Marta smiled and replied matter-of-factly, "It is indeed very hard, but someone has to do it, and someone has to drive away the invaders."

Wei Ran sighed, looked up at the night sky and said, "Someone once said almost the same thing as you just said."

"Really?" Marta smiled, took a puff of cigarette and guessed, "Is it also in Donetsk?"

"No"

Wei Ran shook his head, "They are also busy driving away the invaders, under the same starry sky."

"This is what I consider a historian," Marta said and suddenly laughed.

"What do you mean?" Wei Ran looked at the other party curiously.

"Speaking like lines in an opera," Marta took a puff of cigarette again and imitated Wei Ran and said, "under the same starry sky."

"Just think of it as revenge for teasing you just now." Wei Ran shook his head dumbfounded, "Do you come here often?"

"Some of the wounded on the front lines will be sent here for temporary resettlement."

When Marta said this, her tone became much more serious, "Victor, you should leave here as soon as possible. This place is too close to the front line, and there is a risk of crossfire or air raids at any time.

For a famous foreigner like you to get into trouble here is not only what the other party wants to see, but I'm afraid it's also what we here want to see. "

"You mean, someone wants to use a 'celebrity' like me to make some articles?" Wei Ran asked casually.

"Politicians and soldiers are different. If you die here alone, it will attract more international attention to us. For the other side, it will probably slander you as a warmonger."

Marta reminded her kindly, "Anyway, I will help you persuade her about daddy's matter. Victor, just treat it as a friend's well-intentioned suggestion. If you think we are friends, you'd better tonight Just get out of here.”

Hearing this, Wei Ran sighed secretly, "I understand, what about you? When will you leave?"

"If I hadn't come here to remind you, I would have left by now. The medical unit is also a priority target that has been attacked by the other side."

After finishing speaking, Marta threw the cigarette butt at her feet and crushed it, "Anyway, leave quickly. Maybe someone on the other side already knows that a big shot has come to this village."

"you mean"

"I did not say anything"

After Marta finished speaking, she walked towards the basement, "I'm leaving too, please leave with me."

"That's alright"

Wei Ran reluctantly agreed. His identity was indeed not suitable for being involved in such a battlefield. Even if the person who sent him here was Uncle Chabu with big ears who had no idea of ​​his origin, it would not be suitable, or even worse. suitable.

Following Marta, he walked into the basement and said goodbye to Mr. Kudlik. Wei Ran stuffed the two thick stacks of rubles he had prepared in advance into the shelves filled with homemade cans, and left with Marta in the night. This yard may be affected by war at any time.

"Did you drive this car?"

Marta couldn't help but froze after seeing Wei Ran's car, and even reached out to wipe the grapevine and sickle logo on the car door.

"What's wrong?" Wei Ran asked curiously.

"nothing"

Marta seemed to be slightly relieved, got into the van with a red cross on it that she was driving alone and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to the city. By the way, are you wearing a body armor?"

"I'm wearing it." Wei Ran patted the helmet on his head, "I'm even wearing the helmet."

"Never turn on your headlights, and keep at least 100 meters away from my car."

Marta said, and took out a head-mounted night vision device from her car and handed it to Wei Ran, "Use this, do you know how to use it?"

"I am a historian"

Wei Ran took the night vision goggles as a matter of course, as if a historian should know how to use night vision goggles.

Hearing this, Marta didn't say anything more. She just took out a magic headscarf from her pocket and handed it to Wei Ran to indicate for him to put it on. Then she got into her own car, stepped on the accelerator and started to drive. Out of the village.

The two cars pulled away, and Weiran, who put the dark green magic scarf around his neck, drove a borrowed off-road vehicle and hung it on the back of Marta's van, and drove there in the dark with the help of night vision goggles. Direction to Donetsk.

However, these two people were completely unaware that there was a small drone secretly following them more than 100 meters above their heads.

(End of this chapter)