War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1489 Will

On a rainy night, under the peeled pine trees, six people from Weiran sat around a bonfire steaming with white smoke. They hid under a simple tent built with torn blankets and stared blankly at the copper gourd placed on the bonfire. , and several enamel jars around the campfire for boiling water and drinking.

In addition to the rainwater, there were also several green pine needles and fir leaves floating in the enamel jar. Although the taste of boiled water was not very good, it could supplement vitamins.

There is no doubt that this approach comes from Weiran's suggestion.

On the contrary, in the copper ladle that had begun to boil, there were not only the pieces of leather straps that everyone had eaten, but also the chopped bark and surface sawdust scraped from the tree trunks.

In order to make this pot of "food" that has almost no connection with the word "food" taste better, Squad Leader Liu generously added a pinch of coarse salt and a chili pepper to it.

"Let's rest here for a day tomorrow"

Squad leader Liu suddenly said, "Collect some firewood, and also look for any wild vegetables around here."

"Then can we still catch up with the large army?" Zhang Erwa said worriedly.

"Catch up"

Monitor Liu said firmly, "No one knows how far we have to go. We don't have enough firewood. I'm afraid we will freeze to death tomorrow night."

So a day's rest is necessary. It's rare here to leave the muddy fields and woods to find firewood. I don't know when I will encounter such conditions next time. "

Hearing this, everyone fell silent. It would be a good thing to take a day off and let the feet, which were covered with wounds of all sizes but soaked in mud and smelly water, rest.

But everyone is also very clear that they have already fallen behind, and now every second of rest is a step further away from the large army in front.

They know even more clearly that in this vast grassland, falling behind is basically equal to death.

It's just that you die early and die late.

Except for the little lama who couldn't understand Chinese, everyone else, including Wei Ran, had the same idea in their hearts, but they maintained a tacit understanding and did not speak out about this desperate situation.

After everyone absent-mindedly drank up the pine needle tea in their cups, Squad Leader Liu immediately picked up the enamel spoon and redistributed an equal number of leather straps, a spoonful of bark of the same size, and a sporadic amount into each person's enamel jar. A little green wild vegetables.

Wei Ran picked up two pine needles, picked up a piece of bark, blew on it, and slowly put it into his mouth.

Excluding the slightly scalding temperature and the salty and spicy soup, the texture of the bark and sawdust was not much better than the leather belt that he chewed for almost an afternoon before swallowing.

But he couldn't deny that he was really hungry at this moment. Not long after these unpalatable foods were put into his mouth, he subconsciously swallowed them.

When these rough plant fibers carried the heat of the soup through the esophagus and entered the stomach pouch, he had already taken the second and third mouthfuls into his mouth.

Soon, only the four belts that were redistributed to him were left in the enamel pot.

Compared with during the day, this time because the fuel was sufficient and the cooking time was long enough, the belt had expanded slightly.

Trying to pick up a piece and put it into his mouth, Wei Ran closed his eyes and chewed it. Except that it seemed to be easier to chew, the taste of the belt did not improve at all. Even because it had been cooked for long enough, the remaining food on the belt The roots of the hair are somewhat blocked.

In a daze, Wei Ran couldn't help but want to laugh. He actually stuffed his teeth despite the lack of food.

I don’t know if future generations would think it was nonsense if they heard someone say this.

Shaking his head to dispel the absurdity in his mind, Wei Ran swallowed the leather belt that could not be chewed with difficulty, then stuffed the second piece of leather belt into his mouth, and continued the chewing action in silence.

It took about 10 minutes to finish this dinner, which was not a "good" meal in either sense.

Wei Ran refilled the enamel jar with rainwater, soaked it with pine needles, and placed it beside the campfire. He reached out and picked up his anti-Japanese sword, chopped and pulled back the pine tree crown, and placed the still wet firewood by the campfire in advance, and The damp clothes are baking together.

As for the pine needles, they were spread out in simple tents so that they could sleep more comfortably later.

"Comrade Wei Ran, let me chop wood."

As he spoke, Li Zhuang snatched the anti-Japanese sword from Wei Ran's hand, "It's rare that I have enough food and drink today and enough firewood to burn. Can you play some music for everyone on the harmonica?"

"That's right!"

Zhang Erwa echoed. At this time, he, Nurse Ji, Squad Leader Liu and even the little lama were busy using a knife to remove the rough bark on the surface of the chopped firewood, and then remove the thin inner layer containing starch. The wood fibers are scraped off and collected into a copper scoop.

Wei Ran did not refuse, and happily gave up the job of chopping wood to Li Zhuang. He leaned against the trunk of the pine tree that protected him from the rain, watched the campfire and played the tunes he could think of.

In the rainy night, apart from the sound of chopping wood and the crackling of the bonfire, the only thing left was the never-before-seen harmonica music.

From the "as time goes by" that he first learned to the "Waltz of Flowers" that he first heard after he was able to use the metal book to enter various historical fragments.

Even the songs he accompanied when he lived with the hungry children in Leningrad, as well as the songs he played for the Red Army soldiers around him a few days ago, and even the songs he heard in later generations, all of them were memorable and could be played. song.

"You know so many songs"

Just when Wei Ran finished playing a piece that he had heard countless times at sports meets during his student days, Nurse Ji couldn't help but say.

"yes"

Zhang Erwa, who had taken over the job of chopping wood, stopped her work temporarily and asked curiously, "Comrade Wei Ran, why did you become a porter?"

"I can only play the harmonica, but I can't sing or play other instruments."

Wei Ran explained matter-of-factly, "But I am relatively strong and am naturally suited to be a porter."

"It's a waste for a person like you to be a porter," Squad Leader Liu said subconsciously.

"I like being a porter"

Wei Ran said quite seriously, "Besides, there is no distinction between high and low in revolutionary work. I don't think there is any waste."

Hearing this, Squad Leader Liu and others opened their mouths, but did not continue the topic after all.

Similarly, Wei Ran, fearing that he would become "valuable", put away his harmonica, took back the job of chopping wood from Zhang Erwa, and wielded the anti-Japanese sword vigorously, chopping the pine branches again and again to prove that he was indeed strong.

While everyone was busy, although the icy rain never stopped, they chopped the entire crown of the tree they pulled back into pieces of firewood, and carefully scraped off the bark and trunks. The layer of fiber in the room, which can barely be used to satisfy the hunger, is filled with copper ladles and flaming kettle cups.

Even the tent was covered with a thick layer of toasted pine needles. That night, Wei Ran and others slept very comfortably by the bonfire that burned all night long. In the copper gourd beside the bonfire, the bark was boiled all night long.

Only Squad Leader Liu would get up from time to time, add a few sticks of firewood to the bonfire, and add an enamel jar of cold rainwater to the copper ladle.

When Wei Ran woke up, he even mistakenly thought that he was camping in the habitat that was once his own on the outskirts of Kazan.

After rubbing his face to let himself fully recognize the reality, he noticed that besides himself, the only other person in the small tent was the little lama who had not yet woken up.

Putting on the thatched vest that covered his body, he quietly left the tent that was not very warm and the bonfire that was still burning. He put on his bamboo hat and walked in following the footprints and the faint smell of corpses. into the depths of this pine forest.

Although the rain still did not stop at this time, the intensity of the rain was much lighter, and the sky was already bright. He could see clearly that wherever he looked, the bark of every tree had been peeled off, and some of them even Only a tree root less than half a meter high was left.

From time to time, he could still see obvious signs of camping.

As he continued walking inside, he saw Squad Leader Liu and others taking off their hats to pay their respects, as well as the bodies of a dozen Red Army soldiers sitting in front of them with their backs against a big tree.

These Red Army soldiers were either wrapped in gauze or even homespun cloth everywhere, or they were lying on crudely made stretchers.

But without exception, they all wore their worn-out military uniforms very neatly. This neatness does not mean that every button is fastened, and it does not mean that they all wear military caps but only no leggings.

What’s more, they don’t have anything that looks valuable. There are no straw sandals, belts, weapons and ammunition, and there is nothing extra except the Red Army bamboo hat sitting under him.

Apart from

Except for the only pine tree the men had their backs against that hadn't had all its bark stripped off. A piece of bark about one meter long and ten centimeters wide was cut off from top to bottom at eye level of the tree, revealing a long red trunk.

On this almost dried tree trunk, there is a will written in neat and beautiful black charcoal characters.

"Comrades, don't be slowed down by us sick and wounded, pick up weapons and keep moving forward! Go and drive away the invaders, save the people, and build our country so that all oppressed people can live with dignity! "

"stand at attention!"

In the pattering rain, Squad Leader Liu roared in a hoarse voice, "Salute—!"

"Shh!"

In the pattering rain, squad leader Liu, Li Zhuang and Zhang Erwa, who were holding bamboo hats, as well as nurse Ji Chunlan, raised their arms in unison.

"Thanks."

Wei Ran murmured silently, and at the same time, he took out his camera and adjusted it as quickly as possible before he opened the door for Squad Leader Liu and others before they lowered their arms.

When Squad Leader Liu and others put down their arms, Wei Ran also put away his camera and walked over.

"Comrade Weiran"

Seeing him coming, Nurse Ji, who was already in tears, almost begged and said, "Can you take a photo of them?"

"can"

Wei Ran nodded, raised the camera again and asked, "Do you know them?"

"know"

Nurse Ji suppressed her emotions and explained with a tearful tone, "It's the patient class gathered by the health team. Originally, Comrade Jiang Yu was also sent to the patient class."

"I know him"

Squad leader Liu pointed to the body of the nearest Red Army soldier and said, "He and I are fellow villagers. Wang Juncheng is a platoon leader. His baby is the same age as mine. His younger brother stayed on the snow mountain." , couldn’t come down.”

"This is Comrade Zhao Wanya, the instructor of our health team."

Nurse Ji, who was in tears, pointed to a thin corpse and said, "She is our instructor and our teacher. Before she joined the army, she was a pediatrician in a Shanghai hospital."

"she"

Wei Ran was startled. If Nurse Ji hadn't said it, he wouldn't have even noticed that the corpse with the same shaved head was actually a woman.

"Comrade Wei Ran, just take a picture of her."

Nurse Ji begged, "Before crossing the snow-capped mountains, she entrusted her newborn child to a fellow villager. Her husband had already died and she didn't even have time to name the child. If her child is found in the future, she must let the child know her name." What does mother look like?”

Hearing this, Wei Ran subconsciously moved closer, and then he clearly saw a small tiger-head cloth shoe hanging on a hemp rope around Comrade Zhao Wanya's neck.

The cloth shoes were no bigger than the palm of your hand, and the "tiger head" forehead, where there should have been a "king" pattern, was carefully embroidered with a golden sickle and hammer symbol.

Before Wei Ran pressed the shutter, or even before he pointed the camera at Comrade Zhao Wanya of the health team, Li Zhuang and Zhang Erwa pointed at the same body, each of which was not tall, and said in unison, "I know him."

Immediately afterwards, the two little brothers, who could not hold back their tears, looked at each other. Li Zhuang wiped the corners of his eyes and continued, "His name is Ma Zhen, and he is the trumpeter of our company. He... he is only 15 years old.

Before we left, the squad leader made him a bowl of long-life noodles with chili water using hemp rope. "

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Erwa carefully rolled up Ma Zhen's cuffs. As expected, his swollen and black wrist was tied with a few hemp ropes that once replaced noodles to symbolize longevity.

"Crack! Crack!"

Wei Ran slapped himself hard twice to force himself to calm down. He also forced his hand holding the camera to stop shaking, and slowly focused the camera on the platoon leader Wang Juncheng.

However, he did not press the shutter. Instead, he walked over to the body with its head hanging down, carefully helped him lift the swollen head and leaned it against the tree trunk, and then lifted the heads of the people around him one by one. He got up, focused on Platoon Leader Wang, and pressed the shutter towards them to take the 16th photo.

Immediately afterwards, he used the same method to move towards Comrade Zhao Wanya, the instructor of the health team, the tiger-head shoe around her neck and other comrades around her, and towards Comrade Ma Zhen, the bugler, and the few shoes tied around his wrist. Hemp rope and other comrades around him pressed the shutter one after another and took the 17th and 18th photos one after another.

"sorry"

Wei Ran murmured guiltily, "I only have six negatives left. I can't take a single photo of all the other comrades. I"

"It's not your fault, it's already good."

Squad Leader Liu patted Wei Ran's shoulder lightly, put on his military cap and hat again, cleared his throat, cheered up and said, "Comrades, we have no time to be sad, and we have no right to waste time here. Go collect supplies. , looking for food, looking for firewood, looking for anything useful!

Just like the comrades who stayed here said, we only have to get out alive! Drive away the invaders, save the oppressed people, build our country well, and let all the people live with dignity to be worthy of their sacrifice! "

"Yes!"

Everyone roared and gave a powerful response. They hardened their hearts and stopped looking at the person who picked up the person who would no longer wake up. They braved the cold rain and searched for anything that could be picked up in this not-so-large pine forest. They are looking for flammable pine trees to eat, and chopping down branches that can be taken away.

Will anyone survive?

While Wei Ran was looking for something to eat, he was distracted and thinking. From time to time, he would even dig near the roots of the pine trees, hoping to find some small animals that might be hiding in them, or the Poria cocos he had eaten before.

However, perhaps it was due to the weather or the altitude. After this search, the only thing he gained was a dead branch that was more than half a meter long, as thick as a wrist, and had not been picked up by anyone.

On the way back, Wei Ran suddenly stopped and threw away the branch he was carrying. He took out the camera in the metal book again and looked at it, and then removed the horsehair leather case outside.

First, he successfully put away the camera that was not protected by the leather case. Then he took out the roll of film that he had taken before from the accessory compartment of the leather case. He tied it tightly with a hemp rope and hung it like a glory bomb. on his own neck.

Roughly taking off the camera case, he threw away the gold melee assault badge that should never appear in this era. Wei Ran tried to bite the horse fur camera case that had been with him for a long time.

The relatively soft and thick texture made him almost certain that if cooked properly, this thing would definitely taste better than the belt.

It's just that he had never thought before that this thing could one day become food.

Hanging the camera case that was about to be used as food around his neck, Wei Ran, who had found nothing, picked up the dead branches again and climbed up to the top of the mountain with difficulty with a wooden stick.

There are no trees on the top of the mountain, and it can even be said that there is no vegetation at all. Even the other side of the mountain is equally bare, with only a thin layer of turf and scattered shrubs.

Because of this, he could clearly see that on the other side of the mountain, there were soaked grasslands and large swamps that were still reflecting the skylight and rippled by the rain.

Of course, there are also wooden sticks stuck into the ground from the foot of the mountain on this side, winding all the way into the distance, serving as road signs and tombstones.

It wasn't until he stood here that Wei Ran finally understood why the injured and wounded behind him chose to stay here.

Because just within sight, there is a winding river dividing the grassland.

Although it was some distance away, he could still estimate through visual inspection that the channel of the small river might be only one meter wide. It shouldn't even be called a river. Instead, it might be more accurate to call it a creek.

But at the same time, he could also clearly see that although the river was not wide, both sides were filled with swamps filled with water. Also consider the altitude and physical condition, especially hunger.

Wei Ran couldn't help but feel a little desperate. The small river and the swamps on both sides were a question mark for people who were not sick for the time being and wanted to walk there safely, let alone the wounded who decided to stay.

Or, if the wounded decide to continue walking and cross the river, how many additional people will die on both sides of the river to allow them to cross?

Choosing death may always be the easiest, but giving up the hope of life and taking the initiative to die in order to let your companions survive is the best.

No, if that's the case, I'm afraid they won't have any hesitation, right?

Even so, they sit in despair under the tombstone they chose and wrote the inscription by themselves, quietly waiting for time to take away the rest of their lives.

After coming back to his senses, Wei Ran turned around and walked towards the camp with his only harvest. As for whether the river mentioned in the return mission was the one he just saw, he didn't bother to think about it.

On the other side of the river, there was no trace of human activity within sight. In other words, they are still a long way from the finish line.

Just don't know.

Wei Ran couldn't help but look at the rest of the people who came back one after another, as well as the little lama who didn't know where he went. He just didn't know how many of these people finally walked out of the grass alive.