War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1494 Comrades! go ahead!

At the edge of the meadow, Wei Ran was lying on the ground, carefully poking the wooden stick in his hand into the direction that his hand could reach in front of his body.

This was a task that he had exhausted all methods and excuses to win from Squad Leader Liu. At this time, the only thing that could provide him with protection was the leggings tied around his waist, which were connected to each other. There are five or six meters of cloth rope.

The other end of the rope was tightly wrapped around the hands of Squad Leader Liu, who was also lying on the ground. Behind him, Li Zhuang and Zhang Erwa grabbed his feet respectively.

As for the little lama, he stood next to Squad Leader Liu, holding an oil lamp with a stick in his hand to provide lighting for Wei Ran.

Wei Ran took a deep breath and used both hands to push the nearly two-meter-long wooden stick through the meadow and into the mud little by little. Finally, when the wooden stick reached the bottom, what remained above the meadow was still there. There is more than one meter left.

This was undoubtedly good news. Wei Ran carefully moved forward half a meter, keeping the wooden stick stuck on the grass and tied with a cloth strip as a danger reminder at the same level as his head.

Wei Ran poked the mud-covered stick into the grass again, but this time he didn't use much force at all, and the stick slid into the mud.

When he reacted, only the end of the stick in his hand was still above the ground. Even so, the stick in his hand had not even touched the bottom, but the distance between it and the stick was only half a meter!

After trying to shake the wooden stick in his hand from side to side, Wei Ran carefully pulled it out, then turned around and said, "Give me another stick, give me an extra rope, and give me the oil lamp too."

After he finished speaking, Li Zhuang quickly took off his belt and handed it to Squad Leader Liu. Zhang Erwa asked the little lama to squat down and took the wooden stick and oil lamp in his hand, along with Li Zhuang's cloth belt. And handed it to Squad Leader Liu, who in turn passed it on to Wei Ran one by one.

Putting the oil lamp aside, Wei Ran tied the two sticks tightly with a rope. Then he turned up the brightness of the oil lamp and tied the handle firmly to the stick. Then he didn't get up at all, just lying there, little by little. He brought the oil lamp to the body of the army horse two meters away.

Through the light emitted by the oil lamp, he could clearly see that most of the horse's body was under the mire. What emerged from the water was only the bulging belly, the stirrup on the belly, and the horse stuck in the stirrup. legs and feet.

Because the horse's belly was so bulging, there wasn't even the slightest gap between the warrior's legs and the horse.

But that was all, the rest of it was buried in the mud, and nothing could be seen clearly on the water.

After some thought, he picked up the oil lamp and put it next to him, then stretched out the wooden stick again, trying to lift any horse's hooves, or to make the body of the military horse turn somersaults, while trying to avoid poking it. To the horse's belly.

After all, the current ability of this horse to float depends entirely on the gas in its belly. If it accidentally punctures its belly, it will be no big deal if it is sprayed with fermented sewage and mud. This is a rare and complete corpse of a military horse. I'm afraid it will sink into the mire.

However, all his efforts could not raise any of the horse's legs, and he could not even make the horse and the warrior on its back move even a little bit.

Unwilling to give up, Wei Yan poked the two wooden sticks tied together through the meadow again, and once again explored the depth of the mire.

However, until the wooden sticks, which were tied together and nearly four meters long, were driven in, leaving only the part that Wei Ran held, there was still no bottom!

Gritting his teeth, Wei Ran looked up at the increasingly brighter sky and the still-continuous rain. He quickly pulled out the wooden stick and prepared to try in another direction.

"What's going on now?" Squad Leader Liu asked.

"You have to find a way to tie the rope to the horse."

Wei Ran explained while exploring the road, "But the swamp here is too deep, at least three to four meters, and the horse seems to be stuck there. I have to change the direction and touch it."

Before he finished speaking, he had already moved half a meter horizontally, and at the same time he reached the bamboo pole in his hand into the meadow again.

But then, everyone watched helplessly as the nearly four-meter-long wooden stick was thrust into the mire again!

Such a dangerous scene made everyone swallow their saliva. Obviously, if he was about to make a wrong step, even Wei Ran might be trapped. From this point of view, it might not be easy to get the horse's body.

"You come back first, let me try it instead." Squad Leader Liu said confidently, "I think you are too hungry and have no energy left."

With that said, he knelt down and motioned to Li Zhuang and Zhang Erwa to release his feet, walked to Wei Ran's side, and reached out to pull him up as well.

"The direction of the horse's head is facing us"

Wei Ran handed the extended wooden stick in his hand to the other party and said, "But its neck and head are in the mud, and there is also a comrade's body stuck on the horse's back. We have to find a way to turn it over. It’s only possible to tie the rope to its legs.”

"let me try"

Squad Leader Liu took off his bamboo hat and threw it away, took the stick and said, "Take the oil lamp and hide behind, don't knock you."

Hearing this, Wei Ran, who was kneeling on the ground, picked up the oil lamp and said, "I'll give you the rope."

"No, I'll let it go first"

"What are you going to do! Squad Leader Liu!"

"Pfft!"

Amid Wei Ran's exclamations, Squad Leader Liu actually jumped to the horse's side!

"Hold the rope!"

Squad Leader Liu yelled as his body began to sink, and he fluttered and hugged the neck of the army horse that was sinking in the mud!

"You're crazy! You're crazy!" Wei Ran shouted at the top of his lungs, "Come back quickly! Hold on to the rope! I'll pull you back!"

In the midst of his roar, Li Zhuang, Zhang Erwa and the dumbfounded little lama finally came to their senses and ran over in a panic, either hugging Wei Ran's waist or tightening their grip on his waist. With the rope on him, he would drag Squad Leader Liu back if he was risking his life.

But after a while, Captain Liu, who was already prepared, had already wrapped the rope around the horse corpse's neck, and quickly tied a button before the rope was tightened.

"puff!"

Almost at the same time, Wei Ran and others who grabbed the rope and began to exert force also tightened the rope, and even bounced up large pieces of mud.

"Hold on to the rope! Monitor! Hold on to the rope!" Zhang Erwa begged loudly with a tearful voice.

"Why are you crying!"

Squad Leader Liu pressed the shoulder blades of the horse corpse with one hand and grasped the tight rope with the other hand, but there was no way to prevent the body from sinking. Even because of the weight he put on it, the horse corpse and the body of the Red Army soldier were also lifted. It started to sink.

"listen to me!"

Squad Leader Liu glanced at the Red Army soldier's foot stuck in the stirrup, moved his body and shouted, "Zhang Erwa! From now on, you are the acting squad leader of the cooking class! This is an order!

You are responsible for bringing the little lama, nurse Ji, Wei Ran and Li Zhuang out of this grassland alive!

You, the squad leader, want them to have full stomachs, water to drink, and fire to roast them. Tell me, do you, the probationary party member, have the confidence to complete the task? "

"Yes!" Zhang Erwa, who was still holding on to the rope, roared and made a promise, "I promise to complete the mission!"

"Comrades! Start the roll call!"

Squad leader Liu yelled, pulling the saddle to the side of the Red Army soldier, trying with all his strength to pull his swollen feet out of the stirrups, and at the same time shouted, "Cooking class! Zhang Erwa!"

"Yes!" Zhang Erwa, who was already in tears, shouted in response.

"Cooking class! Li Zhuang!"

"Have!"

Li Qiang, whose legs had already sunk into the mud but still hugged Wei Ran's waist, shouted in response.

"Wei Ran!" Squad leader Liu called out Wei Ran's name and finally pulled his foot out of the stirrup.

"Have!"

Wei Ran, whose legs were also stuck in the mud, responded while exerting force and shouting.

"Jianpa Kelsang!"

"Yes!" the little lama cried and gave the loudest response.

"Comrades! Forward!"

Squad leader Liu shouted one last time, then took a deep breath, touched the soldier's swollen body and dived into the mire.

"Monitor Liu! Monitor Liu!"

At the edge of the meadow, the people who were still holding on to the ropes were shouting in panic, but the response from under the swamp was just a few bubbles that rose slowly but exploded quickly.

After a moment, or at a certain moment, the body of the army horse with a bulging belly suddenly floated up, and then its limbs broke through the mud and floated up - the body of the Red Army soldier on its back had been separated from it.

Under the dragging of the grief-stricken people who still didn't let go, the horse was easily dragged to the edge of the meadow, but Wei Ran and others were all thrown back into a ball. "Stick! Quick!"

Wei Ran reacted belatedly and didn't even bother to get up. He grabbed the rope and stabbed it into the mud, reaching where Squad Leader Liu might be. He seemed to be lucky enough to resist the opponent.

"He's caught it! Hurry up!" Wei Ran roared loudly in surprise, and at the same time tried hard to pull the stick in his hand.

"Hurry up!"

Zhang Erwa and others shouted, stumbled over, helped Wei Ran hug the stick, and began to drag it back.

However, how can this be so simple?

The horse was able to be dragged over because its stomach was blown into a balloon by the gas produced by the fermentation in its digestive tract, so it floated above the swamp, but Captain Liu was still alive.

"Pfft!"

Another unprepared moment, everyone fell into a group again, and the two wooden sticks that Wei Ran tied together with Li Zhuang's belt were also pulled up.

just

But there was no squad leader Liu on the other end, so he let go.

"Monitor! Monitor!"

Zhang Erwa rolled and crawled towards the swamp, crying and trying to jump in to save people.

"return!"

Wei Ran grabbed one of the opponent's legs, roughly pulled him to the ground, and then pressed directly on top of him.

"Let me go! I'm going to save Ben."

"You are the monitor!"

Wei Ran screamed and reminded, "From now on! You are the squad leader of the cooking class!"

"I"

Zhang Erwa, who was pinned down on the meadow by Wei Ran, was stunned for a moment, and then he beat the stagnant mud soup hard. Big tears fell from the corners of his eyes with the rain, and finally hit the green grass. But also on the sharp blades of grass.

"you"

Wei Ran gritted his teeth, got up unsteadily, and asked with a hard heart, "Squad Leader Zhang, what should we do next?"

When he called out "Monitor Zhang", young Zhang Erwa couldn't help but trembled hard.

After a moment, Zhang Erwa, who couldn't hold back her tears, tremblingly grabbed the rope still tied around the horse's neck, climbed up tremblingly, "Comrades, work harder! Pull it up!"

"Yes! Monitor!" Li Zhuang, who was also in tears, roared in response and raised his hand in a particularly formal salute.

"Stone! Half a chapter!" The little lama responded loudly and also raised his right hand.

"Yes! Monitor!"

Wei Ran responded loudly at the end, and after saluting, he, Li Zhuang and the young lama grabbed hold of the rope that was still tied around his waist and the horse corpse in no particular order.

Amidst the chants of "1, 2! 1, 2!", the army horse floating on the swamp was pulled to the edge of the meadow by Wei Ran and others, even its front two legs and neck were dragged to the meadow. above.

But what to do next, or rather how to direct everyone to do something, Zhang Erwa was at a loss. Although he became the acting squad leader of the cooking class, and although he was a probationary member of the Party, he was still just a boy of sixteen or seventeen.

Because of this, he was still holding on to the rope desperately, as if he wanted to completely pull the horse ashore, as if that would save his squad leader Liu.

With a silent sigh, Wei Ran silently untied the rope that was still tied around his waist, and gently patted Zhang Erwa's shoulder to signal him to let go.

Seeing the tearful young soldier looking at him blankly, Wei Ran took a deep breath and said, "Squad leader, leave the rest to me."

"Okay." Zhang Erwa wiped the corners of her eyes vigorously, trying her best to suppress her sadness and asked, "I don't, what can we do?"

Wei Ran did not answer, but walked to the edge of the horse corpse that smelled of corpse and took a closer look.

At this time, he could clearly see that behind the saddle of the horse, there was a black cloth roll tightly tied with a rope, and the red words "Supply Department of the Second Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" could be vaguely seen on it.

After a while, he picked up his anti-Japanese sword and carefully cut off the saddle girdle that seemed to have been replaced with leggings.

He could almost imagine that the person who rode this horse must have eaten all the edible parts of the leather.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at the swamp. After a while, the body of the Red Army soldier slowly floated up.

Although there was a distance of two or three meters between the two sides, Wei Ran could still clearly see that one leg of the corpse seemed to be splinted.

Wei Ran shook his head slightly, and carefully pulled off the saddle, saddlebags, and the cloth roll with the writing on it and handed them to Zhang Erwa and others behind him.

"Let's see what's in here first"

Wei Ran said this, but in fact it was just to arrange something for these three young people to do so that they would not be too sad. After all, they were still hungry.

Almost subconsciously, Li Zhuang and Zhang Erwa took what Wei Ran handed over.

Opening the black cloth roll first, no one present expected that it turned out to be a piece of oilcloth.

This oilcloth can be used as an oilcloth umbrella or a raincoat, but it is completely different from the waterproof canvas. It is thinner. In short, it is just a coarse cloth soaked in tung oil.

But this square piece of oilcloth is not small. It can be about three or four meters long here at least. There are also cloth ropes that are more than one meter long and sewn on each of the four corners.

It was clearly being used as tent cloth, not to mention that there were two patch-within-a-patch blankets rolled inside.

After refolding the oilcloth and the soaked blanket and putting them aside, Wei Ran "instructed" Li Zhuang and Zhang Erwa to take out the items from the pockets on both sides of the mandarin jacket.

Opening the bamboo stick buckle on the left sash pocket, there is a German-style lunch box with a bumpy appearance and four aluminum kettles with wooden stoppers.

In the pocket of the sash on the right, there is a kettle made entirely of copper. There is a wooden stopper stuck on the spout of the kettle. Try to open the buckle tightly, and it is also tied with a cloth rope. There was a pile of six enamel bowls inside the lid of the pot.

At this moment, Li Zhuang took out the last thing from the pocket of the gauze that had been soaked in water on the right side of the horse corpse, a whistle, a whistle that once belonged to Squad Leader Liu.

"Monitor."

As soon as the title came out of Li Zhuang's mouth, the tears he had just been holding back couldn't stop flowing down again.

"Give me"

Zhang Erwa said, taking the whistle from Li Zhuang's hand, puffing up his cheeks and blowing it hard.

"Du-du!"

The sharp whistle sounded throughout the vast grassland. In the cold rain and fog, Zhang Erwa hung the whistle around his neck, wiped the corners of his eyes and shouted loudly, "Cooking class! Roll call!"

"Cooking class, Liu Youxiang!"

"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison, and then they all took off their hats in unison.

"Cooking class, Li Zhuang!"

"Have!"

"Wei Ran!"

"Have!"

"Jianpa Kelsang!"

"Have!"

"salute!"

Following Zhang Erwa's roar, everyone stood up straight, straightened their chests, raised their arms, and gave the last military salute.