War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1689: Butterfly Again
In the morning light, which was cold but bright enough, Wei Ran and Mahbub, three generations of their family, as well as three donkeys and a herd of goats, left the cave that could barely be called a home, watched by Ayana and Soraya.

Just like yesterday, Murtaza walked in front with a Lee Enfield rifle on his back.

Behind him were goats carrying ammunition. In this flock of sheep, which already had only a few in number, one was killed for meat last night. The two milk-producing sheep and two lambs were also left in the cave.

Behind the flock of sheep were Wei Ran and the other two, each leading a donkey.

"We still need about a day's journey," Mahbub volunteered.

Whether it was because he helped dismantle the bomb and rescued his daughter yesterday, or because Wei Ran generously gave away his camera, or because he was willing to keep his promise and take his children away, these actions made Mahbub much more enthusiastic.

"May I ask how many guerrillas there are?" Wei Ran asked.

“Probably less than a hundred people.”

Mahbub replied, "They used to have more people, with a maximum of four or five hundred people, but they have died over the years and there are less than a hundred left."

"Tell me about your colleague," Wei Ran changed the subject in time.

“His name is Abdul”

“Before the war, we taught at the same university and we were both Russian teachers,” Mahbub said.

"He has also been to the Soviet Union?" Wei Ran asked.

"No, he hasn't been there." Mahbub shook his head. "He once admired the Soviet Union more than I did, but now he hates it more than anyone else."

After a pause, Mahbub added, "Like me, his family is mostly dead, and he only has a granddaughter who is about the same age as Soraya."

"Do you need me to take the child away as well?" Wei Ran asked after a moment's silence.

"If this is the bargaining chip you offer to interview him, I will help you talk to him." Mahbub also said after a moment of silence.

“This is not leverage”

Wei Ran shook his head, "It's just pure help, it doesn't matter if he doesn't want to be interviewed.

"I will convey your goodwill," said Mahbub.

While chatting about the guerrillas they might meet next, the group climbed over one mountain after another, and finally found a sheltered valley at noon.

"You guys rest here for a while, I'll go get some water." Mahbub said as he picked up the milk can and walked away along the ravine.

This time, because there was no goat milk, Murtaza no longer had the job of milking, but he did not sit idle. Instead, he took the initiative to help Habibullah in inflating and pressurizing the two oil furnaces.

“I brought some lamb”

Habibullah said in English, "We can have some mutton later, Victor. I hope you can adapt to this diet."

"Of course, it tastes really good to be honest."

Wei Ran told the truth, and took advantage of the cover of the suitcase to take out the Nikon SP that did not require batteries from the metal book, and pressed the shutter button towards the uncle and nephew.

“In fact, if there are some carrots.”

"Oh!"

Before Habibullah finished speaking, a not-so-big explosion was heard from the direction where Mahbub went to fetch water! Immediately afterwards, they all heard Mahbub's screams!
"Crack!"

Murtaza reacted very quickly, picked up his old World War II gun, and loaded the bullet skillfully.

"It doesn't sound like gunfire, go check it out!"

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already put away his camera. Then he quickly removed the ammunition from his donkey, grabbed the reins, and chased after Habibullah who had already run away.

"Habibullah! Habibullah!"

Wei Ran called to Xiao Guozi in front of him and threw the reins to him, "You walk behind me!"

"What did you say?"

"You walk behind me"

Wei Ran said seriously, "Watch carefully where I walk and observe my feet carefully. I suspect it is a landmine."

Hearing this, Habibullah panicked for a moment, then nodded and followed Wei Ran obediently.

Fortunately, although the two switched positions, their speed did not slow down, and Wei Ran also discovered clues while walking and observing.

There seems to be butterfly mines scattered around here! Sandy brown butterfly mines! Another special butterfly!

This apparently beautiful little bug, from the Vietnam War in Leningrad during World War II to the Afkhan battlefield here, seems to always be synonymous with bombs!

"Pay attention to those little things," Wei Ran pointed to a butterfly mine among the gravel not far away and reminded.

“I’ve seen these mines”

Habibullah clenched his fists. “What I saw was green. My girlfriend’s legs were blown off by these devil-like creatures. She bled to death.”

"You need to stay calm now," Wei Ran reminded the other party while slowing down his pace slightly.

Soon after, he finally saw Mahbub.

He sat slumped beside a pond that was about to freeze, and the blood from his footsteps had dyed the water a light red.

It was not until he saw the long and narrow pool of water that he finally realized why the butterfly thunder appeared here.

Obviously, these butterfly mines were dropped by helicopters. For the helicopters laying mines, there was no reason for them to miss a pool of water that was extremely conspicuous in the air.

"Mahbub, don't move."

Wei Ran walked over there and reminded, "I'm here to help you. How are you doing?"

"Don't come over here, there are mines here, a lot of mines." Mahbub said quickly, "I can leave, I..."

"Let me see your wound"

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already walked to the side of Mahbub. At this time, the sole of one of his boots had been blown apart, revealing the sole of his foot with the big toe and second toe missing.

'Not very serious'

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already untied the bandages around the other person's ankles. Then he helped the other person take off his tattered boots and tied up his feet with the bandages.

"Are there any medicines among the supplies you brought?" Wei Ran asked while tying up the wound to stop the bleeding.

"No, where would we get the medicine?" Mahbub replied with a grin.

"Let's go back first and think of a solution when we get back." Wei Ran said as he picked up the skinny old man, carefully left the dangerous minefield, and placed him on the donkey's back.

Taking the injured Mahbub back to the resting point, Wei Ran helped him get off the donkey and asked again, "Don't you have any medicines or medical equipment in your supplies?"

"No, Victor, don't worry, just let me handle it."

Mahbub gasped and then switched to his native language, "Habibullah, light the oil stove, quickly, quickly."

"immediately!"

Habibullah, who was already panicking, quickly picked up the oil stove he had just thrown away, pressurized it, and then lit it with a lighter.

“Give it to me,” said Mahbub.

Wei Ran, who had already guessed what the other party was going to do, opened his mouth, but there was no way to stop it. The only thing he could do was to raise the camera.

"Multaza, good boy, close your eyes and cover your ears." Mahbub said with a gasp.

Hearing this, Habibullah hugged the panicked Murtaza and covered his eyes with his hands.

After taking several deep breaths, Mahbub extended the wound on his foot over the hissing flames.

Amid his painful screams, Wei Ran pressed the shutter before he smelled the burning protein, faithfully recording this helpless and cruel scene.

Amid the burning flames, the wound on Mahbub's foot temporarily stopped bleeding in a sense, and he fainted from the pain after completing all this.

After extinguishing the oil stove, Wei Ran untied the bandages on Mahbub's feet and observed them for a moment. Then he tied them up again, opened his suitcase, found a shirt, tore it open, and carefully bandaged the wound on Mahbub's foot.

“Habibullah, let’s go back.”

After doing all this, Wei Ran said, "Your father's foot injury is no longer suitable for him to continue traveling. Send him back. It doesn't matter if I can go for the interview tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or a week later."

"Let Murtaza send him back."

Habibullah forced himself to calm down and said seriously in English, "Victor, we not only have to send you to Abdul, but the most important thing is that we have to send the anti-aircraft weapons as soon as possible. It doesn't matter. Just let Murtaza send him back."

After saying this, Habibullah didn't wait for Wei Ran to say anything else. He switched to his native language and informed Murtaza of the decision.

"Do you know the way?" Habibullah asked finally.

"Yes, how could I not know the way?" said Murtaza.

"Remember, even if you encounter Soviets along the way, you must try to avoid them or hide," Habibullah warned. "No matter how many Soviets you can kill, they will eventually catch you, and then they will catch Ayana and Soraya as well."

"I know. I won't let anyone see us," Murtaza promised.

“Let’s go now.”

Habibullah said, "Don't come to us again after you go back. You are responsible for protecting them."

"Give me a grenade," Murtaza said.

After a brief hesitation, Habibullah took a grenade from a goat and handed it to the other party, "Let's go, and be careful on the road."

After taking the grenade, Murtaza just nodded and led the donkey back in the direction they came from.

“I have some water here.”

Wei Ran said, "Let's just eat something first, and then we'll set off."

"Let's go now"

"I want to get there as quickly as possible and come back as quickly as possible," Habibullah said.

"I'll listen to you"

As Wei Ran spoke, he was already helping the other party pack up the oil stove, milk cans and other items.

Setting out on the road again, Habibullah walked in front and obviously increased his pace, while Wei Ran walked at the end, leading two donkeys.

The two of them kept on going, crossing mountains and ridges until the sun was almost blocked by the mountain peaks. A faint smoke was rising from the other side of the mountain in front of them. Realizing that something was wrong, the two of them immediately quickened their pace.

When they climbed over the mountain in front, they found that the valley seemed to have been bombed as well. As far as the eye could see, bomb craters of all sizes were almost next to each other. On the hillside not far away, there was a tree of unknown species that had been burned to only half of a flaming stump.

Not far from the tree stump, an old man who looked about the same age as Mahbub was sitting on a rock in a daze, holding a little girl who was crying loudly in his arms, and looking at everything around him helplessly.

"Teacher Abdul!"

Habibullah ran over and asked in panic, "What happened?"

"Dead, all dead."

Abdul said in despair, "Several bombs fell at noon today."

“How many are still alive?” Habibullah asked.

"I still have Qiao Ya"

Abdul paused, raised his hand and pointed at a collapsed cave opposite and the people who were still trying to dig at the entrance of the cave. "There are only a few of them. They are the only ones left. We went to plant mines so we survived by chance."

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Having said that, Abdul looked at Wei Ran who was pressing the shutter button towards him and the people in the distance.

“We brought weapons and ammunition”

Habibullah didn't rush to introduce Wei Ran, but just said, "We brought an anti-aircraft machine gun, about 500 rounds of anti-aircraft machine gun bullets, and we also brought an anti-aircraft missile launcher and two anti-aircraft missiles! In addition..."

"Who is he?" Abdul looked at Wei Ran straight and asked abruptly.

"he is."

Habibullah hesitated for a moment, but finally answered truthfully, "He is a freelance journalist, his name is Victor."

"Hello, Teacher Abdul." Wei Ran greeted in Russian.

"Are you from the Soviet Union?"

Before Abdul finished speaking, the five or six people who were still alive in the distance stopped their doomed futile digging work and gathered around him, carrying all kinds of weapons.

Wei Ran just took off the headscarf on his face and asked, "Do you think I look like a Soviet?"

"Habibullah, why did you bring such trouble here?" Abdul asked in his native language. "Also, where is your father? Why didn't he come?"

"He was injured by the butterfly mines dropped by the Soviets on the way."

Habibullah paused and recounted what happened on the road, what happened last night, and the help Wei Ran provided during this period.

“Some of our people were injured in the explosion.”

Abdul said in Russian, pointing behind him, "They are on the other side of the mountain, Comrade Reporter or Mr. Reporter, do you want to go and have a look?"

"If it's convenient, please take me to see it," Wei Ran said.

"Come with me"

Abdul stood up with difficulty, picked up the little girl who was still crying, and said as he walked, "Her mother was killed by the Soviets today."

Hearing this, Wei Ran didn't know what to say. He could only remain quiet and follow the other party around the hill.

On this side, there is a cave that is not very big. On the rock wall at the entrance of the cave, there are paintings of warriors holding weapons and other things that are obviously graffiti from children.

As he walked into the cave, Wei Ran couldn't help but hold his breath. There was a woman here who looked to be in her 40s. Half of her foot was blown off. The wound was covered with a lot of sand and dust. She was relying on a rope around her ankle to stop the bleeding.

“She is a teacher to the children.”

Abdul stood at the entrance of the cave and introduced, "Her name is Malalai. We used to have six children who were about the same age as Qiao Ya, and she was responsible for educating them all. Yesterday evening, when she went to fetch water from the surrounding area, she stepped on a mine dropped by a Soviet helicopter."

"Where are her students?"

Wei Ran looked at the unconscious woman and asked without turning his head.

"died"

Abdul said, "The bombs at noon today killed all the children. Except for Qiao Ya who followed me to lay mines, the others did not survive."

Hearing this, Wei Ran opened his mouth, but found that apart from taking a photo of the woman as decent as possible, he didn't know what else to do or what to ask.

"We will soon go to war with the Soviets," Abdul said, "After you take her picture, let Habibullah take you away."

"Can I stay?" Wei Ran asked.

After looking at Wei Ran, Abdul didn't say anything else. He just walked to the other side of the mountain.

"Does he speak Pashto or Dari?" Abdul asked Habibullah, who seemed to be waiting for him.

"No, he speaks Russian and English, what happened?" Habibullah asked.

"This reporter who looks like a fool intends to stay"

Abdul said angrily, "Habibullah, take him away as soon as possible. We are going to start fighting tonight and we don't have time to entertain such a guest."

"It's going to start tonight?" Habibullah frowned. "Why so soon?"

"There are only so many of us left," Abdul said. "We have to do something before everyone dies."

"Where are you going to set up the ambush?" Habibullah paused, and before the other party could speak, he said, "Let me join in! I want to join in, too!"

"You?" Abdul glanced at Wei Ran beside him, "What will he do if you stay?"

“Let him stay too.”

Habibullah said, "I promise he won't cause any trouble, and he can take Joya away from Afhan."

"Joya doesn't need to leave Afhan," Abdul said. "We can drive the Soviets away."

"He is not important. Anyway, can I stay and help?" Habibullah asked.

Abdul did not rush to answer the question. Instead, he switched to Russian and said to Wei Ran, "You want to stay and interview us, right?"

"Is it okay?" Wei Ran asked immediately, "I won't cause any trouble for you."

"We are going to ambush the Soviets next. People may die at any time."

Abdul paused and added emphatically, "If you stay with us, you will probably be killed as a guerrilla."

"So we are a group now?" Wei Ran asked unexpectedly.

"Where did this idiot come from?"

Abdul said to Habibullah in his native language angrily, "Since he is not afraid of death, let him stay. Habibullah, if you want, you can stay too.

If the battle goes smoothly, we might be able to find some medicines in the Soviet convoy, and then you can send them to Mahbub and your sister. I heard that she is about to give birth?"

“My belly is already big”

Habibullah replied worriedly, "Muhanmu is dead. I don't know how she will live in the future."

"As long as we get rid of the Soviets, there will always be a way."

Abdul paused and said, "We have actually been waiting for the ammunition you have sent. Since you are here, why not deliver the weapons to the position first."

"It's up to you," Habibullah said simply, "Can we bring reporter Victor with us?"

"If he's not tired, let him follow."

Abdul said nonchalantly, and then called the people around him to gather around and said, "Habibullah will follow us, and the reporter named Victor will also follow us. He may take some photos of us. It doesn't matter what he does as long as he doesn't expose us."

"What if he asks us questions?" asked one of the bearded men.

“He doesn’t speak Pashto or Dari, and even if he does, it’s up to you to decide whether to answer.”

Abdul paused and said, “We lost many important brothers and sisters at noon, and I am as sad as you are, but sadness can’t solve anything.

Now that Habibullah has delivered the vital weapons to us, the only thing we can do next is to kill more Soviets, may Allah bless us."

"May Allah bless us!" Everyone responded in unison, including the little girl Joya who was held in Abdul's arms.

"Qiaoya, you stay and take care of your teacher."

Abdul said, "She needs someone to take care of her. Can I leave her to you with confidence?"

"Leave it to me!" Qiao Ya, who had just been wiping away tears, made the promise while suppressing her sobs.

"You're looking for her yourself."

Abdul put Qiao Ya down, then took out half a piece of naan from his arms and stuffed it into her arms.

"Qiaoya, I'll leave these sheep to you to take care of as well."

Habibullah said, "Everyone, take the ammunition off the sheep."

Hearing this, everyone including Abdul rushed forward, and in the blink of an eye, they took a few grenades from the sheep, picked off a few mines, or untied a few RGP rockets and bulk bullets.

Soon, all the weapons and ammunition on the sheep were taken away. The young Qiao Ya also grabbed the rope on the neck of the head sheep and led the flock to the other side of the hill.

"Let's go now"

Abdul led the crowd and the two donkeys to walk away and said, "The ambush site is not far from here. Recently, Soviet trucks pass by there every noon. What we need to do is ambush this convoy."

“They will send helicopters,” Habibullah warned.

"Right, that's why we need anti-aircraft machine guns and rockets and the American Stingers."

Abdul said, "We tried to attack the convoy several times and found out the direction from which the helicopter was coming."

"So your purpose is to ambush the helicopter?" Habibullah asked belatedly.

"I heard from the messenger that the helicopter pilot is very valuable."

Abdul said, "We wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to capture some Soviet pilots and exchange them for some winter supplies, but we didn't expect..."

"We are late," Habibullah said apologetically.

"There's no point in saying this now," Abdul waved his hand. "Let's hurry up and set up our positions tonight. We'll attack the Soviet convoy tomorrow."