War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 504
In the fur trader's stronghold occupied by doves and magpies, the thick animal skins blocked the bright light that should have been coming through the windows, and at the same time blocked the cold that should have been coming in from the windows.

On the flat wooden dining table, several ceramic plates were placed in front of each other, on which was placed a piece of hot reindeer steak with a tempting aroma.

"Followed by potato gratin and onion soup and, of course, freshly baked bread."

Quentin and Gail each brought a large plate of dishes to the table. After the former put the plate away, he brought a bottle of potato wine and opened it, filled everyone's glasses with wine, and then said apologetically, "The ingredients It's limited, so I'll bring it up together."

At the same time, Gail turned on the record player, and suddenly, soothing music came from the copper speakers.

"very good already"

Quentin picked up his glass and took a sip, "There are authentic French dishes, as well as wine and music. God, I thought I was in a high-end restaurant in Paris right now."

“I have never been to any fancy restaurant”

While Dorian was speaking, he tore off a small piece of bread, dipped it in his own portion of onion soup and threw it into his mouth rudely, and continued vaguely, "But this must be the best thing I've ever eaten. It's time to eat."

"We can take a Finnish sauna later." Wei Ran pointed to a door not far away, "It's much more comfortable than the tub we used back then."

"Victor, you really look like a Finn." Quentin blinked, "A Finn who loves to take a shower."

"There is nothing more comfortable than taking a bath in this kind of ghostly weather."

Sitting in his own seat, Wei Ran raised his wine glass and said, "Not to mention, the Finn who invented the sauna is definitely a genius."

"I tried it before." Quentin also picked up the wine glass, "I feel like I'm about to be steamed, but it's really comfortable after washing, just like Victor said, the Finn who invented the sauna is definitely a genius. "

"He must be a genius who can enjoy it." Dorian had already poked a fork with a fork and took a bite of the venison steak covered with thick soup while speaking, and then took another big mouthful of wine.

Gail also picked up the glass, "We have a long time to enjoy everything here."

"We can't just enjoy"

Quentin refilled everyone's glasses with wine, and said in a serious tone, "We need to take advantage of this time to prepare well."

"What are you preparing for?" Kang Tan looked at Quentin who was sitting opposite and asked.

"Of course it's a preparation for the rest of life"

Quentin finally filled his glass with wine, "I once asked the fur dealer Eero about the attitude of the Finns towards the Jews. According to him, both the Finns and the Germans stationed here seem to ignore For the Jews, neither any decent arrests nor restrictions and distinctions were carried out.

So as long as we try to look as Finnish as possible, we should be safe when the Germans leave here.Of course, even if the Germans finally occupy here, we can continue to live as the fur merchant Eero and his partners. "

"Looks like a Finn?" Dorian looked down at his slightly ill-fitting clothes, "Don't I look like a Finn?"

"It's not just clothes." Quentin looked at Wei Ran without warning, "Victor, teach us Finnish!"

"Finnish?" Everyone including Wei Ran looked at Quentin.

"Yes, Finnish"

Quentin took it for granted, "We have to learn Finnish, as much as we can before spring comes, and even get used to the Finnish way of life, such as sauna."

"This is not an easy task." Gail said with a bitter face, "I have learned German with you for several years, and only learned 'tip' and 'thank you', and 'this is the menu we recommend today' .”

"Then you have to work harder this time." Quentin said with a smile, "This is related to whether we can survive in Finland."

"Quentin, what if I can't speak Finnish?" Wei Ran put down his glass and asked.

"And if you don't either?"

Quentin spread his hands, "If you don't know how, I left the last two people at the beginning. As long as we separate them, we can learn Finnish as well."

"Is this what you planned a long time ago?" Kang Tan looked at Quentin strangely.

"Before deciding to kill those last two people"

Quentin said and raised his glass, "Come on, let's have one last drink as French."

After everyone around the dining table looked at each other in blank dismay, they also picked up their cups.After drinking a glass of wine, Quentin immediately changed the topic, obviously not wanting to explain too much.

After eating a sumptuous meal with their own minds, everyone took a short rest, and at the invitation of Wei Ran, each took a big towel and got into the hot sauna room.

"It's so hot here, I can hardly breathe." Dorian said a little uncomfortable.

"Soon you won't think so." Before Wei Ran finished speaking, he had already poured a large spoonful of water on the stone stove in the corner.

With the sound of "嗤", thick water mist and a faint smell of ozone rushed towards the face, and the small sauna room became hazy, and beads of sweat soon formed on everyone's bodies.

"This should be the hot bath required in the return mission."

Wei Ran, who was sitting in the corner, looked at the other people and muttered to himself, and then thought that the so-called candid photo of a group photo might only be counted if Quentin was included.

However, judging by the joyful faces of those people, it is obvious that now is not the opportunity to take a sneak shot.Thinking of this, he temporarily put down his thoughts, poured a large spoonful of water on the stove again, and joined their topic in the steaming water vapor.

"Brother Quentin, when do you think the war will end?" Dorian asked Quentin while wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, "I mean, it will end completely."

"I'm afraid it will take a long time"

Quentin's eyes showed a hint of bewilderment. Although he is smart and his vision is precise, he cannot escape the limitations of this era, and his tone is also full of undisguised negativity, "Even if the war is over, I am afraid that Germany will also occupy a large territory, at least France will be much smaller."

"You mean, Germany will lose?" Wei Ran asked with great interest.

"Maybe there will be peace talks."

Quentin expressed his point of view in an unpredictable tone, "Occupying so many countries, they have already won. As long as the conditions are negotiated, maybe Germany will be several times bigger than before the war."

Dorian's expression became more hesitant and frightened, "I don't know what happened to my parents, and whether they were captured by the Germans. I heard that all the guerrillas captured by the Germans were captured by the Germans." Shut up in the house and burned to death."

"Ugh"

Quentin shook his head, "My son has already been killed by the Germans, what's the use of killing such a young child?"

"My wife and daughter were also taken away"

Kantan's tone was full of sarcasm, "I'm not a Jew, I'm not a Gypsy, and even my wife and daughter didn't join the guerrillas, just because I didn't pay enough taxes, they used me to do it for General de Gaulle. Our family was arrested for the crime of passing leather shoes.

I really don't know what will happen after such absurd Germans rule the world. They can't order everyone to walk barefoot. "

"I'm so much more relaxed"

Gail said indifferently, "My mother died of tuberculosis before the war started. I'm afraid even the Germans wouldn't bother to touch my bad gambler dad."

"Stop talking about these sad things"

Wei Ran poured a spoonful of water on the stove again, changed the subject and asked, "We can change the angle. If the war is over and Germany is completely defeated, what are you going to do?"

"If there is such a good thing."

The first half of the sentence of Kang Tan still had a little spirit, but he hesitated for a long time after finishing speaking, and finally said lonely, "Even if there is such a good thing, I will definitely go back to find my wife and daughter, and if I can't find it, I won't." know how to live."

"I don't plan to go back," Quentin said unexpectedly, "My son is dead, and my wife has abandoned me."

"Are you going to stay in Finland?" Gail pressed.

Quentin nodded, "If I can learn some Finnish, I'm going to stay, even if I can't, I'm going to stay as a mute."

"Why?" Gail became more and more puzzled.

"Why else?"

Quentin spread his hands. "No one here knows I'm Jewish, and probably no one will make me take off my pants to see if I'm circumcised, so why not stay and start over?"

"In that case, I'll stay too."

Gail said without thinking, "As long as I don't tell, no one here will know that I have half gypsy blood. Quentin, you will definitely continue to open the restaurant by then, right?"

"Dining room?"

Quentin's eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed immediately, "I don't plan to open a restaurant anymore, I just want to be a fur merchant. Otherwise, even if I don't need to take off my pants, people will know that I am French."

"You will definitely need a buddy by then, right?" Gail asked happily.

"Yes, I definitely need a buddy." Quentin smiled, "But you have to learn some Finnish first, and it can't just be a tip, thank you, and this is the fur we recommended today."

Quentin's statement immediately made the rest of the sauna room laugh, and Gail scratched the back of his head and said, "That depends on what Victor is willing to teach us."

"I will definitely teach you the three sentences just now." Wei Ran teased, dumbfounded.

After the joke, Dorian murmured, "If the war is really over, I still plan to go back to France. If my parents are still alive, I plan to learn some crafts, such as carpentry or something."

"Why do you intend to be a carpenter?"

'That's what I thought when I was in the shelter'

Dorian explained to Gail who was questioning, "I found it interesting to play with the wood, so I will probably be a carpenter in the future. However, if my parents are dead, maybe I will come here to find you , then you have to give me a job."

"We'll take care of you when the time comes"

Quentin patted his chest to make a promise, and then he looked at Kang Tan who didn't know what he was thinking, "Uncle Kang Tan, if I mean, come here too, you still owe me a pair of shoes."

"Let's talk about it later"

Following Wei Ran's example, Kang Tan poured a spoonful of water on the stove, "But it's fine to learn Finnish as you mentioned before. I'm getting old and my brain is not so good. Of course, I will definitely give you Makes a pair of boots that are warm enough."

(End of this chapter)