War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 512 Unable to find information about joining the army
Contrary to Wei Ran's expectations, the car driven by teacher Dalia did not drive into the urban area, but stopped near an old-looking tube building on the outskirts of the city.

"Take the things in the trunk." While Dahlia spoke, she had already pressed the key to open the trunk door of the car.

Seeing this, Wei Ran hurried to the rear of the car and took out all the things inside.These large and small bags are basically foods such as eggs, fruits, cooking oil, bread, cheese, butter, milk, and ham.In addition, there were several large bottles of laundry detergent, a large bag of unpacked cotton socks, and a woolen coat.

"Teacher Dalia, what are we going to do?" Wei Ran asked with two large food bags in one hand and a paper bag containing clothes in the other.

Darya took out a bouquet of flowers from the rear compartment and put them on the roof of the car, then she took out her wallet, took out a wad of ruble cash from it, and pulled out a slender handle from her waist For the dagger, a slit was cut in an inconspicuous place on a cardboard box with an oven pattern printed on it in the trunk.

Re-pinning the weird dagger on the back of the waist, Teacher Dalia stuffed the banknotes in her hand along the gaps in the cardboard box one by one, and then put the flowers on top, and then put them Holding her in her arms, she explained as she walked into the tube building, "Go to visit an old man I met by accident yesterday, and see if you can help her by the way."

"An old man I met by accident?" Wei Ran caught up with Teacher Dalia in two steps in three steps, "Can you tell me in detail?"

"I passed by here yesterday afternoon," Teacher Dalia said flatly, "While waiting for a red light, I saw an old man fall down."

"And then?" Wei Ran asked.

"Then I took her home, which was on the fourth floor."

Dalia pointed to the upstairs with one finger, then simply put the cardboard box in her arms on the handrail of the stairs, lit a cigarette and explained in detail, "The lady has cancer, and it has only been a few months. can live.

When I asked her if there was anything she could do to help her, she just said that she hoped to be buried with her husband. I probably can't help with this, but I think maybe you can help her. "

"her husband."

"Wait and let her tell you herself"

Daria crushed the cigarette she had smoked twice, then put the cigarette butt into her pocket, picked up the cardboard box again and walked upstairs while reminding, "Victor, I am a cashier in the supermarket at Kazan University ,Understand?"

"Understood," Wei Ran quickly responded.

Nodding in satisfaction, Darya took Wei Ran up to the fourth floor, then lightly knocked on a green iron door, and asked softly, "Aunt Valentina, are you home? I It was Katyusha who brought you back yesterday."

After a while, the sound of opening the door came from inside, and then an old lady in a plain skirt and old shirt opened the iron door.

The old lady, known as Valentina, has gray hair all over her head and age spots on her wrinkled face.Even at the chin, there was a small wound that seemed to have just healed.

"Katyusha, good boy, you're really here." Valentina warmly hugged Teacher Darya, and beckoned her and Wei Ran, who was standing behind, into the house.

Just by standing at the door, you can tell at a glance that this house is not too big. Except for a small living room that functions as a dining room and a kitchen, the only three open doors connect the two bedrooms and the kitchen. a restroom.Through the crack of the door, it can be seen that the bed in one of the bedrooms is already full of large and small cardboard boxes.

Not only that, the furniture and layout in the living room also looked very simple, with a touch of the Soviet era everywhere.The only piece of electrical equipment that can be considered modern may be the stainless steel electric kettle with "made in China" printed on it on the table next to the door.

"God, why did you bring so many things?" the old lady known as Valentina asked in disbelief.

"I said yesterday that our supermarket has a lot of things that are about to expire recently, and I have a good relationship with the boss, so I picked some edible and usable ones and brought them to you."

Having said that, Dalia pointed to Wei Ran again, "In addition, I brought you a history student from Kazan University. If it wasn't for finding him, I would have come here in the morning. Of course, he should It hasn't expired yet."

"Hello, Mrs. Valentina." Wei Ran put down the things in his hands, and hugged the other party politely, "As Aunt Katyusha said, I have not expired."

"Hello too, funny little guy."

Valentina took Teacher Daria with one hand, and Wei Ran with the other, and sat down on the sofa that looked very old but was kept very clean, and asked Wei Ran with some doubts, "Young man, why do I seem to have seen you somewhere?"

"I guess you must have seen him on TV"

Daria took the topic, and while digging out a banana from the grocery bag, peeled it and handed it to Valentina, she explained in a slightly flamboyant tone, "During World War II, the Soviet flag was planted on the Reichstag."

"Oh—! I remembered!"

Valentina looked at Wei Ran in surprise, "I remembered, I did see you on TV, I watch the news every day. Katyusha, how did you invite him here?"

"I am also a student of Kazan University"

Wei Ran smiled and helped to lie, "When I was studying in Kazan, I often went to the supermarket where Aunt Katyusha worked to buy things. She is a very warm-hearted person and often gave me discounts."

"Katyusha is indeed a warm hearted person"

Valentina nodded in agreement, "Thanks to her yesterday, otherwise I might have died on the street."

"I'm just on my way"

Teacher Daria had already peeled the second banana and handed it to Wei Ran, then changed the subject and said, "Aunt Valentina, tell Victor the story of your husband, maybe he If he can help you, he even found that photo, and maybe he can help you find your husband as well."

Valentina looked at Wei Ran expectantly, and after a little hesitation, she sighed and said, "Young man, just listen to it as a story, I have already given up hope. Yesterday I just felt that life was too difficult , I felt that I was going to die, so I couldn't help but talk to Katyusha."

"You don't have to worry." Wei Ran comforted the old lady who looked to be in her nineties, "Maybe I can really help you."

"I am satisfied to have you good children who are willing to chat with me."

While speaking, Valentina stood up tremblingly, declined Teacher Daria's support, and walked slowly into the bedroom. Not long after, she held another hand that was only the size of a palm, but with a red mark on it. The canvas bag of the five-pointed star came out.

"It's probably the only thing my husband left me, and I have no idea what it is."

While speaking, Valentina sat again between Wei Ran and Teacher Daria, and carefully shook out a metal object that was almost covered with pulp from the palm-sized canvas bag.

"Can I have a look?" While Wei Ran was speaking, he had already put a half-eaten banana on the table, wiped his hands vigorously on his pants, and stretched out his hands holding it.

"Don't be so careful"

Valentina said with a smile while putting the thing she took out in Wei Ran's palm, "I've kept it for more than half a century. This thing won't explode, and it's very strong."

"Can you see what this is?" Teacher Dalia asked with a smile.

"firing pin"

Wei Ran looked at the thickness of the bottle cap in his hand, five or six centimeters in length, like a metal piece in the shape of a large cigarette pouch, and after a little hesitation, he added in a very positive tone, "To be more precise, it is T-34 The firing pin of the tank's artillery."

"Are you sure?" Teacher Dalia asked in unison.

"Of course I'm sure." Wei Ran's tone became more and more certain. He had disassembled this thing long before he got the metal book.

He even knew that on the Eastern Front, those T-34 tanks that had to be abandoned due to various reasons, as long as time and conditions allowed, most of the tank crew members would dismantle such a small thing, so as not to abandon the abandoned tanks. used by the Germans.

"I think it should be right, my husband is indeed a tanker"

Valentina took the firing pin from Wei Ran, repacked it into a small canvas bag and explained, "But he didn't come back until the end of the war."

"Can you elaborate?"

Wei Ran thought for a while, and asked again, "For example, which army your husband is in, when did he join the army, and which wars he participated in, and what honors did he win, etc."

Clutching the canvas bag with the striker in her hand, Valentina replied after a moment of silence, "My husband's name is Vadim, which has the same name as the Soviet actor who played Hamlet, but my husband is far inferior to that one." play."

In the middle of speaking, Mrs. Valentina shook her head bitterly, "Maybe you young people don't know who the actor of the same name I'm talking about is?"

Dalia smiled, took over the topic and asked, "Is it the uke actor from the 50 years of the last century? He seems to have won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival, I remember my Mom always liked that actor."

"That's the one"

Valentina smiled, "My husband has the same name as him, also named Vajim, but he is not so handsome, instead he is thin and small."

Speaking of this, Valentina seemed to be lost in memories, and a calm smile appeared on her face involuntarily, "Before the war started, we were all in the countryside of Halko. He was a tractor driver. At that time, I Like Katyusha, she was also a cashier. But at that time, being a cashier was a very enviable job.

Later, the Germans came, and we fled with the army, first to Belgorod, then to Voronezh and Kirov.I have also changed from an enviable cashier to a female garment factory worker who can really produce value.

It was also at that time that Vajim joined the army. Because he could drive a tractor, he was soon assigned to drive a tank—even though one of his feet was congenitally lame. "

"Mrs. Valentina, in what year did your husband Vajim join the army?" Wei Ran couldn't help asking.

"Winter of 42"

Valentina sighed and explained, "Just before the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, he said that he didn't want to continue to be a coward driving a tractor to plow the land behind the scenes. He said that the motherland needed his driving skills. After he joined the army Soon after, I followed the garment factory from Kirov to Kazan. Since then, I have almost lost contact with him.”

At this point in the story, Valentina's eyes overflowed with muddy tears.Trapped in the small and quiet living room, Wei Ran asked softly, "Mrs. Valentin, what's the matter with this firing pin?"

Valentina took the paper towel handed by Teacher Daria and wiped the corners of her eyes, then poured out the firing pin from the canvas bag again, "This thing was delivered to the door by a political commissar who lost an arm in the autumn of 43, he said This is a gift from Vajim to me and my upcoming baby.

He also said that Vajim is still fighting the Germans bravely at the front, and that he has already won several medals.But after that, I never heard from Vajim again, not even the commissar. "

"Didn't the army find out his information at that time?" Wei Ran asked hard-heartedly.

Valentina shook her head, "I can't find it. I asked many people, but they all said that there is no information about my husband joining the army."

"how can that be"

Wei Ran frowned. Although there were indeed loopholes in the management of soldiers in the Soviet Union during World War II, it was absolutely rare that such a person could not be found.

(End of this chapter)