War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 731 First Night
In the recently abandoned military base, the bearded Paulid drove the truck that the Pontiac head nurse had prepared for them, and followed the truck driven by Mikita into the frozen river.

Going all the way along the river, Mikita, the leader, drove the car up to the bank first, and finally stopped beside the two statues that were two stories high.

"Commander Kreich is buried between the statues of Comrades Lenin and Stalin."

While Mikita was speaking, he had already called his little nephew Celcie to take out a shovel from the car and distribute it to everyone. They worked together to clear the snow between the two statues, and finally saw a piece engraved with a five-pointed star and Tombstone with the coat of arms of the USSR.

The epitaph on this tombstone is rather simple, with only one sentence: "Commander Kreich, an ordinary Soviet soldier."

"Seeing that he is still here, I dare not take those things secretly."

Mikita muttered in a low voice, reached out and took out a bottle of vodka from his pocket, opened it and placed it in front of the tombstone which was only less than half a meter high.

"Mikita, when was that abandoned military base established?" Wei Ran asked while taking out a few cigarettes from his pocket and putting them next to the tombstone as a token of his affection.

"I don't know about that. You can ask Baoled." While Mikita threw the question to Baoled, he leaned on the base of Comrade Lenin's statue and sat down in a leeward position, calmly light a cigarette

"Shortly after Khrushchev came to power"

Bao Lide also lit a cigarette and sat down to explain, "After he came to power, the correctional camps all over the country were disbanded, and this was the first to be disbanded, because there were not many prisoners of war left at that time, and most of them were drawn. I went to work in the aluminum mine that Mikita and the others were in charge of.

The soldiers who had previously guarded the correctional battalion did not disband.

Like here, they were all reorganized at the military base we just passed by, where most of the executioners served for a short period of time. "

He had just finished speaking, and Baolid, who was sitting on the base of the statue, also took over the topic, "During Khrushchev's time in power, the main task of this army was to defend the surrounding mines and smelters. We I heard that there used to be a missile unit stationed near here, and this unit was also responsible for the defense work.”

"However, since Brezhnev came to power, the missile unit has been transferred away, and this unit here has also been transferred to Sarampaul." Mikita added at the end.

"So that's the case." Wei Ran nodded.

"Victor, do you still remember the big-breasted nurse who fell in love with the POW?" Paulid asked abruptly, "The nurse who was sent to construction site 501 later."

"Irene?" Wei Ran asked subconsciously.

"You remember it really well"

Baolid muttered with a strange expression, and then he didn’t joke about it, but continued along the topic, “After the death of Comrade Stalin, construction site 501 was stopped, and that girl also used a special method Back to Mine 52."

"She went back to Mine No. 52?" Wei Ran frowned, and asked puzzledly, "What is she going back to Mine No. 52 for?"

"She reported Commissar Krech"

Bao Lide spat, "She made a special trip to Mine No. 52 just to report that Commissar Krech abused prisoners of war and withheld food supplies and wages for prisoners of war."

"She reported successfully?"

"It worked, but not completely."

Baolid took a few puffs of cigarettes, "When she returned to Mine No. 52, most of the prisoners here had already been transferred to the aluminum mines on the west side of the Ural Mountains, and only a few dozen were still here. Do some logistics.

In addition, the political commissar of Krech asked to stay and guard the equipment of the No. 52 mine, so he was not punished too much. "

"Where is the nurse Irene?" Wei Ran subconsciously asked.

"I don't know." Mikita shook his head, "No one knows where she went, and no one wants to see her again."

"If she dares to appear in front of me, I will definitely shoot her five times." Bao Lide, who still had a big beard, said fiercely.

"Uncle Baolid, why five guns?" The young Sercy asked curiously.

"Rules of the firing squad"

Polytone laughed loudly, "It's the rules set by your father, Dr. Goosen, and Commissar Kretch. They are all respectable soldiers. Selsey, you must be as good as your father in the future."

"I will definitely be as good as him"

The young and worry-free Selsey pulled out a pendant made of bullet casings from his neck and shook it, "Although I don't remember my father anymore, I spend almost every day at my mother's or Uncle Mikita's. mouth to hear his story."

"Okay, let's chat somewhere else."

Mikita stretched out his hand for Sercy to pull him up, patted the snow on his buttocks and said, "How about we go to the hospital? Just go to Goosen's former office."

"It's a good place." Baolid also stood up, "We can have a drink there like before."

“Good offer”

Mikita imitated the tone of the other party and responded, beckoning Sercy to get into the cab of the truck with a shovel, and at the same time not forgetting to shout, "Baolide, drive the truck into the hall on the first floor, just like we It was the same as when we went to suppress the riots.”

"understand!"

Bao Lide, who was no longer young, responded with a standard Soviet-style military salute. After Wei Ran got into the car, he immediately jumped into the cab to start the car, stepped on the accelerator and drove straight to the hospital not far away.

Mikita, who was in the lead, drove backwards to the door on the first floor of the hospital, jumped out of the cab with a fire ax in hand, and smashed open the door nailed to the wooden board in two or three strokes. He and Selsey also jumped down, pushed open the door from left to right and blocked it with their bodies.

Amidst the roar of the engine, the truck driven by Bao Lide was the first to drive backwards into the hall on the first floor. After Sercy closed the door, she pushed the front of the car against the door and then turned off the engine.

“We haven't been back here in over ten years”

Polycom opened the car door, and after Mikita also turned off the engine, he immediately said excitedly, "I even brought my whip here."

"Unfortunately, there are no more whipped animals here."

Mikita sighed with some regret, pulled out the TT33 pistol pinned to his belt, and pulled the slide to load the bullet.

There was no need to say hello at all, the young Selsey immediately pulled the trigger of the AKM rifle to the top of the bullet, and stood side by side with Mikita.

"Inspect the building first to avoid any wild animals."

While Mikita was speaking, he pointed to another direction of the corridor, while he himself, covering each other with Celcie, walked towards the direction of the nurse station where Zhuoya used to work.

Glancing at each other with Bao Lide, the two shook their heads unobtrusively. The former pulled out the pistol he received not long ago and loaded it, while Bao Lide put the safety on the long gun in his hand, covering each other, one next to the other carefully He searched in the other direction of the corridor.

"Why have the doors been removed here? There's no furniture left?" Wei Ran asked in a low voice while walking forward with a gun in hand.

"When this place was abandoned, many things were moved to the newly built military base next to it." Baolid's answer contained undisguised regret.

"Why don't they just use the barracks here?"

"There are two reasons"

Polycom pointed to the direction outside, "There are many corpses of prisoners of war piled up in those trenches, which not only smell very bad in summer, but also attract a lot of flies and mosquitoes. In addition, the statues of Comrades Lenin and Stalin are too tall gone."

"I understand the first one, but what does the second one mean?" Wei Ran asked in confusion.

"According to Comrade Khrushchev's request, the statue of Stalin had to be pulled down, and even a statue of Khrushchev had to be built. Of course, it was possible to carve a large enough corn. Anyway, he only asked for the statue of Stalin to be destroyed, not Clearly demand that a statue be erected for him."

"But there is still a statue of Khrushchev in that military base"

While Wei Ran was speaking, he quickly poked his upper body together with the pistols he held in both hands into a room, took a look, then retracted immediately, then poked in for the second time to observe carefully, and then continued, "Maybe I misunderstood No, it's just a corn statue that looks like Comrade Khrushchev."

"It is true"

Baolid's tone was full of sarcasm, "It's easy to knock down the statue of Comrade Stalin, but it's not easy to carve a corn statue as tall as Comrade Lenin next to it in its original position, and because Comrade Lenin stood There, so Comrade Maize must be standing there too.

The Lenin statue and the Stalin statue were completed in a competition between the first batch of German prisoners of war and Japanese prisoners of war sent here under the command of Kreich political commissar.

But that idiot from the countryside, Khrushchev, let go of the free labor. Do you expect everyone to carve a two-story statue of him in this freezing weather? "

Before Wei Ran could answer, Baolid snorted coldly, "It is for this reason that the new military base was not chosen here, and I heard from the execution team members who stayed behind that even Khrushchev at the new military base The statues of Husband were all carved by the dozens of prisoners of war who were left behind by Kreich's political commissar to be repatriated, and it took three months to carve them.

Coincidentally, just as the statue was about to be completed, the nurse Irene, who only had a chest but no brain, brought people here.

Thanks to the fact that they were carving a statue of Comrade Khrushchev, otherwise Commissar Kreich would have been punished. "

"Why didn't she die on the 501 construction site?"

Wei Ran smacked his lips regretfully. A Virgin like Irini is not at fault, but if she is in the same camp as him, she is definitely the first group of people Wei Ran wants to kill.

As for the reason, it is simple. It is a waste of talent for such a virgin not to be sent to God to help, but to stay in the world.

"Then I can only ask the manager of the 501 construction site." Bao Lide had entered the last room while speaking.

After checking to make sure that the windows of the room were still intact, the two immediately turned around and walked back, joined Mikita and the other two, and climbed up to the second floor while covering each other.

"Why was the staircase leading to the third floor bombed?" The young Selsey preemptively asked the question that Wei Ran had wanted to ask for a long time.

"To hide something"

Bao Lide explained with a smile, "When this place was abandoned, the anti-Stalin movement had already begun, but who can guarantee that Stalin will come back to life tomorrow? So those things were all transported together for preservation, and these things were blown up. The stairs were only used as a cover at the time."

"Where is that building?" Sercy asked excitedly.

"You'd better not go there, there are a lot of mines." Baolid reminded nervously, "Captain Mikita, see this little guy."

"Don't worry, Sercy won't run around." While speaking, Mikita raised his gun and started searching the corridor on the side of the second floor where there was no anti-theft sliding door.

Seeing this, the three of Wei Ran immediately chased up with their respective weapons, and helped to check half of the corridor on this floor.

Fortunately, apart from the dust, there were no traces of any wild animals here.

"Selsey, open the door," Mikita said, pointing to the padlock on the anti-theft sliding door.

"immediately"

Selsey hastily closed the safety of the rifle, and after skillfully carrying the gun on his shoulder, he pulled out the pendant hanging around his neck again, and found a shiny key from the leather cord that passed through the bullet case. , and poked it into the padlock keyhole on the sliding door.

"I often take it hunting"

Mikita took advantage of Selsey's time to open the door, greeted everyone and walked downstairs and said, "This little guy's marksmanship is very good, and he is not as short-sighted as his father. This summer, he used SKS The semi-automatic rifle accurately hit a running wild boar from 50 and [-] meters away."

"He might be able to be a sniper in the future." Bao Lide praised, "This marksmanship can be a sniper."

"No, he has asthma." Mikita shook his head. "Congenital asthma is the same as my sister's. Fortunately, it's not too serious. As long as it's not strenuous exercise, there's no problem."

"It's such a pity." Wei Ran sighed, hitting a wild boar from a distance of 350 meters, this is really a talent.

“It's nice not to join the army”

Mikita was extremely satisfied. He opened the canvas curtain at the back of the truck and pulled out a wooden box full of supplies. "When we find those gems, I plan to make him a jeweler."

"It seems that you have learned all the crafts from your father?" Wei Ran asked while helping to carry a box, walking upstairs.

"certainly"

Mikita said happily, "I even prepared all kinds of tools, which are now in the basement of Selsey's house. Since Brezhnev announced economic reforms, I have been preparing for this It's over."

Wei Ran opened his mouth and didn't say anything in the end. He just suppressed the powerlessness in his heart, and while listening to Mikita's plan for future life, he helped move the supplies in the two trucks to the second floor little by little.

When they finished their work, Selsey also used a big brush that he found somewhere to simply clean the adjacent rooms, and lit the stove brought up by everyone in one of the rooms.At the same time, heavy snow fell outside the window, and the short day had already been replaced by night.

"The bread I baked on the way is already cooked, everyone eat something first, and then take a rest. Victor, help me open those lunch boxes."

While Mikita was speaking, he had already placed a chopping board on the bed that had just been cleaned, and then put a few roasted big Lebas on it, and cut into finger-thick slices of bread with a knife.

Inexplicably, Wei Ran couldn't help but think of the phrase "The front door is cold and sad, and the eldest is married as a businessman's wife." Although the poem is not so appropriate, the former execution captain Mikita is now more like a middle-aged man. Simple and honest father, if it weren't for the Nagant revolver on his waist, it would be hard to imagine that this man who was cutting bread had killed at least a thousand prisoners of war.

After recovering, Wei Ran opened those hot lunch boxes one by one.Immediately, a strong food aroma wafted from the office, which was slowly warming up again.

Thick red cabbage soup, amazingly calorie Russian stew, beef patty with plenty of ingredients and lamb pilaf that is enough for everyone.

Before Wei Ran could share the meals with everyone, Baolid couldn't wait to set up four transparent glasses on the table, and said while pouring wine, "Selcy, go and sit on the seat on my left, that's your father A place where you are used to sitting. This office is also his, so you should treat us like the master here."

Hearing this, the young Sercy rolled her eyes, honestly changed her position, and extended her hand to the glass that was already full.

"Selsey, you're not old enough to drink."

Mikita, who was busy opening the can, reminded without lifting it, "There is a big bottle of kvass in the box I opened, and that is for you."

"I'm just helping Uncle Victor carry the wine." Selsey showed a polite yet awkward smile, and took advantage of the opportunity to push the cup that had just been moved in front of her to Wei Ran's.

"I can testify that he really wanted to bring me more wine glasses." Wei Ran kindly blocked the young man's knife, "Mikita, why did you bring this little guy here?"

"One of those gemstones belonged to his father, Dr. Goosen, so of course he had to be present." Mikita said of course, "In addition, the head nurse of Pontiac also provided help, although she didn't know the existence of these gemstones. , but I'm still going to give her a share."

"Should give her a copy, after all, she gave us a truck, didn't she?"

Baolid put down the wine bottle and continued, "Selsey, quickly fill your glass with kvass, are you going to let me pour it for you?"

"oh oh!"

Upon hearing this, Selsey quickly bent down and pulled out a glass bottle containing kvass from the box, opened it skillfully, and poured himself a glass.

Seeing Mikita looking at him, Wei Ran spread his hands, "Of course I have no objection."

"Let's eat"

Mikita smiled, put the pickled cucumbers he had just taken out of the canning jar on a plate in the middle of the table, picked up the cup and said, "The first cup, for our return to mine No. 52, cheers!"

"Cheers!" Including the first time here, no, no, no, strictly speaking, even Selsey was not the first time here, but he was not born at that time.

Regardless of whether it is the first time or not, in short, everyone including Selsey raised their glasses and drank the wine or kvass in one gulp. It seems that everything is the same as it was 15 years ago too much difference.

Mikita picked up the wine bottle and poured wine into the three glasses except Celsi, "The second glass of wine, to those gems that have been waiting for us for 15 years, cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone responded loudly again, drank up the wine in the cups, and then reached out to pick up a pickle and sniffed it at the tip of their noses, and then threw it into their mouths.

"Third glass of wine"

Mikita smiled, "For our better life in the future. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone responded again and drank the wine in the glass for the third time.

Obviously, these three glasses of wine were just the beginning. In the next hour or so, Mikita and Baolid each drank a whole bottle of vodka, and even Wei Ran was forced to down half a bottle of wine.

Satisfied with food and drink, Mikita glanced at the sky outside the window, said after a little thought, "Selsey, after waking up tomorrow, you and Victor will stay and find a way to build a fireplace next door with an oil barrel, by the way Go around and get some firewood back."

"What about you?" Selsey asked while loosening his belt.

Mikita hiccupped, took out a cigarette and lit it, and said slowly, "Tomorrow, Baolid and I will go to the mine to check the situation. Now there is no power supply here, so we only need to find those gems." It will take a long time to be able to go down, but the most important problem is that I am very worried about the inside of the mine and the accumulation of water and even collapse."

"This is indeed a problem." Bao Lide agreed with a frown, "We didn't bring diving equipment."

“Let’s have a headache after seeing these problems on the spot tomorrow.”

Mikita stood up unsteadily after finishing speaking, and said as a matter of course, "Selsey, quickly clean up the table, and then find the sleeping bag. Besides, you will be on duty tonight."

"Oh"

Selsey reluctantly responded, quickly dragged the messy table out, and then carefully cleaned the floor with a big brush, and filled the stove with the coal he brought, and finally Only then did they find sleeping bags for everyone, and adjust the brightness of the kerosene lamp to the minimum.

"It seems that you often make this little guy do things." Bao Lide, who was the first to get into the sleeping bag, said enviously, "It would be great if my daughter was so obedient."

"My daughter is as obedient as him," Mikita said proudly, "even more obedient than Selsey. Victor, how about you? I didn't even ask, do you have children?"

"No," Wei Ran replied with a yawn.

"In this case, you should go to bed early." Mikita said proudly, "You are not qualified to join our conversation."

"I'm not interested in joining your conversation"

Wei Ran glanced at Sercy who was sitting on the chair by the window one last time, yawned and got into his sleeping bag.

　On this day in 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. In the 14 years of arduous war of resistance against Japan, more than 3500 million compatriots were killed or injured. The tenacious Chinese nation never gave up resistance.

　　Countless people exchanged their lives and blood for hard-won victories!
　　Today, we pay homage to our compatriots, remember history, and strive for self-improvement!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)