Far away in Moscow

Chapter 52 The Eve of Victory Day

From winter to spring, it's been more than two months in a blink of an eye.The chopping skills of the two have made great progress, and they have been able to handle some cheap ingredients with ease, and gradually got used to the rush rhythm of going to class during the day and working part-time at night.

Until half a year ago, they lived a carefree university life, but now they have to work hard between the classroom and the kitchen.Sitting at the desk during the day and talking about exotic customs with high-nosed and deep-eyed classmates, and standing in front of the chopping board at night and talking about the inheritance of Shandong cuisine with a chef with a strong local accent, it seems to be living two completely different lives.

After going on like this day after day, Hu Yi gradually became a little bored. He tied up his apron and put on his hat every day, and just kept chopping, chopping, chopping, ding-ding-ding-dong-dong-dong. It is extremely boring to be in a daze with cigarettes.

However, Li Baoqing remained full of energy, and usually rushed to help others with some chores such as moving and cleaning after finishing the work on the chopping board.Occasionally, when I have free time, I can watch the master chefs cooking, ask Lao Wei for some experience, and I can't help but be eager to find an opportunity to show my skills at the stove.

If someone is willing to do it for you, the masters will naturally be happy.But it is absolutely impossible to ask him to cook for the guests. He can only mix a simple cold dish occasionally, or help everyone prepare dinner.

The working meal of the back kitchen is usually to mix the leftovers of the day and stir-fry and stew casually. It is not too particular, but usually several master chefs take turns to cook, no matter what kind of dish they can cook.

Li Baoqing, a raw melon egg, has no rules, and under the guidance of Lao Wei's wordless guidance, he can barely make a good fry.The big guy didn't care about the taste, and he praised him every time, which made Li Baoqing feel very flattered.

In all fairness, this job is not too hard, but the salary is really pitiful. Even if I take care of one meal a day, I can't save much money in a month.Although life is not considered tight right now, but thinking that there will be little left after paying all the expenses in the new semester, Hu and Li still try to save food and clothing as much as possible, and frugal everywhere.

Being frugal isn't just about spending money.Since there is no free time during the day and night on weekdays, the rest time on weekends is even more precious.In the past, they slept in the dormitory every weekend with their heads covered, waking up in the sun, but now they cherish this rare opportunity to go out and wander around during the short spring.

There is a Chinese saying: In February and August, people dress indiscriminately.It means that in February and August of the lunar calendar, the weather turns warm and cold, and people wear thick and thin clothes.This sentence is also applicable in Moscow, but the months need to be changed.Now it’s May, and the weather changes from hot to cold. Sometimes the spring is cold and sometimes warm. People who are afraid of the cold are still tightly wrapped in fur, but those who are resistant to the cold have changed into shirts early.

This year's Labor Day holiday just happened to be on the weekend, and a few days later it was the Victory Day of the Great Patriotic War in Russia and the World Anti-Japanese War. Schools were almost on holiday throughout early May.Hu Yi and Li Baoqing heard that various commemorative activities would be held in Moscow on the eve of Victory Day, so they planned to go to Victory Square to see the excitement.

Zhou Dali did not go with him. He is a very quiet person. When the holidays come, he lies on the bed and reads a few novels brought by Hu Yi from China.Hu and Li knew his temperament, so they didn't force it.

Victory Square is a large square built to commemorate the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. Its area is several times larger than the most famous Red Square in Russia, and it is extremely magnificent.Today is a beautiful spring, and it is another Saturday. The square is bustling with people singing and singing. Many people gathered around specially transported World War II tanks and planes to take pictures.

On the other side of the square, several young men and women dressed in national costumes sang and danced, accompanied by an accordion.Not far from them, several tour groups were surrounded by the Arc de Triomphe built to commemorate the Russo-French War in 1812. Tour guides from various countries spoke different languages ​​to tell everyone the glorious deeds of Marshal Kutuzov's defeat of Napoleon.Looking up at the sculpture on the top of the Arc de Triomphe, Li Baoqing couldn't help feeling fascinated by the picture scroll of the era of gold and iron horses.

A loud trumpet sounded under the towering Monument to the Goddess of Victory, and more than a dozen World War II veterans lined up neatly dressed in various military uniforms, with medals on their chests, sang songs of the Great Patriotic War loudly with the accompaniment of the military band.The gray-haired veterans are in their twilight years, but they are all hale and hearty, with resolute expressions, and their sonorous and powerful voices convey the desolation and chill that people who have not been baptized by war can sing, and they are full of victors. joy and pride.

After singing a song, a hunchbacked veteran stared at Hu Yi who was standing opposite for a long time. There seemed to be a little sentimentality hidden in his kind and muddy eyes. Perhaps Hu Yi's oriental appearance reminded him of the foreign friends he met in the past.Hu Yi gave him a friendly smile, trying to outline in his mind the vigorous posture of the old man in the bloody battlefield when he was young, and he couldn't help but secretly lamented that life is short and time is ruthless.

After wandering around the square for two hours and taking a few photos, it was already noon, and the two of them felt a little hungry.In order to save money, they tried not to eat out now, so they took the subway back to the dormitory.

Passing by the Arabic restaurant downstairs on No. 6, I happened to see the bragging Wuga in my class sitting at an outdoor dining table with a sad face.Hu Yiyuan greeted: "Wuga, why are you here?"

Wuga looked up and saw that it was Hu Yi, the sadness on his face instantly dissipated, and he yelled, "Anton? That's great! Come and sit down!"

"Are you looking for me?" Hu Yi stopped: "What's the matter?"

Wuga trotted over to shake hands with Li Baoqing, then turned to stare at Hu Yi: "Anton, are you free tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? Free during the day. What?"

"Great, great! Sit down and talk!" Wuga couldn't help but pull him to the table, and stretched out his hand to greet Li Baoqing: "Come, friend, let's sit together."

The two had no choice but to pull up a chair and sit down. Hu Yi asked curiously: "What's the matter?" Wuga clenched his right fist and slapped his left palm several times: "It's very important, I need help, Azerbaijanis Need help! Tomorrow, can you come?"

"What are you doing for you?" Monk Hu Yizhang was puzzled.

"Fight!" Wuga said with a serious face, "Fight the skinheads!"

"What the hell? Skinheads?" Hu Yi looked at Wuga and smiled: "Then I can't help you. You can find someone else, I'm going back to eat." He got up and left.

Wuga grabbed him and said, "Don't go, isn't this a restaurant? We can talk while eating."

It was lunch time at this time, and the entrance of the restaurant was filled with the aroma of Turkish barbecue. Wuga's proposal made the glutton in Hu Yi's stomach suddenly come out.Li Baoqing also secretly swallowed his saliva, and the two of them exchanged glances, and instantly put the word saving money behind them.

A few minutes later, the three returned to their seats with a plate of barbecue and a glass of beer each.Wuga looked at Hu Yi eagerly: "Anton, listen to me, those skinheads are really bad!"

"That's right, it's really bad." Hu Yi raised a knife and fork, cut a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

"On April 20th, the skinheads injured many of us. So we made an agreement with them to fight face to face at noon tomorrow!"

"You? Who are you referring to?"

"Azerbaijanis, Turks, Chechens, Georgians, and ... a lot. Probably more than 100 people."

The countries mentioned by Uga are located south of Moscow, along the coast of the Black Sea and near the Caucasus Mountains.Since ancient times, the geographical situation in this area has been complicated, with close exchanges between countries and constant contradictions at the same time.Turkey connects the Eurasian continent and has a delicate relationship with Russia; Azerbaijan and Georgia were formerly part of the Soviet Union; Chechnya is now an autonomous republic under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation.

Just as many Latin Americans like to go to the United States to seek a living, a large number of people from the Black Sea countries and the Caucasus region also went to Russia to seek opportunities. Over time, they formed a large number of sojourners in Moscow and became targets of skinhead attacks.But these people are tough, brave and aggressive, and they will take revenge when they have revenge. They often organize to fight the skinheads head-on.There have been many conflicts of different scales between the two sides in the past few years, most of which caused mutual casualties. It is difficult to say who will win and who will lose.

"Why do you want me?" Hu Yi shrugged: "I am Chinese."

"The Chinese have been beaten by skinheads too! Now is the time for revenge! There are many of them, but there are also many of us!" Wuga's eyes were filled with enthusiasm: "Listen, Victory Day is coming soon, let We, the people of the world, unite again and beat up these Hitler's disciples and grandchildren!"

Hu Yi looked at his impassioned mouth, and shook his head with a smile: "No."

The corner of Wuga's mouth twitched lightly: "What? Are you afraid of skinheads?"

"Not afraid, but I don't want to go."

Wuga waved his hand embarrassingly: "I knew that the Chinese would not dare to fight skinheads."

Li Baoqing quickly interjected: "The Chinese dare to fight, but we... love peace."

"Well, say whatever you want." Wuga paused for a moment, then showed a mysterious smile: "But you don't need to be afraid at all, we won't be in danger." The revolver was handed to Hu Yi: "Look, what is this?"

"Gun? Where did it come from?" Hu Yi was taken aback, and carefully reached out to take it.This gun is very similar to the police revolver commonly seen in Hong Kong gangster movies. The barrel is not long, and it weighs heavily. The metal parts are cold to the touch, and emit a slightly pungent smell.

Wuga looked at Hu Yi's reaction with satisfaction: "Of course it's mine!"

Li Baoqing stretched his head and looked at it curiously: "Wow, is this a real guy?"

Hu Yi nodded slowly. He is considered a half-military fan and has a certain understanding of firearms, but unfortunately he rarely has the opportunity to get started.Qu Zhilai only touched the guns of his father's police friends when he was a child, played with the shotguns used by his elders to shoot rabbits, and shot targets with Type [-] and Type [-] semi-automatic rifles during military training in junior high school.But this little experience was enough for him to conclude that what he was holding was a real gun.

This conclusion made him feel a little uneasy: "Why do you have to carry a gun when you go to fight?"

Wuga lit a cigarette triumphantly: "Don't worry, it's just for self-defense."

"I suggest you be careful and don't do dangerous things." Hu Yi handed the gun back to Wuga, and persuaded him earnestly: "You are a student, if something goes wrong, it will be very troublesome, it is best not to get involved with them. "

(End of this chapter)