Soul to the Rhine

Chapter 67 Christmas
Zobet came to Paris not for a vacation, but to follow his superiors to receive honors. As an ace pilot and an air force captain, even if he lost his eyes, he still had high military skills and tough qualities.

At least it's more than enough to train new recruits as an instructor.

Losing a pair of eyes in exchange for the highest honor of the Iron Cross First Class, Rosia didn't know how Zobet was feeling.

When he said he would leave soon, that meant he was leaving without any moisture. He would leave again in less than ten days in Paris.

Before leaving, still in the cafe, Rosia was called out by him to help.

"Bettina seemed to be angry yesterday when she found out I was back and didn't go to see her." Zobet was a little helpless: "A car will pick me up at 3 o'clock. Can you help me prepare?"

How could Rosia refuse? The two of them spent an afternoon together not long ago. She felt sad for Zobet, a friend who was as young as a boy. At the same time, she also thought that the fate of countless people in the future might coincide with his, or might be worse than this. Worse.

The two walked around the Sixth Arrondissement for a long time and ate a lot of Parisian delicacies. Zobet still smiled brightly, and almost no one could tell that his eyes could no longer see the light.

Reid, who has been following Zobet closely as his lieutenant, is now fully responsible for his life.Zobet booked the cafe. The owner was a little frightened and hung nervously behind the two people the whole time.

In the end, it was Zobet who drove both the shopkeeper and Red out, leaving only Rosia to arrange things.

"You can just sit by the window. I've opened the table on the left a little, so it'll be fine. There's a long-necked white vase on the table with a bouquet of lilies of the valley in it." Rosia told him about the things around her. Items: "The coffee cup is also white, the curtains are light brown, and nothing else."

"Thank you."

Rosia hesitated: "Actually, you can tell her the truth, why bother?"

Zobet shook his head: "It's not because of that. Bettina is impulsive. If she gets angry and causes trouble, you should know who is around here."

Gestapo!

Rosia fell silent.

If Bettina impulsively said something "treasonous" or refuted the war, she would probably get into trouble.

No one dared to challenge Hitler's intelligence machine, including these aristocratic officer corps of the Wehrmacht.

Rosia has never been in love and has little understanding of the so-called feelings between men and women.In the past, she often heard people around her chatting for a long time and for a lifetime, but she didn't feel anything at all.But when she met Zobet today, she suddenly felt that perhaps the most sincere feelings were like this. It was not about being able to give the other person anything, but just being able to think about the other person at every moment.

The appointed time was coming soon, she accompanied Zobet and said a few more words, then got up and went to the innermost part of the store, where there was a glass display window where you could see what was going on here.

It's just that the shopkeeper's expression when he looked at her was no longer natural.

Rosia smiled bitterly in her heart, but she couldn't explain anything.If she could go back in time and do it all over again, she would still do it.Everyone has their own principles. She will hate the German aggression and the crazy cruelty of the Nazis, but this kind of hatred can never be implemented personally, let alone people who have never hurt you or even help you.

She unfortunately lives in a German circle, and even her only relative is German. These things are simply unavoidable.But she was also lucky. No matter what dangers she experienced, she was still alive, and many German soldiers around her were helping her and being kind to her.

She could never be ungrateful enough to make a profound distinction.

Not long after, Bettina came.Not far from the street where the cafe is located is a fountain square with many white doves there, just like its meaning, peace and tranquility.

Bettina wore two pigeon feathers, and wondered what life-and-death struggle she had with those birds as she crossed the square.

Zobet sat quietly in his seat and smiled at the right time when footsteps sounded around him.Rosia couldn't hear what the two said, but she could tell that Bettina didn't notice anything unusual.

"Where are you going this time? I'm going to ask the colonel for instructions to go with you."

"Stop making trouble, you are from the Army, what are you doing with me?"

"Why not? I can definitely do logistics. Don't your air force need snipers? I can help you." Bettina was determined.

The expression on Zobet's face disappeared: "We are all for the empire. We have sworn an oath from the beginning, and are willing to fight with the head of state until the end, giving up our loyalty and lives. What does it matter where we are, even if you and I Together, I will dedicate everything to the empire."

Bettina's hands on the table were clenched into fists. She pursed her lips tightly and wanted to say something, but the faith imprinted in her bones and blood sealed her thoughts. In the end, she had to give up: "Then, at least, don't Be a hero."

"Bettina, the duty of a soldier is not to understand anything, but to execute orders and make sacrifices." Zobet smiled: "You know, on the battlefield, every day may be the last day."

Therefore, he cannot make any promises.

Bettina narrowed her eyes. At first glance, she looked a bit like Heinrich.Rosia watched from a distance, but she couldn't hear any sound. She only saw Bettina knocking the small white vase on the table to the ground with a wave of her hand, making a distant shattering sound.

The cafe owner behind her shrank involuntarily.

"...Don't be angry. Did you burn your hand?" Zobet asked subconsciously.

Bettina's forbearing expression suddenly froze because of these words. She frowned and looked at the debris on the ground, then raised her hand and waved it in front of Zobet.

"you……"

Zobet didn't notice anything. He was silent for a moment: "I will leave in a while. This time I am going back to Berlin. There is no danger. You don't have to worry."

Bettina's lips trembled a little. She suppressed the emotion that was about to burst out of her chest and asked him: "Zobet, do you think I look better in military uniform or in my casual clothes today?"

Zobet was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "You look good in what you wear today."

Bettina's hand hanging in the air couldn't suppress the trembling. She bit her lip tightly, a trace of blood overflowed, and her eyes suddenly turned red.

She was wearing a military uniform because she had a mission today.

Zobet, she is out of sight.

Rosia couldn't hear the sound in the window, but she could see the profiles of the two people, and saw that Bettina was out of control and now crying.

This strong woman in her mind suddenly shed tears in the cafe while shaking her hands.At this moment, she also understood that Bettina discovered the problem with Zobet's eyes.

A sour breath rose from her chest and rushed up, and she felt that her nose was also sore.Unable to bear to look at those two people anymore, Rosia pursed her lips and turned around, but tears fell down in an instant, and her face burst into tears under the strange gaze of the coffee shop owner.

She didn't cry the moment she found out that Zobet was blind, because her feelings were not deep enough and because her position was different.But now, through Bettina, she suddenly saw countless poor women waiting at the rear. They shed all their tears behind the scenes for the countless fathers, sons, husbands, lovers, and friends who went to the battlefield, but could not wait for anything. .

So many people have sacrificed their lives for this war, and so many people have spent their youth waiting.In the end, what benefits did this losing war bring to Germany?What results did you get?
Apart from blood, tears and despair, Rosia could not think of anything else.

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, a military vehicle drove up outside the cafe on time and sounded its horn.The time he told Zobet was exactly right.

Zobet said something, but Bettina didn't move, so he picked up the hat strap that was placed aside, turned around silently and went out.

An officer got out of the car, patted Zobet on the shoulder, then they both got in the car and left.

Rosia couldn't understand what Bettina must be feeling at this time. Anyway, she was only sad, regardless of her position or nationality. She just felt sad in advance for the separation of the young man and woman and the unimaginable life in the future.

When she returned home, she looked back again and saw not only the empty cafe, but also the disdainful and disdainful look of the shopkeeper.

Her heart suffocated and she felt even more uncomfortable.

Although she had known for a long time that she could not hide the fact that she was interacting with the Germans, and she also knew that she could not stay in Paris for long, she had not thought about any countermeasures or how to live in the future. This time she accepted such an unexpected but reasonable decision. After catching her eye, she suddenly felt that there were some things and some escape routes that she should prepare early.

The weather in Paris is getting colder and colder, and when it gets extremely cold, Christmas is here.

For a Chinese soul, Christmas is a completely insignificant holiday.But for Europeans, this is the biggest day of the year.

Whenever Rosia thinks of the last Christmas, she will think of the scenes of countless Poles being shot on the order of Heinrich, of Henry dying in the heavy snow, and then of Bello, the dead head nurse, and countless others who are still alive. The people who died in front of her were also the Jewish girl Lisa, whose whereabouts are still missing.

Christmas is a sad day for her.

But this could never stop Aunt Mesa's enthusiasm. She was dug out of the quilt by Aunt Mesa early in the morning, cooking a big meal, baking snacks, and decorating the Christmas tree with Werner.

She hasn't gotten up so early since December, and now she has dark circles under her eyes like a panda. With her eyes closed and her hands on her face, she can fall asleep standing up.

Aunt Mesa said to her funny: "Didn't you go to bed very early on Christmas Eve last night? Why are you still so sleepy?"

Rosia groaned in pain: "Aunt, don't you know me? I get sleepy when I get cold. Just today, I can sleep until the day after tomorrow."

"Heh, then you can't make it through Christmas?"

"But, I am one of the... uh, sneeze!"

Rosia couldn't help but sneeze, rubbed her nose, and reluctantly opened her eyes to look, only to see that Aunt Mesa had been sprayed with flour on her face, and her expression froze.

Pino held the little-faced man at the side and couldn't help laughing: "A white-skinned ghost, my aunt is a white-skinned ghost."

Aunt Mesa knocked him on the head and said: "You are a brat. Go out and play with your brother Werner. Don't delay me here."

"do not want!"

Rosia yawned profusely and glanced at the small man in his hand: "Pino, what are you pinching?"

"It's brother Heinrich. Sister, do you look like him?" Pino ran over as if he was offering a treasure.

Rosia was sleepy and cold early in the morning, and she was already uncomfortable. But when she heard the name, she woke up with a start.

The small-faced man in his hand was tall and thin, wearing a uniform, a military cap on his head, and a gun in his hand.The face can't be seen clearly, but the flat, ghostly appearance is very vivid.

Rosia felt very cold, and she couldn't help but ask: "Why are you pinching him when you have nothing to do?"

"No, I pinched them. Look, this is you." He took a few more small-faced figures from the table and pointed them out to her one by one: "Aunt, brother Werner, and Pino."

Pino is very talented in sculpture and carving, and he can create several small figures vividly.However, Rosia said she could not understand his behavior of treating Heinrich as one of his family members.

She and Aunt Mesa cooked a big meal together. It was so rich that the four of them probably couldn't finish it in three days.In fact, the main force is still Aunt Mesa. With her level, she can only play a low-level role.Werner has simply finished setting up the Christmas tree, and the other things are almost ready.

Aunt Mesa looked around the house and was very satisfied with the layout. She clapped her hands and asked Werner: "Why hasn't Heinrich come here yet?"

"He has a mission today and may not be able to come."

Aunt Mesa couldn't help complaining: "What kind of mission? I can't even celebrate Christmas."

It must be a Nazi mission, and given Heinrich's position, it was obvious at a glance that he was up to no good.Rosia knew he couldn't come, and she almost danced with joy.

Werner went back to the room to get several gift boxes and gave them to them one by one as Christmas gifts.Aunt Mesa also prepared gifts, and even Pino made a few small carvings.Only Rosia didn't take Christmas seriously and didn't prepare anything. It was awkward to be watched by three people at this moment.

"Well, Christmas is never celebrated in China, so I forgot about it...but it will be the Chinese New Year soon, so I'll prepare gifts then, okay..."

Aunt Mesa couldn't see her trying to take advantage of her, so she also knocked on her forehead. At that moment, the doorbell rang, and she ordered: "Then I'll punish you to open the door and see if God has come."

Rosia quickly turned around and drove away, thinking that the person standing outside was more likely to be an alien than a God.

It didn't snow in Paris today, but the postman's body was covered with cold air. He stamped his feet at the door, rubbed his hands, and breathed into his hands from time to time.Seeing Rosia come out, he handed over an envelope.

"Thank you, this is?"

The postman was a German. He was not afraid of the German officers living in this apartment. On the contrary, he was very enthusiastic: "This is a letter forwarded from Berlin. It belongs to Mr. Philinos's house. Is this the right place?"

From Berlin?Rosia was a little surprised. Werner's last name was indeed Felinos, so was this a letter to him?But don’t all armies have numbers? How could they be transferred from Berlin?
　It's a bit late. What time do you want to update? I'll set a time.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)