On a rainy night, under the peeled pine trees, the six Weiran people sat around a bonfire steaming with white smoke, hiding under a simple tent built with torn blankets, staring blankly at the copper gourd placed on the bonfire.

, and several enamel jars around the campfire for boiling water and drinking.

In addition to the rainwater, there were also several green pine needles and fir leaves floating in the enamel jar. Although the taste of the boiled water was not very good, it could supplement vitamins.

There is no doubt that this approach comes from Weiran's suggestion.

On the other hand, in the copper ladle that had started to boil, there were not only the pieces of leather straps that everyone had eaten, but also the chopped bark and surface wood chips scraped from the tree trunks.

In order to make this pot of "food" that has almost no connection with the word "food" taste better, Squad Leader Liu generously added a pinch of coarse salt and a pepper to it.

"Let's rest here for a day tomorrow"

Squad leader Liu suddenly said, "Collect some firewood and look for any wild vegetables nearby."

"Then can we still catch up with the large army..." Zhang Erwa said worriedly.

"Catch up"

Monitor Liu said firmly, "No one knows how far we have to go. We don't have enough firewood. I'm afraid we will freeze to death tomorrow night."

So a day’s rest is necessary. It’s rare here to leave the muddy fields and woods to find firewood. I don’t know when I’ll encounter such conditions next time.”

Hearing this, everyone fell silent. It would be a good thing to have a day's rest and let the feet, which were covered with wounds of all sizes but soaked in mud and smelly water, rest.

But everyone is also very clear that they have already fallen behind, and now every second of rest is a step further away from the large army in front.

They know even more clearly that in this vast grassland, falling behind is basically equal to death.

It's just that you die early and die late...

Except for the little lama who could not understand Chinese, everyone else, including Wei Ran, had the same idea in their hearts, but they maintained a tacit understanding and did not speak out about this desperate situation.

After everyone absent-mindedly drank all the pine needle tea in their cups, Squad Leader Liu immediately picked up the enamel spoon and redistributed an equal number of leather straps, a spoonful of bark of the same size, and sporadic pieces into everyone's enamel jar.

A little green wild vegetables.

Wei Ran picked up two pine needles, picked up a piece of bark, blew on it, and slowly put it into his mouth.

Excluding the slightly scalding temperature and the salty and spicy soup, the texture of the bark and sawdust was not much better than the leather belt that he chewed for almost an afternoon before swallowing.

But he couldn't deny that he was really hungry at this moment. Not long after these unpalatable foods were put into his mouth, he subconsciously swallowed them.

When these rough plant fibers entered the stomach pouch through the esophagus with the heat of the soup, he had already taken the second and third mouthfuls into his mouth.

Soon, there were only four belts redistributed to him in the enamel jar.

Compared with during the day, this time because the fuel was sufficient and the cooking time was long enough, the belt had expanded slightly.

Trying to pick up a piece and put it into his mouth, Wei Ran closed his eyes and chewed it. Except that it seemed to be easier to chew, the taste of the belt did not improve at all. Even after cooking it for a long time, the remaining food on the belt

The roots of the hair are somewhat blocked.

In a daze, Wei Ran couldn't help but want to laugh. He actually stuffed his teeth despite the lack of food...

I don’t know if future generations would think it was nonsense if they heard someone say this.

Shaking his head to dispel the absurdity in his mind, Wei Ran swallowed the leather belt that he couldn't chew with difficulty, then stuffed the second piece of leather belt into his mouth, and continued the chewing action in silence.

It took about 10 minutes to finish this dinner, which was not a "good" meal in either sense.

Wei Ran refilled the enamel jar with rainwater, soaked it with pine needles, and placed it beside the campfire. He reached out and picked up his anti-Japanese sword, chopped and pulled back the pine tree crown, and placed the still wet firewood by the campfire in advance, and

The damp clothes are baking together.

As for the pine needles, everyone spread them out in simple tents so that they could sleep more comfortably later.

"Comrade Wei Ran, let me chop wood."

As he spoke, Li Zhuang snatched the anti-Japanese sword from Wei Ran's hand, "It's rare that I have enough food and drink today and enough firewood to burn. Can you play some music for everyone on the harmonica?"

"That's right!"

Zhang Erwa echoed. At this time, he, Nurse Ji, Squad Leader Liu and even the little lama were busy using a knife to remove the rough bark on the surface of the chopped firewood, and then remove the thin inner layer containing starch.

The wood fibers were scraped off and collected into a copper ladle.

Wei Ran did not refuse, and happily gave up the job of chopping wood to Li Zhuang. He leaned against the trunk of the pine tree that protected him from the rain, watched the campfire and played the tunes he could think of.

In the rainy night, apart from the sound of chopping wood and the crackle of the bonfire, there was only the harmonica music that had never been repeated before.

From the "as time goes by" that he first learned to the "Waltz of Flowers" that he first heard after he was able to use the metal book to enter various historical fragments.

Even the songs he played while living with the hungry children in Leningrad, as well as the songs he played for the Red Army soldiers around him a few days ago, and even the songs he heard in later generations, all of them were memorable and could be played.

of songs.

"You know so many songs"

Just when Wei Ran finished playing a piece that he had heard countless times at sports meets during his student days, Nurse Ji couldn't help but say.

"yes"

Zhang Erwa, who had taken over the job of chopping wood, stopped her work temporarily and asked curiously, "Comrade Wei Ran, why did you become a porter?"

"I can only play the harmonica, but I can't sing or play other instruments."

Wei Ran explained matter-of-factly, "But I am relatively strong and am naturally suited to be a porter."

"It's a waste for a person like you to be a porter," Squad Leader Liu said subconsciously.

"I like being a porter"

Wei Ran said quite seriously, "Besides, there is no distinction between high and low in revolutionary work, so I don't think there is any waste."

Hearing this, Squad Leader Liu and others opened their mouths, but ultimately did not continue the topic.

Similarly, Wei Ran, who was afraid of becoming "valuable", also put away his harmonica, took the job of chopping wood back from Zhang Erwa's hands, and vigorously wielded the anti-Japanese sword to chop pine branches again and again.

Prove that you are indeed strong.

While everyone was busy, although the icy rain never stopped, they chopped the entire crown of the tree they pulled back into pieces of firewood, and carefully scraped off the bark and trunks.

The layer of fiber in the middle was filled with copper ladles and flaming kettle cups.

Even the tent was covered with a thick layer of roasted pine needles. That night, Wei Ran and others slept extremely comfortably by the bonfire that burned all night, and the copper ladle beside the bonfire also stayed up all night.

Boil the bark.

Only Squad Leader Liu would get up from time to time, add some firewood to the bonfire, and add an enamel jar of cold rainwater to the copper ladle.

When Wei Ran woke up, he even mistakenly thought that he was camping in the habitat that was once his own on the outskirts of Kazan.

After rubbing his face to let himself fully recognize the reality, he noticed that besides himself, there was only the little lama who had not yet woken up in the small tent.

Putting on the thatched vest that covered him, he quietly left the tent that was not very warm and the bonfire that was still burning. He put on his bamboo hat and walked in following the footprints and the faint smell of corpses.

deep in this pine forest.

Although the rain still did not stop at this time, the intensity of the rain was much lighter, and the sky was already bright. He could see clearly that wherever he looked, the bark of every tree had been peeled off, and some of them even

All that was cut down was a tree root less than half a meter high.

From time to time, he could still see obvious signs of camping.

Continuing to walk inside, he saw Squad Leader Liu and others taking off their hats to pay their respects, and... in front of them, the bodies of more than a dozen Red Army soldiers were sitting around with their backs against a big tree.

These Red Army soldiers were either covered with gauze or even homespun cloth, or they were lying on crudely made stretchers.

But without exception, they all wore their worn-out military uniforms very neatly. This neatness didn't mean that every button was fastened, and it didn't mean that they all wore military caps but no leggings.

What's more, they don't have anything that looks valuable on their bodies. There are no straw sandals, belts, weapons and ammunition, and even except for the Red Army bamboo hats sitting under them, there is nothing superfluous.

Apart from...

Except for the only pine tree the men were leaning against that hadn't had all its bark stripped off.

A piece of bark about one meter long and ten centimeters wide was cut off from top to bottom at eye level of this tree, revealing a long red trunk.

On this almost dried tree trunk, there is a sentence...a will written in neat and beautiful black charcoal characters.

"Comrades, don't be slowed down by us sick and wounded, pick up weapons and keep moving forward! Go and drive away the invaders, save the people, and build our country so that all oppressed people can live with dignity!

"

"stand at attention!"

In the pattering rain, Squad Leader Liu roared hoarsely, "Salute——!"

"Whoa!"

In the pattering rain, squad leader Liu, Li Zhuang, Zhang Erwa and nurse Ji Chunlan, who were holding bamboo hats, raised their arms in unison.

"Thanks..."

Wei Ran murmured silently, and at the same time, he took out his camera and adjusted it as quickly as possible. Before Squad Leader Liu and others put down their arms, he opened the door for them.

When Squad Leader Liu and others put down their arms, Wei Ran also put away his camera and walked over.

"Comrade Weiran"

Seeing him coming, Nurse Ji, who was already in tears, almost begged and said, "Can you take a photo of them?"

"able"
To be continued...