"where to go."

"Go home."

The commander gave a wry smile and closed his eyes. He had a premonition that everything would end, and maybe their dream was their home.

It rained tirelessly, as if to wash everything in the world. At this point, Vaskov, who had been tracking, stumbled to the lake.

The lake is vast, even the sky is the same color. Standing by the lake, you can see the Liao Tofu Temple not far away. Vaskov's eyes popped up with stinging eyes-messy footprints on the muddy road.

He pulled out his pistol, took one last look at the pistol with only one bullet in the barrel, then waved fearlessly and stumbled towards the monastery. Vaskov saw at a glance the bodies of two German soldiers beside the drilling platform. He wiped the rain from his face and thought absently? Walking underwater, I walked past the bodies of Germans and tripped over the dilapidated iron gate of the monastery.

Hearing footsteps outside, the commander curled up in fear. The door was violently knocked down, and the torch in the room was shaken by the sudden rushing wind.

Vaskov rushed in with a pistol in his hand: "Hendhoe!"

The sudden blow broke the last line of defense of German soldiers on the verge of collapse. They stared at the gun in Vaskov's hand and hesitated. Vaskov knew he couldn't hold on. The moment he jumped into the house, he chose to retreat. He backed against the wall and stepped back.

"Hendhoe!" Vaskov shouted again.

A German soldier was desperate to pounce on the submachine gun beside him.

Vaskov's gun went off.

German soldiers threw themselves on the ground.

"In accordance with the ga in accordance with! Riagai! "

The death of a German soldier like a bear shattered the last hope of others. Led by the commander, the German soldiers raised their arrogant hands. Vaskov finally leaned against the back wall. The hard wall made Vaskov feel extremely weak. He slipped off the wall and fell to the ground, his hands still clutching the gun.

The German commander looked at Vaskov's tired face, as if there was still hope of luck, but at the sight of the dark muzzle, his hand immediately rose higher. Vaskov cursed in Russian. He picked up the dirtiest words and the fiercest expression. The frightened German soldier had no reason not to do as he said. Vaskov stared at the nearest submachine gun with his eyes. As long as he reaches out, he can touch it, but he really has no strength. He gestured with a pistol and ordered four German soldiers to tie each other's hands with belts. Finally, he called the commander to his side and tied it up firmly.

All this was done safely. Vaskov held the wall, struggled to stand up, staggered over, picked up a submachine gun, and pulled open the bolt. There are enough bullets in the gun to deal with German soldiers. He threw the pistol on the floor.

Five German soldiers looked at the situation in front of them in surprise and anger.

"Go ahead." Vaskov pointed the German soldiers' own guns at them and shouted hoarsely.

Standing in the yard, the German soldiers looked strangely at the night sky like day. It should be night, but the sky is still so bright. The strange sight makes people feel uneasy.

"It's day, night like day." Vaskov chattered away. Looking at the German soldiers who filed out, Vaskov shouted incoherently, "What's the situation? Did you win? Winning ... five girls, a total of * * * five girls, a total of * * * only five! ..... But if you don't want to go there, you're all dead ... Even if my superiors spare you, I'll shoot you one by one myself, personally! Let them judge me and let them go! ……"

German soldiers passed by Vaskov one after another. Although they didn't know what he said, they knew it was an extreme anger enough to kill people. They bowed their heads one by one and embarked on the road of prisoners of war helplessly.

The prisoners walked ahead in dismay, and the German commander secretly looked back at Vaskov's face from time to time. His fear has not passed, and he knows that the Russian soldier may shoot them at any time. Anger can make a person completely crazy.

Vaskov had hardly known how his feet moved, and he felt a burning pain all over his body, which made him in a daze. Still very thirsty, as if the whole body needs to drink water desperately. He tried to stay awake and stared at the prisoner with fierce eyes.

The prisoners lined up and waded across the river. Almost out of the forest. Vaskov blinked wearily, but immediately opened it again, staring at the prisoner's back. He has only one idea. If he really can't hold on, he must do it before he falls. We can't let a German bastard run out of the forest alive.

Vaskov carried the prisoner through the place where Lisa died, and he couldn't help pulling up the latch. Hearing the sound of the latch, the prisoners immediately stood down warily and turned to look at Vaskov in horror. The warrant officer has wobbled like a drunk, but he is still awake. Not now, not yet. Vaskov glanced at the prisoner, then pulled the latch and closed the safety.

Relieved, the prisoners turned around and walked on slowly.

In the silent forest, only heavy footsteps are ringing.

The dawn here is quiet.

Vaskov looked at the back of the prisoner in front and suddenly became blurred. He shook his head quickly and his back became clear again. He looked back at the place where the girls died and muttered silently, "My Rita, Genoa, Lisa, Sonia and garza, I don't know how to tell you that I survived. The day when we meet again is still far away. The war is not over yet. Maybe sometime, your warrant officer will lie down before he can hum. I don't regret it, nor am I afraid to ask you to be my company. Now that I think about it, what a wonderful thing it is ... "Vaskov looked back at the stumbling prisoner, turned back to the forest and muttered," Goodbye, I'll come back to see you later. Lida told me that I must do a good job, do you believe me ... "

He looked back, with big crystal tears hanging on his tired face.

Vaskov finally set out with the prisoners.

This is the last journey. Vaskov felt that he was burning, his body was shaking, and the prisoner's back became more blurred. He shook his head again and again. But in any case, the back is still blurred, and everything around is also blurred. ...

Suddenly, countless Red Army soldiers emerged from the surrounding forests, hills and rivers. They came to Vaskov shouting. Is the major and Kirie nova with large forces are searching for their tracks in the forest. However, Vaskov seems to feel nothing. He staggered forward, passed the prisoners and walked towards the village.

Maria staggered to Vaskov, followed by female soldiers and villagers, and Andre struggled to meet Vaskov with crutches.

There are Red Army soldiers and kind Russian people in all directions. However, all this falls in Vaskov's eyes, and it is a shaking shadow. He couldn't tell who was in front of him, but he just swayed forward.

He staggered past Maria, who covered her face and began to cry sadly.

He walked past Andre, who gave a solemn military salute to Vaskov.

He walked past the female soldiers and villagers as if he were in and out of no man's land.

He still stumbled forward until he reached an abandoned village.

Vaskov finally realized that he was back. He wanted to stop, but he felt a burst of blackness in front of him, and the whole person fell to the ground heavily and fainted.

The Red Army launched a general attack on Germany.

Katyusha opened fire on Berlin. Red Army soldiers rushed into the Capitol and planted the flying national flag on the top of the Capitol.

1945 On May 9, Kars holst, Berlin, in a two-story building of the German Military Engineering School, in front of the representatives of the Soviet High Command and the Allied High Command, German Marshal keitel signed the surrender.

Cheers resounded through every corner of the world, Berlin, Moscow, Paris, London and Washington. ...

The war is finally over.

After the war, Russia's land was in ruins.

However, the survivors did not stop to mourn. They walked out of the pain of losing their loved ones and their homes and devoted themselves to rebuilding their homes with a hundred times of enthusiasm. Bulldozers push down ruins, rollers run over potholes, and young people carry tools and sing cheerful songs to where they are needed.

Every place where Vaskov passed was branded with devastation, but the Russian people revived it and decorated the dilapidated streets with laughter. As long as there are signs of life, there is the possibility of prosperity. This is the power of reproduction.

After many twists and turns, Vaskov finally found his mother's home. He is dressed in a neat military uniform, and he is still a kind of upturned goatee, which has not changed much from what he looked like a few years ago, but he looks a little older. He hung several medals on his chest, but judging from his rank, he is still a first-class warrant officer.

Vaskov walked through the ruins and came to a low house.

In front of the door, Alec is sitting on the ground, watching everyone passing by the door. He should be five or six years old, but he looks younger than his actual age. He always squints at others as if to learn something from them. At this point, his expression reveals a thoughtful look that is inconsistent with his appearance. He held a copper key in his hand and tied it around Alec's neck with a string like a baby.

Alec looked at Vaskov all the way and stopped in front of him, without any panic on his face. He looked at the elderly soldier calmly, and his eyes lingered for a long time on the medal on his chest.

Vaskov squatted opposite Alec, silently watching his every move. Alec's cold precocity made him sad.

"Come with me?" Vaskov said.

"Why?"

"Because I am your warrant officer."

"Warrant officer? What does a warrant officer do? "

Warrant officer fighting.

"I'm not going."

"I know this key."

"My mother's. Her name is Mouche Dakova O 'Shanina. Do you know her? "

"Rita"

"Yes, Rita."

"Where's your grandmother?"

"Dead." Alec's eyes overflowed with transparent liquid. He began to sob, and his dirty little hands wiped his face, leaving traces of light gray.

Vaskov picked up the sad Alec, wiped the tears from his face, and then turned solemnly and walked down the street. We should train this child to be a real soldier, as excellent as his parents. Vaskov thought that Alec should learn the infantry code from an early age and practice goose steps according to the correct essentials. This is the minimum standard to test whether a soldier is qualified. Rita must be very happy to see all this.

Yes, she will be happy.

The 82-meter-high statue of the motherland stands in the highlands of Mamayev, and her sword is about to pierce the sky.

The Volga River winds and flows for thousands of miles. Its rolling waves are like the sound of a beating heart, echoing all the time on the plateau, thump, thump, thump, heavy and full of rhythm, as if from heaven, bringing people to the solemn tomb of the unknown soldier.

Vaskov sat in the car and looked out of the window with a dignified expression.

Time makes people old. Vaskov is really old now, but no one calls him Uncle Warrant Officer in an affectionate and sarcastic tone. Vaskov has frosty hair and a white goatee, but he still stands there proudly. Make Vaskov look like a cocky old fogey.

He is wearing a suit and tie, and his chest is covered with medals. This makes people who have seen it wonder about his story and guess what thrilling legends are behind the medals. But Vaskov seldom mentioned the past and never showed off his bravery to others. He loves his honor as much as his own eyes.

The car is driving on Volgograd Street. It used to be called Stalingrad Street. Further on, you can pass by the preserved ruins of war. The open-air display of artillery and tanks swept by the roadside, but it was enough for Vaskov to feel the familiar years coming quietly, as if a gentle palm brushed away the dust from the memory and re-exposed the yellowed image. 17 1 will make way for underground stations, warehouses and girls. ...

Vaskov leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

The car passed the Volga River. ...

According to Vaskov's orders, the car stopped at the gate of a military camp.

"Please help me find Captain Alik." Vaskov walked up to the guard and said.

The guard said happily, "The captain is getting married today."

"I know, I'm here for the wedding. I am his father. "

"But they have already left." The guard's eyes widened and he was a little at a loss.

"Where have you been?"

"Marriage Registry."

"Then what?"

"Then they will go to Mayev Heights, which is the custom of people here. They will go. "

"Well, I'll wait for them in the highlands."

At this time, at the entrance of the marriage registration office, a group of young people are coming out surrounded by newly registered couples. The groom, Alec, is dressed in a military uniform, and his tall and handsome appearance is particularly conspicuous. The bride is a petite blonde girl, and her crystal eyes have been looking at Alik affectionately. The bird Iraqi looks very cute.

A friend asked Alec, "Why are you wearing a military uniform at this time?"

"My dad." Alik said with anxiety in his eyes: "Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

"Maybe the plane is late?"

Alec shook his head. Someone called everyone to get on the bus, and the bride and groom got on the float under the crowd.

"Alec, next stop?"

"Mamayev Heights," said Alec.

"Dad hasn't come yet?" Asked the bride.

Alec was uncomfortably silent.

"Is he a strange old man?" The bride asked curiously.

"He is a warrant officer." Alik said.

"than you?"

Alec didn't know how to answer, so he was silent.

Vaskov walked into the statue park and set foot on the high stone steps. He walked all the way and looked at the sculpture all the way. Those photos recording the past years suddenly made Vaskov feel sad. When he approached the statue of "Motherland", he seemed to hear his heart beating in his chest.

Vaskov raised his gray head and stared at the huge statue for a long time. Mother's face, the mother of Russian reproductive life. Who does she look like? Like Rita and Genoa? Or Lisa, Gorka, Sonia? They are both alike, but neither of them is. The girls who sleep underground, the women who shouldn't have been involved in the war.

Vaskov is tired. He sat on the stone bench by the roadside and stared at the statue on the rock in front of him. That is the story of Song Weimayev Highland. Vaskov thought, involuntarily involved in the whirlpool of memories. His ears seemed to echo with wartime songs, the roar of guns, and bullets fired by angry anti-aircraft guns flying in the air at enemy planes.

He clearly remembers the train led by the colonel, singing battle songs and heading ahead, staring at his beautiful lover with melancholy eyes. He remembers Genoa jumping in the forest like an antelope, and his submachine gun kept roaring; I remember simple Lisa trudging through the swamp with crutches; I remember Galka jumping on the ground like a butterfly with the gunfire. I remember Sonia reciting Pushkin's poems with distant eyes, as thin as a white-billed duck in spring; I remember Rita groaning in pain under the spruce tree. ...

The past is like smoke, vivid.

The entrance to the sculpture park suddenly became lively with a loud noise. Surrounded by friends, the bride and groom climbed the stone steps. Alec saw Vaskov sitting alone on the bench. He acted quickly and left the bride behind.

Vaskov stood up, opened his arms, and Alec threw himself into Vaskov's arms.

"Dad, you finally came."

"My little eagle." Vaskov holding alik, cried happily. When he saw the bride coming, he asked, "Is this Alik's girl?"

The bride kissed Vaskov affectionately.

"It really hurts." The bride is joking.

Vaskov looked at the happy bride. That hurts. That's Rita's voice. He leaned over and gently touched Rita's forehead. She lay under the spruce tree, showing almost no signs of life, and her eyes gradually drifted. She mentioned Alec.

Vaskov looked gloomy and thought, Rita must be very happy. Alec is married, and he is still a lieutenant.

Noting Vaskov's strange expression, Alik quickly asked with concern: "Dad ..."

Vaskov shook her head and said, "She is a good girl, very, very like your mother."

Accompanied by everyone, the couple walked to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The changing soldiers walked to the tomb of the martyrs with rifles on their shoulders. People watched the changing ceremony solemnly and quietly.

A long open flame burns a blazing torch.

The guards exchanged guns. The relieved guard walked out of the hall in the same posture and pace. The guards on duty stood still, guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier.

The couple put a plain wreath hand in hand in front of the tomb, the bride bowed deeply, and Alik gave a standard military salute to the tomb of the martyrs. Vaskov stared at the scene with tears in his eyes.

Alec picked up the bride and left the martyr's tomb according to the custom, only to find that Vaskov still stood in front of the tomb and refused to leave, as if saying something. He put down the bride and stepped forward gently to stay with his father.

Vaskov felt Alec's big hand clutching his arm, and he looked back at his son. He continued to confide in the tomb of the martyrs in a low voice: "Lida, I am coming to see you. I'm here with Alec. He's getting married today. I came to tell you. Don't worry, he found a good girl.

"Genoa? Sonia, Lisa and Gorka, how are they? Alas, I survived and lived in peace. I regret it and feel guilty. The war took everything from us, but I can't take away my thoughts of you ... "

Alec was silent.

"... these words are said year after year and repeated year after year. Well, it's time for me to sing a song for Lisa. "

Vaskov's lips wriggled, but no one knew what he was singing. But Lisa knows. That song was sung only for her. After the song, Vaskov quietly looked at the burning flame.

"Dad, let's go." Alec said to Vaskov.

Vaskov turned around slowly.

"salute!" The guard saluted the soldier with a medal on his chest.

Vaskov instinctively wanted to reciprocate, and suddenly realized that he was dressed as a civilian. He smiled at the soldiers and slowly left the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The torch burning in front of the tomb seems to be superimposed with the heroic spirit of Lida, Genoa, Sonia, Lisa and Garca. A breeze passed carefully, and Vaskov seemed to hear the girls laughing like birds in the forest again. He stopped and suddenly looked back.

Goodbye, spring of 1942.

Goodbye, girls who sleep quietly at dawn.