Arc of Gunfire

After leaving the cemetery, Wang Zhong remained silent in the jeep.

Vasily sighed: "How about I switch seats with Nellie in the car behind me?"

Wang Zhong: "Why?"

"I just think this will make you feel better, General."

Wang Zhong: "I'm in a good mood, but I suddenly remembered a lot of things."

He looked at the field next to him and watched the troops entering the field.

This was half true. He was silent just now mainly because he was observing the ground situation from a bird's-eye view, but he was indeed distracted when he was looking down, and remembered a lot of things two years ago.

Ivan is a guy that people can't hate. If you get along with such a guy, you will soon become friends.

In the past two years, Wang Zhong has lost more than one friend, Ivan. Taking the opportunity of mourning Ivan, he suddenly recalled many faces.

For example, the gunner of the first generation of tank No. 422 - the T28.

I don't know how the gunner's old mother, Aunt Alexeevna, is doing now.

Thinking of this, Wang Zhong said to the driver: "When you enter the city later, take a detour to No. 43 Krugen Street."

Wang Zhong has always remembered this house number.

But the driver replied in embarrassment: "I am not Mrs. Agsuko, I don't know where this house number is?"

Sergeant Major Gregory: "Then let me drive! You keep watch."

Vassily: "No, no, no, it's only useful if you keep watch. None of us can protect the general. I'll drive, I know where it is. Come on, stop by the roadside!"

The driver drove the car to the roadside and stopped.

The jeep behind immediately stopped beside them. Nellie in the car asked, "What's wrong?"

Wang Zhong: "Let someone who is familiar with the road conditions in Agsukov drive, it's okay."

Vassily turned over the back of the front seat and sat in the driver's seat, looking at Nellie: "You'd better come over. When the general is sad, we can't do anything when the lady is not here."

Nellie: "When entering the city, the people should not see women around the general. It looks too much like an outing. That's why the lady refused to come with us."

Vassily: "Tsk, is it my illusion? Nellie has become even colder after returning from the front. Or is it because I'm married that she is cold?"

Sergeant Major Gregory: "Oh my God, shut up, Nellie is going to get a gun, and I can't stop her from shooting you."

Wang Zhong: "Let's go."

The driver didn't turn off the engine when he got off the car, so Vasily started very fast and almost threw Wang Zhong to the ground.

Gregory was quick-witted and reached over the back of the front seat to grab Wang Zhong's arm, thus preventing a tragedy.

Nellie: "Vassily!!"

Vasily: "Sorry, sorry! Don't shoot me, I'll drive steadily!"

Wang Zhong sat back again and cursed: "If I die in a car accident, I don't know how many people in the future will sigh."

If he died in a car accident, he could sit at the same table with Patton downstairs.

Vasily: "I drove very slowly, I can drive even slower. It's a good opportunity for you to see your hometown."

Wang Zhong sighed and looked out of the car.

Because he didn't inherit the memory, he didn't remember the surrounding scenery very clearly, but even though he didn't have the memory, he inexplicably felt that these scenes were very kind and warm.

There were more and more buildings, and the buildings on the roadside were all covered with bullet holes without exception.

Some of the buildings with minor damage were still inhabited, the windows and other things were repaired, and clothes were hung on the balcony, which was in sharp contrast to the bullet holes on the wall.

The residents were all on the street, welcoming the passing soldiers with flowers and hugs.

Wang Zhong saw an old man holding a bottle of illegal liquor in one hand, drinking and shouting: "Great! Revenge for my son and grandson! Great!"

Of course, there were also people who were out of tune with this ecstatic atmosphere.

For example, an old lady, holding a bust, silently watched the passing troops.

The military chaplain stood next to the old lady, as if asking for details, but the old lady said nothing and just stared at the young man walking on the road.

Finally, the houses on the roadside became more and more dense, and Vasily said while driving: "We are already within the city boundary, I will take the small road to Krugen Street later."

At this time, the jeep passed the wreckage of a Proson tank, which looked like a No. 4 tank, and children were playing on the wreckage.

Wang Zhong: "I seem to have seen this scene many times."

Vassily: "You mean the kids playing on the wreckage of the tank? Yes, we saw it in Yeisk."

Suddenly, he exclaimed: "Filipov!"

After that, he braked and the jeep stopped in front of a group of soldiers sitting on the roadside to rest.

Wang Zhong recognized that the leader of this group of soldiers was Filipov, who helped Vasily complete the sacred war, and smiled: "Hello, Filipov, I'm so happy to see you."

He was really happy. There was nothing better than seeing a familiar person still alive.

Filipov hurriedly stood up and saluted Wang Zhong: "General!"

The beautiful girl who was chatting with him just now asked curiously: "Who is this?"

Filipov: "This is General Rokosov! Even if you don't know him, you should know it by looking at the row of stars on his shoulders! He is the only one in our front with so many stars!"

The girl's eyes widened: "Rokosov? Is this Duke Rokosov? The radio in Yebao always said that he had won a new victory. We all thought he was an old man with a beard! I am upstairs My aunt still holds a portrait of Suvorov and makes wishes to it every day. She thinks the portrait is General Rokossov!”

Wang Zhong smiled and said: "We have just been liberated, so I don't know if I am normal."

In fact, normally he would laugh at this time, but now he can't laugh very well.

Vasily looked sideways at Wang Zhong and sighed quietly.

Then he stepped forward and hugged Filipov: "You are a major too!"

Filipov: "I just rushed to the top. There was no captain with more seniority than me, so I was promoted to major. The boss said that I would go back to study this time."

After Filipov finished speaking, his soldiers complained: "Without Filipov leading us, we might have died in battle soon. His command has saved us from danger countless times!"

Wang Zhong: "At that time, we will mobilize equally experienced officers for you. You are the First Mobile Group Army, and there are many veterans who want to join."

Filipov: "You also heard what the general said, don't complain."

After saying that, he changed the topic, looked at Vasily and said, "I heard that you are married? I didn't have a chance to see what my sister-in-law is like."

"You can also get married while you are studying. I will ask my wife to introduce you. But now the best girls are either nurses or snipers. My wife is a nurse in the hospital, and she has also gone to the front line." Vasily shook his head. , "I hope she is safe. The hospital has always been an important bombing target for the Prosen Air Force."

Filipov: "Let's talk about it then. This war won't be over for a while, right?"

Wang Zhong: "Indeed, it will take at least a year to invade Prosonia."

By this time the news that "General Rokossov was here" had spread, and crowds began to gather. Wang Zhong urged Vasily: "Okay, we can wait until we settle down to reminisce. The army should rest for more than half a month, and there is plenty of time for you to reminisce. Let's go before the crowd gathers."

Vasily nodded, hugged Filipov, and then jumped into the jeep.

When the car started, someone shouted: "General Rokossov! Welcome back!"

Wang Zhong waved to the caller: "I'm back! Fellow folks!"

The crowd cheered.

————

43 Krugan Street still feels the same as it did two years ago.

Wang Zhong got out of the car first, walked to the door of the apartment, raised his hand to knock on the door, but hesitated.

Then the door opened, and the man dressed as a priest who opened the door was talking to the people in the room: "Then I will leave. Madam, you have a good rest. I have many more--who is it?"

The priest met Wang Zhong's eyes.

Then his eyes moved down and fell on his epaulettes.

The priest gasped: "You are... you are!"

Wang Zhong: "I'm here to see Aunt Alexeyevna. Is she okay?"

"Ah, she is okay. She was hit by a machine gun in the shoulder during yesterday's uprising, but overall she is okay. The bullet penetrated the shoulder and did not hit the nerve, so there is no need for surgery... Come in quickly !”

The priest gave way and made a sign to invite him in.

The old man's tired voice came from the room: "Who is it?"

Wang Zhong: "It's me, Madam Alexeyevna."

"This voice... could it be General Rokossov?" There was a sound of someone getting out of bed in the room.

Wang Zhong hurried to the counter in the reception room and saw the old lady getting out of bed and walking over quickly. He said hurriedly: "Slow down! I just came to see you. Why are you injured?"

Old lady: "The Plosans were fighting in front of the municipal building. I saw that they couldn't attack, so I became anxious. Thinking that my sons were all dead, and people like my sons were also dead, I might as well fight with them. Let them fight. As a result, you see, General, the Prosen people don’t want me as an old lady.”

Wang Zhong: "Your other sons may not have been sacrificed yet. I have paid attention to collecting information about them in the past two years, but... there are too many Ant people with the same name, and the situation was too chaotic when they retreated in the first year. Many of them The records and files are all lost, but it doesn’t matter. When the war is over, we will establish a special organization——"

At this time, Gregory shouted from outside the door: "Who are you?"

Wang Zhong stopped and looked at the door. He had a premonition in his heart——

Before he could change his perspective, a strange voice came from outside: "My family lives here! It's you, this major has the adjutant mark on him, right? Which general is here? Why are you coming to my house?"

Madam Alexeyevna almost fell to her knees on the ground, but Wang Zhong grabbed her arm with quick eyes and quick hands: "Madam, be careful!"

When the people outside heard this, they rushed past Gregory's blockage and appeared at the door: "Mom! What's wrong?"

When he saw Wang Zhong, he was stunned: "Uh, general?"

Wang Zhong: "Why don't you come over and help your mother?"

The aunt's son rushed up, climbed over the counter in the reception room with ease, and supported his mother's other arm.

As soon as Wang Zhong let go, the old lady hugged her son and burst into tears.

At this time, the melody of "Faraway" suddenly sounded in Wang Zhong's mind. This was the music played at the end of "The Invisible Guardian" when Xiao Tu and Lu Wangshu reunited in the countryside.

That ending was also Wang Zhong's favorite. Although Xiao Tu lost his identity and no one knew his achievements, the warmth in his arms did exist. Everything had meaning and value because of this warmth and this hug.

At this moment, he had a new and more personal understanding of this ending.

Looking at the mother and son hugging each other, Wang Zhong's tense face finally relaxed, and then he laughed for the first time since entering the city.