Red Moscow

"Georgi, is that you?" The woman stared at Melekhov for a long time when she heard her name being called, "Is it your ghost, or the real person?"

Melekhov opened his arms, "Needless to say, of course I'm still alive."

The next moment, the woman threw herself into Melekhov's arms, wept loudly, and mumbled, "Honey, I finally hope you back, I finally hope you come back!"

Seeing the woman's behavior towards Melekhov, Sokov thought to himself: Is this Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov's fiancée? It was a bit of a coincidence that the two could meet again here. In order not to disturb their reunion, Sokov did not speak, but stood quietly by the side, looking at the two who were a little out of control.

After some time, the two finally separated. Melekhov pointed to the woman who was still wiping tears, and introduced to Sokov, "Comrade General, let me introduce you. This is Vonia..."

Sokov didn't wait for the other party to finish, and asked first: "Is your girlfriend or fiancee?"

Unexpectedly, Melekhov shook his head and said, "No, she is my brother's wife."

"Your brother's wife?" Sokov knew that there is no word for sister-in-law in Russian, so Melekhov would say that she was his brother's wife when introducing her. As for why the woman appeared here, and what she wanted to do with the supreme commander, Sokov was full of curiosity: "Why did she come here, and why did she seek the supreme commander of the army?"

"That's right, Warnia, what are you doing here?" When Melekhov asked Warnia, he took a special look at Sokov: "And why are you looking for the supreme commander here?"

"Georgi, your brother was wounded in the battle shortly after the war broke out. At that time, the troops were in a hurry to transfer. When they saw him lying on the ground, they thought he was dead, so they didn't take him with them." Warnia began Tell your own story: "When he woke up from the coma, he found that there was no living person around except the corpses of the enemy and us. He was injured in his leg at the time and could not walk. He could only run back with difficulty.

It took him four or five days to finally crawl back home. I saw that he was wounded, and quickly bandaged the wound for him. At that time, his wound was already inflamed and he still had a high fever. Fortunately, I am a nurse and know how to take care of him. After about a week, his high fever finally subsided, and the inflammation of the wound also eased. "

"And then?" Melekhov asked.

"Before he could walk again, the Germans occupied our city and began to search out the single fighters and Jews from house to house. I was worried about your brother's accident, so I took him out of the city in a small car overnight and headed east. Let’s go face to face, hoping to find our troops as soon as possible.”

"Then why didn't you continue to move forward when you reached Tultsin?" Melekhov asked tentatively, "If you go forward for two days, you will meet our troops. You can get their help , retreat safely to the rear."

"Georgi, do you think I don't want to leave?" Warnia said with a wry smile, "After I dragged your brother here with difficulty, the child was aborted because of the gas in my tire, so I had to stop and rest." .

I stayed in the temporary residence for two days, and felt that my body was almost recovered. When I was about to move on, I heard the news that our army in the Uman area was surrounded by the Germans. As a result, our way to the east was completely cut off. I had no choice but to stay here with your brother. "

Hearing that the woman was ready to continue her journey two days after she had a miscarriage, Sokov couldn't help feeling secretly that Mei Mao's physique was good. He remembered that when he was working in Moscow in later generations, a female colleague came back to work for two days on the third day after giving birth, unlike domestic women who still need to confine for a month.

And Melekhov captured an important message from Warnia's words: "Warnia, so my brother is also here with Tultsin?"

"Yes, Georgi." Warnia nodded and said, "That's why I came here to find the Supreme Commander."

"I am the highest commander here, Warnia." Sokov felt that it was time for him to intervene, so he said, "If you have anything, just tell me."

Warnia was quite happy to hear what Melekhov said, but after seeing Sokov's face clearly, she couldn't help frowning. The commander in front of her was probably too young. Thinking that Melekhov was joking with herself, she said to him sternly: "Georgi, don't joke with me, your brother's life is at stake."

"Warnia, why would I be joking with you?" Melekhov knew very well in his heart that Sokov was indeed too young, so that many people did not believe that he was a high-ranking general. Seeing that Warnia was also suspicious at this moment, he explained: "This is General Sokov. Although he is young, he has repeatedly made military exploits. Germans will tremble when they hear his name."

"He is General Sokov?" Although Melekhov had already explained it, Warnia still expressed doubts about his statement. After looking Sokov up and down, she said hesitantly: "Georg Ji, you're not kidding me, are you?"

Facing Warnia's doubts, Melekhov was a little dumbfounded: "Warnia, how could I joke with you about such an important matter. He is really General Sokov with great military exploits. If you can't, you can Ask the soldiers standing guard around you and listen to what they have to say."

Hearing what Melekhov said, Warnia finally believed that the young officer in front of her was the well-known General Sokov, but out of safety, she still asked, "Are you really General Sokov?"

"That's right, I am Sokov." Sokov nodded and said, "The real Sokov."

Warnia rushed over, hugged Sokov, and began to cry again: "My dear one, I finally found you."

"Warnia," Sokov seemed a little at a loss after being hugged by Warnia suddenly, he said in a panic: "If you have anything to ask me, please feel free to ask, I will try my best to meet your request. "

"Comrade General," Warnia let go of Sokov, took a step back, and said to Sokov while wiping tears, "I beg you to have mercy and let Herus go."

"Herus?!" Hearing this strange name, Sokov couldn't help being taken aback, and then asked, "Who is Herus? I don't know him."

"Comrade General," Melekhov next to him explained embarrassingly, "Khorus is my brother."

"Oh, so it's your brother." Sokov faced Warnia and asked, "Warnia, please tell me the truth, what happened to Herus, and what can I do for him?" ?”

But Warnia looked at Sokov but hesitated to speak, as if there was something hard to say. Seeing that she was silent for a long time, Melekhov next to him became anxious: "Varnia, Comrade General, he once promised to help me find the whereabouts of Herus, and he is an absolutely reliable friend. If you have anything to do, just ask him Just say it."

After receiving Melekhov's encouragement, Warnia finally plucked up the courage to say to Sokov: "Comrade General, after my injury recovered, my Herus took me out of the German-occupied area to find us." The army. But I heard a message that people like him who left the army are considered traitors, and the final outcome was either shot or sent to Siberia."

"Warnia, although Herus left the army, he did not run away because of injuries. If he returns to our army, he will not encounter unfair treatment at all." After finishing these words, Sokov looked at Melekhov said: "Am I right, Colonel Melekhov?"

"That's right, Comrade General." Seeing that Sokov deliberately made a major event into a trivial matter, Melekhov quickly echoed: "It is indeed so."

Hearing the two singing together, Warnia showed a joyful expression on his face: "So, I can let Herus come out?"

"Of course..." Sokov had just finished speaking halfway, with an expression of surprise on his face: "Where is he?"

"I hid him in the attic of my house." Warnia explained to the two: "Herus wanted to join the army when he saw our army entering the city, but I heard someone said that once he found out before Deserters who leave the army will be shot, so I was so scared that I quickly hid him in the attic."

"Warnia, you hid him, and then you came here to find me. You wanted to talk to me and see if Horus would be shot after we caught him. Right?"

"That's right, Comrade General." Warnia received Sokov's assurance, and felt more at ease, and finally asked: "If it is true that he will not be shot, I will bring him to see you."

"Yes, I'll ask someone to accompany you back, so as to dispel his doubts." After Sokov finished speaking, he looked around and saw Koshkin standing not far away, chatting with several officers, and rushed Then he called out: "Koshkin, come to me."

Hearing Sokov's shout, Koshkin hurried over and asked respectfully, "Comrade Commander, what instructions do you have?"

Sokov pointed at Vonia with his hand and said to Koshkin: "This is the wife of Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov's brother. You take a few people to accompany him home, and then invite her husband to my office. Come here. Do you understand?"

"clear."

After giving Koshkin orders, Sokov said to Melekhov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you accompany me to see Marshal Konev and report the matter to him."

When Warnia heard that Sokov asked Melekhov to go with him to see Marshal Konev, she couldn't help feeling a little flustered, and hurriedly asked with concern: "Georgi, are you okay?"

"Don't worry, Warnia, he'll be fine." Seeing that Warnia was so worried about Melekhov's safety, Sokov comforted him and said, "I just let him go in and report this to Comrade Marshal. In order to avoid anyone making a fuss about this matter in the future."

When she heard that Melekhov was asked to go in to see Marshal Konev, Warnia became even more flustered. She thought Sokov was the highest-ranking officer here, but she didn't expect that there was a marshal in there, and her mind went blank.

Fortunately, Melekhov grabbed her shoulders in time and comforted her, saying, "Warnia, don't worry, I was brought here by Comrade Marshal. Tell him about it, and maybe you can give me money." My brother is looking for a good job."

Hearing what Melekhov said, Warnia finally let go of his heart, and took Koshkin and the two soldiers towards his residence.

When Melekhov walked in with Sokov, he was still trembling in his heart, and asked uneasily, "Comrade General, do you think Comrade Marshal will be angry when he finds out about me?"

Knowing that Konev is a generous person, Sokov would definitely not be angry about such a thing, so he reassured him: "Don't worry, Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov, I assure you, I will not be angry. "

Konev, who was drinking tea in the headquarters, saw Sokov and Melekhov walking in side by side, and asked with a smile, "Comrade Sokov, are you finished?"

"Comrade Marshal," Sokov was eager to resolve the matter, so he didn't go around in circles, and said bluntly, "I have a very important matter that I want to report to you in person."

Seeing Sokov's serious expression, Konev knew that the matter was of great importance, so he suppressed the smile on his face, nodded at him, and said, "Comrade Sokov, if you have anything to say, just say it."

Sokov pointed at Melekhov beside him with his hand, and said to Konev: "Comrade Marshal, Lieutenant Colonel Melekhov and I just met one of his relatives when we were outside..." What happened outside the headquarters was told to Konev exactly.

After listening to Sokov's story, Konev understood why the other party wanted to talk to Melekhov alone. It turned out that it was about Melekhov's brother Herus. Knowing that Sokov would not casually talk about this matter to himself, he must have a deeper intention, so he asked, "Comrade Sokov, do you have anything to say to me?"

"Comrade Marshal, after learning about Herus' experience, I think there must be a lot of people like him." Sokov said to Konev with a solemn expression: "Many commanders and fighters were dispersed at the beginning of the war. , unable to return to the team for various reasons, and unwilling to join the pro-German and anti-Soviet guerrillas, so he could only stay in the town and live like an ordinary person.

Now that one city after another has been liberated by our army, these people had already seen hope, but due to some wrong rumors, they were too scared to show up. If Horus didn't have a wife as virtuous as Warnia, I guess he could only continue to hide in the city and spend his life in obscurity.

In order to avoid similar incidents from happening again, I suggest that after every city liberated by our army, we should carry out a publicity campaign to tell those commanders and fighters who were separated behind the enemy lines that the motherland has not forgotten them, and I hope they can return to the army and take up arms to fight the German invaders..."

Sokov's words made Konev fall into deep thought. In the past, due to the disadvantages of the war, it was indeed worried that the Germans would pretend to be scattered commanders and fighters and mix into the rear. Therefore, those commanders and fighters who escaped from the German-occupied area would be subject to extremely strict scrutiny. And in those liberated cities, the commanders and fighters who were dispersed but had no regulations, once they were found out, they would be severely punished. They may not be executed by shooting. If the nature is serious, they will be sent to Siberia; if the circumstances are relatively minor, they will be sent to a punishment camp.

"Comrade Sokov, this matter is of great importance, and I cannot promise you casually." Konev said cautiously: "I need to report to my superiors to see what their opinion is."