red moscow

Chapter 2649

"Why didn't you invite me?" Kopalova said unhappily, "You know, the three of us used to be good friends."

Sokov said with a smile: "You were lying down to rest at that time. In order not to disturb your rest, I went out to have a cup of coffee with Seryosha."

"So that's how it is." Kopalova patted the bed with her hand. "Misha, come sit here with me!"

Sokov walked over, sat down next to Kopalova, and asked with concern: "Won't you feel sleepy if you don't rest?"

"I've already said that even though I feel very sleepy, my mind seems very excited and I can't fall asleep no matter how hard I try."

"Since you can't sleep, let's chat." Sokov said, "Maybe you'll fall asleep while chatting."

"Then lie down with me and chat."

"This bed is a bit narrow. It's too crowded for two people to sleep on."

"I don't care, I just want you to lie down with me." When saying this, Kopalova was like a little girl who loved to act coquettishly.

"Okay, okay, let's lie down together."

Sokov let Kopalova sleep inside and he slept outside with one foot on the ground to prevent Kopalova from turning over and pushing him off the bed.

"Misha, I'm curious, why don't you want to accept Comrade Khrushchev's invitation to work in Ukraine?" Kopalova thought of Sokov's repeated mention of the Great Famine, so she asked tentatively, "Are you really worried about the Great Famine?"

Sokov was thinking that according to later records, the problem of food supply difficulties did not only exist in 1946, but continued until 1953, when the food rationing system was completely abolished.

Thinking of this, he asked, "Kopalova, do you still remember the food ration cards used during the war?"

"I remember, of course I remember." Kopalova nodded and said, "After the Great Patriotic War began, Moscow and Leningrad began issuing food coupons and certain industrial consumer goods coupons in July 1941. By November 7, 1942 major cities across the country implemented coupon supply. The wartime food ration limit is: bread, workers 11 grams per day, clerks 58 grams, dependents 800 grams, children 500 grams. Sugar, workers 400 grams per month, clerks 400 grams, dependents 500 grams, children 300 grams. But when you actually go to collect it, there may be a discount or the supply may be stopped due to insufficient reserves."

"Do you think food ration cards will continue to be used?"

"How is this possible?" Kopalova shook her head and said, "It was not until November last year that food rationing cards were completely abolished nationwide. Now, just a few months have passed. How can it be restored again? Misha, I think you are overthinking it."

Sokov said solemnly, "Kopalova, I am not worrying too much. Judging from various signs, as long as Ukraine experiences a significant drop in grain production, it is possible that grain ration certificates will be reinstated."

Kopalova turned her head and looked at Sokov: "Is it really that serious?"

"Well, the probability of a great famine is very high." Sokov shook his head and said, "The reason why I repeatedly rejected Comrade Khrushchev's invitation is that I don't want to see countless hungry people who are emaciated and skinny appear in front of me."

Kopalova was silent, thinking over and over again about what Sokov had said, wondering whether such a thing would really happen or whether Sokov was simply imagining things.

Sokov saw that Kopalova was silent and thought she had fallen asleep. Just as he was about to get up, Kopalova turned over, hugged him with one hand, and uttered a vague mumbling: "Misha, just lie with me for a while. With you by my side, I feel at ease."

At this moment, Sokov wanted to die. The bed was too narrow. With two people lying side by side, most of his body was hanging in the air. He only had one foot on the ground to avoid falling off the bed. If he continued to maintain this posture, it would not be long before his waist was completely broken. But Kopalova had finally fallen asleep. If he stood up at this moment, he would definitely wake her up. Once awakened, she didn't know when she could fall asleep again.

There was no choice but for Sokov to maintain this uncomfortable posture with half of his body lying on the berth, while praying silently in his heart that after Kopalova's hand let go of him, he would be able to get up and leave the berth.

After an unknown amount of time, when Sokov felt his waist was about to break, Seryosha's voice came from outside the door: "Misha, Misha, are you sleeping?"

Hearing Seryosha's shout, Sokov quickly removed Kopalova's hand from his body, then rolled off the bed, stretched his body on the ground, stood up with the help of the other side of the bed, stumbled to the door, and opened the door of the berth: "Seryosha, what's the matter?"

Seeing Sokov's behavior, Seryosha showed a meaningful smile on his face.

Seeing this, Sokov quickly explained: "Seryosha, don't get me wrong, I just slept on the berth for a while."

"Don't worry, Misha, I will keep this a secret and will never tell anyone."

Hearing what Seryosha said, Sokov was in a state of confusion, but he also knew that this kind of thing was really hard to explain, and the more he explained, the worse it got. A man and a woman were alone in a box, and when the man came out, his waist ached and his legs were shaky when he walked. It would be strange if others didn't think that.

"Seryozha, what do you want from me?"

"I asked you to go to dinner," Seryosha said. "The major is waiting for us in the dining car."

Hearing that they were going to eat in the dining car, Sokov put his hand on his lower back and walked forward slowly. Seeing that he had difficulty walking, Seryosha reached out to support him and said earnestly: "Misha, although you are young and strong, you still need to be moderate in some things, otherwise it will be bad for your health."

"Seryosha, do you really think that Kopalova and I have been messing around all afternoon?"

"Is not it?"

"of course not."

"But why do you hold your waist when you walk, and look like you've over-exercised?"

Just when Sokov was about to explain to Seryosha, he heard someone calling Seryosha's name. He turned around and saw a bald man wearing a Lenin suit and glasses. He asked casually, "Seryosha, is this your friend?" Seryosha leaned close to Sokov's ear and said, "He is Kopalova's leader, the head of the interview team."

"Hello, Comrade Maxim!" After Seryosha finished explaining, he extended his hand to the visitor and said in a friendly tone: "I didn't expect to see you again."

"I was going to see a friend and passed by here. I saw you in front of me and called you." After saying this, Maxim looked at Sokov and asked hesitantly, "Seryosha, who is this general?"

"Maxim, let me introduce you. This is Misha, my good friend and the friend Kopalova grew up with."

"So you are General Sokov!" Maxim had obviously heard of Sokov's name before. After listening to Seryosha's introduction, he stretched out his hands, shook Sokov's hands vigorously a few times, and said, "I heard of your name a long time ago. I didn't expect to meet you here today. I am so lucky."

When Sokov shook hands with Maxim, he saw that the other party was a talkative person. If they stood in the aisle and chatted, it would take who knows how long. So he took the initiative to invite him: "Comrade Maxim, Seryosha and I are going to the dining car for dinner. If you don't mind, you can go with us."

“That’s what I wanted.”

The three of them came to the dining car and found that it was full of people.

Fortunately, Vasherigov arrived early to reserve a seat, otherwise the three of them would have to come later.

Sokov sat down next to Vaseligov, and Seryosha and Maxim sat opposite him.

Although he already knew the reason why Maxim was here, in order to find a common topic, Sokov deliberately asked: "Comrade Maxim, I heard that your team was ordered to go to Vienna for an interview?"

"Yes, General Sokov." Maxim nodded and said, "You are not an outsider, so I will not hide it from you. Our superiors asked our interview team to go to Vienna for two purposes. One is to report on the upcoming military exercises, and the other is to set up a press station there to report everything that happens in Vienna to the country in a timely manner."

As he spoke, he began to cough violently.

"Comrade Maxime, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Maxim waved his hand and said, "This is a problem I got when I was stationed in Leningrad. As long as summer comes, I'll be fine."

Sokov thought: The purpose of the interview team's trip, called covering military exercises, was actually to set up a press station in Vienna. Their interview work was just to open up the initial situation.

"Comrade Maxim, if you want to set up a press station, how long will it take you to return to Moscow?"

Maxim thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "When I left, the editor-in-chief specifically talked to me. I heard from him that if the news station is established, we will stay there for at least half a year or longer until new people take over and we will return to Moscow."

Sokov secretly thought that although Kopalova would have to stay in Vienna for half a year or longer, it was not a bad thing for her, at least she could avoid the famine. Thinking of this, he smiled and said to Maxim: "Comrade Maxim, Vienna is a picturesque city. If you can stay there for a long time, it will be very helpful for your physical recovery."

Hearing Sokov say this, Maxim showed a surprised expression on his face: "General Sokov, have you been to Vienna before?"

"No, I have never been there." Sokov shook his head and said, "The reason why I said that your body can be cured in Vienna is because I once read in a book that the Empress of Austria-Hungary, Duchess Elizabeth, had lung disease when she was the Queen of Hungary. Later, she returned to Vienna to recuperate for a period of time and recovered from the disease."

"Really?" Maxim was surprised when he heard Sokov say that. "Duke Elizabeth was infected with pneumonia. After returning to Vienna for recuperation, she really recovered completely?"

All Sokov knew was from the movie "Sissi" trilogy. After the heroine was infected with pneumonia, she went to many places for recuperation and finally recovered miraculously. But because he watched the movie a long time ago, he couldn't remember exactly where she recovered, so he just made up Vienna, because Maxim couldn't find out the truth anyway.

"Misha, I don't quite understand what you are saying." Seryosha took advantage of the gap between Sokov's words and asked curiously: "You said that Duchess Elizabeth was the Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so how did she go to Hungary to become the Queen? What's going on?"

"Seryosha, let me explain it to you." Maxim explained to Seryosha: "The Duchess of Bavaria, Elizabeth, whose full name is Elizabeth Amalie Eugenie, is also known as Princess Sissi. She was born on December 1837, 12 and died on September 24, 1898. She was the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I of the Austrian Empire, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire is today's Austria and Hungary, with Hungary being a vassal state of Austria. The Austrian emperor also serves as the king of Hungary, and the queen naturally also serves as the queen of Hungary. "

"Oh, so that's what's going on." Seryosha nodded repeatedly after listening. "I never thought that the relationship between Austria and Hungary was so complicated."

"General Sokov," Maxim asked Sokov tentatively, "Are you going to Vienna to participate in military exercises as well?"

"Yes, I am going to participate in the military exercise." Sokov felt that at this point, some things no longer needed to be kept secret, so he admitted it openly: "I will participate in this large-scale military exercise as the commander of one of the troops."

"The commander of the troops stationed in Austria is General Malinin." Maxim then asked, "As far as I know, he and you have a good relationship, right?"

"Yes, Maxim, you are right," Sokov replied. "During the war, I spent most of my time under the command of Marshal Rokossovsky, and General Malinin was the marshal's best partner. Naturally, we spent a lot of time together, and over time, our relationship naturally became close."

"I don't quite understand." Maxim said hesitantly: "Since you were once in Marshal Rokossovsky's army, why didn't you go to Poland with him, but stay in Moscow for a long time?"

Faced with Maxim's question, Sokov couldn't help but frown, and he was considering whether he should answer the other party's question.

Seeing that Sokov was still silent, Maxim realized that he was too rash and asked a question he shouldn't have asked. He apologized quickly, "I'm sorry, Comrade General. This is my occupational disease as a reporter. I treated you as my interviewee. If I asked a question I shouldn't have asked, you don't have to answer me."

"It's okay, it's okay." Sokov said indifferently: "Since you want to know, it's okay for me to tell you. The reason why I chose to stay in Moscow instead of following Marshal Rokossovsky to Poland is entirely because my wife is going to give birth."

Unexpectedly, Maxim was shocked after hearing this. He turned his head to look at Seryosha, and then asked Sokov cautiously: "Comrade General, you just said that your wife is going to give birth to a child. Are you married?"