artillery arc

Chapter 674 Reunion

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: “What?”

"I just thought this would make you feel better, General."

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

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

This was half true. He was silent just now mainly because he was observing the situation on the ground from a bird's-eye view. But he was indeed distracted when he was looking down, and recalled many things that happened two years ago.

Ivan is a guy that is hard to dislike. If you get along with such a guy, you will quickly 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 original tank No. 422 - the T28.

I wonder how the gunner's mother, Aunt Alexeyevna, is doing now.

Thinking of this, Wang Zhong said to the driver, "When we go into the city later, let's stop by No. 43 Krugen Street."

Wang Zhong has always kept this house number in mind.

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

Sergeant Gregory: "Then I'll drive! You take care of the guard."

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

The driver pulled over to the side of the road.

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

Wang Zhong: "Let someone who is familiar with the road conditions in Agsukov drive, it will be fine."

Vasily 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 lady is not around, we can't do anything when the general is sad."

Nellie: "When entering the city, the general should not be seen by the people with a woman. It would look too much like an outing. That's why the lady refused to come along."

Vasily: "Tsk, is it my illusion? After Nellie came back from the front, she became even colder. Or is it because I got married that she became colder?"

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

Wang Zhong: "Let's go quickly."

The driver did not turn off the engine when he got out of the car, so Vasily started very quickly and almost threw Wang Zhong to the ground.

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

Nellie: "Vassily!!"

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

Wang Zhong sat back on his seat and cursed, "If I die in a car accident, I don't know how many people in the future will be saddened by it."

If you die in a car accident, you can sit at the same table with Patton when you get downstairs.

Vasily: "I'm driving very slowly. I can go even slower. It's a good opportunity for you to take a look at your hometown."

Wang Zhong sighed and looked outside the car.

Because he had no inherited memories, he couldn't really remember the scenery around him. However, even though he had no memories, he inexplicably felt that the scenery was very familiar and warm.

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

Some of the houses with less damage are still occupied by people. The windows and other items have been repaired, and there are clothes hanging on the balconies, which contrasts sharply with the bullet marks on the walls.

Residents were all in the streets, welcoming the passing fighters with flowers and hugs.

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

Of course, there are also people who are 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 numerous and denser. Vasily said as he drove, "We are already within the city limits. I will take the side road to Krugen Street later."

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

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

Vasily: "You mean the children playing on the wreckage of the tank? Yes, we saw them in Yeisk."

Suddenly, he exclaimed: "Filipov!"

After saying that, he stepped on the brakes and the jeep stopped in front of a group of soldiers who were sitting on the side of the road to rest.

Wang Zhong recognized the leader of the group of soldiers as Filippov, who helped Vasily complete the sacred war, and said with a smile: "Hello, Filippov, I'm glad to see you."

He was indeed happy. There was nothing better than seeing someone familiar still alive.

Filippov quickly stood up and saluted Wang Zhong: "General!"

The pretty girl who was chatting with him just now asked curiously: "Who is this?" Filippov: "This is General Rokosov! Even if you don't know him, you should know him by the row of stars on his shoulders! He is the only one in our front with so many stars!"

The girl's eyes widened. "Rokossov? Is this the Duke Rokossov? The broadcasts in Yeburg always say that he has won new victories. We all thought he was an old man with a beard! The lady upstairs even holds a portrait of Suvorov and makes a wish in front of it every day. She thinks the portrait is General Rokossov!"

Wang Zhong smiled and said, "We have just been liberated. It is normal for me not to know."

Normally he would laugh out loud at this time, but now he can hardly laugh.

Vasily glanced at Wang Zhong and sighed quietly.

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

Filippov: "I was forced to take the position. There was no captain with more seniority than me, so they promoted me to major. They said they would let me go back for further training this time."

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

Wang Zhong: "When the time comes, we will transfer equally experienced officers to you. You are the First Mobile Army, and there will be many veterans who want to join."

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

After saying that, he changed the subject, looked at Vasily and said, "I heard you got married? You didn't get a chance to see what your sister-in-law looks like."

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

Filippov: "We'll talk about it later. This war won't be over in a short time, right?"

Wang Zhong: "Indeed, it will take at least another year to capture Prothenia."

By this time, the news that "General Rokossov is here" had spread, and a crowd began to gather. Wang Zhong urged Vasily: "Okay, you can talk about the past after you settle down. The troops should rest for more than half a month, so there is plenty of time for you to talk about the past. Let's go before the crowd gathers."

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

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

Wang Zhong waved to the person who was shouting: "I'm back! Fellow villagers!"

The crowd cheered.

----

Number 43 Krugenstrasse 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, but hesitated.

Then the door opened, and the man dressed as a priest who opened the door was talking to the people in the house: "Then I will leave, Auntie, you have a good rest, I still have a lot of - who is it?"

The priest met Wang Zhong's gaze.

Then his eyes moved down to his epaulettes.

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

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

"Ah, she's fine. She was shot in the shoulder by a machine gun during yesterday's uprising, but overall she's fine. The bullet penetrated her shoulder and didn't hit the nerve, so she doesn't need surgery... Please come in soon!"

The priest made way and gestured for you to come in.

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

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

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

Wang Zhong hurried to the reception counter and saw the old lady getting out of bed and walking towards him. He said, "Slow down! I just came to see you. How did you get hurt?"

The old lady said: "The Prosuns fought in front of the Municipal Building. I saw that they could not attack, so I became anxious. I thought that my sons were dead, and people who looked like my sons were also dead, so I decided to fight them. But you see, General, the Prosuns did not want an old lady like me."

Wang Zhong: "Your other sons may not have died yet. I have been collecting information about them in the past two years, but... there are too many people with the same name among the Ants, and the situation was too chaotic during the first year of retreat, so many records and files were lost. But it doesn't matter. When the war is over, we will set up a special agency -"

At this time, Gregory's voice came from outside the door: "Who are you?"

Wang Zhong stopped and looked towards the gate. He had a premonition in his heart.

Before he could change the perspective, a strange voice came from outside: "I live here! But you, this major has the insignia of an adjutant, right? Which general is here? What are you doing in my house?"

Aunt Alexeevna almost fell to her knees. Wang Zhong quickly grabbed her arm and said, "Auntie, be careful!"

When the person outside heard this, he rushed past Gregory's obstruction and appeared at the door: "Mom! What's wrong?"

Seeing Wang Zhong, he was stunned: "Uh, General?"

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

The old lady's son rushed over, climbed over the counter of the message 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 moment, the melody of "Faraway" suddenly rang in Wang Zhong's mind. This was the music played when Xiao Tu and Lu Wangshu reunited in the countryside at the end of "The Invisible Guardian".

That ending is also Wang Zhong’s favorite ending. Although Xiao Tu has lost his identity and no one knows about his achievements, the warmth in his arms does exist. Everything has meaning and value because of this warmth and this hug.

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

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

(End of this chapter)