Past events in Beicheng

"There is your letter," Wang Yao handed a letter to Ivan.

"..." Ivan just stuffed the letter into the bag.

"You fell asleep in the yard without changing your clothes?" Wang Yao opened the door to enter the house.

"..."

"What's wrong?" Wang Yao turned his head: "Why don't you speak?"

"You've been gone for too long, my clothes are dry."

"Whose letter?"

Only then did Ivan take out the letter from his bag: "It's from the school, the start letter for the new semester."

"Oh, yes, school is about to start." Wang Yao walked into the kitchen: "I'm going to heat up dinner."

Ivan sat at the dinner table, holding the envelope in a daze.

"We should go back."

"What did you say?" Wang Yao came out with soup and bread.

"It's time for us to go back to Leningrad." Ivan looked up into Wang Yao's eyes, this time, his eyes dodged.

"Okay."

"It's nice here, isn't it?" Ivan didn't look away.

"Of course it's very good, thank you for inviting me." Wang Yao smiled and looked up at him, then buried himself in the soup again.

"I'm leaving, don't you feel sorry?"

"There will be summer vacation next year, right?" Wang Yao stirred the soup without looking up.

"Wang Yao..."

"It's a bit late for dinner today. I'm full. You can clean up the kitchen later." Wang Yao put down the bowl and walked towards the study.

Wang Yao knew that his behavior was a bit abnormal, he was glad that Ivan didn't follow, he needed to calm down his thoughts.Because he was not in the mood to open the book, Wang Yao sorted out the books on the table indiscriminately, and picked up one by the way to put it in the drawer.

"Did you see it?" Ivan, who walked in without knowing when, looked at Wang Yao excitedly and said.

Wang Yao met his eyes and was at a loss for words.

"How is it?" Iwan looked at the flower ball in Wang Yao's hand with a smile on his face.

Wang Yao had already held it in his hand for some reason: "Okay... okay, how do you do it?" Looking at the hot expression on the other side, Wang Yao felt that he had to change the subject.

Just when Wang Yao was racking his brains to think about the topic, he suddenly felt a heat on his wrist. Although he wanted to withdraw his hand immediately, Ivan grabbed it before he had time.At this moment, he could even feel that the other party must be looking into his eyes, so he gave up breaking free, but he didn't look up.

"I..." There was a desk between Ivan and Wang Yao, he couldn't pull him over, but he definitely didn't intend to let go.

"Ivan!" Wang Yao raised his head suddenly, his eyes returned to the usual way: "Do you want to know why I came to the Soviet Union?"

"Do you want to know why I came to the Soviet Union?" Wang Yao's eyes softened a little.

Ivan still didn't let go of his hand, and the two of them maintained this strenuous posture as if they were struggling.

"Before I went abroad, my father told me that I must study hard and return home as soon as possible. However, I still couldn't catch up. When I was in my junior year, on July [-], the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, my motherland completely fell into the invasion. There was a moment when I thought, or wait until I graduate from university and let me study a little more before returning to China. Everyone said that the last year in Stuttgart is the most meaningful. I have studied for three years. In [-], I was reluctant to give up at this moment. But it was only a moment of hesitation. I took my luggage and embarked on the journey back to China. When I was in Guangzhou, I met my family who came to pick me up. This cousin who came Tell me that my father is getting old and dying, so I must hurry up, maybe I can see him for the last time."

When he said this, Wang Yao lowered his head: "However, when I rushed back to Nanjing, I couldn't see him for the last time. Therefore, every moment I was in the Soviet Union, I couldn't help thinking, how much time do I have?" ? If I don't hurry up, don't hurry up! Will I never see the motherland... the last side..."

Ivan let go of his hand, and Wang Yao felt that all the strength in his body was suddenly pulled away. He put his hands on the table, remained silent for a moment, and sat down.

"In order to bury my father, we went back to my hometown, and then, in December, the Japanese army occupied Nanjing. I still remember that before I went back to Nanjing, everyone stopped me, but I knew it was not a matter of will Lift. Finally, I got a ride with the British ambassador, and the British embassy put the British flag on the roof of the car, and my car followed their convoy.” When he said this, Wang Yao paused unnaturally : "Unexpectedly, before entering the city, the Japanese bombing came. They didn't take into account the international agreement. The bomb fell directly on the ambassador's car. By the time we hurriedly carried him into the embassy, ​​he was already dead. "

"After that, I stayed in Nanjing for two full months until the massacre ended." Wang Yao looked at the flower ball in his hand, as if he was talking to himself: "This is the first time I have experienced war, I finally understand , What is an invader, what is a subjugated country. Every day, every minute, every second, the Japanese army is planning how to kill people, bayonets? Bullets? , Yes, I am at the Red Cross. During the past two months, I have been running around in various cemeteries, witnessing all this. You can still hear the screams of living people in the burning field. In the Fangsheng Temple and the Salesian Hospital, we often have to collect hundreds of corpses of young children and the elderly. I still remember that the head nurse of the International Red Cross always said to me in a trembling voice: Wang, calm down. Calm down, let us count, I will count, you will record. Ah...Nanjing...Nanjing's streets, there is no place without dead bodies. It was not until February of the following year that Nanjing regained a little calm. At this moment, Nanjing has Turned into a dead city, the city is full of mass graves, and the Yangtze River is full of corpses."

"This is my hometown where I have lived for more than ten years, but when I was about to leave her, I could no longer recognize her. Yes, this has become a nightmare of my life. I can't forget it, and I can't forget it either. .I have been ashamed of my father, how can I be ashamed of my motherland again?"

After finishing all the words in one breath, Wang Yao stood up and walked to the bedroom.Outside the bedroom window is a pleasant scenery, peaceful and serene. If we live in such an era, will everyone be happier?

'Hold him!Hold him down!king!His neck was cut off in half by the Japanese, and my God, my God, he's still alive!Are there narcotics? '

'Wang, you can't go any further, you are Chinese, they don't care that you belong to the Red Cross, they will kill you too! '

'brute!These beasts!king!Stop the nurse, don't let her see! '

'Wang,' and this voice that rang in his dreams countless times: 'Calm down, calm down, let's count, I will count, you will record. '

One, two, three... seventeen, eighteen... 94, 95, 96... 260 nine, 270... four sixteen... 580 seven...

In the heart-wrenching chill, Wang Yao felt a pair of hands supporting his shoulders: "Wang Yao, we are best friends, aren't we?"

Wang Yao could feel the temperature of these hands.

Ivan was silent for a moment with difficulty, and then said: "We are best friends, so I will help you. From today on, you bring me your most important Russian professional book, and I will help you translate it, although I only know German, but I can help a little after all. That way, you can go back to your home country sooner, and I will help you."

Wang Yao lowered his head and found that the Russian flower ball was still in his hand. Before that, he had never seen such an exquisite paper art. How long did it take him?

But now, he took it away from his hand, Wang Yao knew that his back was facing him, so he didn't have to hide his expression anymore.

After a long time, I don't know how long it was, Wang Yao turned around with his usual calm expression: "Thank you."

Ivan held his hand, and he was no longer running away, but Ivan didn't dare to look into his eyes anymore, he hung his head with mixed feelings.

"Don't worry, Wang Yao, I will help you, your motherland is my motherland."

He felt Wang Yao's hand move slightly.

"Thank you, Ivan."

Then he withdrew his hand from his own.

At eight o'clock, the sky began to darken, and summer came to an end.Ivan leaned against the door of the bedroom, watching Wang Yao's back when he went out - he turned on the light in the study, sat down, and spread out his books.

He has seen these movements countless times, but at this moment, his mood is too lost and complicated.

But he still mustered up the courage after all, went to the study, sat back to the other side of the desk, opened the drawer on his side, and took out the diary.

Unknowingly, these dozens of days have accumulated a lot of results. Turning every page is like turning every day. No matter how much or little, I will record something. One page later, Ivan wrote the date, but couldn't pick up a pen to write another word.

On August [-]th, Ivan stared at his notebook, staring at this day, he couldn't forget it, it was hard to let go, but he had to learn to let go.

China, he didn't know that the name would be so heavy, so he didn't know why he would study day and night, so he didn't know why he would rush himself when he wanted to take him shopping, so he didn't know ...Why is he unwilling to come here with himself.

we are best friends.

Ivan wanted to write this sentence, but he couldn't move his pen. Finally, he closed the notebook, stuffed it into a drawer, and locked it forever.

The return date finally came, but this time there was no need to take a bus. Natalia's family also wanted to go back to Leningrad, so they could just take a car.The three young men sat in the back row without speaking to each other.Wang Yao and Ivan looked out of their respective windows, while Natalia looked ahead.At most half an hour, Wang Yao leaned on the cushion and fell asleep.Ivan glanced over here: "Natasha, help him roll up the car window."

Natalia leaned over, rolled up the window, and turned to look at Ivan.

"what happened?"

"No, nothing."

"What's the matter with you kid? Why have you been out of your mind these days." Old Peter, who was driving, saw Natalia's expression was not good from the rearview mirror.

"It's really nothing! Dad, you are too wordy!"

"Hehe," Old Peter smiled, "Why don't you let your brother take you to play in the city this weekend?"

Before Natalia could speak, Ivan said first: "Is it okay next week? I have to go to the library this week."

"What are you... going to the library for?"

"Check the information..." Ivan explained embarrassingly.

"Then let Wang Yao take you to play in the city?" Old Peter couldn't figure out what his daughter was thinking.

"Him?" Ivan took the words: "He also has to go to the library, so forget it."

When Natalia heard this, she stopped talking. She just stared at the hem of her skirt in a daze, trying to divert her mind by playing with the lace.

The Conservatory of Music attached to the Leningrad University in the suburbs arrived first, and Ivan picked up Natalia's luggage and sent her in.The two were walking around the school, and some of Natalia's friends greeted them, as usual.

"Brother," Natalia walked to the door of the dormitory, and took the luggage: "Will Wang Yao definitely leave in two years?"

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing." Natalia smiled: "I was just thinking, um, just thinking about this problem."

"Oh," Ivan helped her open the door of the dormitory, maybe it was too early, and none of her classmates arrived: "Where is your locker, I will put it in for you."

"Brother..." Natalia hesitated to speak: "You, you have to protect yourself."

"You're too worried," Ivan scratched her nose. "I'm still in school, and I'm not needed in the Finnish battlefield. Don't worry, I will protect myself."

Natalia tried to squeeze out a smile: "Well, brother, no matter what, you must be well."