Red Moscow

  Chapter 1710

   The lieutenant, who had hit a wall, did not retreat in spite of the difficulties, and still stayed by Assia's side, talking to her non-stop. Faced with such an uninteresting lieutenant, Assia couldn't get angry. After all, the other party was just trying to strike up a conversation with her, and there was nothing excessive about it.

At this moment, the fat salesperson said to Asiya: "Your things are all ready." She put the items on Asiya's list on the counter one by one, "Five kilograms of white sugar, two kilograms of coffee , ten cans of pickled tomatoes, five cans of pickled cucumbers, five cans of pickled mushrooms, twenty-five kilos of flour, toothpaste, towels and soap as you need them, for 19 rubles and 14 kopeks."

  The lieutenant took a good look at the things on the counter, and then said to the fat salesman: "Comrade salesman, please help me get some more chocolates, I want to give this girl."

   "No need, Comrade Lieutenant." Facing the courteous lieutenant, Assia expressed her disdain for this: "I don't like chocolate, you'd better keep it for yourself."

   The lieutenant, who hit a wall again, just grinned without feeling embarrassed at all. He looked at the goods piled up on the counter, and found a new topic: "Girl, you bought so many things, you can't take them back alone, why don't you let me help you."

  The lieutenant thought self-righteously, even if the other party showed hesitation after hearing his proposal, he would agree in the end, so he continued, "I'll borrow a car to help you take your things home."

"You don't need to worry about this, someone will take it back for me." At this moment, Asia was tired of the lieutenant who had been pestering her in front of her, and she said with some displeasure: "Comrade Lieutenant, if you have anything to do, go to Get busy and leave me alone."

   "Look at what you said," the lieutenant said with a playful smile, "It's my honor to serve a beautiful girl like you. As for my affairs, I can put them aside for the time being."

  In order for Asia to continue interacting with him, the lieutenant pointed to the products on the counter and said, "Girl, did you forget to buy matches and kerosene?"

  Asiya was taken aback: "What do I buy these things for?"

   "Although the city is no longer in danger of war, the power supply is still unstable." The lieutenant patiently explained to Asia: "If there is a power outage at night, do you need to use matches to light candles?"

When Asiya heard it, she felt that it made sense. Although it is impossible to cut off the power in the hospital, it is a common occurrence in the dormitory where she lives, so she said to the fat salesman, "Please bring me twenty candles, and two candles." Box of matches."

   "Don't forget the kerosene, dear girl."

   "What am I buying kerosene for?"

"You can cook!" The lieutenant said convincingly: "You know, after all, it is a war period, and because young and middle-aged people are on the front line, there is a shortage of manpower responsible for transporting coal and wood into Moscow. I am afraid that the number of supplies for the residents will be large." The magnitude is reduced. If you buy kerosene, you can use the kerosene stove to cook and even heat.”

  Although Asiya hated the lieutenant who pestered her a little, she felt that what he said made sense, so she asked the fat salesman to take another five-liter diesel barrel.

"Dear girl," the lieutenant saw that Assia followed his persuasion and bought matches and kerosene successively, with a wider smile on his face, he said while the iron was hot: "Please allow me to serve you and send these things back to you s home."

   "Thank you for your kindness," Assia said tactfully, "Someone will help me send the things home later."

  The driver sitting in the car outside the door saw a lieutenant accosting Assia through the glass door, but he didn't care, after all, there were too many such things. He closed his eyes for a while to rest his mind, and when he opened his eyes again, he found that the counter next to Asia was full of various products, which should be the products that Asia wanted to buy.

  The driver quickly opened the door and got out of the car, and walked around from the front of the car to the door of the store. He pushed open the glass door and walked in, and said to Asiya who was being pestered by the lieutenant, "Comrade Asiya, have you bought all your things?"

  The lieutenant heard someone talking behind him, and turned his head instinctively, trying to see who was disturbing his good business. But when he turned around, he was startled. The officer who came in from the outside was actually wearing a blue cap. Don't see that the other party's military rank is only a second lieutenant, one level lower than yourself, but the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs have always had their eyes above the top, let alone a small lieutenant, even if the lieutenant colonel is standing here, I am afraid they will not Buy it.

   "I've bought everything." Assia nodded and said, "Put these things in the car, and we can go back."

  The driver glanced at the stunned lieutenant, and then asked Assia: "Comrade Assia, is someone harassing you?"

"No." Seeing cold sweat on the lieutenant's forehead, Assia knew that he was frightened by the driver who appeared suddenly, so she didn't add insult to injury, but said casually: "This lieutenant wants to help me move things, I'm sorry Trouble him, I am about to reject him."

Asiya's words gave the lieutenant a step to step down, and he said quickly: "Yes, yes, yes, I see that this girl has bought too many things. I am worried that she will not be able to carry them. I am about to help her move them, so you came in." When the lieutenant said this to the driver, he was putting himself in the position of a subordinate.

"Comrade Assia, since this lieutenant is so enthusiastic, we can't refuse his kindness." How could the driver fail to guess the lieutenant's intention, and prepared to punish him a little: "Comrade lieutenant, with so many things, I'm afraid I'll have to Move it a few times, with your help, things will be much easier."

   "No problem, no problem." Hearing what the driver said, the lieutenant didn't dare to neglect at all. He quickly picked up the flour on the counter and walked out first. The driver also walked out with a few cans of pickles.

  The driver came to the car, opened the trunk, put the cans in, and then told the lieutenant: "Comrade lieutenant, put the flour in."

  The lieutenant nodded in panic, then took off the flour bag he was carrying on his shoulders, and carefully put it into the trunk of the black car. When he turned around and returned to the store, he glanced at the license plate number out of the corner of his eye, and was suddenly shocked into a cold sweat. This was actually a special car from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

   Fortunately, the driver did not embarrass the lieutenant, but sent him away after he helped carry the goods in the store. As soon as the lieutenant heard that the driver told him to leave, he hurriedly accelerated his pace and left this place of right and wrong as if he had received an amnesty.

  The driver waited for Asiya to get in the car, started the car, turned around and drove towards the hospital.

   On the way, the driver said to Assia: "Assia, the lieutenant just saw that you were wearing casual clothes. He must have thought you were just an ordinary resident, so he came to pester you."

   "Yes," Assia nodded, and said with some annoyance, "Maybe I shouldn't change into casual clothes when I go out today, so that I won't be pestered by that lieutenant when I'm in the store."

"Comrade Assia, you really underestimated your own attractiveness." The driver said with a smile after hearing this, "You are so beautiful in casual clothes. If you wear military uniforms, I am afraid that more people will enter the store and talk to you." You strike up a conversation."

  Asiya remembered that she was in the weapons and equipment department some time ago, and she also encountered an engineer's entanglement. Finally, after Sokov found out, he asked Yakov to come forward and kicked the engineer out of the weapons and equipment department. With this lesson learned, Asiya worried that Sokov would find someone to deal with the lieutenant if he knew what happened today.

  Thinking of this, she quickly reminded the driver: "Comrade driver, please don't tell anyone what happened today. After all, the other party just chatted with me and didn't act too much."

"Don't worry, Comrade Assia." As Lunev's old subordinate, the driver naturally knows a lot about Sokov. He also knows a little about the troubles Assia encountered in the weapons and equipment department some time ago. . Hearing Asiya's order at this moment, he immediately understood what the other party meant, so he nodded and said, "I won't mention this to anyone."

   "That's good, that's good." Assia breathed a sigh of relief, she hoped that because of her own affairs, she would cause some trouble for Sokov, which would have a negative impact on his future.

  When the car arrived at the gate of the hospital, the driver helped to move the things into Sukov's ward before leaving.

Seeing what Asiya bought back, Sokov smiled wryly and said, "Asiya, we are in the hospital, and everything we eat is ready-made. If you buy the flour, even if you want to make bread or cheesecake, you can buy it. No place to do it?"

"Misha, don't worry." After more than two months of getting along with Sokov, Vera's address has changed from "comrade general" to "Misha": "I am very close to the chef in the kitchen." If you are familiar with it, we can send the flour to the kitchen, and if you want to eat, I will let the chef cook it for you."

   "That's fine." Hearing what Vera said, Sokov said smoothly: "Vera, please send this bag of flour to the kitchen. I will ask the chef to make it for me when I want to eat."

   After Vera left, Sokov smiled and asked Assia: "How is it? Go shopping today. Is everything going well?"

  Hearing Sokov's question, Assia couldn't help but thump in her heart, wondering if he knew what happened today? But after thinking about it, the other party never left the ward at all, and no one came to visit him. How could he know, maybe he just asked later.

After trying to understand this, she smiled and replied, "It went well. When I first entered the store, the salesperson said that this is a military store, not soldiers and military family members, and they are not eligible to buy products in the store. Later, I took out the Military ID, the salesperson prepared the items I wanted to buy according to the list I provided."

  In order to prevent this matter from getting out of hand, Assia promptly changed the topic: "Misha, there is something I've always wanted to ask you."

   "What's the matter, ask?"

   "Are you really planning to go to General Vatutin's 1st Ukrainian Front?"

   "I want to go to the Belarusian Front Army the most," Sokov thought to himself. This army was the first to rush into Berlin, and the commander of the Front Army was Marshal Zhukov. It is naturally easier to establish meritorious service than other troops. But in front of Assia, I couldn't say these words, and could only say vaguely: "After all, I am familiar with General Rokossovsky, and the three generals I am optimistic about, General Ponegerin, are now In that army."

"I heard the conversation between you and Lunev." When Asiya went shopping in the city center, she had been thinking about Sokov on the way. At this time, there were only the two of them in the ward. It is necessary to have a frank talk with Sokov: "I think Lunev is right, your use of these three people is indeed too bold."

"Didn't they pass the screening?" Although Sokov didn't understand why Assia mentioned this matter, he still patiently explained: "General Ponegerin, in particular, is a very good commander. If he hadn't been captured because of injuries at the beginning of the war, but stayed in the army to command operations, he might have become the commander of a front army on a certain front."

   "So, you risked using him because he knows how to fight and has rich experience?"

   "That's right, that's it." Sokov did not deny Assia's guess, "As long as they win enough battles, the unfair treatment imposed on them will eventually be improved."

   "Then what if someone wants to liquidate them after the war is over?" Assia asked.

   "This...?" Sokov didn't expect Assia to ask such a difficult question suddenly, and he didn't know how to answer her for a while.

Seeing that Sokov remained silent, Asiya continued: "Misha, you and I both know that as the situation on the battlefield develops in a direction favorable to our army, it is only a matter of time before the end of the war. The gang you are using now The commanders in question will definitely have a chance to display their abilities in our battle with the Germans. But once the war is over, the charges they were originally charged with will be unearthed and they will be excluded and discriminated against again. It even hurts you. What should you do if you encounter this situation?"

Assia's words made Sokov take a deep breath. Now he only thinks about how to defeat the Germans. He didn't think about it at all. Since he used a large number of officers and fighters rescued from prisoner-of-war camps, the war years don't matter. After all, these people All have rich combat experience or command experience. But if the war is over, the role of these people will become dispensable, and then someone will definitely settle accounts against them.

"You're right." Sokov said with a wry smile after a long silence: "Once the war is over, many troops will be dismantled, and some of the commanders of these troops will be transferred to other troops. The other part will leave the army and return to work in the local area.

   Commanders who are transferred to other units, because they still have the responsibility of commanding and managing troops, they may not have anything to do. And those commanders who went to work in the local area after retiring from the army may be subject to scrutiny. "

   "Now that you're aware of the problem, do you have any good solutions?"

   "No." Sokov replied simply: "I have no way to eliminate this hidden danger in the future."

Seeing Assia's disappointed expression, he hurriedly continued, "But as long as our strength becomes strong enough, we are fully capable of protecting these commanders so that they will not be liquidated and can safely Live the rest of your life."

"Misha, what you said is very reasonable." A smile appeared on Assia's face again: "As long as your strength is strong enough, then the troops under your command may not be dismantled, so that you can justifiably protect Those commanders who have fought alongside you have given them security for the rest of their lives."

  (end of this chapter)