There was a very flat path that led to the shelter of the command post of the 16th Army. The wind whistled the snow on the path, whistling in the birch forest that had lost all its leaves.

The biting cold wind made me shiver, and the whole person suddenly woke up completely, recalling the strange dream just now, I still felt very confused: why did I have such a dream? It's so real, it's as real as I've experienced it myself.

Before I knew it, I was in front of a mud hut. Seeing two fighters with submachine guns walking back and forth at the door, I guessed that this should be the headquarters of Lieutenant General Rokossovsky. I asked one of the fighters: "Is Comrade Comrade Commander of the Army Group here?" ”

The sentry stood still, straightened up, saluted me, and replied: "Hello, comrade commander! Comrade General is inside, and they are drinking tea! Please come in! ”

I looked down at the soldier's overcoat I was wearing, and I couldn't see my real rank at all. Then he asked him with some surprise: "How do you know that I am a commander and not an ordinary soldier?" ”

"I know this very well, comrade commander." The warrior replied dryly, "I've seen you before." I met you once last week when you and Comrade General Zhukov came to the army group. ”

"You have such a good memory, you can still remember me after so long." I couldn't help but praise him for his good memory.

"Of course I do. A female commander like you, who is beautiful and has such a high military rank, as long as you see it once, no one will forget it. His flattering words made me feel a little fluttery.

"Thank you for your compliment!" I thanked the sentry, and then followed the steps down to the shelter. I lifted the curtain separating the command room from the outside, and in the light of the oil lamp I saw several commanders sitting next to a wooden table, and I immediately recognized General Rokossovsky in it that I wanted to see, and I did not recognize the rest. Judging from the collar badges, one of them is a major general, and the rest are all colonel-level officers, probably staff officers of the headquarters.

I took a step forward, saluted Rokossovsky, and then reported loudly: "Comrade General, Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, the commissioner of the Front, came to report to you. At your command. ”

"Welcome, Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina." Rokossovsky stood up and greeted me cordially, did not return the salute or shake hands, but gave me a hug and said: "At the same time, congratulations on receiving a higher rank." ”

Next, the commanders who were seated also stood up and shook hands with me to welcome and congratulate me.

After greeting everyone, Rokossovsky beckoned me to sit down, and the Major General moved to the side to make room for me to sit, and I thanked him and sat down. Rokossovsky picked up the teapot on the table, filled an empty glass with tea, and then put the cup in the sterling silver saucer before handing it to me, and said, "Tea, please." ”

I had just woken up from a sleep, and I was very thirsty. I took the teacup, thanked it, then brought it to my lips and took a sip. The tea was steaming hot, and it was so sweet that it was clear that the general had put too much sugar in his teacup.

"Comrade Oshanina, you have come at the right time, we are about to have lunch. I wonder if you're interested in eating with us? The general asked me politely.

"It's an honor to eat with you." Rokossovsky was the future marshal of the Soviet Union, and maintaining a good relationship with him would only do me good, not harm. I'm just here, and I don't know the place well, and if I don't eat with them, I really can't find a place to eat. Besides, the food eaten by these senior commanders is definitely not too bad, and I can improve the food by eating with them, so I am very happy to agree.

There was a series of slow footsteps outside the curtain, and I could smell the smell of baked potatoes, and then I saw several warriors enter with trays full of cutlery, and they put the contents on the table one by one and then retreated.

There are plenty of options on the table for lunch, including baked potatoes wrapped in tin foil, roast beef with potatoes, mashed potatoes, lamb broth, pickled cucumbers, pickled tomatoes, pickled mushrooms, corn salad, tomato salad, cucumber salad, carrot salad, diced sausage salad, banana fruit salad, and a few plates of butter and shredded cheese. When I saw such a sumptuous lunch in front of me, I couldn't help but drool secretly, and I felt in my heart that Rokossovsky was able to live a good life. In the days when I followed Zhukov, every day it was either bread or rusks, and occasionally there would be a beetroot soup or something to improve the food, and meat was absolutely non-existent. I knew that life here was so good, and I would have applied for a transfer a long time ago.

"What would you like to eat?" Rokossovsky asked me very gentlemanly.

"Bake potatoes." Almost without thinking, I replied that after several years in Moscow, my eating habits had begun to be Russified and had become as fond of baked potatoes as I was in the domestic winter.

Rokossovsky picked up a large potato wrapped in tin foil, placed it on an empty plate, skillfully cut it in half with a knife, then used a small spoon to mash the potatoes inside, added a little butter and shredded cheese to it and continued to stir. When it was well mixed, he pointed to several salads on the table and asked, "What flavor of salad do I need to add to?" ”

I pointed to the corn salad, tomato salad and cucumber salad and said, "Just have all three." ”

He spooned a few spoonfuls of the salad I wanted into the potatoes and stirred them again before handing them to me. Then he greeted everyone again: "Comrades, you're welcome, let's start eating, from morning to now, everyone has not eaten, and it is estimated that they are so hungry that their chests are pressed against their backs." ”

Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, and then they didn't continue to be polite, pulled their favorite food in front of them, and began to bury their heads in eating. Because of the war at any time, there were no alcoholic beverages on the table, and everyone ate and drank tea.

"How do baked potatoes taste?" Rokossovsky picked up the potato cubes in the mutton soup and asked me as he ate.

"Very good, it tastes amazing." I quickly swallowed a mouthful of the sweet, delicious, and somewhat hot baked potatoes, and replied happily, "If only I could eat such delicious potatoes regularly." ”

"Hehe," the general said with a smile, "when the German devils are defeated, I will treat you to eat every day." ”

As I ate this delicious baked potato that I hadn't seen for a long time, I couldn't help but think back to the good things I had eaten in Moscow in later generations. The barbecue in Vuitton Khan, although the bamboo pole is knocked hard, but in my heart, the taste is really good; The Russian-style cafeteria near Mayakovsky Square has a lot of delicious taste and variety and cheap prices, and every time my friends from China want to taste authentic Russian flavors, I will take them there to eat.

"Leda." The general's words interrupted my reverie, I quickly put down the fork in my hand, looked up at him, and before I could speak, he continued: "I heard about your performance in Borodino, the counterattack you organized, actually pushed the Germans back three to six kilometers, and regained all the lost positions, it is really not easy! He gave me a thumbs up, then picked up the teacup on the table and said, "Now that we are at war, you can't drink, so I will toast you with tea instead of wine." Cheers! ”

Hearing this, I quickly picked up the teacup on the table and touched it lightly with the cup in his hand. Seeing that the general had begun, several other people were not far behind, and they followed his example and clinked glasses with me instead of tea. I thought to myself, fortunately, I didn't drink alcohol, otherwise, I wouldn't be drunk on the battlefield, but drunk on the battlefield.

After everyone had finished giving me tea, the general said, "You may not know what you are doing, but shortly after you left, the Supreme High Command appointed a new commander to the Fifth Army. The Germans launched another fierce offensive against Borodino early this morning, and according to the latest intelligence, many positions were reoccupied by the Germans, our troops suffered heavy casualties, and the remaining troops were retreating. ”

Hearing him say this, I couldn't help but be surprised, how the situation had become so bad in just over a day. Fortunately, Zhukov recalled me to the Front Command, and if I had remained in command of the Fifth Army, I would have been wounded, captured, or killed, and I might even have to bear the responsibility for the forced retreat of the troops.

Suddenly there was a rumbling sound of cannon in the distance, and a phone from the command rang with it. One of the lieutenant colonels closest to the phone picked up the microphone, listened for a while, and then covered the microphone and said to the general: "Comrade commander, the call is from General Panfilov, and the German devils are attacking his line under the cover of tanks. ”

"Zhilu said, ordered him to resist resolutely, and I will go to him immediately."

"Yes," the lieutenant colonel agreed, then let go of his hand and said loudly to General Panfilov on the other end of the telephone line, "the commander has an order for you to hold off the enemy resolutely, and not to retreat a single step, and he will come to you at once." ”

Rokossovsky stood up and, while tying his belt, said to everyone: "Comrades, go and do your work, I'll go to Panfilov's division." Then he said to me, "Lida, come with me." ”

"Yes." I quickly put down my half-eaten baked potatoes and stood up to answer him. I secretly scolded these damn German devils for not even letting us finish the meal. When I have the opportunity in the future, I will organize troops to carry out night raids every day, so that you will not even be able to sleep.