After breakfast, Kirianova and Orlova went out to inspect the gun emplacement, and I was alone in the tent to pack my bags.

I have to go back to the headquarters in the city to meet the commander of the front, and I can't dress as casually as I usually do. So I found the belt that had been in my luggage, tied it to my military coat, took the pistol out of the holster, removed the magazine and checked the bullets inside, and then put it back in.

I was about to leave with my briefcase and assault rifle on my shoulder, when Orlova opened the curtain and walked in, carrying a large cloth bag in her hand. Seeing me dressed like this, he smiled and said, "Lida, are you ready to go?" ”

"Yes," I asked rhetorically, "where is Kirianova?" ”

"There is a bit of a malfunction in the anti-aircraft gun at the seventh gun position, and she is urging the soldiers at the maintenance station to repair it, so I guess I can't come to see you off." As he spoke, he handed me the cloth bag in his hand, "This is from Kirianova and I." ”

I didn't reach out to pick it up, shook my head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, I've only been in the city for a day or two, and I don't need these things." ”

Orlova shoved something into my arms and said with some displeasure: "There is a famine in Leningrad, and the inhabitants of the city do not have enough to eat. You're going to see your mom and son, so bring them something to eat. Then he put a note in my coat pocket and added: "This is the address that Lyuda gave you, in Vladimir Prospect building 146 on the Neva River, if they have not been evacuated, you should be able to see them." ”

Leda's mom and baby! If Orlova hadn't mentioned it, I'd have forgotten that they were still in this besieged city. Since becoming Leda, I've been trying to avoid meeting her relatives because I don't know how to get along with them.

"Leda, it's not too early, it's time for you to go." Seeing that I was in a daze, Orlova next to me kindly reminded me.

I went up to Orlova and gave her a hug, kissed her on the cheek, and said to her in a grateful tone: "On behalf of my mother and son, thank you." After saying that, carrying a cloth bag containing food in his left hand and an assault rifle in his right hand, he opened the curtain and walked out.

I stood on the side of the road and waited for a ride. When I usually don't plan to go into the city, the trucks of the transport team pass by this lot one after another, but today I want to take a ride, but I can't see a single car for half a day.

I raised my hand and looked at the watch on my wrist, and I had been standing on the side of the road for nearly ten minutes, and I wondered if the driver sent by General Shirov was in a hurry at the checkpoint. At this moment, a truck with a canopy drove unhurriedly in the distance. I hurriedly walked to the middle of the road, slung my rifle over my shoulder, and raised my hand high.

With a screeching sound of brakes, the truck stopped five or six meters away from me. The black-haired driver stuck his head out of the driver's cab and yelled at me: "You don't want to die, you actually ran to the middle of the road to stop the car." ”

I walked up to the driver quickly: "I'm sorry, comrade driver, I have an urgent matter to go to the city, can I hitchhike with you?" ”

The driver glanced at the rank on my collar badge, tilted his head and said, "Come up, Comrade Major, it's a pleasure to serve you." ”

I walked around the front of the car, opened the passenger door and got into the car, and as soon as the door was closed, the driver started the car.

The driver, like a rapping brother, who might have seen a young female soldier hitchhiking, was particularly active, and kept talking to me on his own initiative: "Comrade Major, I go to Leningrad almost twice a week to bring flour and all kinds of supplies to the residents. Nowadays, there are many people who take a bus out of the city, and it is rare to enter the city. Where are you going? ”

"Go to the city to see mom and son." The purpose of this trip to the city was to meet Commander Khozin and General Shilov, and according to the regulations, the purpose of the trip was to be kept absolutely secret. Therefore, apart from Kirianova and Orlova, I did not know anything about my return to the city. Nowadays, when a driver who has never known anything else asks, I can only prevaricate him with other reasons.

"Oh?!" The driver was a little surprised and said, "I can't see that you are already married at such a young age." Then he asked, "How old is your son?" ”

"Three years old. Since the outbreak of the war, I have not seen him again. ”

When I said this, the driver was even more surprised: "Oh my God! You've only been in the army for a few months, huh? I always thought you had been in the army for several years, otherwise you wouldn't have such a high rank. ”

I have long been accustomed to this reaction of the driver, a female soldier who has only been in the army for a few months, can actually rise to the top, from an ordinary soldier, once became a senior general commanding tens of thousands of people, and anyone will find it incredible.

I organized the vocabulary in my head and whispered, "In war, any miracle can happen." ”

"Where does your mom live?" Fortunately, the driver did not continue to dwell on this issue, but changed the subject in time.

The address of Leda's mother, Orlova told me once just now, but I didn't remember it, so I took out the note in my coat pocket. On the note was the address written by Liu Da in pencil, because it was written too sloppily, and in a hurry, I really couldn't recognize what she wrote.

The driver glanced at the note in my hand and said, "So it's Vladimir Prospect on the Neva River?" ”

When he said this, he immediately reminded me, and I even guessed the content of the back, "It's Building 146." Comrade driver, have you been anywhere? ”

The driver was silent. After a long time, he replied: "Because of the shelling and bombardment by the fascist bandits, there is hardly a single intact building found there, and the residents who live there, young and strong, have gone to the front line, and most of the remaining old people and children have been evacuated." I wonder if you'll be able to find your mother and son when you go. ”

Hearing the driver say this, I actually felt a sense of relief in my heart. Because I'm an impostor Leda after all, if I really appear in front of her mother and son, maybe I won't be able to say two words.

Seeing that I didn't speak, the talkative driver also closed his mouth in amusement. There was silence in the car.

After driving for another while, the driver asked me again: "Comrade Major, where are you going to get off?" Probably afraid that I would be too careful, he then explained: "I was pulling flour in the car, and I had to go to the designated place to unload the car, not Vladimir Street." ”

"It's okay," my destination is not Vladimir Street, so it doesn't matter where the driver parks. "When you get to the checkpoint into the city, just drop me down."

The driver suddenly asked, "By the way, do you have a pass?" In the past two days, you have to be a little mentally prepared to check the car. If not, the fighters at the checkpoint may arrest you as a deserter. ”

During the war, commanders and fighters were not allowed to move freely without travel permits and passes, otherwise if they were caught by patrols or checkpoints, they might be arrested as deserters, confined and sent to correctional camps, or shot directly. Although I have not been in this world for too long, I have somewhat learned many rules of the game that can kill people at any time. If it weren't for Commissar Shiggin saying that someone had been arranged to wait for me at the checkpoint, I would not have dared to go back to Leningrad casually.

I was very grateful for the driver's kindness, and I smiled at him and said, "Thank you for the reminder." There will be a pass to get into town, and someone will pick me up at the checkpoint. ”

When the car was still one or two hundred meters from the checkpoint, it was met by a patrol. When the driver saw that the leading officer was waving to stop, he stepped on the brakes in time.

The car stopped, and a lieutenant who was checking the car stepped forward, read the driver's documents, and then reached out to me for them. I took out my military ID and handed it to him, and instead of looking through it immediately, he asked, "Do you have a business trip pass or pass?" ”

"No," I told him frankly, "I was given a short notice to return to Leningrad on a mission, so I didn't get a travel pass or a pass for the time being." ”

"Please get out of the car." The lieutenant looked like he was on business, and reached out to open the door. I said politely: "Someone is waiting for me at the checkpoint, he should have the documents you need." ”

"Please get out of the car." The lieutenant was unmoved, did not look at my military ID, and simply asked me to get out of the car. Seeing that I had no intention of getting out of the car, I took a step back and raised my hand back, and the soldiers of the patrol immediately rushed up with their guns in their hands and pointed them at the wheelhouse.

Seeing this situation, I smiled bitterly and had no choice but to get out of the car.

The driver poked his head out from the co-pilot and said loudly: "Comrade lieutenant, could you be mistaken?" She is also a commander, how can she be a deserter. ”

The lieutenant raised his hand at the driver, "Hurry up and drive the car away, or I will arrest you together." ”

The driver had no choice but to say to me: "Comrade Major, I'll go first, good luck!" Then he closed the door and drove the military vehicle away.

Watching the military vehicle leave, the lieutenant turned back to me and said, "Next, it's time for us to talk about your problem, Comrade Major." Why did you leave your defensive place and come to Leningrad without a business permit or pass? ”

I looked at him coldly and said with a serious expression: "I repeat, I was ordered to return to Leningrad. As for the business trip pass or pass, as long as you get to the checkpoint, the person waiting for me will definitely bring it to you for inspection. ”

I didn't expect the lieutenant to be an elm pimple, he didn't know how to be flexible at all, and he only needed to check his business trip pass or pass without looking at my military ID. Seeing me and him confronting him, I couldn't help but be a little annoyed and angry, and beckoned the two soldiers behind me to come up and disarm me. Naturally, I wouldn't let him succeed, and I lifted the assault rifle in my hand upwards and pressed the lieutenant's chin impartially.

The soldiers around me threw rat traps, afraid of hurting the lieutenant who led the team, and just yelled at me with their guns, but no one dared to step forward. Seeing this scene, I couldn't help but laugh to myself, it seems that I committed a checkpoint rush, last time I took a captain hostage, this time I am a lieutenant, and I don't know what rank I will be next time. Next time?! Thinking of this, I couldn't help but shudder, the next time I hijacked the officer at the checkpoint, I couldn't tell if I would be stunned and shoot at me.

When it was difficult to ride a tiger with a sword-rattling, suddenly a shout came from a distance: "Stop, stop." It's your own people, put the gun down. ”

In the distance, several soldiers were running from the direction of the checkpoint, led by an officer...... The soldiers who surrounded me lowered their guns at the command of the officer who was running over.

Several servicemen ran up to me panting, and the undecided officer came up to me and, after standing up and saluting, reported loudly: "Report to Comrade Major, the commander of the checkpoint, Captain Kushelev, reports to you." Please instruct! ”

Seeing that the gun in my hand was still against the lieutenant's chin, Captain Kushelev hurriedly pulled my military ID card from the lieutenant's hand, held it in both hands and respectfully handed it to me, and said, "Major Oshanina, this is your military ID. It was just a misunderstanding, could you please let the lieutenant go? ”

I took back my gun, slung it over my shoulder, took the military ID card handed over by the captain, and asked casually: "Comrade Captain, do you know me?" ”

"You forgot, the last time you and Commissar Hikin passed through the checkpoint, there was a little misunderstanding." The captain reminded me a little embarrassed, "You put a gun to my chin just like you did just now. ”

"It's you, Comrade Captain." I took the initiative to extend my hand to him, and when shaking hands, I asked gently, "How are you doing?" ”

"Very well, thank you for your concern. The driver of the commissar of Higgin is waiting for you at the checkpoint now, let's go over. ”

"Comrade Captain, do you know her?" The lieutenant, whom I had held hostage with a gun just now, asked in an unkind tone.

Captain Kushelev glared at the lieutenant and said, "This is the Major Oshanina I mentioned to you. ”

"It's General Oshanina!" When I heard that it was me, the original anger on the lieutenant's face suddenly melted away without a trace, and he called me my original rank with a smile on his face, and sincerely apologized to me: "I'm sorry, I was too reckless just now. I beg your pardon! After speaking, he respectfully saluted me with a standard military salute.

"Comrade Major, let's go." Seeing that the atmosphere was relaxed, Captain Kushelev lost no time in saying: "Commissar Higgin's driver is still waiting for you at the checkpoint." ”