Malashenko, who was squatting behind the room and smoking alone, thought about it for a long time, but in the end he didn't know whether he should blame himself or not.
If someone else were in your position, what decision would they make?
Should he abandon his closest relatives and choose to save more people and more comrades? Or is it the same as his own choice, a son of a bitch who will be cursed by the souls of countless grieving mothers when the truth is exposed?
?
Maybe he did something wrong from the beginning, but Malashenko told himself that he did not regret it and would never regret it in the future.
He has never been, is, or will ever be able to turn his back on Comrade Political Commissar. Even if he makes a deal with the devil, Malashenko will still bite the bullet and do it without hesitation.
I am who I am, I am not anyone, and I don’t want to deliberately imitate anyone or care about what others think of me.
I am Malashenko.
The growth of the mental journey is something that cannot be seen or touched, but it is the most truly felt existence.
Nowadays, Malashenko rarely feels hesitant about redundant and complicated things. Perhaps this would have severely damaged Malashenko in the past, and even almost drove a healthy mind crazy.
But now, there are few similar things that can make Malashenko feel so shaken.
And all of this is thanks to the old man who watched him and accompanied him until now. The subtle changes have already been engraved in his soul and can no longer be erased.
When they returned to the living room that had been converted into a command hall, Lavrinenko and Karachev had already dispersed, taking the time to rest and take a nap before the storm came again. A whole day of fighting was mixed with high-intensity marching.
The whipping has long exhausted the body that has been traumatized by the war. Even an iron man needs a short rest.
"I haven't seen you for a long time, what have you been doing?"
Malashenko mistakenly thought that everyone except the watchman was asleep, but this was obviously not the case for the political commissar who was still correcting something in front of the case.
"...I went to the back of the room and smoked two cigarettes. I felt so sleepy that I needed to clear my head. The cold air was quite effective."
"...."
Comrade Political Commissar did not reply, he just continued the work at hand and concentrated on his work.
When Malashenko arrived at the table, he stretched out his hand to pull out a chair and sat down very close to Comrade Political Commissar.
"I have nothing to do. Come on, stop doing those things and come and chat for a while. When will you be able to finish those crappy things every day? You've almost finished your work as a staff officer. You're really tired.
For good reasons, where else do you want me to find such a good political commissar partner?"
Facing Malashenko's half-joking opening remarks, the political commissar who smiled faintly immediately put down the pen in his hand and turned around.
"Okay, what does our comrade commander want to talk about?"
The small oil lamp placed on the table and the small stove placed in the center of the room were emitting orange-red flames, which reflected on the political commissar's cheeks and reflected a not-so-healthy complexion, even though the face was still pretending to smile.
"Don't do what you did today again. I'm serious. Are you having problems with your lungs and respiratory tract now? Such a cold day is really exciting. Just listen to my advice this time? Okay? I'm begging you.
Already."
Malashenko rarely used this rare-sounding tone to speak to his political commissar comrades, but this time he was really forced to have no choice but to do so.
What was slightly beyond Malashenko's expectation was that Commissar Petrov, who had always liked to show off his abilities, changed his mind this time.
"I listen to you and do as you say. It just so happens that I, the old man, can take a break? It's time for you young people to take over. But communist fighters will always walk on the road of struggle? Don't count on me.
Because of this trivial matter, I took a back seat."
Political Commissar Petrov was laughing as he spoke, and Malashenko was also laughing when he heard what he said.
Is the friendship and relationship between men sometimes so simple? It only takes one look and one action to make it tacitly understood, without the need for too many words to cover it up.
"Okay? Let's talk about something else."
"How was the situation when you went out to inspect the position just now? I didn't have time to ask at that time. Can you tell me now?"
Seeing that Malashenko had brought the topic to the right track, Commissar Petrov also changed his smile and returned to normal.
"Is everything going well with the soldiers and the position? When I went there, I happened to catch up with Kulbalov patrolling the position at night. Are there any problems with the observation posts out front and the light and dark posts close to the position? After the snow falls, there will be two squads
Changed to three shifts? To prevent soldiers from being too cold to bear and causing accidents."
"As long as the Germans try it tonight? We will definitely be able to discover their whereabouts in advance. The whole division will take action as soon as the gunfire rings? I guarantee it."
Those positions, fortifications, and bunkers left by the Ukrainian rebels around the village? Did they really help Malashenko a lot? If the Germans really came over, there wouldn't be no place to defend.
In this hellish weather where the soil is frozen harder than steel plates? It’s almost impossible to dig civil engineering works on the ground. A 152 howitzer hit the ground and it’s just a hole as big as a truck tire? Is that possible?
Manual excavation is fucking bullshit, no matter how good the thing you have is, it won't work? Unless you have a later generation crawler-type engineering demolition machine, then you can give it a try.
"What about other situations? What about the villagers in the village? What do they think about shooting Walensky during the day, which should be your job? Have you investigated? Is the recognition of our Red Army reliable?
"
Before coming to Ukraine, Malashenko had been worried about public sentiment and public support.
Think about it carefully? In the past, we fought in Russia, which was on the territory of later generations. It is not surprising that we were supported by the people almost wherever we went.
But when it comes to Ukraine, Malashenko still cannot let go.
Worried that this unlucky place where even Vatu Kyung died in the existing history would cause some trouble for him, Commissar Petrov’s next answer proved Malashenko’s
Worry is by no means unnecessary.
"I went from house to house and conducted a survey. About half of the people were happy and grateful for the arrival of our Red Army and supported us. Not many people in the remaining half clearly expressed their opposition. How should I say?
Just act numb, as if it doesn't matter whether the Germans, Ukrainians, or the Red Army are in charge of this village."
"They don't care about these things, as if they have nothing to do with them. They just hope that their current life can be as undisturbed as possible."