"No, Asya, you misunderstood." Sokov explained pleasantly: "The reason why Yasha and I are returning to Moscow at this moment is because our superiors arranged new jobs for us in advance in order to take care of us."
"Arrange new work?" Asiya asked with confusion, "What work will be arranged for you at this time?"
"Asia, you should know that the war is over." Sokov explained: "Our country no longer needs so many soldiers, which means that in the next one or two years, there will be more domestic
Large-scale disarmament, many troops with great military achievements, including the troops that captured the Reichstag in Berlin, may be deactivated."
When Asya heard this, her eyes widened in surprise. She grabbed Sokov's hand and asked emotionally: "Misha, is this all true?"
"Of course it's true." Sokov gently patted the back of her hand with his hand and continued: "If large-scale disarmament really starts, millions of commanders and fighters will be deployed.
It is a quite huge project. If Yasha and I return to Moscow now, we can get arrangements before other commanders change jobs."
Knowing that Yakov was also back, Asiya felt a little relieved. If Sokov was really transferred back because he made a mistake, then Yakov would definitely not come back together. Since the two of them came back together,
This proves that things are just as Sokov said, the superior is preparing to arrange suitable jobs for the two of them in advance. After a pause, Asiya tentatively asked: "Misha, I wonder what job the superior has arranged for you?"
Just when Sokov was about to speak, Asiya had already said first: "Don't speak for now, let me guess. If I were to arrange the work, Yasha's best place would definitely be the weapons and equipment department, right.
wrong?"
"You are right," Sokov nodded and said, "Yasha's final destination is the General Ordnance Department, which is the superior department of the Weapons and Equipment Department."
Asiya said "Oh" and then asked: "What about you, Misha, where did your superiors arrange for you to work?"
"That's really congratulations." Sokov said this, but he was thinking in his heart that Yakov would not call him specifically for such a trivial matter. There must be more important things, so he asked directly
: "Yasha, I'm afraid you didn't call me just to talk about this matter."
As for Yakov, he made the call to Sokov in Ustinov's office. After putting down the phone, he shrugged his shoulders, spread his hands, and said helplessly: "People's Commissar
, Unfortunately, Misha rejected me again. He has made his attitude clear, and he would rather go to Siberia to be the chief guard than work in the General Ordnance Department."
"How is this possible?" Sokov said, "Although the formal appointment will not come out for the time being, I have already made a choice, how can I go back on my word? If I am at a disadvantage and ask my superiors to cancel the appointment, I might mess things up.
It’s a mess.” Seeing that Asiya seemed to want to say something else, he quickly raised his hand to stop it and said, “Asiya, we’ll talk about this later, let’s cook now.”…
"My superiors gave me three options." Sokov raised three fingers and said: "First, go to Germany. Marshal Zhukov recommended me to be the garrison commander of Berlin."
"Definitely not on weekends." Sokov rejected Yakov's proposal without hesitation: "I just talked to Asya, and I will go to Khimki town to meet her parents this weekend."
"Oh, it's such a pity that you have to go to Khimki town on the weekend." After hearing this, Yakov said with some regret: "Then we will have to find another time."
Seeing that Sokov was so stubborn, Yakov could not say anything else, so he could only say one last sentence: "Misha, don't forget that you once told me that you planned to talk to the weapon designers of the Weaponry and Equipment Department, and gave me
They provide some design ideas for developing new weapons, don’t forget this.”
"Misha, I'm not a noble lady. My body is not that delicate." Asiya took the apron back from Sokov's hand and said with a smile: "Besides, it's still early before the child is born, so it doesn't matter at all.
I cook."
"You just said that your superiors gave you three choices." Asiya looked at Sokov and asked: "You rejected the first two choices, which means that the third choice is acceptable to you. You are now
Tell me, what is the third option given to you by your superiors?"
When Sokov heard what Yakov said, the corner of his mouth could not help but turn up slightly. He said in his heart that I chose to go to Siberia just to take care of the more than 600,000 Kwantung Army prisoners and try to prevent more than 50,000 prisoners of war from returning to the island country in the future. But
He just thought about it in his mind and would never tell Yakov. He simply replied: "I like to go there."
After Sokov put down the phone, he saw Asiya sticking her head out of the kitchen and couldn't help but curiously asked: "Misha, who called?"
"Don't worry, I won't forget it."
Sokov, who was originally standing, heard Yakov admit that he had something important to ask him, so he pulled up a chair and sat down, and then asked: "Tell me, what's the matter?"
"When I just contacted Comrade Ustinov, he heard that you actually chose to go to Siberia, and even said it was a waste of talent." Yakov explained to Sokov: "He asked me to ask you if you have any
Are you interested in coming to the General Ordnance Department? If you are willing to come, I will definitely arrange a good position for you."
Before Asiya could speak, the phone in the living room suddenly rang, and Sokov quickly turned around and walked towards where the phone was.
"This is normal," Asiya took out the cutting board and said to Sokov while chopping vegetables: "This is my first pregnancy, and the skin on my abdomen is tight. If I get pregnant with a second child in the future, the skin will become tighter in the same month.
Because of the looseness, the belly will look bigger."
"Misha, it's like this." Yakov said on the other end of the phone: "I just got the news that Comrade Ustinov was appointed as the head of the General Ordnance Department not long ago. In other words, I became the head of the General Ordnance Department again.
His subordinates."
"Okay, no problem." Sokov said: "Before we go, let's go to the officer's store and buy them some good things to take over."
Yakov laughed on the phone and then said: "Misha, you really can't hide anything. Yes, I called you because there is indeed something more important."…
"I don't know the specific situation." Asiya said: "I just heard from my mother that the production tasks in the instrument factory have been scheduled until the end of next year. If you don't work overtime, you won't be able to complete the tasks of your superiors."
Seeing that Asiya guessed that he would not choose this option, Sokov was very surprised. Although the other party guessed wrongly about the reason for his refusal, Kiev was indeed not his best choice. But it was okay, it saved himself
It was troublesome to explain, so Sokov said smoothly: "Asia, you are right, I just considered that my military rank is too low, and after I go there, I am afraid that I will be a sinecure with no real power, so I refused.
"
"No." Asiya, as a military doctor, naturally understood what Sokov meant, so she explained to him: "Not all women will experience morning sickness after pregnancy, and some people have very little reaction.
I just fall into this category. Except for the last time I had morning sickness when I had a meal with Comrade Stalin in the Kremlin, everything was normal the rest of the time, almost like ordinary people."
"My father is busy with work in the factory and has very little time to go home, let alone come here." Asiya said, "But my mother comes every weekend to help me clean up the room.
Washing clothes and so on. But when she left two days ago, she said that the factory would be very busy recently and she might not be able to come for a while."
"Hey, you rejected Yasha's invitation, weren't you too hasty?" Asiya asked: "You should think about it carefully and give him an answer before it's too late."
"That's true. The war has just ended, and now all production must serve to restore people's livelihood." Sokov said reasonably: "If your parents don't have time to come over, we can go over and visit them."
"That's a good relationship." Asiya said, "The day after tomorrow is the weekend. If you have nothing to do, we will go over to visit them."
Asiya was silent for a while, and then said: "The commanders of the four front armies in Ukraine are all marshals. You are just a general, not at the same level as them. I think if the Kiev Military District is rebuilt, the candidate for the commander should be
It's a certain marshal. Even if you are appointed as deputy commander, I'm afraid you won't have any real power. If I were you, I definitely wouldn't go."
"Don't be joking. If you have anything to do, just tell me quickly."
"He can't come. He said he was going to Khimki town on the weekend to meet Asya's parents." After Yakov repeated what Sokov said, he took the initiative to explain to Ustinov: "Anyway,
, he hasn’t met Asiya’s parents for several months. It makes sense to take advantage of the weekend to go over and visit.”
"Who else, of course, is Yakov." Sokov explained with a smile: "On behalf of Comrade Ustinov, he invited me to work in the General Ordnance Department." After saying this, Assi did not wait.
When Ya asked, he took the initiative to explain, "But I have already refused."
"Let me go to Siberia and manage the 600,000 Kwantung Army prisoners of war captured in this Far East campaign."
"I don't know the specific situation." Yakov said with a wry smile: "Maybe he has some unknown ideas."…
If Sokov was willing to stay at the General Ordnance Department, he would have explained his true thoughts to General Orehov when he was just in the Ministry of Defense. When Yakov asked about it now, he answered truthfully:
"Yasha, didn't I tell you that I want to go to Siberia instead of joining the General Ordnance Department."
"I have clearly rejected him. It's too late to say anything now." Sokov walked towards the kitchen and rolled up his sleeves: "I'd better help you cook. We can do it together, so we can save a lot."
time."
When Sokov heard this, he couldn't help but curiously asked: "How busy can a small instrument factory be?"
Ustinov couldn't help but frowned when he heard what Yakov said: "Yasha, I don't understand what is so good about Siberia that Misha would rather give up his pregnant wife and many choices than to
You can't run there."
"Now that the rationing system has been abolished, the supply of materials is much better than before. I don't think there is any need to buy them anything."
"If you want to buy it, you must buy it." Sokov said: "After all, this is my intention for them."
"What, asking you to go to Siberia?" Asiya asked with a face full of shock: "How could you be asked to go to that place? You know, Siberia has been a place where prisoners have been exiled since the Tsarist era. This is what your superiors gave you.
Can this appointment be cancelled?”
"Okay, wait a moment, I will cook for you now." Asiya said, rolled up her sleeves, picked up the apron and prepared to tie it around her waist, but Sokov snatched the apron away: "Ah
Thea, you are inconvenienced, so let me do it."
"That's right, I refused directly after hearing this." Sokov continued: "The second option is to go to Kiev. After the war, the Kiev Military District will definitely be rebuilt. After I go, if I am lucky, I can
Serve as deputy commander of the military region."
"The garrison commander in Berlin sounds good, but the specific work to be done is too trivial and not suitable for you." Asiya actively analyzed: "I think you may not agree to this appointment."
"Then can he come to us on the weekend?" Ustinov said: "If he wants to come, I plan to talk to him personally to see if I can dispel his idea of going to Siberia. If he is willing to stay,
I can go to your father to revise Misha's appointment."
Sokov stared at Asiya's belly and found that although it was four months old, it was not obvious: "Your belly doesn't look obvious."
Although Sokov left the kitchen, he did not go to sit in the living room. Instead, he leaned against the door and continued to ask with concern: "Have your parents been here recently?"
Seeing Asiya enter the kitchen, Sokov also followed. Although the other party didn't let him cook, he could still help her. When watching Asiya light the fire, he asked: "Ah
Thea, when you’re cooking in the kitchen, don’t you feel sick when you smell the fumes?”
After finishing speaking, he looked at Sokov standing next to him, put down the kitchen knife and vegetables in his hands, and pushed Sokov out with both hands: "Okay, okay, don't always stand next to me, so as not to affect me.
Let your cooking skills show off. Go sit in the living room for a while, and I will call you after the meal is ready."
"Hello," Sokov picked up the phone and put it to his ear and asked, "Who is it?"
"Misha, it's me." Yakov's familiar voice came from the receiver: "I didn't affect your intimacy with Asiya."
"I just can't figure it out. Siberia is full of ice and snow and has a harsh climate. Why did you choose to go there?"
"I think this matter shouldn't be delayed too long." Yakov said: "It's the weekend in just two days. You might as well come to the weapons and equipment department and I'll ask the engineers to have a good talk with you."
"I think it may be that Asya's parents are too busy to take time to visit them, so they made the decision to go to Khimki Town to visit the two elderly people." Ustinov finished his words.
, suddenly remembered something and asked quickly: "By the way, Yasha, have the relevant departments equipped Misha with a vehicle?"
"No, he is not equipped with a vehicle."
"Didn't I just give you a car today?" Ustinov said: "I think you can give Misha the car to use before he leaves Moscow. Maybe he will be willing to stay at the headquarters if he is moved.