Chapter 13 The Hawthorn Tree
Colonel Dmitri didn't know why he was suddenly transferred to the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs. As for reasons such as good political background and front-line work experience, they were simply not credible. Therefore, when he left Building 2 and walked out of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, he felt like he was dreaming and in a trance as if he was in the clouds.
Is it a good thing to have the opportunity to be transferred to the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs? There is no doubt about this. It is definitely a good thing. At present, Colonel Dmitry is directly under the leadership of the Political Propaganda Department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, which is the predecessor of the famous General Political Department of the Soviet Army and Navy. However, compared with the later General Political Department of the Army and Navy, the current Political Propaganda Department of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army does not have much power. Since Comrade Frunze abolished the military commissar system and established the absolute leadership system of commanders in the army, the role of political commissar has not had much power.
But in contrast, the State Security Commissioners who came from the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs were different. Their role in the army was not only propaganda, but also responsible for monitoring the commanders. In other words, even if he, a division-level political commissar, returned to the Ninth Army, his authority would be much greater than before.
Why did he get this opportunity? Dmitri was puzzled. After racking his brains, he thought of a possibility, which was... maybe a certain work he did some time ago got the attention of a leader. Thinking back to his work some time ago, it seemed that only the work of launching Yuri, the hero representative, was relatively outstanding. Could it be because of that?
Well, maybe it was that incident, maybe it wasn't that incident, but it was undeniable that Dmitry believed that the young man named Yuri Arkhipovich was his lucky star, and perhaps it was because of that kid that he got such an opportunity.
I remember that nice guy is studying in Moscow. If I have the chance, I can go and see him - not out of gratitude, but because I feel that I don’t know anyone in Moscow, let alone close friends. Dmitry needs someone he can talk to.
Dmitry should be considered an informer, or more accurately, a betrayer. While he framed his superior commander, he also turned himself into an outlier in the military system . Over the years, although he has lived a comfortable life, he has made few friends, even if they are just drinking buddies. No one likes him, no one wants to get close to him, and everyone who knows his background deliberately avoids him. His loneliness is visible to the naked eye. This time when he came to Moscow, the only person he could visit and who was willing to accept his visit was Yuri.
Zagorsk, which had been peaceful for a day, once again sank into the thick night. On the outskirts of the new rural collective farm on the outskirts of the city, in an empty space where several huge warehouses were built, the noisy bonfire party was gradually coming to an end.
In the open space beside the bonfire, August was dancing with Nasha. They were dancing the Gopak dance with a strong Ukrainian flavor. Although August was tall and strong, he was very flexible in his movements. Whether squatting on the ground and kicking his legs or spinning in circles, he had no problem at all. As for Nasha, she was even more outstanding. The Ukrainian dancing talent was fully reflected in them.
"Why don't you go dance for a while?" Olga had just come back from dancing for a while, with sweat on her smooth forehead with her hair loose. She walked up to Yuri, sat down close to him, and asked while panting.
"Me? I can't do that." The girl exuded a faint fragrance, soft and comfortable to lean on. Yuri hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered up the courage, put his hands around Olga's slender waist, and said with a dry cough, "I can't dance, especially such a difficult Gopak."
"Then sing a song," Olga not only didn't mind his arm around her waist, but also leaned into his arms and said, "Sing any song, Julia can accompany you."
Yuri smiled and shook his head, then rested his chin on Olga's head.
"Let's go, sing a song," Olga refused to let him go. She struggled to stand up, grabbed Yuri's arm with both hands, and tried to pull him up from the ground, saying, "Just sing a song. It's rare that everyone is so happy."
Yuri struggled twice but failed to break free. August, who had just finished dancing, also ran over to make a noise, so he had to stand up and was dragged into the venue by Olga.
"Comrades, next, let's ask Paulenka to sing a song for us. Welcome everyone." Olga pushed Yuri's back, stood next to the bonfire in the open field, and shouted with a giggle.
"oh"
Several people around applauded and cheered. It was Yuri's first time tonight. He had not participated in dancing or singing before. This time, they finally waited for him to perform, so naturally, everyone would not let him go so easily.
"What are you going to sing?" Julia, who was also sitting not far from the campfire, asked with a smile, "I will accompany you, Baolianka."
What to sing? Yuri was in a dilemma. Needless to say, he didn't know any of the popular folk songs. He could only think of some of the names, and he couldn't say for sure whether they were available now. If they weren't available, how could Julia accompany him?
Fortunately, the instrument in Julia's hand was an accordion, which Yuri could also use, and he used it quite well. After all, when he was in the army in his previous life, this was the most common instrument besides the guitar and harmonica.
"How about this," Yuri said, hesitating for a while, touching his nose, "Since the comrades are so enthusiastic, I will sing a song. Well, as for the accompaniment, I'll do it myself."
"Well, welcome!"
Everyone cheered again. There were many people in the Red Army who could play the accordion, so no one was surprised that Yuri could play it.
Julia took the accordion off her shoulders and handed it to Yuri, but she did not leave. Instead, she hugged Olga and sat by the campfire, looking as if she was ready to enjoy the show.
Although he was performing in front of a crowd, Yuri did not feel stage fright. He sat on a stool made of a log, put the organ on his back, tested the sound, and got a feel for it.
"Hey, Paulenka, tell me what you are going to sing." August also came over from the outside and asked with a smile.
"Yes, it's a song written by my comrade." Although he was prepared, Yuri still felt a little embarrassed when he said this, and his words were not so smooth. Even so, he couldn't say that he wrote the song, but directly attributed it to a comrade. "The name of the song is "Hawthorn Tree"."
After saying this, Yuri didn't wait for anyone to ask any questions and directly started playing the prelude with the accordion in his hand.
"The singing voice gently ripples on the water at dusk, the factory is already flashing in the twilight, the train is running fast, and the lights in the windows are brilliant." Yuri sang in the gentlest voice possible along with the melodious sound of the organ.
Not to mention, now this body not only has a good appearance, but also left Yuri with a good voice. The clear voice interprets this Ural -style song with a bit of flavor. The most important thing is that for the people present, this song has never been heard before. It is not only fresh, but also very nice. The love triangle story in the song is also full of pure romance.
Beautiful things are always desirable and, of course, the most contagious. Everyone present, including August, listened attentively. They started out just urging Yuri to sing a song, but they didn't expect there would be a surprise in the end.
"Ah, who is the bravest and the loveliest one, dear hawthorn tree, please tell me." As the last part of the song was finished, Yuri stopped and let out a breath, secretly congratulating himself that he had not forgotten his skills completely and that he could play the organ quite well.
"Wow, wow, wow!" applause broke out as the singing paused. The people around seemed very excited. August even clapped and shouted, "Good, good, good, one more, one more Paulenka!"
"Bolianka, what a beautiful song," Olga said with her rosy face raised, "was it composed by your comrade? He is really a talented person."
"Yes, yes, can you introduce him to us?" Domichaea, who had been very quiet all the time, also shouted.
"Yes, he is indeed a very talented man and a true hero," Yuri coughed and said in his heart, "Back in Suossamir, it was he who sacrificed himself that gave me the opportunity to kill the Finnish sniper."
As he said this, Yuri also made a nostalgic and sad expression - he was getting better and better at acting now, and he could easily make all the necessary expressions.
The scene suddenly became quiet, even August, who loved to make trouble, was silent. People in those days, especially soldiers, were still very passionate, patriotic, and worshipping so-called heroes was something that later generations could hardly understand.
"Don't be sad, Baolianka." After a few dozen seconds of silence, as if paying tribute to the unknown "hero", Olga stood up and walked to Yuri, put her arm around his shoulders and comforted him, "Your comrade's contribution was great. There will always be people in this world who will never forget him, isn't it?"
"I'm fine," Yuri said with a dry smile.
"Sing this song for us again, Paulenka," Julia whispered. "I think we should let more people hear it."
