Chapter Twelve: The Scenery in the Smoke

  Vitebsk is situated at the head of the Vitsba (?uczosa) River, which is a tributary of the Western Dvina, and is close to the western edge of the vast Byelovezhskaya Pushcha Natural Reserve, also known as the Bia?owie?a Forest.

  After contacting the radio and higher authorities, Chu Si Nan's group learned that in the hills of Vigie, there were still some troops who had not withdrawn, but they were only small units, and the higher authorities had also lost contact with them. Fortunately, on the outskirts of the hills east of Vigie, there was a cavalry division-level unit, which belonged to the Western Army and was a lucky escape from being surrounded.

  After receiving the news, Chusnan and Gilnirnova consulted with each other and finally made a decision to set off immediately, crossing the marshes, marching through the hills and mixed forest belt, and trying to approach the cavalry division in the shortest possible time.

  With the cooperation of these hundreds of female soldiers, it's not a difficult task to cross the treacherous swamp in front of us. Everyone just needs to take care of each other, some are responsible for scouting ahead, some are responsible for providing backup, and once someone gets stuck in the mud, everyone will pull them out. In this way, although the speed of marching through the swamp has slowed down, there is no longer too much danger.

  And so, by noon of the second day, they had traversed the marsh and entered a lush thicket.

  "Hurray!" With a burst of cheerful shouts, the female soldiers, who had been wandering in the dirty and muddy swamp for several days, rushed forward from all directions to a small lake that had just appeared in front of them.

  Chu Si Nan was startled by these bold Soviet female soldiers, watching them run and undress at the same time, their uniforms and skirts flying everywhere, then one by one they rushed into the clear lake water like a flock of white sheep, playing and frolicking inside, completely ignoring the few big men on the shore who were feasting their eyes on their sun-kissed bodies.

  "The most beautiful scenery in this world is always women, even in a war filled with blood and fire." Standing beside Chu Si Nan, Ahkromeyev suddenly said a seemingly very philosophical sentence.

  Chu Si Nan turned his head in astonishment, looking at the young warrior beside him, the future marshal, seemingly shocked that someone so young could possess such great composure, especially since this guy was still able to say very philosophical things.

  "But in war, it is we women who are most easily hurt." The other side's Zhil'ni Lova also said something meaningful, but immediately her face showed a happy smile.

  "Comrade Chusin-nan, won't you go and wash up?" Zhil'nikrov turned around and said to Chusin-nan.

  "Oh, no, no," Chu Si Nan hastily refused, and for some reason, he felt his face burning. Especially when he glanced at the small lake and saw those white, glowing bodies, this burning sensation became even stronger.

  "Then I went, you rest for a while." Zhil'ni Lova didn't say anything else either. She turned around and ran towards the lake, taking off her clothes as she ran, just like those female soldiers. Before long, she also merged into the group of female soldiers, naked, as if completely forgetting that they were still in danger.

  Chu Si Nan looked at these female soldiers laughing and playing in the lake, and suddenly a strange sense of pleasure rose up in his heart. He felt that he was indeed inferior to Ahkremyev, who would become a marshal in the future, and at least couldn't let go like him. War is inevitable and cruel, so cruel that it's hard to forget, but even so, someone in the midst of war or who has gone through the years of war doesn't have to deliberately remember it. After all, there are still many beautiful things in life to try, to cherish, just like now.

  "Comrade Akhromeyev, you're right." Chusnan gazed at the female soldiers frolicking in the lake, and said with some emotion, "Women are forever the most beautiful scenery in this world, even in war."

  Akhrarov, who had been closely watching the surroundings, turned his head in astonishment and wondered why this temporary official from China would repeat what he had just said.

  "Would you like to go down and bathe in the pure water and sunshine with the girls?!" Chu Si Nan patted Ah He Luo Mei Ye Fu's shoulder, which was taller than his own, with a loud laugh.

  Akhrarov obviously wanted to go, not to mention the mud and dirt of the swamp in these few days, this military uniform had become stiff and hard, and his whole body was emitting a pungent smell. Who wouldn't want to take a good wash at this time? However, Akhrarov hesitated for a moment before saying: "Lieutenant, you go ahead, I'll keep watch."

  "Go, go!" Chu Si Nan punched his chest with force, then turned to the five soldiers standing elsewhere and laughed loudly, "You all go, I'll take care of the sentry duty, this is the first order from me, a temporary lieutenant."

  "Yes, guaranteed completion of the task!" Several soldiers who had been eager to hold back for a long time cheered in unison and rushed to the water's edge.

  Looking at the soldiers who had been with him through thick and thin for several days, Chu Si Nan felt a sense of comfort in his heart. After all, they were like him, still alive - it was great to be alive.

  He quietly took off his MP38/40 from his shoulder, walked to a white birch tree, leaned against the rough trunk, and silently looked at the not-so-thriving forest, but his mind had wandered somewhere else.

  After an unknown period of time, a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Chu Si Nan's heart. He abruptly straightened his body, tilted his head and perked up his ears.

  "Tap tap tap..."

  "Hush!"

  Faintly, a string of continuous and uninterrupted gunfire came from the southeast of the forest.

  That's right, it's gunfire!

  "Get ready for battle!" Chu Si Nan turned his head and shouted loudly in the direction of Xiao Hu.

  At this time, the people in the small lake had already finished their bath. Everyone was wearing wet underwear and sitting on the lakeside to dry their washed military uniforms. As soon as they heard Chu Si Nan's shout, they didn't care about anything else, and one after another put on their still dripping military uniforms and ran towards where the guns were placed.

  "What's going on, Comrade Chusinan?" Zhil'niylovna didn't even have time to button up her military jacket, and she ran to Chusinan's side with a gun in hand. Her golden hair was still dripping water, falling onto the wet white shirt under her military uniform, making Chusinan stare blankly, vaguely recalling an old poem - "Looking afar at the waterfall hanging in front of the river".

  "Comrade Chusonam?" Zhil'ni Lova didn't notice Chusonam's loss of composure, her eyes scanning the forest as she called out again.

  "Oh," Chu Si Nan came back to his senses, shook his somewhat dizzy head and said, "Listen carefully, there's gunfire."