Chapter 1965: The Thing That Leads to Victory

Early before Bagration's operation, Malashenko had actually been thinking about one thing: would he be sent to Leningrad to fight to retake this great city?

However, what happened later was not like that. Malashenko was not sent to fight in Leningrad, but was transferred to the First Ukrainian Front, where he fought the Cherkassy Steel Encirclement Battle that made his father, Comrade Stalin, very happy and won a great victory.

It was also from that time that Malashenko mistakenly thought that he might have to wait until the end of the war before he had the opportunity to return to this city where he had fought and defended desperately, and of course left many unforgettable memories.

However, fate played tricks on people, and Malashenko's expectations did not become a reality. Fate drove our old comrade Ma back to this heroic city named after the great revolutionary mentor before he was about to go abroad to fight and long after the siege of Leningrad entered the stalemate stage.

After getting off the plane and leaving the airport, I followed Shashmulin and got on the convoy that came to pick me up, and drove straight to the direction of the Kirov Factory, which was rebuilt on the original site.

Shashmulin, who was sitting next to Malashenko and also in the back seat of the GAZ jeep, saw Malashenko looking at everything outside the car window in a trance, and even the old woman who was staggering on the sidewalk could attract Malashenko's attention and take a few more glances.

Shashmulin could probably guess why this was the case, and after a little thought, he spoke softly to Malashenko beside him.

"Remember what happened here in the past?"

Shashmulin didn't say it too clearly, mainly because he was afraid of evoking some sad and bad memories of Malashenko.

After all, Shashmulin, who was sent by Kotin to preside over the reconstruction of the Kirov Factory as soon as Leningrad was relieved, remembered how terrible Leningrad was at that time. Even if the fascists' claws did not completely pollute the city, they undoubtedly brought indelible pain to this great heroic city.

The ruins were full of starving civilians, and the skinny, severely malnourished Red Army soldiers were cleaning up the ruins with their weak bodies. The streets and building areas were full of craters of various sizes left by German planes dropping bombs and artillery shelling. The journey that should have taken an hour to complete took half a day to reach the destination.

There were countless people who died of starvation and illness due to lack of medical care during the siege of Leningrad. Shashmulin only remembered that there were graves for the dead every kilometer he went.

Those who had even run out of tears could not take care of their relatives, neighbors, friends, comrades and comrades who were buried everywhere. They themselves are struggling between life and death, and they have to work hard for their own survival, for a better tomorrow for all the survivors in this city, and to fight to get the reconstruction of this city named after the great revolutionary mentor back on track as soon as possible.

Hearing what Shashmurin said, Malashenko, who was indeed moved by the scene, was silent for a while, but it didn't last long, and then he spoke.

"Well, I remembered what I had seen here before, everything that happened around me."

"That's the street. I still remember the half-collapsed house. It has obvious features. When I was fighting in Leningrad, it was still a four-story building."

"Once again, we were ordered to rest nearby, but there was no food. We had to hold on until the next morning for food to be delivered. This was already a priority guarantee. At that time, the comrades were very hungry. Many of them were almost paralyzed after fighting for a day and withdrawing from the front line. They were so tired and hungry that they had difficulty falling asleep. They couldn't even sleep when they wanted to."

"An old lady found us when we needed it most. She said there was some food in that building. It was reserved for us Red Army soldiers, and we were invited to come over. "

"But when we got there, we found that the building was a refugee settlement, and the upstairs and downstairs were crowded with homeless civilians, mostly women, children, and the elderly."

"We didn't know until we finished eating that they cooked their own rations, the last bit of life-saving rations for these war refugees, into the pot for us to eat. The reason they didn't tell us in advance was that they were worried that we wouldn't accept it or eat it. "

Malachenko's eyes were a little wet and red after he said this. Shashmurin, who was good at observing details, could certainly notice this subtle change. At this time, being a quiet listener and letting Malachenko continue to speak was the best choice.

"Many people shed tears, including me. It was just a simple meal of beans and brown rice, without seasoning, vegetables, or meat. The taste was only slightly better than drinking water."

"But I swear, it was definitely the most unforgettable meal I have ever eaten in my life. No matter how delicious the food was, it couldn't match the shock and impact it brought me."

"I looked at those people with hungry eyes, and they all looked at us, the defenders of the motherland and the Red Army soldiers. I could find the light of hope and the important task entrusted to me in their eyes."

"From that time on, I knew that we have a will of steel, and we have people and soldiers who are willing to sacrifice everything for the motherland. In my eyes, those fascists are already counting down to death. No matter how much the price is paid, no matter how much the sacrifice is, we must completely crush these unscrupulous scums! I firmly believe that victory will belong to us!"

"And now"

Malachenko, with tears in the corners of his wet and red eyes, smiled calmly, changed his tone silently, and then continued to speak.

"This great city has been completely liberated from the clutches of the fascists, and we have embarked on the road of victory to bury the fascists."

"Everything promised is constantly being realized and coming, Comrade Shashmurin. I am extremely happy to be able to return to this city that I once fought for. Just like the victory shown by the things that this city has experienced, those evil fascist fanatics will eventually pay the most painful price for their own stupidity."

The convoy has unknowingly arrived at the destination before the voice fell. Shashmurin, who was deeply moved by Jun's words, was the first to open the door. After getting off the car and standing still, he quietly spoke to Malashenko who was still in the car.

"Come on, Comrade General, let me take you to see the things that can help you to victory."