[Masterpiece Les Miserables] Paris Sparks

One Monday afternoon, Enjolras stood at the gate of the Fadu shooting range.The winter sun has no temperature, and only a little light is looming between the clouds.The sign of the shooting range cast a cold shadow on his face.When Coronna saw him across the street, she almost cried out in her impatient joy.She crossed the street quickly, and Enjolras turned to see her and nodded to her. His serious expression almost gave Corona an illusion, as if he had been running around again in the short six months since he arrived in Paris. It's a bit taller.He was no longer a child, but a fully grown youth.

"Do you have a pistol/gun?" he asked.

"Bring it." Corona said.

Enjolras turned around and led her to the shooting range, and stretched out his hand towards her. Corona put the pistol/gun into his hand. He skillfully checked the structure of each part of the gun/armour, and found that the gun/gun Well maintained, all parts intact, empty chamber, so nods approvingly.He must have said hello before, and the guards of the shooting range let them walk into the range.Enjolras stood still in front of a target, but he was not in a hurry to take out the bullets, but dismantled the gun again.

"This is the gun/barrel, this is the striker/needle, and this is the trigger." He explained the structure/structure of the hand/gun/ one by one, "The bullets are loaded into the chamber from here..."

For the first time since meeting him, Corona truly took her attention away from him.No matter how tolerant her relatives were to her, it was impossible for a girl to learn how to shoot a gun. Fencing and horseback riding were already the limit, and she had to make concessions only after cutting first and then playing.Therefore, even though Corona saw Caton wearing a pistol/gun many times, and touched the gun body carefully many times, she didn't know anything about it, let alone learn to use it.Compared with this knowledge, which was so rare for her, even Enjolras's attraction was not so strong for a while.

She listened carefully to Enjolras explaining the working principle of the pistol/gun, and silently memorized every sentence in her heart.After Enjolras explained the structure and principle, he reassembled the pistol/gun. He didn't load the bullet, but just held the empty gun in his hand.

"Watch my position," he said, drawing Corona's attention to the way he held the gun in two hands, then one. "This pistol/gun can be fired with one hand, but when you practice for the first time, holding the pistol with both hands is more stable." He explained, returning the pistol/gun to her hand.Corona copied his pose almost exactly—except that it was a little rusty and took a little longer to adjust, hers was almost perfect.

Enjolras didn't often praise others, he simply nodded. "Then it's aiming. Straighten your arms, and raise the gun in front of you." He tapped the aiming point on the gun with his graceful fingers, "Aim at the bull's-eye, and make these points line up. Before shooting, you must Lower the muzzle a little, watch the recoil. . . . well, that's it."

Corona pulled the trigger, and the firing pin made an empty sound in the chamber, as if hitting her chest. The great excitement made her tremble all over.Enjolras misunderstood her and gave her a stern look, frowning. "One more time, keep the gun steady."

She practiced aiming and firing many times with an empty gun before using the bullets for her first practice session with cotton plugs in her ears.But the recoil was still beyond her imagination, and the bullet missed the target, leaving no trace on the target paper.Corona blushed with shame, but Enjolras didn't say much. "The first practice is like this. Remember to lower the muzzle of the gun before firing." He said, handing her the second round of ammunition to load.

They practiced until it was getting dark, and finally the target paper in the distance could no longer be seen clearly.By that time, Corona had been able to hit the target very consistently with each shot, and most of them were able to hit near the center.Enjolras didn't show any joy or anger on his face, "It's okay." He said, watching Corona unload the bullet, put the safety on, and put the empty gun back into her pocket.Then they walked out of the shooting range side by side, and Corona settled the fee in front.

In terms of Enjolras' personality, the previous time was spent studying hard, and only at this moment was the time to gossip. "I thought school was out at the moment. Aren't you coming home?" she asked.

Enjolras shook his head coldly.

"I thought you were going back with Combeferre."

"There's nothing to go back to. Why bother me and my father's own unhappiness?"

"Then I would like to thank you for this—after all, if you go back, no one will teach me how to shoot right now." Corona joked, easing the slightly awkward conversation in time, "Then, next Is it still Monday?"

"It's still Monday."

They stood at the gate of the shooting range. "See you next week, then—or on Thursday?" Corona said goodbye to him with a smile.

"See you on Thursday." Enjolras nodded, looking at the sky, "Be careful."

"I only met the bandit once! Don't worry. Didn't you teach me how to fight?" Corona said with a smile.

She paused, but couldn't hold back after all.She added softly, "You too. Stay safe."

Then came the next Monday, and then the next Monday.Corona's marksmanship has improved rapidly.Compared with men, she is weaker in strength, but she has been painting for many years, her wrist is very stable, her reaction is quick, and the recoil is not a big problem.After solving this problem, her accuracy increased greatly.It was only the third time that Enjolras announced that all she had left was practice and that he had nothing else to teach.

"I have already talked about the structure of the first/before. If you have practiced the pistol/gun and are still interested, you can practice the rifle/gun again. It is always good to have another way of self-defense; there are exercises here Dedicated/□□for rent.” Enjolras said.

Corona nodded in response.They finished their practice, put away their guns, and walked towards the exit of the training ground.There is a big sign hanging there, stating the closing time: New Years will be in a few days. "How do you plan to spend the New Year?" Corona asked.

"New Year?" Enjolras asked back, as if it was the first time he thought of it after she reminded him, and then he waved his hand indifferently: "The calendar is made by man, and one of the 360 ​​five days in a year happens to be Being first or last doesn't make it any more important than other days."

"Why! Are you just letting the day go by like this?"

"No. Of course I don't intend to - although this day has no special meaning to me, I know that it means a lot to many people. But on such a day, there are still workers who work all day long and have to Not even one vacation. It's not fair."

They have walked out of the training ground and are now walking side by side in the street.There were not many people on the street, and the front and back of the two were empty, but Enjolras still leaned into Corona's ear and lowered his voice, "We are planning a strike."

Corona's eyes lit up. "Is it New Years?" she asked.

"On New Year's Day. The factory owners and the police also celebrate the New Year. We will not be easily suppressed too severely on that day, and it is easy to arouse the sympathy of the people." Enjolras whispered, "Now leather factories, fan factories, Workers in the printing, garment and paper mills have agreed to strike. Do you know anyone in the textile and dyeing factories?"

"I know." Coronna said, and quickly made a list in her mind, "But they are all female workers, and it will be easier for Annie to come forward. I will find a chance to contact her."

"Okay. The more people who participate in the strike, the more attention will be paid. Our ultimate goal is to force the factory owners to admit workers' fixed holidays." Enjolras said, his eyes were so bright in the dim twilight, like two stars Falling into the blue eyes, "At least in this way, they can get a few more days of rest; if they must go to work, they can also get extra subsidies."

"I hope so." Corona responded with a smile.

She contacted Annie—needless to say, Annie had already received the news, and she seemed quite moved. "Fuilly mentioned it to me before, and encouraged me to mobilize the female workers," she said, "but many of the female workers have scruples. Who cares as much as they do! Those men only care about recklessness, but many of us There are several children to raise. If the parents don’t work for a day, the children will starve—Carola and her husband have been arguing about this for two days. What's the use? Why don't you go to the factory!"

"Do many people have this problem?" Corona asked seriously.

"Not too many, there are only two or three people in the literacy class. Thank you for your previous scholarship." Annie said, "Outside the literacy class—you have seen what our life is like. Imagine how even the literacy class What is life like for a person who can’t squeeze out this little time in the class.”

"But it's not the way to go. Hard work wears people down. It's just drinking poison to quench their thirst—I mean, it's just making their lives worse and worse. There's no end to the oppression of factory owners. The only real solution is for everyone to work together to get the treatment they deserve."

"I know! But I know it because you told me it," said Anne sentimentally. "No one ever told them that."

Corona was silent for a moment. "Then, let's talk to them," she said. "Maybe I can't do it now... But one day, I will explain this truth to more and more female workers."

Annie shook her head. "You're a hopeless young lady," she grumbled, but she was smiling.

On New Year's Eve, those who were still in Paris: Coronne, Enjolras, Feuillet, Bahoret--gathered at Collins.

Although Corona had to dress up for nearly half an hour just to go out, the time she could stay in Collins was only a quarter of an hour.She was just worried about the situation and came to inquire about the situation, while her friends were quite optimistic.After that conversation, workers in textile factories, printing and dyeing factories, steel factories and shoe factories also joined the ranks of strikes. Although these factories are only a tiny part of the entire industrial system in Paris, the resulting The commotion is also enough to attract people's attention. "This action will surely receive the sympathy of the people," said Enjolras.

"They don't dare to arrest people casually," Bahorey asserted.

That didn't completely reassure Corona, but she couldn't do more either.Enjolras keenly captured her concern, "Cole, will you come that day?" He invited, "Come and fight with us."

To Corona's horror, her heart was really moved, and for a moment, she was almost ready to say yes.

To Corona's heavy heart, she could not agree.

She has a family.She has a sister, Cosette, and Jean Valjean is also half of the family.She has worked hard to build a business for many years, and she can't let it all go.This makes her distinctly different from her other friends: they are all college students who are single, do not have to bear family responsibilities, and are not responsible to anyone but themselves, so they can boldly use their lives to practice belief.And Corona has to think twice before taking this step: Can Fantine and Cosette inherit her property without being deceived or assassinated?Will they invite envy and thieves?What about the literacy classes for those female workers? Should they just be disbanded and let them return to the darkness of ignorance?There are too many concerns on her body, so she hesitates.Compared with them, it always seems not brave enough.

"I'm going to be with my family on New Year's Day," she said apologetically. "Sorry, I can't go."

--but I want to go.I really, really want to fight with you.

This longing almost made her eyes heat up, and if Enjolras asked one more question, she might choke up.Fortunately, no one asked too much, Corona calmed down secretly, got up and said goodbye.

"I wish I could see you here on New Year's Day instead of in the police station!" she wished sincerely.

Baare laughed. "We hope so!" he said, "—Happy New Year!"

Others at the table also sent their blessings.Corona knew that Enjolras was not interested in the New Year: he said it himself, and he did not think that this day had any special meaning.But she couldn't help but look forward to it.

Enjolras looked at her with a smile on the corner of his mouth.He almost looked like he was actually smiling.

"Happy New Year." He wished solemnly and gently.