[Crossing] Beacon Fire Dragon Line

Back in Rome, Sheng Rui fell ill.

In fact, his physical strength could not withstand the tossing all the way before.He could still support it when he raised his strength, but once he relaxed, his overdrawn body immediately took revenge on him.

The sensations caused by a fever are the same in any age.For three or four days, he suffered from headaches and muscle weakness.The brain is like a broken slide projector, playing random images.

Only one thing is certain: he misses him.

Probably because he was too hot to wake up, he wrote a letter to Qi Han and sent it to the address in Hannover.Although he only glanced at it, he remembered it firmly.This is the only place he can reach him.

Rome is still a German-occupied area, and postal routes are still open.In response to military inspections, the letter was written in German, and the content was extremely simple, like an ordinary letter home, telling him that his "family" was doing well and encouraging him to work hard for Germany.Even if it is intercepted by the intelligence department, there will be no trouble.The signature at the end of the letter is "Love Your Brother".

When he woke up after his illness, he immediately began to regret this move.It may have been a long time since the letter arrived in Germany, and he was not sure whether it was a good idea to remind Qi Han that there was such a person as him.But the letter has been sent, nothing can be done.

Relying on the relief Qi Han gave him, Sheng Rui was doing well.Using this time, he continued to study Italian by himself using the Italian-German dictionary left by Qi Han as a textbook.

The "despicable roast suckling pig" incident he told Qi Han was true, but of course that was not the real reason why he gave up Italian.And it is not surprising to say the real reason: the academic work is too tight, so I decided to put foreign languages ​​aside for a while.So this "put it aside for a while", it was completely put aside, and it was never picked up again.

Because he had the foundation, he learned quickly.By the time he could handle most of the day-to-day conversation, the American troops entered Rome.It was June [-]th, [-].Two months later, Florence was liberated.

In this day and age, not many Italians speak English, and even fewer Americans speak Italian.At the beginning of the takeover, there were a lot of complicated affairs, and there was an urgent need for people who are proficient in both English and Italian.Sheng Rui is good at communication, and often takes the initiative to act as an interpreter for the US military on various occasions. He has met many people and learned more work information than others.Soon, the U.S. military helped him find a job as an accounting assistant in a factory.He has a background in finance, and accounting is his old profession.The salary is not bad, at least I can take care of myself to eat.

The word he used most frequently during these days would never have been found in the Italian-German dictionary: amilra (military lira, currency issued by the Allied forces in Italy from [-] to [-], Italian recognized by the government.

He used to spend all day in the library, reading a thick Italian-English dictionary.He still remembers well that "military lire" was listed in the right-hand column of Part A of that dictionary, after amitto (priest's shawl) and amletico (indecisive like Hamlet).Because these three words are very interesting, I will remember them unconsciously.

If a person has enough time and energy to go through a dictionary from cover to cover, it is possible to read the history of all mankind to some extent.The years are changing, and the world is turbulently changing, and finally they are all condensed into a short entry, which is quietly arranged in its own order.Just like everyone's destiny, no matter how treacherous or magnificent it was, it will eventually become a part of some kind of grand order without exception.

In his spare time, he often visited Padreio.For him, priests are almost like family members.He was able to gain the trust of the U.S. military quickly, partly because of the priest's hard work. He went around to prove to him that he had been doing voluntary work for the church.

One day in September, when he went to visit the priest again, he saw a plump American military officer with a mustache chatting with the priest.

The priest waved to Sheng Rui and motioned him to go over: "Ah, it just so happened. Mr. Monumanz, this is the kid I was talking about who has been helping me with things. ——Ray, this is Captain Monumanz."

"Hello, my name is Grand Monumanz, and I'm a cultural relic officer." The captain extended his hand friendly and explained his work to Sheng Rui.

Sheng Rui had heard of this strange group of officers, whose duty was to maintain and restore cultural relics and historic sites in the German-occupied area, and to return some artworks looted by Germany to their original countries.

Captain Monumanz introduced himself. He was originally the director of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and now he belongs to the Ninth Army of the US Army. After the liberation of Paris on August 25, he was transferred from France to Italy.

"It's impolite to make such a request when we meet for the first time—if you have time this Sunday, can you accompany me on a business trip? I need an interpreter urgently, and the priest recommended you to me."

"Yes." Sheng Rui readily agreed, "I don't have anything to do on Sunday."

"Sorry, I'm really sorry to trouble you so much." The captain tugged the elegantly knotted dark blue triangle scarf at the neckline a little uneasy.He was more a shy artist than an officer.

"You're welcome. Where are we going?"

The captain drew a map from his pocket.The map is hand-painted and badly worn, and it looks like it has been carried for a long time, with layers of glue and paper tape to keep it from falling apart.He put on his gold-rimmed pince-nez and pointed to a red circle: "Uh—there's a place called Spoleto, have you ever been there?"

To say why Captain Monumanz went to Spoleto, the Battle of Cassino has to be mentioned.

In February, due to a strategic mistake, the Allied forces bombarded the Benedictine monastery with a history of more than 400 years on Mount Cassino into ruins.

However, the artifacts originally housed there miraculously escaped destruction, as the Germans narrowly moved them to the Vatican before the bombing began.

But during this process, the cultural relics stayed mysteriously in Spoleto for a month, and then two boxes were missing and their whereabouts are unknown.

After the war, both the Allies and the Germans kept silent about Cassino, waiting for it to be covered in the dust of history like so many other things.

One of Captain Monumanz's tasks was to track down the whereabouts of the two boxes of missing cultural relics.

After more than five months, Sheng Rui came to this town again.The place was a little different from how he remembered it: the skies were no longer the gloomy gray of five months ago because of the absence of air raids.The charming sunshine lit up all the colors, and the city came alive as if it had just woken up from a long sleep.

The hotel that was requisitioned by the German army has now become a temporary office building for the US military.Naturally, the swastika flag on the gate had been removed long ago, the seals on the windows had also been removed, and the glass had been polished crystal clear.

After a busy morning, the captain took Sheng Rui to the first floor for lunch.

Sheng Rui had never been to this restaurant.Compared with the humble room, this place is unexpectedly beautiful.The corridor-like transparent structure, the dining table covered with fine white tablecloth, the oak red velvet soft chair, and the polished tableware are all laid out on the background of lush vegetation outside the window.The bright blue sky in early autumn reflects the cream-colored bell tower and octagonal spire of the Cathedral of Santa Maria, and farther away, the pearly luster of the white clouds shines behind the Subasio Mountain, becoming the background of all these depths.

It turns out that the view here is so good.

Sheng Rui felt a little sorry for Qi Han.When he was here, all these views were blocked by the thick partitions, and as far as he could see, there were only cramped and dark corridors and the closed and stagnant air in the room.

He suddenly felt distressed.I really want to take him back here, let him see all this, and he will know that life can be less lifeless.

Lunch was great.Captain Monumanz also brewed a pot of Earl Gray tea. The wine-red tea exudes the slightly sweet smell of Calabrian bergamot, as if opening a door, making Sheng Rui slightly in a trance.He once used a Dior men's fragrance, the top note is this smell.He likes these bright scents, and every time he smells them, large expanses of fragrant colors bloom before his eyes.

Surrounded by such fragrance, he had the illusion that he had returned to the exquisite and wealthy life in the past.And the GIs around him in M1943 field uniforms and Springfield rifles remind him that those days are far behind him.

Such a contrast is like a lifetime away.

No, that might indeed be the previous life, a past memory that he was reluctant to part with but had to forget.

But he still couldn't help daydreaming: If Qi Han could be brought back to his time, he would definitely be able to give him a brand new life, occupying every kind of the brightest colors and most fragrant fragrances in the world.

Seeing Sheng Rui staring at the air, the captain pushed a white porcelain plate in front of him and blinked: "Ray, don't be in a daze, try the dessert I brought from Paris."

In this period, it is definitely a luxury to have dessert.

This French dessert called "acrell" is very similar to puffs, but it is rectangular, crispy bread filled with cloud-like whipped cream frosting.

"The French used to call it pain à la duchesse, the Duchess of Bread. Isn't it cute?" The captain looked at them as if appreciating works of art.

Sheng Rui put down the knife and fork, took a plate in front of him, picked up the napkin and wiped his hands, while looking for a topic: "Why are you an officer of cultural relics?"

"I can't say. Some things, you have seen it yourself, and you hope more people will see it, and you don't want it to disappear. It's like the scenery here. You sit here and look at it, knowing that it won't always be like this Exist. There is a feeling running through your body, making you want to put it all on the canvas and save it. That feeling, is a kind of... um..." The captain's hand holding the cigarette dangled in the air Swaying, looking for the appropriate vocabulary.

"...unjenesaisquoi. (something unspeakable)" Sheng Rui subconsciously continued.His mind hadn't quite come back from the Dior perfume, and he was somewhat absent-minded about the conversation.

"Do you know French?"

Sheng Rui came back to his senses: "Oh, I understand. For various reasons, I learned it before."

"If only I knew you when I was in France, haha, it's a pleasure to get along with you." Captain Monumanz said with a smile, "Unfortunately, I can't stay in Italy for long, and I will go to the Western Front next month .After all, the final destination is Germany."

Suddenly being hit by the word "Germany", Sheng Rui's heart skipped a beat, and his hand almost knocked over the teacup.

The captain didn't notice the subtle change in his expression, and continued to jokingly say: "Ray, we are short of language talents. Otherwise, you should consider joining the US military. How about being a cultural relic soldier?"