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The pilot often thought about his country. When he was on watch duty, he had plenty of time to think, and he would reflect with sadness on Russia, the country he had served loyally for so many years now. In spite of his love for his motherland, Russia was a source of pain and disappointment. It was marked by such absurdity and, with rare exceptions, the most anyone could expect was a life that was far from enviable, even if they lived honestly off the fruits of their own labor. Russia was very wealthy compared to many other countries, but still it walked a road ridden with potholes and bumps, stumbling at every step as if incurably ill. Russia seemed somehow to have bad roads in its very blood; every step along them was a hard one.
Shilin’s heart ached constantly. Year after year, lif
