1. Seven Matches
At dawn, the rain stopped. The weather in the grassland is strange. It is obviously a good weather with a bright moon and few stars. Suddenly a cold wind blows, and thick clouds seem to emerge from the plains, covering the sky tightly for an instant. Then, heavy rain mixed with chestnuts Hail as big as that.
It pours down indiscriminately. Lu Jinyong stuck his head out from the bushes and looked around. The entire grassland was immersed in a misty rain and fog, no one could be seen or heard. The weeds washed by the heavy rain looked like they had been combed with a comb.
Lying down in the mud, even the road was covered. The sky was still gloomy, and occasionally a few hailstones fell down, hitting the turbid green water and causing waves. He sighed sadly.
He fell behind because of an inflamed calf wound. He had been traveling day and night for two days. He originally wanted to catch up with the brigade today, but he encountered an unfortunate heavy rain and was delayed for half the night.
Cursing the weather, he emerged from the bushes and took a long stretch. A gust of cool wind made him shiver several times. Only then did he realize that his clothes were completely soaked.
"It would be great if there was a fire to heat it up!" He twisted his clothes hard and thought while looking at the water droplets running down his trousers. He also knew that this was a delusion - not only now, but the day before he fell behind, his company had already had to eat raw dry food because there was no fire starter.
He subconsciously put his hands into his trouser pockets, and unexpectedly, his fingers touched something sticky. He felt happy and quickly squatted down and turned his trouser pockets over. Sure enough, there was a handful of highland barley (kē) flour stuck to the bottom of the trouser pocket; the flour had been soaked by the rain and turned into a thin paste.
He carefully scraped off the paste and found a lump as big as an egg. He pinched the piece of dough miserably, and couldn't help but secretly rejoice: "Fortunately I didn't find it yesterday morning!"
I haven't eaten anything all day and night, and now that I saw something edible, I felt even more hungry. Unbearable. In order not to swallow it in one gulp, he shaped the dough into long strips. Just as he was about to bring it to his mouth, he suddenly heard a low cry: "Comrade——"
The voice was so weak and low, as if it came from underground. He was stunned for a moment, then limped towards the sound. Lu Jinyong staggered across two ditches and came to the foot of a small tree, only to see clearly the person who said hello.
He was half-lying there leaning against a tree branch, with a pool of turbid sewage underneath him. It seemed that he had not moved for a long time. His face was even more frightening, his hair wet from the rain was stuck to his forehead, and the rain was dripping down his hair and cheeks.
The eye sockets sunk deeply, and the eyes were closed hard. Only the Adam's apple under the palate trembled up and down, and the chapped lips opened and closed to make a low voice: "Comrade—— Comrade——"
Hearing Lu Jinyong's footsteps, the comrade opened his eyes with difficulty, struggled a bit, and seemed to want to sit up, but he couldn't move. Looking at this scene, Lu Jinyong felt as if something had been rubbed into his eyes, which made him feel sour.
In the two days he was left behind, this was the third time he saw his comrades fall. "He must be starving!" he thought, and quickly took a step forward, put his arms around the comrade's shoulders, handed the bit of highland barley noodles to the comrade's mouth and said: "Comrade, eat some quickly!"
The comrade raised his absent-minded eyes, glanced at Lu Jinyong blankly, raised his hands with difficulty to push his arm away, moved his lips several times, and squeezed out a few words between his teeth: "No, not... ...It’s useless.”
Lu Jinyong didn’t know what to do for a while. He looked at the face that was blackened by the cold wind and rain, and the raindrops hanging on the face, and thought painfully: "If there is a fire and a cup of hot water, maybe he can survive!" He raised his hand and thought. Start and look at the misty distance.
Then he grabbed the comrade's wrist and said, "Let's go, let me help you walk!" The comrade closed his eyes and shook his head without answering. It seemed that he was gathering all his strength. After a long while, he suddenly opened his eyes and pointed his right hand at his left armpit.
He said anxiously: "This...here!" Lu Jinyong inserted his hands into the wet clothes in confusion. He felt that the comrade's chest was as cold as his clothes. In his left armpit, he took out a hard paper bag and handed it to the comrade's hand.
The comrade opened the paper package with a trembling hand. It was a party card. When he opened the party card, there was a small pile of matches, dry matches, placed side by side inside. The red match heads gathered together and pressed against the center of the scarlet seal, dancing like a cluster of flames.
"Comrade, look at..." The comrade waved to Lu Jinyong. When he came closer, he stretched out a stiff finger and carefully fiddled with the matches one by one, counting in a low voice. : "One, two, three, four..."
There are only seven matches in a ***, but he counted them for a long time. After counting, he looked at Lu Jinyong again, as if to say: "Do you understand?" "Yes, I understand!" Lu Jinyong nodded happily, thinking: This time it will be easier to handle!
He seemed to see a red fire, and he was hugging this comrade and nestling beside the fire... At this moment, he found that the comrade's face seemed to relax, and the deathly gray color in his eyes suddenly disappeared. Emit a light of joy.
The comrade closed the party card with the match, held it up with both hands, like holding a bowl full of water, carefully placed it in Lu Jinyong’s hand, and held it tightly Holding them together, their eyes stared directly at Lu Jinyong's face.
"Remember, this, this belongs to everyone!" He suddenly (mò) withdrew his hand, took a deep breath, and raised his hand with all his strength. Pointing to the north: "Okay, good comrade...you...you bring it to..."
The words stopped here. Lu Jinyong felt that his arms suddenly sank! His eyes were blurred. The trees in the distance, the grass nearby, the wet clothes, the closed eyes... everything was like the entire grassland, misty.
Only that hand was clear. It was held high, like a road sign, pointing straight in the direction of the Long March troops... Lu Jinyong walked very fast on the road from now on. When darkness fell, he overtook the rearguard.
In the endless dark night, clusters of bonfires were burning. The soldiers, who had been rolling in the wind, rain and mud for several days, talked and laughed around the raging wildfire, a layer of mist rising from their soaked clothes, and the wild vegetables in the porcelain bowls "sizzling". With...
Lu Jinyong quietly walked to the instructor of the defender company. Reflecting the flickering light of the fire, he opened the party card with trembling fingers and handed the remaining six matches to the instructor's hand one by one.
2. The youngest 11-year-old female Red Army soldier
Among the Red Army female soldiers, there is a little girl who is only 11 years old. She is seen carrying a thread blanket and a waistband. With a flute in hand and a wooden stick in hand, she sang and played to encourage everyone. She was Wang Xinlan, the youngest female Red Army soldier during the Long March.
On the Long March, Wang Xinlan and his comrades traveled through mountains and ridges, climbed on ice and slept in snow. No matter how much hardship they endured or how much they suffered, they never complained about hardship or tiredness, and never fell behind.
However, Wang Xinlan is indeed too young. When climbing the snow-capped mountains, she had to pull the horse's tail to climb up; when crossing the grass, she sometimes had to lie on the shoulders of her big brother in the Red Army. Despite this, Wang Xinlan will stand in the wind and the roadside as long as she has the opportunity.
Sing and dance for the comrades in arms to cheer them up. Wang Xinlan, a young Red Army soldier, walked the 25,000-mile Long March with his immature feet and successfully arrived in northern Shaanxi along with the large army.
3. Cleverly sent Vice Chairman Zhou across the river on a stretcher
In August 1935, Zhou Enlai unfortunately contracted typhoid fever and became seriously ill. When leaving Maoergai and preparing to cross the grassland, Mao Zedong was very anxious and repeatedly told Peng Dehuai: "Vice Chairman Zhou can no longer ride a horse. We must organize forces to carry him across the grassland smoothly without making any mistakes."
Unexpectedly After leaving the grassland, a fast-flowing Banyou River blocked the way. How to carry Vice Chairman Zhou's stretcher across the river became a problem... The First Red Army (formerly the First Army), as the vanguard of the right army, opened the way in front. Peng Dehuai led The Third Red Army (formerly the Third Army) is responsible for the rear.
Zhou Enlai was lying on a stretcher and moving with the Red Army. After going through many difficulties and dangers, I finally walked out of the vast grassland and came to a place called Banyou. Peng Dehuai ordered the troops to cross the Banyou River, wait for rendezvous with the left army, and then continue northward.
On this day, when the 11th Regiment of the Red Army crossed the Banyou River, Zhou Enlai's stretcher also followed. At this moment the troops suddenly stopped. "What's going on?" Wang Ping, political commissar of the regiment, asked. "The water in the Banyou River has surged, making it difficult to cross the river!" the scout reported.
“Let’s go to the river and have a look!” Wang Ping came to the river and saw that although the Banyou River was not very wide, it was flooded and the current was very fast, making it more difficult for the troops to cross the river. . The local guide said that there used to be a wooden bridge on the Banyou River, but it was blocked due to heavy rain and strong winds.
In addition, the wooden bridge was in disrepair for a long time and was cut into two parts by the flood. The Red Army had no wood and could not erect bridges. Wang Ping wanted to test the depth of the water, so he bent down and lifted a big stone, and threw it into the river with all his strength. He only heard a "boom" and in the blink of an eye, the stone disappeared.
He couldn't help but take a breath of cold air, and asked the scout to find a bamboo pole, tie a stone on it, and throw it into the water. Although the bamboo pole drifted with the water, the flow rate of the water was basically measured. Now Wang Ping felt confident.
"Political Commissar, how is the situation? Can you survive?" Deng Guoqing, the leader of the group, came up from behind and asked anxiously. "The problem of troops crossing the river is not big. The key is how to carry Vice Chairman Zhou on a stretcher across the river!" Wang Ping seemed to be in a heavy mood.
This stumped Commander Deng. What should I do? Wang Ping took off the military blanket covering Vice Chairman Zhou and saw that his eyes were closed tightly and his face was thin. With the big beard on his face, he was much thinner than before the Long March. As an old subordinate, Wang Ping felt very distressed. .
Seeing that Vice Chairman Zhou's condition did not improve, Wang Ping called the doctor over anxiously and asked: "What did you do? Why is Vice Chairman Zhou not awake yet?" The doctor said: "All the way. We haven't found any medicine to cure typhoid fever, so there is really no way!"
Wang Ping wished he could become Hua Tuo and cure Vice Chairman Zhou's illness immediately. Seeing that Political Commissar Wang was so anxious, Commander Deng hurriedly pulled his sleeve and whispered: "Vice Chairman Zhou is so ill. We must find a way quickly to escort him across the river safely."
< p>Wang Ping also calmed down at this time. He called in the chief of staff, director of the political department and other leaders to study the plan to cross the river. Everyone was talking and offering suggestions, but no one was quite sure."Yes!" Wang Ping slapped his thigh.
Standed up excitedly and said to everyone: "During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao's troops did not know the nature of water and connected their warships together. Although they were in the river, they were like walking on flat ground. I think we can learn from it now." "How? Studying the Fa?" Everyone looked at Wang Ping expectantly, waiting for his next words.
"Because the horse was tall and could not be flooded by the river, Commander Deng and my horse joined forces side by side, placed Vice Chairman Zhou's stretcher flat on the horse's back, and fixed it with leggings, like a pontoon bridge. You can send Vice Chairman Zhou across the river smoothly."
"Okay, this is a good idea! Lao Wang, only a 'Three Kingdoms fan' like you has such a clever idea!" Captain Deng slapped him with joy. He slapped Wang Ping. "Don't put a high hat on me first, and then add up the total to see what else needs attention." Wang Ping reminded Commander Deng.
"To ensure nothing goes wrong, arrange 10 warriors with good water resistance to protect Vice Chairman Zhou. When the war horse reaches the shore, two soldiers will catch the stretcher and carry Vice Chairman Zhou up." Deng Tuan While smoking the leaf cigarette he rolled himself, the chief made gestures on the ground with branches.
After discussion, Commander Deng ordered to cross the river. 10 tall and strong warriors with good swimming skills pulled their leggings and went into the river. Because the current was too fast, the two horses refused to move forward, causing everyone to push and pull. After the horses got down into the river, everyone carried Vice Chairman Zhou's stretcher up.
Secure it with leggings and walk to the middle step by step. Wang Ping has always been by Vice Chairman Zhou's side. Even though he was very tall, the water still reached his mouth, leaving only half of his head exposed. When we reached the middle of the river, the water became more and more rapid. From time to time, Wang Ping's feet tripped on the rocks at the bottom of the river.
A wave of pain came over me. The horse kept stumbling. Wang Ping held onto Vice Chairman Zhou's hand with one hand and held on to the stretcher with the other, trying his best to prevent the stretcher from shaking. Suddenly, Commander Deng's horse tripped over a stone and almost sank.
Several soldiers came over quickly and controlled the horse. After hard work, Vice Chairman Zhou's stretcher was finally carried to the other side. Vice Chairman Zhou, who was seriously ill, finally crossed the river with the large army. The officers and soldiers of the whole regiment were happier than they had won a battle.
This news was quickly transmitted to Mao Zedong along with the radio waves sent by confidential personnel. Mao Zedong praised: "I know that Mr. Wang has many ways, so I can rest assured if I can entrust him with my kindness!"
4. Forced crossing of the Dadu River
On the evening of May 24, 1935, The 1st Regiment of the 1st Division, the leading force of the Central Red Army, rushed to Anshun Field on the right bank of the Dadu River after a forced march of more than 80 kilometers. This place is garrisoned by two companies of the Sichuan Army, and the ferry is defended by a battalion of the 7th Regiment of the 5th Brigade of the 24th Army of the Sichuan Army.
That night, the 1st Red Regiment led the 2nd Battalion by Li Lin, the political commissar of the regiment, to the lower reaches of the ferry to feign an attack. The regiment leader Yang Dezhi led the 1st Battalion in the rain and approached Anshun Field in three hidden ways. They suddenly launched an attack. After 20 After many minutes of fighting, two companies of the Sichuan Army were defeated and Anshun Field was captured.
And found a wooden boat near the ferry. On the morning of the 25th, Liu Bocheng and Nie Rongzhen came to the forward position to take command. Sun Jixian, commander of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Red Regiment, selected 17 warriors from the 2nd Company to form a river-crossing commando team. The company commander Xiong Shanglin was the captain, and four local boatmen including Shuai Shigao were ferryed across the river.
The forced crossing began at 7 o'clock. Light and heavy weapons on the shore opened fire at the same time to cover the commando team crossing the river. Gunner Zhao Zhangcheng hit the bunker on the opposite bank with two mortar shells. The commandos braved the heavy bullets and artillery fire from the Sichuan army and advanced in the rapids.
As they were approaching the other side, the Sichuan army counterattacked towards the ferry. Yang Dezhi ordered two more shots, which hit the Sichuan army. The commando team quickly landed ashore, and with the support of firepower from the right bank, they fought bravely, repelled the Sichuan army's counterattack, and took control of the ferry.
The follow-up troops crossed the river in time for reinforcements, defeated one battalion of the Sichuan Army in one fell swoop, and consolidated the crossing point. Subsequently, the 1st Division and the Cadre Regiment of the 1st Red Army crossed the Dadu River, which was considered an insurmountable natural hazard by the National Government troops.
5. Ren Bishi crossed the grassland three times
“The Fourth Red Front Army had the longest Long March, crossing the grassland three times. The first time I crossed the grassland, my right foot was planted by the reactionary army. The bamboo stick array penetrated." It was a rapid march at night, with interceptors in front and pursuers behind.
Ren Lao led a team of more than a dozen people and quickly headed towards Aba. Mr. Ren was walking in the front. He carefully crossed the barbed wire fence laid by the reactionary army. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in the sole of his foot. He fell to the ground and could no longer move.
The comrade brought the lantern and took a look. A bamboo stick nearly 0.1 meters long passed through the sole of his right foot, and a long length was exposed on the instep. The injury lasted only a moment, but Ren Lao suffered from the injured foot for several months. The team marched continuously without any chance to stop and recuperate.
When the wound became suppurative, the comrades cut the gauze into long and narrow strips, dipped it in water and passed it through the wound, pulling it back and forth to remove the pus, blood and polyps inside. Every pull was accompanied by excruciating pain, but there was nothing I could do.
That is the only way to prevent further infections in an environment where medical treatment is scarce. In peacetime, who among the young people today can endure such pain?" At this point, Mr. Ren murmured.
After crossing the grassland for the second time, you can save your life at the gate of hell. The second time you cross the grassland, you will be more alive. In the second half of 1935, Ren Lao was the instructor of the First Company of the Red Fourth Front Army Headquarters Training Corps.
When they arrived at the Heishui River. , the bridge had been destroyed, and the south bank was occupied by bandits. In order to ensure that the main force could cross the river, Mr. Ren and 30 other cadres and soldiers swam across the river in the dark.
It was the middle of winter, the water was fast and freezing, and only eight people managed to swim to the other side.
What followed was a surprise attack that shocked the enemy troops on the south bank. Most of the enemy troops were killed in their sleep. Eight people quickly occupied the bridgehead, and the large troops successfully built a short bridge.
As a result, Mr. Ren contracted severe typhoid fever. The Red Army lacked medical treatment and medicine, and the food supply was cut off. His illness worsened step by step, and he often fell into coma, so his comrades carried him on the march. 20 days later, the troops walked out of the grassland and came to appeasement.
At this time, Lao Ren was in shock for a long time. His comrades mistakenly thought he was dead, so they placed him in a cave under the stone cliff of Appeasement Beach. After an unknown amount of time, he regained consciousness and struggled to crawl to the river to drink water. For a distance of more than ten meters, Mr. Ren actually crawled for two or three hours.
Local resident Hao Laohan found out and rescued him home. Old Man Hao treated him like his own son, cooking millet porridge and feeding him bite by bite every day. The old man had only one daughter, so he wanted to adopt her as his son.
But Mr. Ren wanted to return to the team. He moved a small bench and sat at the gate every day, hoping to see his comrades in the team. Two months later, Mr. Ren's illness was basically cured. He bid farewell to Mr. Hao and his wife with tears, and found the Jinchuan Provincial Party Committee, which was active in the area.
Return to the revolutionary ranks. When he experienced this resurrection from the dead, Mr. Ren was not yet 18 years old. In July 1936, Mr. Ren's illness was completely cured. At this time, the team departed from appeasement and headed north again. Mr. Ren marched on the grassland with seven or eight soldiers younger than him.
One night, a young soldier asked Mr. Ren, "Section Chief, what will the future be like?" "Everyone lives happily, with no shortage of food and clothing." "Can that be realized? ?" "Definitely."