Chapter 47 Seven Days and Seven Nights on Huanglong Mountain

In December 1948, the War of Liberation was in the fierce counter-offensive stage, our army was in full swing, and news of success was frequent.At this time, we followed Comrade Ma Mingfang and his party, riding a seized ten-wheel truck, we set out from Linfen, marched towards Hancheng, and came to the bank of the Yellow River.At this time, large blocks of ice were floating on the surface of the rolling Yellow River, making it very difficult to cross the river.The ferry at Yumen has been suspended for a few days. Many troops stationed on both sides of the river were unable to sail because the ferry was blocked by ice.Comrade Mingfang got out of the car and took a look, walked to the river, called Fang Zhengzhi (the secretary of Comrade Mingfang) and me together, pointed to the wooden boat by the river and said, "Go and ask if you can cross the river." Fang went to discuss with the boatman.Comrade Mingfang walked to a wooden boat near the shore to observe the situation of the boat.Not long after, Lao Fang brought a 50-year-old boatman to Comrade Mingfang, and introduced him, "This is the head of the boat, surnamed Li." Comrade Mingfang went up to shake hands with the boatman, Mr. Comrade Li, can you pass?" "I thought about it, take less people, go down the river, and can't dock at the original place, because there are too many ice blocks, too big, so I can only go 20 miles downstream. Dock." At this moment, I interjected: Is there any danger?Lao Li said: "It's dangerous! But it doesn't matter!" Comrade Mingfang said decisively: "Well, you organize people and prepare to rush across." Lao Li, the boatman, asked people to prepare to rush across. Li went together, but I was still standing in front of Comrade Mingfang.At this time, a soldier with a thin face and a medium build walked up to Mingfang and gave a military salute: "Report to the political commissar Ma, the former committee has called, asking you to cross the Yellow River quickly, and you have a new mission in Hancheng." Comrade Mingfang read it Telegram, said to me: "You ask Lao Fang to tell the boatman, and rush to cross immediately", and said to the military commander: "Old Chen, you call back, and you will arrive on time in three hours." I ran to find Lao Fang, and sent The situation informed him.Lao Fang said: "That is Commander Chen Geng." Since then, I have known Commander Chen.I ran back and said, "Get on the boat in half an hour." Commander Chen said, "I will send five soldiers to escort you across the river." Low headed straight downstream with the surf.The boatman pulled the oars vigorously.Suddenly a big piece of ice hit the ship, hitting the ship with a hole the size of a bowl, and the river water poured straight into the cabin. In an instant, half of the cabin was filled with water. A soldier jumped over and covered the hole with his coat, Biting icy water hit the soldiers all over the body. Comrades used jars, washbasins, and buckets to scrape water out. Comrade Mingfang also went out together with everyone. People put in intense rescue work.After a while, the water hole was blocked. Comrade Mingfang took off his coat and gave it to the soldier. The soldier refused to pick it up. Comrade Mingfang said kindly: "You are cold, put it on." I took it.Due to the impact of the ice, the boat docked at a place with wide and flat water more than 20 miles downstream. The car drove off the boat, and the people all got down. Comrade Mingfang and the boatman shook hands one by one, and said gratefully: "You have worked hard, thank you, your task has been completed very well."

When we arrived in Hancheng County, the weather suddenly changed. It snowed heavily at around 9 o'clock at night, and the whole land was covered with more than half a foot of snow.The county seat was only liberated in the spring of that year, and the county people's government lived in a compound of an old building.In the Hancheng County Party Committee, Comrade Mingfang held a meeting all night, and the next day after the snow, he drove to Huanglong County by car.The car we took had iron chains on the wheels, and it was still fast on flat ground. When we entered the Huanglong Mountains, we couldn’t do it as soon as we went uphill. .The sun was westward, and I had only traveled a few dozen miles.We suggested returning to Hancheng, but Comrade Mingfang said: "I can't go back, try to walk, and if I can't walk, I will live here." So we got out of the car and walked up the mountain along the main road. I don’t know how far the road is. I only heard from the driver that it’s 60 miles away. There are no houses on the mountain. It’s already dark after going up the mountain.A few of our guards were a little worried.At this time, Comrade Mingfang pointed to the broken house with no roof on the side of the road and said: "We can't go, it's dark, so we'll spend the night here." I went in and saw that the broken house was actually a wall with only four walls Half a foot of snow fell on the ground around the wall. Living in such a place is equivalent to sleeping in the open air. It is not safe, and the chief's health is not good. I was very hesitant.Comrade Mingfang saw what I was thinking, and said, "Comrades, I will live in this place tonight, and I can't leave anymore. Go down and get the luggage, bring the iron mill to shovel the snow, and get some firewood. Let's go." At this time, Comrade Fang also came up and shoveled snow with everyone.After shoveling the snow, I picked up some dry firewood, lit the fire, and picked up some dry wooden rafters, built a simple grass bed for the chief, and spread the bed.Six or seven of us gathered around the fire, dug a basin of snow with a washbasin, and boiled water. I made a jar for the chief, but he didn't drink it, so I handed it to the driver. The driver refused to take it. The comrades said: " The secretary gave it to you, so you can catch it." The comrades ate the hot pancakes, and he finally picked up one and drank half a jar of water before eating with everyone, and said: "Comrade Zhang You have to eat enough, you are tired enough for a day." The driver said: "Everyone is the same, you are also tired enough to build roads with soil." After eating, he asked the driver and Xiao Liu to go down to see the car and prepare to take the car tomorrow morning. The road is frozen uphill.While eating, he told us about the great situation in the northwest battlefield and the whole country. Both the northeast battlefield and the east China battlefield were victorious. Xi’an was about to be liberated, and Nanjing was about to be liberated.Our main forces are in the Baishui, Huanglong, and Weibei areas.At this time, he said humorously: "The ancients have a saying, people don't keep people, but heaven keeps people!" Then he said: "I only see the wheels turning, but I don't see going forward. I only hear the humming and black smoke from the buttocks." It made some of our young comrades just laugh.

Comrade Lao Fang led some of our guard comrades to check the terrain and set up sentries.Comrade Mingfang was probably tired, so he fell asleep on the grass bunk, with a slightly nasal sound.The first shift whistle is me and Xiao Li.Comrade Xiaobai and old Fang sat on a log by the fire.The winter nights in Huanglong Mountain are very cold and quiet.In the middle of the night, there were footsteps on the snow not far from the sentry post, and I heard coughing again after a while. I told Xiao Liu not to shoot. When they came to the front, Xiao Liu and I yelled: "Stop!"Put your hands up!The two men who came stood still, and said tremblingly: "We are people on the road." After careful examination of them, there was nothing, and they were dressed in rags. Xiao Liu led them to the place where we lived. After roasting for a while by the fire, I lay down on the spot and fell asleep curled up.Xiao Liu stared at the two of them with a carbine in his hand.At this time, Comrade Lao Fang changed my whistle, and I went back to sit on the side of the bunk where Comrade Ming Fang slept.Comrade Mingfang said earnestly during the meal: "This mountainous area is a hiding place for Kuomintang bandits. If you find someone at night, don't shoot randomly to prevent good people from being hurt. There are bad people and there are good people! You young people must be calm, but Be vigilant." So each of us is literally watching.At this moment, Comrade Mingfang sat up and said, "Xiaohui, you can rest, you can sleep for a while." I just snorted, but didn't move. Seriously, how could I sleep in that situation? ?Comrade Mingfang saw my thoughts, looked at me and said, "Sleep." I had no choice but to lie down under Comrade Mingfang's hot blanket: in fact, I didn't dare to fall asleep at all, but held the gun tightly in the In his hand, watching everything of the unknown person.Comrade Mingfang sat where I sat, humming in a low voice, "I am a soldier, from the common people...."

It was bright in the east, and it was getting colder and colder. Comrade Mingfang stood up and went out to replace Xiao Liu to stand guard. Xiao Liu refused to let him go, and he would not give him a gun. Comrade Mingfang said seriously: "Go back and rest for a while, let me Come." Just like that, Xiao Liu also came back.Xiao Liu bumped into me when he came back, and said in a low voice, "What should I do? He's on guard." I said, "That's the way to go." There are countless things like this, and Comrade Mingfang always takes action when encountering difficulties and risks. .It was dawn, the sun was sinking, and a thick layer of icicles was frozen on the road. Comrade Mingfang gave the gun to Xiao Liu, stretched his waist and said, "Xiaohui, get up and go." I got up and put the quilt in the quilt Here, everything was packed, Xiao Liu stayed and waited for the car, Comrade Lao Fang and I followed Ming Fang and left first. After walking for about an hour, the car caught up.We got in the car, and because of the thick snow, the car drove very slowly, and in some places we had to get down and shovel the snow away.After one day and one night, we arrived at the top of Huanglong Mountain.There were a few dilapidated tile-roofed houses on the side of the road. The car stopped at the door, and an old man about 50 years old walked out of the room, and said with a smile on his face: "Oh! How can we walk in this snowy world! Comrades Go into the room and warm up by the fire." The old man was very enthusiastic, he lit a fire for us as soon as he entered the door, made noodles for us to eat, and drove the early morning cold to heaven.After the meal, Comrade Mingfang took us to Qianling to see the road, and Lao Fang stayed in the shop to chat with the old man.The snow was blown by the wind and completely blocked the road. In some places, the snow was more than three feet thick. Let alone cars, it was difficult for empty people to walk.The task is urgent and I can't leave, what should I do?Neither Xiao Liu nor I had a good idea.Ming Fang stood on the mountain and looked at the road on the front mountain with a telescope.At this time, he found a person in front of us, carrying something on his back, walking towards us with difficulty, so he asked Xiao Liu to go and have a look.Xiao Liu walked up to that person, took the things on his back, and returned quickly.As soon as he got there, Comrade Mingfang asked, "How is the road ahead?" The man said, "It's really difficult!" It turned out that the man was the son of the shop owner.He said: "My father has been in the store in front for a few days. I am afraid that there will be no food, and the people staying there will be hungry. My mother asked me to bring the food by road." He said: "It's really sending charcoal in the snow. I'm not afraid now. I can't go hungry when I have food. It's better than anything else." Lao Fang walked beside Comrade Ming Fang and whispered: "This uncle is our Communist Party member. Members, the organization sent here to pick up and send comrades between the old district and the white district." I was very happy when I heard that.That young man was eighteen or nineteen years old, and very smart. The young man saw that Comrade Ming Fang led so many people, he must be the commander, and he was riding in a big car. This was not an easy task.He said: "It doesn't matter. I'll go back after dinner and tell the township government to clear the road quickly. If it doesn't work, call our militia and clear it in a day or two." Comrade Mingfang paid attention, and asked back: "Can you mobilize the militia?" The young man smiled and said, "I am a member of the Communist Youth League, and I am a company commander of the militia!" Comrade Mingfang laughed: "Well, I will trouble you. He also said that Xiao Liu and the company commander went down the mountain together to explain the situation to the village, so that the road could be cleared quickly.After eating, the two young men went down the mountain.

At noon, Comrade Mingfang mobilized us to collect firewood for the store, and he also went to collect firewood with us. While collecting firewood, two sheep and deer came down from the hill. Comrade Mingfang said: "Xiaohui hit one and improved Life." I picked up the carbine and blew it. One big sheep was lying on the ground, and the other one didn't run away, and fell together with another shot. We tied the hooves together and carried them back with a long wooden stick. Comrades Ming Fang and Lao Fang each carried a bundle of dry firewood.As soon as they went up to the beam, a few pheasants basked in the sun in the sun, and they killed two more and took them back to the shop.The old man happily said: "There is meat and noodles, we are not afraid of not eating well!" Comrade Mingfang said: "The important thing is to hurry." The old man said: "It doesn't matter, we will be able to go in two or three days."

The weather was exceptionally clear, and the northwest wind was blowing rustlingly on the top of the mountain.Comrade Mingfang insisted on getting up very early every morning. When he got up, he always woke me up gently and ran a few laps on the mountain ridge.When it's first dark, take a walk around the house.In the quiet night, there were suddenly roars of leopards and screams of wild sheep in the forest.In the middle of the night on the third day, Lao Fang, who was on guard, ran back and said that someone had come down the mountain.Mingfang and we both came out.After being introduced, I found out that one was County Magistrate Li of Shibao County (now Huanglong County), and the other was Captain Zhang of the county squadron. They brought seven comrades from the county squadron to protect the chief's safety.Comrade Mingfang said: "That's it, you just clear the road and the car can go..." At this time, the county squadron replaced all the whistle.Comrade Ming Fang talked with Captain Zhang and Fang Zhengzhi for a while, and then they all took a rest.In the early morning of the next day, Comrade Mingfang woke up and took a walk with Comrade Lao Li on Liangmao. Lao Li reported to the work while walking, saying: "The county standing committee held a meeting yesterday afternoon to mobilize the masses to sweep the roads and demanded that the traffic be cleared within three days. Sweep away the important roads." Lao Li also reported the production situation, the situation of the masses and the social situation here.Comrade Mingfang said: "When the Hu bandits fled, a few bandits fled to this mountainous area. The masses must be fully mobilized to eliminate the stubborn bandits. Work change teams and mutual aid groups must be organized to conduct pilot projects to gain experience and strengthen leadership." Then he said, Huanglong is a place with a lot of land, few people, good conditions, and rich forest resources. It must be protected and not hacked. In winter, it must pay attention to fire prevention and publicize it vigorously.As long as the masses are awakened, it will be easy to handle, and we must pay attention to the party's policies.Comrade Lao Li listened to Comrade Mingfang's instructions with an open mind.

A few days passed, and the snow cleared the road.We successfully spent seven days and seven nights in Huanglong Mountain. When we arrived in Shibao Town, Comrade Mingfang convened the county committee regardless of the fatigue of the day to convey the instructions of Chairman Mao's Party Central Committee.He said that the situation in the whole country is developing rapidly, and the liberation of the whole of China is not far away.We must resolutely follow Chairman Mao's instructions, do a good job in winter production, and organize the masses to engage in side jobs. This place is very good!How many years have been ruled by the enemy, the masses have many diseases, the county party committee and the county government must do a good job in mass work, organize doctors to go to the countryside to treat the masses, and publicize to the masses that they should pay attention to hygiene and do a good job in prevention.After the meeting, we embarked on the journey back to Yan'an.The seven days and seven nights in Huanglong Mountain is an unforgettable event in my life.Comrade Ma Mingfang's hard-working spirit and approachable style left a deep impression on me.