Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen: Tiger General Xu Haidong on the Journey

The Dabie Mountains suffered five major "encirclement and suppression" campaigns by the enemy. Mountains became bald, villages were burned down, and some places became no-man's land.The Red Army roamed like a dragon at the bottom of a lake that was about to dry up. It became more and more difficult to get food and clothes when they swam to one side today and to the other side tomorrow. In the winter of 1934, the Party Central Committee sent people to the Dabie Mountains to convey the instructions of the Central Committee to the Red Army, asking the 25th Red Army to leave the Dabie Mountains and open up a new Soviet area.Thus, the Red 25th Army started the Long March under the banner of "the second advance team of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army going northward to resist Japan".

The north wind howled, the sky was freezing, and a layer of icicles formed on the road.It's not freezing, the road is slippery, it's freezing, and it's full of mud.Each Red Army soldier carried two days of dry food and two pairs of straw sandals, and embarked on the journey from a place called Hejiachong.When the soldiers heard about the expedition, they were very attached to the Dabie Mountains.They were born here, grew up here, served in the Red Army, and never left the Dabie Mountains.Now that I have to go far away, I feel sad.For the survival and development of the Red Army, they moved forward silently.The two feet are like a ruler for measuring the ground, step by step to measure forward.There are enemies chasing after him, so everyone is not too worried.There is one thing that makes many Red Army soldiers suspicious: Why did the old army commander Xu Haidong become the deputy army commander?Someone in the team whispered in private: "What mistake did the old army commander make?"

"Didn't 'old three' bite him!" "I heard that a new army commander came from the central government..." Xu Haidong didn't hear what the Red Army soldiers said, but Xu Baoshan, the acting secretary of the provincial party committee, heard the rumors.He was a little uneasy, he knew the details of the change of the army commander.Before the expedition, the troops were reorganized. Xu Haidong said at a meeting that Cheng Zihua, who was sent by the central government, had served as a division commander in the Central Red Army, and it would be better for the Red 25th Army to have him as the commander.The provincial committee discussed it and decided that Xu Haidong would be the deputy.It stands to reason that it is common for a revolutionist to change his position, but some people like to talk nonsense.On this day, when they got together on the marching road, Xu Baoshan said to Xu Haidong:

"Haidong, someone said that something went wrong when you changed from army commander to deputy army commander. Have you heard about it?" Xu Haidong said: "Hey, if you hear the same thing or not, let them talk!" Secretary Xu said: "Don't take it to heart! It's not that you made a mistake, or that your job was not good, it's that you took the initiative to let it go!" "Where is this going!" Xu Haidong chuckled, and said, "When you are an army commander, you have to fight, and when you are a deputy army commander, you also have to fight. Whether you are an officer or a soldier, you are all doing revolution!"

Xu Baoshan nodded and said nothing more.He is familiar with Haidong, and knows that he is a good comrade with strong party spirit, and he is dedicated to revolution, regardless of his personal position.In the past, when he was the head of the regiment, he had voluntarily resigned from the position of head of the regiment because he was injured in a battle, and became the deputy head of the regiment.Comrades like this don't care about their positions, what else can they say? Xu Haidong said again: "Baoshan, don't worry, I won't blush if I become serious, and I won't care about those gossips. If you don't participate in the revolution, don't say you want to be an army commander, just be an army commander. The village chief doesn't know it either! How about being a poor potter and working with mud all day long!" He said, laughing again.

He used to be an army commander, and he had a heavy burden on him. He worked hard every day from morning to night.Now, with the secretary of the provincial party committee, the army commander, and the political commissar on top, and the chief of staff and division commanders on the bottom, his burden as the deputy army commander is easier.However, he is a strange person, he still does not shrink his head when fighting, and does not back down when working.He thought, Commander Cheng had just come from the Central Committee, he was not familiar with the soldiers, the generals, and the situation, so it was inevitable that he would have difficulties in his work, so he must help him more and do what he should do.

On the march, Xu Haidong always ran forward and backward, wherever there was danger, he would go there.As soon as the troops left Henan, a division of the enemy stationed in Zhutangdian came in two directions.Xu Haidong actively proposed a combat plan, personally led the two regiments to detour, and defeated the enemy.When crossing the Ping-Han Railway, an enemy division blocked the attack in Zaoyang, and he personally commanded the troops to break through the enemy's defense line. During the more than two months since the Red Army set off from the Dabie Mountains and arrived in southern Shaanxi, Xu Haidong led the team to march ahead every day. His eyes were red and swollen from exhaustion, and he lost a lot of weight.Political commissar Wu Huan was worried that he would be exhausted, so one day before he set off, he insisted on ordering, "Haidong, you have to go later today. I made an agreement with the army commander, we will go ahead."

The Red Army team is on the road again.This night, there was wind first, and then rain. In the dark night of wind and rain, the road was too difficult to walk.In the middle of the night, suddenly a wave of enemies took a shortcut and chased them up.The Red Army soldiers braved the rain and the wind, and started a "foot race" with the enemy on the muddy road.I usually take a small break when I march for 20 miles, but now I can't take care of it. I walk, walk, and keep walking.In order to get rid of the enemy, the command "run forward" is heard from time to time in the queue.Walking fast and trotting, people panted against the wind and rain, and raced against the enemy.

Since the expedition from the Dabie Mountains, the 25th Red Army has traveled more than 6,000 miles.Many people develop blisters on the soles of their feet.Some people were seriously ill and couldn't walk, so they had to be carried on stretchers.The speed of the team is getting slower and slower. Xu Haidong urged the horse to go forward, but he couldn't see the face in the wind and rain, only the figure moving forward, accompanied by the sound of crackling footsteps, and the sound of cursing after slipping and falling. "Don't leave me, don't leave me!" Xu Haidong suddenly heard a miserable cry.He jumped off the horse, and in the darkness, he saw a man leaning on a stick, limping and walking forward with one leg.No need to ask, it's the sick and wounded left behind.

"Help him on the horse!" Xu Haidong called to the guards. "No, no..." the guard Xiao Huang shouted.His horse had already been given up to the wounded, so how could he give up the chief's horse as well. "Quick!" Xu Haidong roared. The lame wounded were put on horses.Xu Haidong walked forward step by step, leaning on the wounded man's stick.As he walked, he shouted to the soldiers fighting in the wind and rain: "Comrades! Keep going! We're almost at our destination!..." "The old army commander is here!" "Go!" The soldiers shouted and shouted one by one when they heard Xu Haidong's loud voice.The wounded man on the horse realized that it was the old army commander's horse.He leaned over and rolled off the horse, ran forward crookedly, and fell into the muddy water within a few steps.Xu Haidong ran over in a hurry, helped him up, and pushed him onto the horse.

It was almost dawn, and the speed of the procession slowed down.The soldiers were exhausted after walking all night. They fell and got up, got up and fell again.Some people couldn't get up, so they had to roll forward in the muddy water.In order to let everyone breathe slowly and shelter from the wind and rain, an order came from the front, and the troops stopped in a village.Unexpectedly, after this stop, many people fell asleep under the eaves and beside the haystacks.Some people are drenched in rain all over, but they don't care, just sleep soundly.Not long after, the command "keep going" came, but people still couldn't fall asleep.Seeing this scene, Xu Haidong wanted everyone to rest for a while, but there were enemy pursuers behind them, if they didn't hurry, they would kill themselves!He braved the rain, shouting and pulling one by one. A group of cadres and soldiers, hearing the voice of the old army commander, ran out of the fellow's house. The troops continued to march in heavy rain.Xu Haidong walked at the end of the line, and saw a stretcher beside the road, and the people on the stretcher were crying.You don't have to ask to know what's going on.Xu Haidong threw away the wooden stick in his hand, and said to the guards beside him, "Come on! Carry it with me." After finishing speaking, he knelt down and waited for the guards. Xiao Huang knew that the old army commander's legs had been injured many times and his legs were disabled, how could he let him carry the stretcher himself!He froze, looking back, hoping someone would come. "Carry it for me!" Xu Haidong sternly called, "None of the wounded or sick can be left behind, carry it away quickly!" Xiao Huang had no choice but to put the stretcher on his shoulders with the old army commander. At dawn, the wounded man lying on the stretcher found that the old army commander was carrying him, and immediately cried out: "Commander, put me down, put me down..." Xu Haidong staggered and yelled: "Don't move, don't shout! Lie down, lie down!" "Put me down, I can..." the wounded man whimpered loudly. The guard Xiao Huang was holding his head up, turning his head from time to time to look at the wounded and then at the old army commander.He wished so much that a team would come behind him to replace the old army commander, but behind him was an open field, and there was no one on the road.Looking forward, there is mud and countless footprints ahead. The rain gradually stopped and the wind died down.There was a ray of light in the east.Xu Haidong was already sweating profusely.I have not carried such a heavy weight for many years, and today I have tasted the bitter taste of selling kiln goods and carrying water for sale.He carried the wounded and walked forward step by step.Unknowingly where the evil energy came from, he walked five or six miles, still refusing to rest, and finally caught up with the team in front.When people came running to fetch the stretcher, he stood by the side of the road, wiped his sweat, looked ahead, and suddenly called out: "Hey, our reinforcements are here!" "Reinforcement? Where is it?" the guard Xiao Huang hurriedly asked. "That's not it!" Xu Haidong pointed to the foggy hill ahead and said, "It's three regiments!" "where?" "Why didn't we see it?" What the few people around me saw were three mountains lying in front of them! Xu Haidong laughed loudly and said, "The three hills you see are three regiments!" Someone immediately understood the meaning of the old army commander.His "Tiger Xu" knows how to fight guerrilla warfare in the mountains. Like a tiger, he loves mountains and forests and cannot do without them.The mountain raised the flames of hope and confidence in everyone's hearts.Fatigue and doubts disappear immediately.They talked and laughed, accelerated the frequency of their feet, and ran towards the three hills. Xu Haidong referred to the three mountains as the reinforcements of the three regiments. People who didn't understand it took it as a joke. Those who knew Xu Haidong knew that he was a man who was good at mountain warfare, but they took it as a philosophy.Xu Haidong often said to his subordinates: "Chiang Kai-shek relies on airplanes and cannons, but we rely on mountains and ordinary people." Xu Haidong and the comrades of the Provincial Party Committee have a common wish, which is to establish a base in Funiu Mountain.Just after staying here that day, Xu Haidong looked at Motianling, the peak of Funiu Mountain, and heard an old farmer say that when he climbed Motianling, he could look west at Qinling Mountains, north at Luoyang, and east at Pinghan Road.At that time, Zhuge Liang led the army to fight in the Central Plains and walked through Funiu Mountain; the Taiping Revolutionary Army stationed in Funiu Mountain... Yes, here are dangerous mountains and deep valleys, dense forests, and rich products, which can completely raise a Red Army! On this day, Xu Haidong confirmed through reconnaissance that the enemy has already set up defenses around here, and many villages in Funiu Mountain have also stationed heavy troops.However, the chasing enemy is still pressing on.Therefore, the Red Army had to move towards the border of Shaanxi along the northern foot of Funiu Mountain. At noon on December 10, Xu Haidong was participating in the Provincial Committee of the Gengjia River. Suddenly, there was loud gunshots outside. The guards ran into the venue and reported that the enemy had attacked and had occupied Dongshan Pass. The situation was extremely critical.Xu Haidong was speaking, when he heard that the enemy was attacking, he said, "I'll go ahead and have a look," and ran towards the direction of the intense gunfire. The enemy's 60th Division suddenly attacked from the direction of Jitouguan.The soldiers of the Red Army were exhausted after marching for more than a thousand miles in a row for nearly a month. Most of the guards stationed east of the Gengjia River fell asleep, and they didn't realize until the enemy came close. up.When Xu Haidong heard the news, he was furious, and personally commanded the 223rd regiment to attack Dongshan Pass.At this time, the whole army, from the commander to the cook, went into battle together.Fighting from noon to dusk, the Red Army commanders and fighters fought desperately, charged and killed more than 20 times, and finally turned defeat into victory and turned danger into safety.The battle was fierce at that time, as recorded in the war history: a heavy machine gun sacrificed three shooters one after another, but kept shooting; the bugle officer of the military department was injured in his jaw and could not blow the horn, and he used the small earth temple as a cover , Repelled the enemy's charge several times with grenades, and finally died a heroic sacrifice.In this battle, a total of more than 300 enemies were killed and wounded, and I suffered more than 190 casualties. Most of the cadres above the battalion were injured. Commander Cheng Zihua and Deputy Commander Xu Haidong were also seriously injured... Xu Haidong was seriously wounded on the head. A bullet entered his face and exited from the back of his neck. He was in a coma for four days and nights, and only woke up on the fifth day.He found himself lying on the bed of a fellow villager, with Wu Huanxian, Xu Baoshan, Zheng Weisan, Guo Shushen, Dai Jiying and Qian Xinzhong all guarding the bedside.Because Zheng Weisan had just come in from the cold outside, ice stubble still hung on his beard.Xu Haidong couldn't speak, but nodded slightly.Another day passed before I could speak.Seeing a female nurse standing by his side, he asked her: "What time is it now? Is it time for the troops to leave?" "You've woken up!" the little nurse said excitedly with tears in her eyes, "I was unconscious for four days and four nights, and I was so anxious to death." Xu Haidong knew this female nurse, her name was Zhou Dongping, so she jokingly said, "I wasn't in a hurry, and I had a good night's sleep." Zhou Dongping didn't let him talk, so he made a bowl of noodles and fed him bite by bite.He ate and felt better, and asked this and that.Dongping didn't want to tell him, so he finally said: "This time, many cadres above the battalion were injured, and Commander Cheng was also seriously injured." After hearing this, Xu Haidong felt heavy in his heart.He really didn't know what to do next. In order to personally grasp the ever-changing enemy situation, he struggled to sit up and asked the guards to help him back to the command post.The guards didn't let him go, and Zhou Dongping didn't let him move either.He got angry again, and shouted: "Are you a member of the Communist Party? You have missed a major military event, and you will be expelled from the Party!" The nurses and guards were trying to deal with this violent man, and Xu Baoshan, secretary of the provincial party committee, and Wu Huanxian, political commissar, came again up. In the past few days, there have been almost no people in and out of this small thatched cottage. Comrades and cadres from the provincial party committee have visited Xu Haidong many times.When Xu Haidong saw the two of them, he hurriedly asked about the military situation.They told him: Several comrades of the Provincial Party Committee finally agreed to establish a revolutionary base in Hubei, Henan and Shaanxi based on southern Shaanxi. "The geographical conditions in this area are good," Wu Huanxian said. "The Qinling Mountains are in the north, and the Han River is in the south. There are mountains and there are mountains, and water and water." "The conditions of the masses are not bad," Xu Baoshan said. "The reactionaries sent men and women all year round, and levied dozens of miscellaneous taxes. In those dark years, the poor had long been looking forward to the Communist Party and the Red Army like the stars and the moon." .” Xu Haidong nodded, and murmured: "That's all right. People can't live without a home, and birds can't do without a nest. Our Red Army must have a base!" He thought that both himself and the new army commander had been wounded. , the secretary of the provincial party committee was ill, and the heavy burden was on the shoulders of political commissar Wu Huanxian alone. He couldn't help but affectionately grabbed the political commissar's hand and said, "Huanxian, you can't collapse!" "I won't collapse!" Wu Huan patted his own chest first and said, "Don't worry about healing!" "Baoshan, you have to take care!" Xu Haidong grabbed Xu Baoshan's hand again and said. "I'm old," Xu Baoshan said with a smile, "Don't worry!" The three comrades-in-arms who share life and death, share fate, you tell me, I tell you, they have always closely linked their own fate with the fate of the Red Army. Xu Haidong heard that Comrade Cheng Zihua was seriously injured, and said to Qian Xinzhong as if he was giving an order: "Don't worry about me, take good care of Commander Cheng!" He pointed to Zhou Dongping and said, "There is also her, go and take care of Commander Cheng! " The biggest trouble for revolutionaries is that they cannot work for the revolution.Xu Haidong lay down in a daze.He hated himself for not being able to go back to work, and was very depressed about it.He didn't know when it started, but he found that the voices of the people talking to him were quieter, and he was even more puzzled.So, whenever he talked to doctors and nurses, he raised his voice and yelled loudly.Only then did Zhou Dongping realize that Xu Haidong had lost one of his ears.Every time he speaks, he always yells loudly as if he is arguing. It turns out that he wants to enlighten others: "Speak up!" Although Xu Haidong does not understand medicine, he has been sick and injured many times, but he realized that injuries and illnesses are like enemies. If you are weak, they will attack, and if you are hard, they will be soft; taking medicine is worse than eating, and sleeping more is worse than walking more.Therefore, he tried his best to eat more every meal, and got up and walked around when he was full.During the march, he would not sleep on a stretcher if he could ride a horse, and would not ride a horse if he could walk.However, due to the serious injury, excessive blood loss, and weak body, two months later, his body has not recovered, the injury just recovered, and he developed a high fever, coughing continuously all night, until the wound was shattered. The troops came near Gepai Town.It snowed heavily for a day and a night. Everyone thought that the enemy would not come in such a heavy snow day.Unexpectedly, just after dawn, there was a sudden gunshot, and then a guard ran into the house and said that the situation was serious.When the political commissar and the chief of staff heard this, they immediately went to the back mountain.Before they left, they told the guards that they wanted the deputy army commander to get on the carrier and transfer. When Xu Haidong heard that the enemy was coming, he walked out with a pistol in hand. The guard quickly stopped him and said, "No, the political commissar told me that you should sit on the chair!" "What?" Xu Haidong frowned and scolded angrily, "Help me up to the command post on the back mountain!" His voice was stern, his eyes were wide open, and his demeanor showed that anyone who stopped him would have to be scolded again.The two guards exchanged glances with each other, showing helplessness, so they had no choice but to step forward to support him, one on the left and one on the right, and walked towards the back mountain with difficulty through the white snow.The whole land was covered with whiteness, and the enemy regiments were attacking our army's position.The political commissar and the chief of staff stood on the hilltop against the wind and snow, looking at the terrain, and were studying how to fight this battle, but they had not yet made up their minds.Xu Haidong climbed up the hill with the support of two guards. "Haidong! You came just in time!" Political commissar Wu Huanxian had always trusted Xu Haidong's military command ability, probably because the situation was too urgent, and he didn't have time to ask about his injury and illness, so he immediately compared the current enemy situation with his own plan Said it. After Xu Haidong listened, he observed and thought at the same time, and he put his illness and injury aside.Both he and Wu Huanxian were good at roundabout tactics.The two of them made up their minds and consulted the Chief of Staff's opinion. They quickly made up their minds and sent a battalion to attack the enemy's side. After success, they organized a counterattack from the front.Wu Huanxian was a military and political commissar who took the lead. He said to Xu Haidong: "You are at the command post, I will organize the troops..." After saying that, he rushed down the mountain with his guards.The chief of staff then ran off too. The snow fell harder.Xu Haidong squatted on the snow, completely forgetting the wind, snow and severe cold.He threw off the overcoat he was wearing and commanded the troops himself.When he saw the team commanded by the political commissar appear behind the enemy's side, he quickly released a battalion from the front.In this way, with a pinch attack from both sides, the enemy group was beaten to pieces and fled in embarrassment.As a result, the 25th Red Army turned the corner again. In the evening, the snow stopped and the wind stopped.Xu Haidong sat next to the brazier, chatting and laughing with the guards and nurses. The red light shone on their faces, flashing and flashing, making them even more refreshed.Xu Haidong is such a person: on the battlefield, he is as serious as a judge, without a smile on his face, and often says some rude or even curse words; Another person is always smiling.At this time, the guard dared to say anything to him, and even dared to argue with him. Everyone was talking happily when the chief of staff walked in and said with a smile on his face: "Today is a great joy." Xu Haidong heard "great joy" as "big snow", turned his head and said to the chief of staff: "Yes, the enemy wanted to take advantage of the heavy snow to bite us, and it bit the bone." He said with a smile. "Fortunately, you came up the mountain today." The chief of staff sat down by the brazier, stretched out his hands while roasting, and said, "otherwise, it's hard to say how the battle is going. It can be seen that the 25th Red Army cannot do without you! " Compliments sound pleasing to the ear, but Xu Haidong has always been against inappropriate praise.He smiled wryly. "Your injury is about to heal, I think you should be the commander!" the chief of staff said jokingly. Although Xu Haidong was a "rough man" and sometimes he didn't weigh the importance of his words, but the words of the chief of staff made him vigilant and said angrily: "What kind of talk is this? Who is the commander of the army and who is not the commander of the army is up to you." of?" I don’t know if it was the suggestion of the chief of staff, or other comrades started from the needs of work. After some time, at a meeting of the provincial party committee in Huayang area, someone formally proposed: the army commander has not recovered from his injury, Xu Haidong has recovered from his injury, and Xu Haidong should be in the army long. "No, absolutely not!" Before the other comrades of the provincial party committee could speak, Xu Haidong spoke first. "The commander is from the central government. He has a lottery on his hand. It's not that he can't command. I am a commander and I fight a war, and I am a deputy commander and I also fight a war!..." Actions prove a person's character better than words.From Hubei, Henan, Anhui to southern Shaanxi, along the way, Xu Haidong did not take less responsibility because he was the deputy commander.Whenever there is a crisis, come forward.He is diligent and conscientious, works and fights hard.He not only put himself in the position of an assistant, but also did not forget that he was the master of this revolutionary army.At this time, his only concern was: the future and destiny of this Red Army team. The seeds of revolution are miraculous. They do not have to be sown on fertile plains. As long as there are hardworking people, no matter whether it is a high mountain or a hill, it can take root, germinate, bloom and bear fruit.Xu Haidong and his comrades entered southern Shaanxi only half a year ago, and a large revolutionary base area was established, and the guerrilla zone also developed rapidly.The Red 25th Army has expanded to more than 3,700 people after continuous baptism in battles. In May 1935, such a song came out in Huayang area: During this period, Xu Haidong ignored his illness and injuries, cooperated with the command of the army commander and political commissar, and won many victories. On March 10, ambushed at Shita Temple near Huayang Town, wiped out most of the 6th Regiment of the 2nd Brigade of the Shaanxi Provincial Police, and captured more than 400 officers and soldiers below the enemy regiment commander alive. The brigade commander Zhang Feisheng was wounded and fled back to Xi'an. On April 7, in the battle of Jiujianfang, the 3rd Enemy Police Brigade was completely wiped out.For every victory, Xu Haidong put his heart and soul into it and did everything he could. On April 20, Chiang Kai-shek issued an order to order the three divisions of the 67th Army of the Northeast Army, which was originally in the Hubei-Henan-Anhui border area, and the 95th Division stationed in Zhengzhou to enter Shaanxi. , a total of more than 30 regiments, under the unified command of Yang Hucheng, launched a large-scale "encirclement and suppression" against the 25th Red Army.The enemy was arrogant and threatened to wipe out all the Red 25th Army within three months of May, June, and July.At this juncture, Xu Baoshan, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, died of illness in Longjuzhai on May 9.Xu Haidong was extremely sad and cried bitterly.As early as 1928, he met Xu Baoshan.He truly felt that Xu Baoshan was an amiable leader. He never talked loudly or imposed his personal opinions on others. He always discussed things with his comrades with a smile on his face.Although he is not a strong player in military command, he is worthy of being a role model for everyone in terms of politics and morality.What should we do in the future?Xu Haidong thought, the army commander has not recovered from his serious injury, and even though he is still ill, he can't make it difficult for the political commissar to sing a one-man show alone. The enemy is ten times larger than me, and the large-scale "encirclement and suppression" is pressing every step of the way. How to fight and how to act is a big issue that concerns the life and death of the Red 25th Army.Along the way, Xu Haidong heard from Cheng Zihua several times that the Central Red Army fought against the "encirclement and suppression" one to three times, and fought beautifully. The main tactics used by Mao Zedong and Zhu De were to "lure the enemy deep" and "strike east and attack west".Some battle examples Cheng Zihua talked about were deeply imprinted in Xu Haidong's heart.However, he also knows that fighting is not a well-known path, as long as there is no wind or rain, you can keep your head down and go to the end.Everyone can read the book of war, and almost everyone who leads the army understands the "Thirty-Six Strategies".He thought hard every day, and kept talking to Cheng Zihua and Wu Huanxian about new enemy situations and new terrains, which gave him new ideas about how to play. In mid-May, the Provincial Party Committee held a combat meeting in the Yunxi area to study the anti-"encirclement and suppression" campaign. Xu Haidong resolutely put forward the four-character combat policy of "weak up first and fight later".After a heated discussion, the Provincial Party Committee decided: Taking advantage of the new arrival of the Northeast Army, our army will go north first, trying to eat part of it, and then dragging the enemy for a long-distance run. ). In early June, the Red Army set off from Yunxi Ertianmen.Xu Haidong threw away the bandages wrapped around the wound, mounted a big white horse, and marched in front of the whole army with a platoon of pistols.According to the predetermined route, the team first went north, then east, and then south, dragging the enemy along.70 miles today, 80 miles tomorrow, walk every day, every night.The soldiers didn't understand where Xu Haidong's "strike first after exhaustion" was "fighting", so they started talking strange things.Someone scolded behind his back: "What kind of play is this singing? East today, west tomorrow!" "Escapism! The enemy bites his ass and doesn't beat him, so where to run!" "It's the 'Old Army Commander' leading the dragon lantern again!" But the complaints and weird words behind the scenes couldn't reach Xu Haidong's ears.This is because the cadres and soldiers all know that Xu Haidong is powerful, and they know that he hates the thought of fearing hardship and death the most.In front of him, no one dared to speak strange words.As for Xu Haidong, he wanted to realize the plan of mobilizing the enemy decided by the Provincial Party Committee, so he personally commanded the pistol regiment to go out 130 miles on the evening of June 15th, pretending to be the troops of the 44th Division of the enemy, and captured the important place on the border of Hubei, Henan and Shaanxi in one fell swoop - Jing Ziguan wiped out more than 200 defending enemies.This place is a supply station for the enemy's 44th Division. The Red Army soldiers captured a lot of military supplies, and they all smiled. Just when Xu Haidong and other military commanders were worried that the enemy would not take the bait, intelligence suddenly came: the 3 divisions of the enemy's 67th Army, the 44th Division, and the 1st Police Brigade crawled towards Jingziguan like snails. .We won a small battle, and we really "brought" the enemy here.Xu Haidong was happy from the bottom of his heart, almost half of his illness was cured. After resting for a few days, the Red 25th Army began to act according to the scheduled route.During this operation, Xu Haidong rarely even rode a horse.Like the soldiers, he relied on two legs for the rapid march of tens of miles every day.The grassroots cadres saw that the "old army commander" was in such high spirits along the way, talking and laughing, they all guessed: there will be good battles! The team continued westward along the mountains.It's already June, and it's either the scorching sun or the torrential rain.When the soldiers thought about fighting a bigger victory, they didn't care about the hardships and tiredness, the sun and the rain. On June 25, the troops turned back to the Shanyang Xiaohekou area.That night, Xu Haidong said at the meeting of cadres above the regiment: "Don't leave, wait and see, whichever way the enemy comes up first, we will eat it." After waiting for 4 days, watching the terrain and resting the troops, the 1st Brigade of the enemy's security climbed up.The enemy's brigade was not very powerful, but because it had never suffered a defeat, it was very arrogant at first, and the brigade commander Tang Sitong came out of the Whampoa Military Academy, and he was obsessed with getting ahead, so he got carried away.Unexpectedly, their team was dragged away by the Red Army for more than 20 days, and their vigor was greatly reduced, and their fighting spirit was lost. At dawn on July 2, the Red Army suddenly launched an attack at the entrance of Yuanjiagou. After eight hours of fighting, they wiped out more than 1,800 enemies. Xu Haidong often said: "Winning a battle is not a high level of skill, but capturing the enemy's senior commander is considered a hero. It is better to capture a brigade commander than to capture a hundred soldiers." It has almost become a habit. Once the battle is over, He took the pistol platoon to find the high officials from among the prisoners himself.Tang Sitong, who was full of beards, changed into a gray cloth military uniform on his upper body and only a pair of yellow cloth shorts on his lower body. He was worse than ordinary soldiers and looked like an old man. He was escorted in front of Xu Haidong.The brigade commander hesitated and refused to answer.Xu Haidong was annoyed, and after a few harsh words of reprimand, he said, "Dishonest, unconvinced, not as good as you! Take it down!" Tang Sitong panicked, and said repeatedly: "Please send me to see your General Xu!" Xu Haidong, who was deaf in one ear, couldn't hear clearly, turned his face and asked again: "Who do you want to see?" "See...see... General Xu Haidong." Xu Haidong personally interrogated many captives, but this was the first time he was called "General".He smiled wryly, and said, "You won't see him anymore, he was wiped out by you long ago." He took out a Kuomintang leaflet from his pocket, shook it to Tang Sitong a few times and said, "You printed a leaflet on this piece of paper." Now, the leaders of the Red Army are all dead, and the Red Army is already a bunch of leaderless rabble..." Tang Sitong lowered his head, what else could he say?The Ministry of Defense of the Nanjing Nationalist Government deceived them time and time again, describing the transfer of the Red Army as "fleeing". According to them, the famous generals of the Red Army had "died" countless times. The 1st Police Brigade was wiped out and Tang Sitong was captured, which shocked southern Shaanxi, the Northeast Army and the Northwest Army.Commander-in-chief Yang Hucheng, who was in Xi'an and commanded the "encirclement and suppression" campaign, after receiving Chiang Kai-shek's order, sent repeated telegrams ordering the 110th Division to continue the pursuit at Dongyukou, west of Shanyang. At that time, I didn't dare to advance rashly.So far, the enemy's second "encirclement and suppression" campaign has failed. Since then, in Xu Haidong's unwritten "Book of War", in the history of the war of the Red 25th Army, another stroke has been made: "Be tired before fighting." The comfort of a military strategist does not lie in one or two victories. What he cares about is the overall situation of the battle.At this time, Xu Haidong and the comrades of the Provincial Party Committee were eager to know the news about the Central Red Army led by Mao Zedong and Zhu De; the news about the Second Red Army led by He Long and Ren Bishi; and the situation of the Fourth Red Army led by Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao. and the situation of the Red Army led by Liu Zhidan in northern Shaanxi.However, since there is no radio station and no fixed communication, they can only occasionally get sporadic information from documents sent from the party and from enemy newspapers.At the beginning, Xu Haidong only knew that the whole battle situation was not good, and that the Red Army from all over the country was moving, but he didn't know that the Central Red Army had turned the corner after the Zunyi Conference, and now it was crossing the snow-capped mountains and grasslands and continuing to go north; Northwest Territories rendezvous. In order to continue to mobilize the enemy and drag the enemy out of our guerrilla base in southern Shaanxi, Xu Haidong and his comrades left Zhongnan Mountain in the north in early July and approached Xi'an step by step.This sudden move made the enemies in Xi'an confused for a while. Just one day in mid-July, Xu Haidong led the military pistol platoon to "Yinjiahui" 15 miles away from Xi'an.It is said that this is the place where the former emperor came back from a tour, and all the civil and military officials in Kyoto waited to meet him, also known as "return to drive".Although Xu Haidong has always liked to inquire about such historical rumors, but now he wants to know the enemy's movements in Xi'an, so he didn't ask how those people "received him" back then.Following this vanguard, he occupied a district office of the enemy in the town.The pistol platoon came running to report to him that a district chief had been captured. "Come in, I'll ask him." Xu Haidong sat down at a table in the district office, only to find a telephone hanging on the wall.He picked up the microphone and listened, and there was a buzzing sound coming from inside, he thought it was still unblocked.At this time, the platoon leader of the pistol platoon escorted the district chief in.That guy held a top hat in his hand, and as soon as he entered the door, he bowed and saluted Xu Haidong repeatedly. Xu Haidong asked him a few words, but couldn't come up with any military information, so he pointed to the phone and said, "You call Xi'an and tell the Red Army to come back and ask them to come out to pick you up." In desperation, the district chief picked up the phone and wanted to call the Xi'an City Defense Command, calling loudly: "...the Red Army has arrived, lead them back, and send troops here." Unexpectedly, the other party replied: The troops of Yu Xuezhong and Mao Bingwen are all heading west Opened, no soldiers to send.From this, Xu Haidong got a revelation, that is: both armies of Yu Xuezhong and Mao Bingwen moved westward, and it is likely that the Red Army was discovered there.If there is still the Red Army, which way is it?He was about to ascertain this situation when a staff officer handed over a copy of "Ta Kung Pao".It turned out that this newspaper published a message: There have been fierce battles in the southwest of Songpan for several days, and the First and Fourth Front Armies of the Communist Army are fleeing towards Songpan... Hearing this news, Xu Haidong and several military leaders were so happy that they didn't sleep well for several days.Yes, it has been more than two years since the Fourth Front Army left Hubei, Henan, and Anhui to march westward, and the 25th Red Army has been fighting alone. Five months ago, when they were in the Huayang area in southern Shaanxi, they heard the news that Xu Qianqian led the Red Fourth Front Army and launched the Southern Shaanxi Campaign, and the team had already crossed Daba Mountain.At that time, in order to cooperate with the Red Fourth Front Army, Xu Haidong led the leading regiment to the vicinity of Chenggu to Xiaohekou. Unexpectedly, the Fourth Front Army turned back from southern Shaanxi to northern Sichuan.Since then, the real situation has not been found out.Unexpectedly, the Fourth Front Army has now joined the Central Red Army. On the night of July 15, Wu Huanxian, acting secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, presided over an emergency meeting of the Provincial Party Committee at Fengyukou, Chang'an.At this time, Shi Jianmin, an underground traffic officer, sent the central document from Shanghai, which confirmed the news of the "Ta Kung Pao": the Party Central Committee, the Central Red Army and the Fourth Red Army were preparing to go north after joining forces in western Sichuan.What a rare and exciting news this is!Wu Huanxian, Cheng Zihua, Xu Haidong and all the comrades of the Provincial Party Committee were so excited that tears filled their eyes.Everyone was like a group of children who traveled far away, and they were extremely excited when they suddenly received news from their mother and relatives. "Welcome to the Party Central Committee!" "Welcome to the Central Red Army and the Fourth Front Army!" These slogans were shouting in Xu Haidong's heart. 年轻的省委书记、红25军政委吴焕先，平时讲话鼓动性强，战士们说：“听见政委的声音就有劲！”如今他得到党中央、中央红军和四方面军的真实消息，激动得眼里的泪花不停地滚，嘴唇翕动着，几次欲言又止。省委会上，他用低沉而又庄重的声调，宣誓般地说：“我们一定要去迎接党中央！”徐海东握紧拳头说：“我们立即西征北上，迎接党中央，迎接一、四方面军，就是我们3000多人都牺牲，也要保卫党中央！” 最后，省委会议还决定，将鄂陕、豫陕两个特委合并，继续领导陕南地区的游击战争。 第二天，即7月16日，徐海东和他的战友们，又踏上了新的征途。干部、战士这会儿的情绪，和半年前离开大别山的时候大不一样了。那时为了“打远游击”，可以说是无目的的转移；如今却是目的明确：为了去迎接党中央，去与红军老大哥会合。徐海东的伤势这时也完全好了。他一想到这次部队行动的目的，就抑制不住心中的激动，脸上的酒窝和那块伤痕，也显得格外明晰。连续15天的急行军，他都和往常一样，跟随着前卫团。 部队路经户县、周至、骆驼口，遇上连日大雨和敌骑兵的尾追，也全然不顾，一直沿着秦岭北麓不停地向西挺进。8月1日，他们到达甘肃和陕西交界的双石铺附近，先头部队切断了敌人宝鸡至汉中的公路要道，一举歼灭了胡宗南别动队4个连，并活捉了一名少将参议。徐海东亲自审问了俘虏，口供证实，中央红军、四方面军正越过草地北上，敌胡宗南纵队、新编第14师鲁大昌部、第3军王均部、新编第1军邓宝珊部、第35师马鸿宾部，都已分别布置在四川西北部、甘南边境、渭河沿线和西（安）兰（州）公路上。 为了及时掌握中央红军与红四方面军的行踪，徐海东给了手枪排一个任务：每到一地要特别注意搜集报纸，越多越好。如今，占领双石铺，缴获的文件、报纸最多。大家都在文件、报纸中寻找“朱毛红军”和“徐向前”、“贺龙”的名字，连过去不大关心敌人报纸的徐海东也是如此。一天，不知是哪双慧眼，最先在7月16日和22日《大公报》上，找到了这样几句报道：“松潘西南连日有激战……”；“共匪主力已越过六千公尺的巴郎山，向北迅行……似进窥甘青交界之洮州、岷县、西固等处。……” 徐海东看着报上这些话，眼亮得像盏灯，嘴笑得合不拢，那两个酒窝在脸上不停地闪动着。他连声大叫，“好！好！”叫人快把报纸送给政委、军长。 吴焕先看到这消息高兴！ 程子华看到这消息高兴！ 打下双石铺第二天就是“八一”，军部举行了纪念会。傍晚，徐海东听说这一带是古战场，便走出镇口，拿起望远镜，饶有兴致地向四周山峰观望。一个参谋说，这双石铺正是三国时代马谡失守街亭的地方。徐海东便借题发挥，讲起诸葛亮“挥泪斩马谡”的故事来。 徐海东不是历史学家却爱历史。参谋和警卫人员也都爱听他讲古时候打仗的故事。每到一地，他总能结合现地讲一些历史事件和历史名人，尽管有些是野史，有些是传闻，同志们却听得津津有味。其实，双石铺是不是“街亭”，徐海东自己也没完全搞清，只不过是借古论今罢了。 8月2日一早，徐海东和他的战友们，豪情满怀地向天水方向迸发。不料，被蒋介石发现了，由成都“行辕”连发五道电报，命令“追剿”部队“不分省界，跟踪追击”徐海东“残部”。 在敌人多路追击、堵截下，红25军像一条游龙，活跃在陇南地区。徐海东一马当先，随先头团切断西兰公路，攻占两当县城，夜袭天水北关，乘胜北渡渭水，进占秦安县城，威逼静宁，横跨六盘山…… 真是山高高不过战士的脚底，路遥方知欲和亲人相会的心情。徐海东一路上想：这几年大家就像一群没娘的孩子，要是找到党中央就好了！他甚至想到了，一旦见到中央领导人，要说些什么，问些什么，送上点什么小“礼物”。总之，他一想到这些，心里就有说不出的高兴。 一天，行军到达宿营地，吃饭时，徐海东自言自语地说：“嗨嗨，天天说迎接党中央，现在党中央在哪里呀？” 吴焕先接过话题说：“是啊，他们在哪里？” 徐海东放下碗筷站起身来。 政委吴焕先是个能猜透人心的人。不错，徐海东这些天一直在考虑这些问题，已经到了不思茶饭的地步。 他们东奔西走快一个月了，也打听不着党中央和中央红军的确切消息。面对重要行动，谁都要想怎么办。徐海东这时考虑的是：很快接到党中央，那是上策；接不着党中央，进陕北去找刘志丹，是个中策；下策是转一圈，转回陕南去。若是回陕南，不但是孤军奋战，过渭水也是一关。太平天国石达开的部队在大渡河背水作战全军覆灭的历史，徐海东记得很牢。他想：决不能走石达开的老路啊！ 又是一个雷雨交加的日子，红25军从白小镇向东行进。路上，徐海东把自己的马让给伤员，吴焕先的马也由伤员骑着。他们两个人沿着泾河北岸往渡口走去。 “该死的，这雨专浇我们，”徐海东骂天，“我们停下，它就不下了；我们一走，它就泼下来，鬼天气！” “这叫天公与我作美嘛！”吴焕先笑着说。 “美，美个屁！” “大雨不停，大家都痛痛快快地洗了个澡呀！”吴焕先说着，两手往脸上抹了一把雨水。 还不满28岁的政委，英俊的脸上，充满了神采。他总是开心得像个小孩似的。这时，说俏皮话，是宽宽徐海东的心。他是大别山红军中的“才子”。17岁那年就写下一首诗《咏天台山》：“四望众山低，昂然独出奇，白云分左右，独与上天齐。”他还曾是河南箭河一带闹革命的“孩子头”，参加过著名的黄麻起义。大别山红军中流传着一首歌谣：“深山密林是我房，沙滩石板是我床，不管敌人多凶残，坚决斗争不投降。”这歌谣就是吴焕先一次被困在深山中写的。 徐海东和这位政委相处几年，只见他危急关头挺身而出，从没见过他气馁。干部战士说他是“好政委”，徐海东认为他是好共产党员。这几年，不管是过江过河，吴政委都是等队伍全部过完了，他才过去。徐海东知道政委前几天身体不舒服，对他说： “你先进村休息，一会我去渡口看看就行了。” “你昨夜一夜没睡，”吴焕先说，“要休息，还是你进村睡一会儿。” 他们俩谁也不肯休息，一同走向渡口。 队伍挤在河边，吵吵嚷嚷，有人涉水，有人划船。大雨不停，大家都怕山洪暴发，争先恐后，队伍很乱。吴焕先和徐海东一出现，队伍顿时秩序好多了。吴焕先立在岸边，挥动着手，指挥伤病员上船；徐海东在雨水中跑上跑下，进行安排。他听说村里还有一批伤员，雨大都不愿意出屋，忙跑进村里去找，只听人们呼叫：“山洪来了！山洪来了……” 徐海东听说山洪，扭头又跑回河边。只见洪水奔腾而下，刚才还平平稳稳的河水，突然变得汹涌狂暴。倾泻的洪水里，夹着木块、树枝和猪狗杂物。有一条船，被山洪冲跑了。政委吴焕先跑向下游，去寻找被水冲走的一船人。 没想到山洪来得这么快，这么凶猛。一个团部队被隔在北岸。万一敌人袭击上来，那是孤军背水作战了。徐海东叫来没能渡过河的第223团团长和政委，对他们说：“敌人离这儿不远，你们团要做好准备，准备背水死战！” 下午，传来一阵枪声，敌人果然趁雨天袭击渡河的红军来了。徐海东最担心背水作战，眼下偏偏陷入了这种境地！ 电闪雷鸣中，大雨倾盆而下，泾河里山洪怒吼着。一阵马嘶人喊，敌人的骑兵冲来了。骑兵之后，步兵又蜂拥而至。红军战士背水应战，把敌人的步兵死死地堵击在河堤外。徐海东正指挥部队苦战，右翼突然杀出来一支队伍，领头的人手里挥着驳壳枪高喊： “共产党员们，跟我往前冲啊……” 这挥着驳壳枪的人，就是政委吴焕先。 “快吹号！”徐海东一看政委出动了，忙叫号官。 “吹……吹什么号？”号官问。 “告诉政委，我在这里！” 号官的军号里，已灌上了雨水。他鼓足气，吹了好几下，没有声，便甩了甩军号，再使劲儿吹。高亢嘹亮的军号声，划破隆隆的雷声和哗哗的水声，回荡在泾河北岸。 红军战士们冒雨厮杀半天，击败了敌人的进攻。敌第104旅第208团团长马开基，原想趁着红军渡河的机会，捞个便宜，没料到他自己却被红军击毙在河堤旁边。1000多名敌人死的死，降的降。红军背水一战，取得了全胜。 徐海东突然接到报告：政委吴焕先在战斗中负重伤。徐海东急匆匆往四坡村方向跑去。他跑啊跑，一口气跑进村，还没见到人，却听到一阵阵沉痛的哭声。 一群干部战士围在一个院子里，哭着，喊着。徐海东不相信眼前的情景。他夺门跑进屋里，只见吴焕先静静地躺在那里，像是极度疲劳，沉沉地安睡了。他那娃娃似的脸上，失去了往日的红润，他那能文能武的双手，已经冰冷僵硬。 “焕先！”徐海东握着那只体温消失的手，大声呼喊，“政委！焕先！……” 徐海东虽比吴焕先大7岁，但他敬重政委的人品和才能，把他视为自己的兄长。打仗用兵的事，吴焕先多是听徐海东的；属于政治上和策略上的事，徐海东有句习惯语：“请政委决定。”他俩都是急性子，徐海东又有个暴脾气，可是他们俩一起配合着工作，很少有变脸争吵的时候。有时候，意见不一致了，争论几句，很快就过去了。干部战士背后说他们两个人：“他离不开他，他也离不开他！”他们两个简直比亲兄弟还亲！ 门外雨不停，屋里泪长流。徐海东过去常说：“英雄流血不流泪！”如今他亲密的战友吴焕先战死了，他的泪水怎么也止不住。他悲痛欲绝，一会儿放声痛哭，一会儿默默流泪。他不禁怀念起近年来相继去世的令人尊敬的同志。红军长征前，省委书记沈泽民饥病交加，逝世在天台山上：长征路上，第二位省委书记徐宝珊病逝在陕南。如今，接任的省委代理书记吴焕先，没走完长征的路，又倒在这泾河边上。 徐海东想不出应该怎样来纪念这位好政委，他在人群中看到经理部长，叫过来说：“政委的父亲、大哥、大嫂、二哥和小弟都为革命牺牲了，妻子饿死了，听说只有老母亲还活着，一个人在外讨饭。我们要买口好棺材，把政委埋葬在山上，立块碑，日后革命胜利了，好把他送回家！” “是，我这就去办。”经理部长泣不成声地回答。 干部战士在外边，要求看看政委的遗容，向政委最后告别。徐海东按照大别山人的风俗习惯，叫人端来一盆水，亲自给政委洗了脸，擦了身，让警卫员从马袋里拿来自己喜欢的一件青呢大衣，给政委穿上…… 夜黑了。战士们还轮流守着政委。徐海东一夜没睡，泪水把眼睛都淹红了。 第二天，徐海东和省委、红军的领导同志亲自抬着棺材，渡过泾河，把吴焕先掩埋在山坡上。大家在墓前伫立了许久，许久。 接着两天，徐海东只能喝点汤水，吃不下饭，睡不着觉。一闭上眼，吴焕先的形象就浮现在他跟前。一想到他，徐海东就禁不住落泪。他有生以来头一次这般伤心。他多次负伤，有几次重伤几乎危及生命，都没有掉泪；他的家族中几十人为革命献身，也只是暗自难过，只有吴焕先政委的牺牲，使他悲痛欲绝！ 革命的征途还长着呐，长征的路还没有走到头，徐海东强忍悲痛，擦干泪水，率领红军继续向前走。 西北高原的秋风，刮遍荒山、野岭。山花谢了，树叶黄了，小草枯了。徐海东率领的红军，在陕甘边区的大华山里缓缓行进。 山路崎岖。队伍的步伐越走越慢。队列中没有笑语，没有歌声，时时发出的是抱怨声： “这鬼山，看看不高，爬着真是累死人！” “穷山，树没多少，人都死绝了！” "..." 怨山，怨人，怨这怨那，都是因为肚子饥饿。三天前，各连通知开始吃自己背的干粮。可是，每人干粮袋里那半袋炒面，新兵和大肚汉一天就吃光了，就是会节省、饭量小的人，最多两天，干粮袋也抖空了。“人是铁，饭是钢，一天不吃饿得慌”，许多人已经是米面一天没沾牙了，荷枪负弹的战士们把裤带一紧再紧，有的人的皮带已扣到了最后一个眼。 先头部队正在行进中，突然从后边跑来四匹马，一匹白马，三匹枣红马。白马上坐的是徐海东，他带着一名警卫员，一名号官和一名侦察参谋，急急往前赶去，想找个大村庄，快些解决队伍的给养问题。战士饿着肚子行军，当指挥官的心里比爹妈看着儿女挨饿还要难受。他们原打算三天穿过这个山区，可是走了三天还没有出山。山中人烟稀少，3000多人的队伍找不到大村大户，很难搞到粮食。 山连着山。远看山不高，爬上去，曲曲弯弯硬是不见尽头。眼看山头与山头是相连的，但中间却隔着一条沟，从这边爬到那边就要多半天。太阳西斜，很快就要落山了。徐海东骑着马刚刚翻过一道山梁，走在前面的侦察参谋勒住马，扭回头惊喜地说： “报告首长，前边有人家了！” 徐海东抬头瞄瞄，什么也没看见，一簇簇小树丛挡住了视线。 “你们听，有羊群叫唤！”侦察参谋侧着头说。 “真是羊群！”参谋又叫，“听！” “真是的哩！”小号官也喊道。 徐海东因头部负过伤，一只耳朵不好使，他侧起另一只耳朵听听，可还是什么也没听到。他相信同志们的话，心头不禁一阵高兴，催马向前跑了一气，只见一条沟的对面，徐徐冒出缕缕青烟。从望远镜中看去，山凹凹里散着一群羊，附近有几孔窑洞，烟就是从那里飘出的。再看看，山沟里有流水，只是不像有什么村庄。徐海东让侦察参谋去看看。 侦察参谋飞马而去，不一会儿跑回来报告说：窑洞里住的是看山人，羊群是羊贩子从山北贩来的，在这里歇脚吃饭，看来无粮可筹。 徐海东问：“有多少羊？” 侦察参谋回答：“说不准，总有二三百只吧。” 徐海东嘿嘿一乐，说：“好啊，天无绝人之路，快去把羊都买下，今天吃羊肉。”随后又命令号官：“吹号，原地休息。” 队伍听到休息号，在山中停下来。战士们也真是饿得不行了，挖野菜的，掘草根的，找着点能吃的东西就往嘴里填。徐海东依着一棵树坐下来，摊开地图。他想从地图上看看自己现在到了什么地方，可看了好一会儿也没找到。这老地图连山的高度都没标出，只能大体判断出这儿是华山山脉。 这几个月，他们走的路，爬的山，记都记不清了。为了迎接党中央，部队东奔西走，就像迷路的孩子在找娘。党中央的行踪打听不到，他们才决定进陕北，找刘志丹率领的红军会合，没想到进了人烟稀少的深山野岭，怎么也走不出去了。如今真是马克思在天显灵，正找不到吃的，遇上这么一群羊，要是能买下来，连汤带肉足够同志们饱餐一顿了。 “报告首长，”侦察参谋跑回来，垂头丧气地说，“羊贩子说，他们贩的是种羊、母羊，不肯卖。我说要多少钱给多少钱，他们还是说不卖……” “别听他的，不卖也得卖！”徐海东一听火了，“分明是怕我们不给钱，你快传经理部长跑步上来。” “那羊贩子像好人。”侦察参谋见首长发火了，急忙又说。 “好人？什么是好人！”徐海东打断参谋的话，“说句好话就是好人？你这个同志呀，耳朵太软，不能光听好听的，要想想我们这些人的肚子，肚子！”说着拍拍自己的肚皮。 侦察参谋是不久前刚从侦察员提升的，是个有名的快腿。侦察、送信、传情报跑起来像脚不沾地似的，只是心肠软。有一回，他和一个侦察员抓了两个“舌头”，一个俘虏走到半路，突然跪倒，鼻涕眼泪一齐流，口口声声说他是被抓的兵，家中还有八十岁的病危老母，恳求能回家和老娘见一面。这位参谋信以为真，就把那“孝子”放了。放后才从另一个“舌头”口中得知，那家伙原来是一个杀害过红军伤病员的坏蛋。徐海东得知他放跑“孝子”的事情，常常取笑他心软得像块豆腐。如今这老弟当了参谋，还是不改心软的本性，全军都在饿肚子，可他拿钱都买不来吃的。 “给钱不卖，你就没办法了？”徐海东说，“嗨嗨，俗话说，奸商奸商，专欺老实人。今天他的羊卖也得卖，不卖也得卖！” 经理部长是管吃穿的，行军多走在队伍后面，这天为搞吃的，却赶到尖兵连来了。