Chapter 8 Chapter 4 The Great Desert (1)

One day, at two o'clock in the night, the sound of a whistle woke up the soldiers from their dreams.It was midsummer, but the night on the plateau was still cold.Alleyways and courtyards were crowded with people.Only the occasional flickering flashlight and the light from the cooker's cooking stove pierced the dark night. dinner's ready.Some soldiers were still not fully awake, so they scooped rice into bowls by touch, and ate several bowls of rice in a row.One pot of rice was finished, and the other pot hadn't been taken out. In the gap of one or two minutes, someone leaned against the wall and snored, but he immediately started eating again as soon as the meal came.It seems that eating like this is not because the stomach needs it, but to complete the task.

At three o'clock in the night the troops set out.Cavalry, artillery, criss-crossing ranks of infantry, flashes of flashlights in the distance, and the neighing of war horses in the middle of the night. ... This area is a precipitous and towering mountain range at the junction of Shaanxi and Gansu.Soldiers of the Northwest Field Army advanced in this sparsely populated mountainous area and marched towards the Great Wall.At that time, Comrade Liu Zhidan once led the Red Army in northern Shaanxi and fought a long and arduous struggle here.In the early winter of 1935, Chairman Mao led the Central Red Army to arrive here first; later, after the three main forces of the Red Army joined forces, they fought bravely here.Here left the footprints of Chairman Mao, Vice Chairman Zhou and many giants.After the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army arrived in northern Shaanxi after the world-famous 25,000-mile Long March, a new chapter in the history of the Chinese revolution actually began to be written in the mountains around Wuqi Town.The soldiers marched bravely along the road opened up by the Red Army.Mountains, big and small, have been undulating and stretching to the horizon, as if they would never end.The soldiers climbed up and down, one mountain flashed past, and another suddenly stood in front of them.It seems that the hills rushing head-on one after another suddenly rise from the flat ground.

The sun spewed fire, and the soldiers were sweating like pours, pouring sweat from the top of their heads to the soles of their feet; when they breathed in, their throats were hot.Their tongues were stuck in their mouths, and they couldn't spit out their saliva long ago; their legs were sore and swollen.The soldiers sweated step by step and marched with difficulty. In the second half of the fifth day of the march, the soldiers seemed to have reached the end of the mountains and waters again.The big mountains gradually turned into rolling hills; the big rivers turned into trickles, and the trickles also seeped into the ground.

In these dry red soil hills, it is difficult to find a tree as thick as a finger.The local fellows call it "Eight Hundred Li Flame Mountain".People dig down forty feet on this "eight hundred miles of flame mountain", but they can't get out water, but they can get out the ashes of the stove in the old life. Here is close to the desert, and the water is very scarce. Even if the soldiers find a little water, it will be bitter. On the day at the end of June, the troops camped in a small village on the edge of the desert. As soon as he camped next night, Wei Yi, the chief of staff of the regiment, urgently dispatched more than 20 cavalry scouts to search for water within a radius of 20 miles.

The first battalion was considered a good opportunity. Under the village where they were stationed, there was a glimpse of Koizumi.After camping, twenty or thirty cooks, some carrying big marching pots, some carrying water gourds, and some carrying wooden barrels, waited for water there.A stream of water as thick as a hemp rope flowed out of the spring, and the cooks all looked at it eagerly.Ah, this gurgling stream is tied to the lives of thousands of people! The first company had been making noise for most of the night before they managed to have a meal.After eating, some people lay down on the ground and fell asleep before putting down their bowls.

At one o'clock in the night, Wang Chengde held a branch meeting, and everyone studied how to march through the desert. After the meeting, Wang Chengde was so sleepy that he stood up and fell asleep. Zhou Dayong looked at Wang Chengde, only to see that his face was yellow and thin, and his eyes were bloodshot.He said, "Are you dozing off? Put some embarrassment on your eyes!" "It's really poor and happy, you always have strength!" Zhou Dayong's face was swarthy, and his big eyes under his thick black eyebrows gleamed with the desire to fight fiercely.His steel-like body seemed to contain inexhaustible power.His appearance makes people think that no matter what enemy he encounters, he can strangle him with a stretch of his hand; in his eyes, the Yellow River is just a small canal, and the endless desert is just a handful of sand; if the superior has an order, he seems to be able to It's like flattening a mountain with a bayonet.

Wang Chengde looked at Zhou Dayong, his energy came back again, as if the power from Zhou Dayong had passed to him.He said: "Dayong! Come on, let's try to figure out the problem of water. The political department of the regiment instructed us to buy gourds from fellow villagers along the way and use them to hold water. We only bought 17 gourds. What's the use of it?" The soldiers were all asleep, and Sun Quanhou, the cooking squad leader, was still boiling water.After he boiled the last pot of boiling water, he collected the water hyacinths of the soldiers and filled them with water one by one.Afterwards, he scooped up two more bowls of water and sent them to Company Commander Zhou and Instructor Wang.The company commander and the instructor fell asleep with their heads on the stove.It seems that they probably fell asleep in the middle of discussing things.There was a small sesame oil lamp near their heads.

The flames flickered flickeringly. Lao Sun put his mouth next to Zhou Dayong's ear, wanting to shout: "Company commander, get up and drink water!" But when the words came to his mouth, he kept them again.He held the water in one hand, supported the stove with the other, and bent slightly to look at the company commander. The feeling of an old father loving his children floated in his heart. Lao Sun's eyes fell on Zhou Dayong's thick black hair, and he saw a few small grass sticks on it.This grass stick was probably dropped by the company commander lying on the side of the road sleeping last night when the troops were taking a break during the march.Like an embroidery needle, Lao Sun gently removed the grass from the company commander's head one by one.He also wanted to bring a basin of water and wash the company commander's hair himself.Oh, where can I wash my hair with water these days?The company commander hasn't had enough water yet!Thinking of water, Lao Sun's attention shifted to the bowl of boiling water in his hand again.He summoned up great determination and called the company commander.

When Zhou Dayong opened his eyes, he saw a bowl of water next to his mouth.His lips were so dry and swollen that he really wanted to pour this bowl of water into his mouth. Zhou Dayong took the bowl of boiling water from Lao Sun and said quietly: "Don't make a sound! Give the instructor a good rest and leave him some water to drink when he wakes up.I've had a few sips of water.I let the two little ghosts in the company drink this bowl of water. " Lao Sun turned on the lamp, and saw Sanniu, the hygienist, and Xiaocheng, the correspondent, sleeping together.Xiaocheng slept sweetly on Sanniu's stomach.San Niu, the hygienist, was talking in his sleep.Xiaocheng's mouth is moving, could it be that he dreamed that he was drinking water?Lao Sun felt distressed: "The children must be very thirsty!" Lao Sun wanted to wake them up, but he couldn't bear to disturb their sleep;He counted with his mouth and heart several times, and he still brought water to their mouths to call them.

Lao Sun pushed Sanniu over, but he couldn't wake him up, and he couldn't wake up after pulling it; he hugged Sanniu in his arms, and fell asleep even more solidly.As for Xiaocheng, the old grandson yelled, he snorted, and the yelling became tighter, he kicked his feet and swung his hands wildly, and muttered in his mouth. ... At dawn, Zhou Dayong woke up, rubbed his eyes, stretched his body, and walked out of the house.He folded his arms across his chest to keep out the cold.How strange: during the day, my body is oily from the sun, and at night, it seems like nine days of cold weather, and I get cramps from the cold.No wonder the villagers say that the climate here is: wearing leather jackets in the morning and gauze in the afternoon, hugging the stove and eating watermelon.

He inspected the sentry post, passed by the kitchen when he came back, and walked in by the way. Sun Quanhou sat in front of the stove, hugged his knees and fell asleep.The firelight illuminated his oil-stained gray military uniform.He shivered intermittently, moaning softly and slowly in his dream. Zhou Dayong squatted down, put his left hand on Lao Sun's shoulder slowly, put his head next to his head, concentrated all his strength on his ears, and listened to Lao Sun's long and short breaths.After a while, he gently touched Lao Sun's jujube bark-like hand and his swollen and hot feet. ... Old Sun woke up with a shiver.He wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve.Hi!The company commander looked at him so seriously!He said: "Delayed the meal time? This... this..." He looked left and right in a panic.Zhou Dayong pressed his shoulder blades and asked him to sit down. Lao Sun swallowed hard, and said: "Ah, company commander, you need to sleep well, you and the instructor are always tired!! Busy, busy, it makes people feel distressed! Zhou Dayong said: "Let's talk about you first, Old Sun. I think your illness is serious!" "Company commander, I don't have any illness...it's not a disease at all!" Zhou Dayong knew that the old grandson suffered from dysentery for five or six days, and even fainted once during the march today.Isn't it just the old grandson?Many soldiers had diarrhea after drinking the bitter water. In order not to delay the trip, many soldiers in the night march took off their pants and put them on their shoulders to let the feces flow down their legs. Anyway, there are no lesbians in the company.Zhou Dayong thought about Lao Sun's hardships during the march these days, then looked at Lao Sun's inflamed eyes from lack of sleep and his swollen feet that couldn't fit shoes, and said, "Old Sun, you are an old soldier. Talk to me as much as you can! You are sick, but you keep silent, is that okay?" Lao Sun said: "Company commander, didn't you say you have to clench your teeth?...Everyone in our cooking team has swollen feet and a little ailment. If I can hold on, so can they. Hey! Party members don't have much ability, so it's okay to suffer a little!" Zhou Dayong poked the fire with a wooden stick, frowned, and looked at the old grandson affectionately for a long time.He said: "You have a good rest. We don't start until twelve o'clock tomorrow night; we have to take time to prepare water, otherwise, the army will not be able to cross the desert. In this way, you can still go to the health team to see a doctor. Old Sun, take care of yourself, Take care of yourself. Veterans are more valuable than anything in these difficult times!" Lao Sun said: "Company commander! Go and rest quickly, seeing how tired you and the instructor are..., it makes people feel distressed! The superior instructed the troops to stay put and spend a day preparing water.Therefore, the regiment headquarters ordered: Each battalion and each company should send people to find water within a radius of 30 miles.Troops were stationed everywhere, and it was not easy to find water. The personnel who searched for water ran for more than half a day, and the water they got back was less than one teacup per person in the whole regiment. The head of the regiment, Zhao Jin, was going to send 300 soldiers to get some water back, but before the second batch of water-seekers left, the order to start came.The command reads: The enemies in the three-sided division were preparing to flee westward along the Great Wall, so the troops set out ahead of schedule.The difficult march began.There is a local proverb: "After eight hundred miles of Flame Mountain, there is an endless old sandy beach." It's true! When soldiers walk in the desert, they take a step and a half step back, and every time they take a step, the shoes are filled with sand.Therefore, they set out at six o'clock yesterday afternoon and walked all night, only forty miles away.There was a strong wind again at night, and the villagers who were the guides were used to life in the desert, but even they lost their way.The head of the army can only set the direction according to the compass and command the troops to move forward. The second overnight march passed. It was dawn, and the sun seemed to jump out of the desert and climb into the sky suddenly. The endless desert is like a yellow sea, the sun shines on it, and thousands of points of light shine.The soldiers looked into the distance, and the sea and the sky were connected in the distance.The soldiers looked around, and the sky was like a cauldron thrown upside down on the vast sea. The ranks of troops all the way, can't see the end but can't see the end, advancing like floating in the vast yellow sand. Although it is said that after a day and two nights of marching, they were exhausted, but after leaving the dark night of strong wind and sand, the soldiers were refreshed. Political workers and Communist Party members echoed and encouraged: "Promote the spirit of mutual assistance and conquer the desert!" "Through the desert is victory!" The propagandists stood beside the team, talking hoarsely about the things everyone should pay attention to during the desert march today. At noon, there was no cloud in the blue sky, the sun hanging in the sky was spitting fire violently, the desert was scorching hot, and the air was scorching hot.It's as uncomfortable as jumping into a steamer.There was no water, no tree, no wind, and the soldiers were so thirsty that their lips were split, smoke was rising from their throats, and they were dizzy.Lots of nosebleeds.When the horse pissed, people looked at it jealously, for fear that the muddy horse urine would be sucked up by the desert. The soldiers moved their hot rifles from one shoulder to the other, and walked forward with heavy steps. Suddenly, there was a booming sound in the sky, and the soldiers were accustomed to looking left and right. There was flat yellow sand everywhere, and there was nowhere to hide. Zhou Dayong looked up and saw a plane flying very slowly.He thought: "Scout plane!" After a while, three enemy planes came to attack.The enemy plane made a circle, then swooped and fired at the soldiers with strange screams. Thousands of rockets passed through the soldiers, front, back, left, and right, and the sand was blown up. The soldiers suddenly dispersed and fell down.Only Zhou Dayong stood there straight, angrily drew out his pistol, and prepared to shoot at the plane.Wang Chengde jumped up and pushed him down, saying: "What are you doing? That's useful! The soldiers can't bear it any longer. As soon as you start the fire, the soldiers will start shooting disorderly." Zhou Da courageously stuffed the gun into the holster. Zhou Dayong patted the sand on his body, and walked with Wang Chengde.He was so angry that he didn't say a word. Wang Chengde asked: "What kind of evil wind did you send just now?" "Old Wang, whenever I see our plane, even if it is one, I would rather die immediately!" Wang Chengde said: "Dayong, you are delusional! We will have planes soon. In 1941, I led more than 200 militiamen to surround the gun towers of the Japanese devils and attacked them for two days and two nights. No movement. At that time, we also thought: When we have a large number of mortars and small flat-fire guns. Look, don’t we have a lot of mountain guns and field guns now?" Zhou Dayong stared at the front, mouth tightened, and walked forward without saying a word. Wang Chengde asked: "Dayong, what are you thinking? Still angry?" Zhou Dayong said: "Old Wang, I have had enough headaches! One day we will have modern equipment, and I will master it even if I break my head." A big yellow wind blows in the distance.The yellow wind was like a flood on the ground, the waves were tens of feet high, and they flowed from a distance.The soldiers thought: "It's cooler here!" They pulled down the brim of their hats to cover their eyes, waiting for the yellow wind to blow. The big yellow wind enveloped the soldiers.The sky and the earth are gray, and the sun hangs miserably yellow in the sky.The soldiers didn't feel cool at all, on the contrary, they seemed to have jumped from the kang to the boiling water pot.This is the hot wind in the desert!The soldiers were so hot that they couldn't breathe, and the sand hit their faces painfully.They couldn't open their eyes, and they were facing the wind, and their clothes were bulging.Everyone stood firm, as if they would be swept into the sky by the wind if they moved their feet. The hot wind passed, and the sun spewed fire again.Heat, thirst, and fatigue are tormenting people! A soldier ran up to report to Zhou Dayong: "The old grandson of the cooking class has passed out again!" Zhou Dayong hurriedly left the ranks and ran back.Correspondent Xiao Cheng also followed the company commander and ran back.The sweat on Zhou Dayong's flushed face was mixed with sand.He was sweating and his clothes were soaked, as if he had just jumped out of a river. Zhou Dayong ran to Lao Sun and saw a cook holding Lao Sun. He knelt down on one knee, took Lao Sun from the cook's arms, and hugged him tightly to his chest. The cook stood up and said, "Company commander! Lao Sun, Lao Sun can't do it!" Zhou Dayong said: "Go! Go and help the instructor. Look, isn't that the instructor? Who is he supporting!" The cook looked at Lao Sun, hesitating for a long time before walking away. Old Sun's eyes were straightened, his dry lips were parted, his face was flushed, and purple blood vessels burst out on his neck.His lips moved as if to leave a message for his comrades and the world, but he couldn't say it.After a while, his breathing changed from shortness of breath to weak, and his face turned from red to gray...sallow... Zhou Dayong hugged Lao Sun tightly, staring at Lao Sun's half-closed eyes without moving his eyes, and muttered in confusion: "It would be nice to have a sip of water! A sip of water..." The correspondent Xiao Cheng also mechanically Repeat: "Just a sip of water!" One mouthful of water kills one's life! The three enemy planes circled around and fell down again. The rockets pierced through the sand around Zhou Dayong and exploded.The blasted sand hit the faces of Zhou Dayong and Lao Sun.Zhou Dayong covered the old grandson with his chest. Zhou Dayong looked at the enemy plane that dived and strafed, his eyes spit fire.The fierce hatred in his heart was mixed with piercing pain; his whole body trembled and his lips trembled.Even if Zhou Dayong dies in a minute, but within this minute, he will dig out the heart of that American lackey! The captain of the regiment health team arrived on horseback.He jumped off the horse and shouted: "There is a way, there is a way, this injection is effective." The health captain tried desperately to pierce the needle tip of the syringe into the blood vessel in Lao Sun's arm, but it couldn't go in.Life left Lao Sun, blood vessels, muscles are all stiff!Zhou Dayong gently put Lao Sun on the ground and stood up.He tore off a piece of his tattered sleeve, trying to cover the old grandson's face, so as not to blow the sand into the old grandson's eyes.But Zhou Dayong took the rag and stood there blankly, as if he didn't know what he was going to do; as if his heart stopped beating, his blood stopped circulating, and his thoughts were also numb! Old grandson, old grandson!Comrades walk while you walk, comrades sleep while you cook.In order to feed your comrades, you tightened your belt repeatedly.You carry a marching pot on your back and walk in the ranks of the troops, coming and going in the wind and rain, day and night, for three years and five years.You don't complain about anything, you don't care about anything; you live quietly and die quietly.You, you gave your all for the disaster-stricken Chinese people! Xiao Cheng touched the pocket of Lao Sun's clothes to see if there were any relics that could be sent to Lao Sun's family.He took out a small box and a small book from the old grandson's pocket.The small box contained needlework, rags, pencil stubs, and criminal plans from the cooking class.The small book was bound on hemp paper, and because it was afraid of getting wet in the rain, it was covered with oilcloth.Every page of the little book had Lao Sun's black fingerprints on it, and walnut-sized characters were crookedly written in pencil on every page: Chairman Mao. Lao Sun was illiterate, but he saw that comrades were writing letters to Chairman Mao, so he wanted to write too.He wanted to write his own words to his leader, Chairman Mao.In this way, he began to learn characters.He, an elderly soldier, spent so much energy on this little book when he burned the marching pot and cooked after camping!How many wishes he wrote down in this little notebook in the middle of the night after the tense march!In the gap between fighting desperately with the enemy, facing this broken book with curled corners, how many times did he see his relative Chairman Mao!Now, he could never write the letter! Zhou Dayong snatched Lao Sun's notebook from the correspondent and put it in his pocket.He thought, he must try to send this little book to Chairman Mao.Because this is the wish of Lao Sun during his lifetime and his last words after death. The troops are rushing forward: soldiers, stretchers... let's go!go!Lao Sun has not finished his journey, comrades must finish his journey! The soldiers paid tribute to the fallen comrades with their eyes.No long sighs or short sighs can be heard, no frowning faces can be seen, only a heavy and serious air fills the space between heaven and earth. Zhou Dayong put his hands on his waist and looked at Lao Sun's honest and honest face again.Ah, this soldier who shared life and death with him, Zhou Dayong, put down his own marching pot forever, and will never say to him again: "Company commander, I'm not capable, it's okay to suffer a little bit... I'm a good guy Party member. Alas, I have done too little... Company commander, you and the instructor are exhausted, and it makes people feel distressed!" Zhou Dayong felt a pain in his heart: How many heroes have fallen down!How much blood has been poured on the land of China! Zhou Dayong and Xiao Cheng buried Lao Sun's body with yellow sand.When the troops from the supply department of the regiment came over, Zhou Dayong asked for a piece of wood from the shell box and peeled it off with a bayonet.He took the brush from the clerk and wrote on the board: Communist Party member Sun Quanhou, fifty-seven years old, from Xiaoyi, Shanxi Province, died gloriously for the cause of the liberation of the Chinese people! Zhou Dayong put this wooden sign in front of Lao Sun's tomb, looked at it, looked at it! Zhou Dayong wiped the sweat from his brow, carried the marching pan left by Lao Sun on his back, and was about to drive his company when Li Cheng, political commissar of the regiment, came up.Li Cheng's face was covered with sand and dirt, his lips were so dry that they were cracked, a ball of cotton was stuffed in his nostrils, and there was a dry nosebleed on his upper lip.His horse was sweating and foaming at the mouth. Li Cheng jumped off the horse and looked at the tombstone; standing beside the tomb, the wrinkles on his face were like knives.He raised his head and looked at the advancing warrior without blinking. Suddenly, Li Cheng shouted to the soldiers: "Comrades! When one soldier falls, hundreds of soldiers must march forward bravely! When a Communist Party member falls, hundreds of Communist Party members must march forward bravely! Mountains and deserts cannot stop us; blood and sweat and death cannot frighten us. Forward! Wherever there are people, we will go; wherever there is suffering, we are needed more. Go forward, go forward bravely! Overcome all difficulties." The voice shouted with all the strength of life passed over the hearts of the soldiers, rolling like thunder over the boundless desert. The soldiers stepped on the sand nest and hurried forward.Their dark and thin faces, eye sockets, ears, and lips are covered with a thick layer of sand; their legs are as heavy as if filled with lead.However, they all puffed up their chests, raised their heads, quickened their pace, and walked straight forward.They all stared resolutely at the oncoming desert and into the distance. In the distance of the desert, a whirlwind rolled up a pillar of yellow sand that supported the sky.Even if it's a storm, let it blow mountains and seas! Zhou Dayong caught up with his company.Wang Chengde handed over a fainted soldier to the health team and just caught up.They walked side by side.Zhou Dayong opened his clothes, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his hands were on his waist, and a rice bag was placed on his shoulders. He raised his head and walked forward with big strides.His air now was the same as every time the troops were about to go out in battle.He glanced at Wang Chengde, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't say it. The sun is scorching people.Thirsty, thirsty, thirsty, thirsty, no one can feel that there are tongues and teeth in their mouths.The heart was beating violently, but the blood seemed to be getting thicker and slower.The blood vessels in people's hands and necks were bursting purple!Soldiers have to exert great willpower every step they take, but they can't rest, dare not rest, because if someone sits down, they will never get up!The troops were marching, advancing at an accelerated pace.The soldiers all looked forward to him eagerly, hoping that there were villages, towns, grasslands and flowing water in front of him.In the past, they traveled through thousands of towns and villages, crossed many grasslands, and forded many rivers.At that time, they paid little attention to the people and things they were used to.Now, when the soldiers see a black dot from a distance, there is unspeakable joy.However, when they approached the black spot, they saw that it was a pile of wormwood.How many times hope turned to disappointment!Slowly, the soldiers didn't look at it anymore, let's walk away with a sullen head!Always go to the end of the desert, to the edge of hope. ……three Hu Zongnan's important accomplices, Ma Hongkui and bandits, were attacked again. After recovering the three-sided division, the Northwest Field Army took a short-term rest and training along the Great Wall.The brigade headquarters held a meeting of cadres above the battalion to arrange the training work during the rest and training period.The meeting lasted until nine o'clock in the evening. Brigadier Chen Xingyun paced back and forth in the house, as if thinking about something. The intense and arduous fighting life requires vigorous energy from revolutionary fighters.When Brigadier Chen was fighting, he didn't sleep for several days and nights; he held a candle and stood under the map, standing from the time when the light was on to the crowing of the cock, and from the crowing of the cock to the stillness of the night.Now, although the army is resting and training, it seems that the life of the army is much more peaceful on the surface, but the problems that need to be solved before Brigadier Chen and other cadres are much more complicated than those encountered in marching operations. He is full of strength, his eyes are radiant, and his beard has not been shaved for half a month and has grown black stubble.People say a beard is a sign of old age, but his beard added to his heroism. Although some middle-aged people have undergone a lot of tempering, the temperament or hobbies of their youth are always revealed in some form in their behavior, even though these manifestations are often difficult to detect.Chen Xingyun's current behavior reveals that when he was a company commander in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in 1930, he must have been an upright, brave, happy and staunch person. Yang Kewen, political commissar of the brigade, was lying on a saddlebag on the basement bunk, with a lamp made of a porcelain bowl next to his head, and the flame of the lamp was flickering.He used the light to read the book written by Chairman Mao: "Strategic Issues in China's Revolutionary War". In the corner of the house, there is a broken square table.At the table were two staff officers and an officer from the Propaganda Section of the Political Department, copying some materials.Brigadier Chen sometimes walked in front of them, looking up at the nibs dancing in their hands. Yang Kewen sat up, glanced at the brigade commander alertly, rolled up the book on his knees, and said to himself: "Many people attended the same meeting, listened to the same report, read the same This book, but everyone has their own unique experience!" Brigadier Chen didn't hear what the political commissar of the Qing brigade said, so he turned around and was about to ask, when Commissar Yang said, "I've read Chairman Mao's book at least dozens of times in the past few years, but now it seems like I'm reading it for the first time. I just read it, and I feel that every sentence in the book is very kind and precious. How did it happen? Some truths have been said by Chairman Mao long ago, and I have heard them many times, but I have spent a lot of effort in actual work before I can compare them. Understand deeply. Old Chen, man, sometimes he is so stupid!" He hurriedly turned over a few pages of the book, and said, "For a long time, I have had some fragmented experiences in my mind, flashing and flashing, but I can't close them. Look, old Chen, look! I read this paragraph, Suddenly, there seemed to be a change in my mind: all the fragmented experiences were coherent and clear. Look! This paragraph: about the issue of concentrated use of troops, especially this sentence, I read it, and it came out all at once. There are many questions, as if my mind suddenly brightened up." Brigadier Chen said meaningfully: "This shows that it is really not easy for any truth to become your own. Don't say things you have not experienced, even things you have experienced with all your heart and soul, you have to repeat how many times Only once, then you have really learned something in the struggle life. Maybe empiricism is still playing tricks in my mind, I always feel that people walk according to their own experience." Political Commissar Yang slapped his knee and said: "In a word, if you can combine the principles of Marxism-Leninism with practical work a little, you will make progress; if you combine a lot, you will make rapid progress; It's not easy. Old Chen --" Brigadier Chen interrupted Commissar Yang with a hand gesture, and said, "Look, the lads are dozing off!" Commissar Yang said: "The younger I was, the more I fell asleep. When I was carrying a machine gun, as soon as the troops camped, they immediately fell asleep when they lay down." Brigadier Chen walked over and gently put his cotton coat on a young staff officer. The staff officer woke up.Weary and embarrassed, he said, "Brigadier! I don't fall asleep, but you should sleep for a while." Brigadier Chen laughed out loud.He knocked one end of the cigarette on the table and said: "Playing the piano indiscriminately, fell asleep, and said he was not sleepy!" He sat next to those young people, looked at their childlike faces, talked about General He Long's work spirit (he had fought with General He Long for a long time), talked about the heroism of the soldiers and their deeds of overcoming difficulties. One officer said: "Brigade Commander! If you always think of the heroic deeds of the soldiers, you will feel that you have inexhaustible strength!" Brigadier Chen said: "Yes, yes! The body needs nourishment, and the mind also needs nourishment. If the body is not nourished, it will collapse, and if the mind is not nourished, it will be exhausted. The difference is: if you don't eat, you will complain; People don’t necessarily feel it if they don’t nourish their thoughts. But when a person feels that his thoughts are exhausted, comrade, his life is over—death, death completely! And there is nothing in the world like this Death is scarier." A staff officer cleaned up the papers on the table and said: "After all, I feel ashamed when I see the heroic behavior of the soldiers!" "Ashamed?" Brigadier Chen raised his head, thinking about it. "I seldom have such feelings. The heroic deeds of soldiers have always inspired me powerfully. Inspired, not ashamed. Don't you agree? Let's debate!" The staff officer said: "We can't compare with you. You have done a lot for the party, but we--" Brigadier Chen interrupted him and said: "Aren't you deliberately talking wrong? Comrade! Soldiers, Our fighters are the ones who have done a lot for the party, the ones who go through fire and water for the cause of the party." Late at night.A gust of wind blows from the desert, and the sand rustles the window paper.In the distance came the sound of camel bells.In the house next door, a fellow villager's child woke up crying from his dream, and the mother caressed and coaxed the child leisurely.The child's cries slowly died away. Brigadier Chen looked at the things copied by the staff officers and revised them sentence by sentence, weighing the importance of each word.Sometimes, he spends dozens of minutes trying to figure out a sentence or a word.Sometimes, he raised his head and said reproachfully: "What are you doing! You wrote it completely wrong. You are poorly educated, and you don't use your brain to study. Lazy thinking is the most worthless!" I dug out a pack of books: there were several Marxist-Leninist and Chairman Mao works, one "Sun Tzu's Art of War", two novels about war, and five or six foreign literature translations about love stories. Brigadier Chen talked about the contents of various books.When he was excited, he laughed out loud. He smiled so innocently and cheerfully, like a young man with nothing to worry about. Ding-dang-ding-dang--in the dead of night, the sound of camel bells in the distance became more real.This continuous sound, undulating over the vast desert, sounds profound and serene.This kind of sound reminds people of tenacious life force and heavy labor; it also evokes people's memories. Yang Kewen put the book aside and lay flat on his back, resting his head with his hands.He listened quietly to the bells of the camels.After a while, he said, "I had a talk with Zhou Dayong this afternoon. It's strange! When I saw him, I remembered what it was like when I first joined the army." Brigadier Chen said: "Zhou Dayong always tries to avoid meeting me. If I have free time, I will deal with him properly!" "You're being too harsh on him!" "That's why I like him!" Ding-dang-ding-dang-the camel bells gradually faded away.It was late at night, and although the sound was far away, it was still very clear. Brigadier Chen listened for a while, and said, "Old Yang, camels are really rare in our south. When I was young, those entertainers would pull camels around our countryside. I went to see camels with a group of children. It was fun. Very well. Once, I ran forty or fifty miles to see the camels, but my family couldn’t find them. I was so anxious that I couldn’t find them. Don’t you think it’s funny?” Brigadier Chen seemed strange because the sound of the camel's bell brought back his long memories.He slowly knocked off the cigarette ash and said, "I immediately thought of such a distant past!" He leaned his back against the wall and squinted at the cigarette between his fingers, which emitted a thin column of white smoke.He seemed to be sinking into the memory again. His life was complex and simple.It is complicated because he has experienced hardships and tortuous struggles like thousands of revolutionary fighters; it is simple because he is like every ordinary Chinese working people. Like a shadow, never leave him. Thirty-seven years ago, he was born in the family of a farmhand in Liuyang County, Hunan Province.When he was a child, he worked for others and took up the burden of adult labor. As the saying goes: "The cows and horses suffer, and the pigs and dogs eat." The poor life tortures people, and the poor life can figure out a stubborn temperament. Relying on this temperament, he escaped from his home in 1927, participated in the "Autumn Harvest Riot", became a Red Army soldier, and went to Jinggangshan.From then on, he and his comrades took revolution as their profession, the army as their family, their comrades as their brothers, and their weapons as their partners.From then on, he and his comrades fought in the red base area south of the great river; they fought for 25,000 miles; after eight years of the Anti-Japanese War, they are now engaged in the unprecedentedly difficult patriotic war of liberation. One day, after breakfast, regiment leader Zhao Jin and regiment political commissar Li Cheng walked to the brigade headquarters. The two passed through the flat grassy beach, jumped over a ditch, reached the brigade gate, and met Brigadier Commander Chen's guards. The Brigadier's bodyguard is stout and tall.Few people know his name, but when it comes to "veteran" or "big man", everyone in the brigade knows everyone. He's an eight-year veteran.When the battle was urgent and bullets were flying randomly, only he dared to block the brigade commander and prevent him from going to dangerous places.For this, he was often scolded by the brigade commander, but also often praised by the security department of the division's political department. Li Cheng shouted: "Veteran!" The guard turned around lightly, saluted formally, and said, "Political Commissar Li, you are either here for a meeting or to discuss issues with the brigade chief. You don't want to participate in the fun." 赵劲说："老资格！李政委今天专门是来玩的。因为，他侦察到你给旅首长准备了好吃的东西。" 警卫员挺高兴，因为赵劲这样有趣的对他讲话还是第一次。他有时候跟别的团首长还可以说说笑笑，可是对赵劲总是敬畏的。赵劲在他印象中，是严厉而很少说话的。He said: "赵团长，你愿意吃东西，我一定想办法，可是当真没有什么好吃喝！昨天，旅长领上我们满地跑，说是找什么野菜，其实哩，给老乡割了一天麦子。旅长一边割麦子一边和老乡拉话。太阳晒得人身上脱皮，我们想早点回来又不敢催他。看，我手上打了四个血泡！" 李诚说："旅长找什么野菜？现在粮食并不缺呀！" 警卫员抱怨地说："旅长说他认识几十种野菜，又说野菜怎么好吃。他呀，首长们都知道，那是说不来的！我们向陇东进军的工夫，有一天在洛河川里宿营，旅长就下到河里去摸鱼，一摸就摸两三个钟头！" 赵劲说："他一定摸得很多鱼，可惜我们不知道这个消息！" 警卫员说："什么呀！他摸了老半天才摸到大拇指头粗的五条鱼。就是那呀，他还说他要做几个菜哩。还没等到他做什么菜，老乡的猫就偷偷把鱼吃光，连一根鱼刺也没剩下。旅长把我骂得好惨啊！要不是群众纪律管着，我非宰掉老乡的猫不可！" 赵劲跟李诚向前走去。 警卫员说："旅首长不在呀！" 李诚问："到哪里去了？" 警卫员说："杨政委到城内给地方干部讲话去了。旅长，刚才还在房子里，可是眨眼就不见了。我现在正找他。" 赵劲说："你这个警卫员真是乱弹琴，连首长也看不住。 要是旅首长碰到特务出了差错，保卫科会砍你的头！ " 突然院子里送出了歌声："起来！不愿做奴隶的人们！把我们的血肉，筑成我们新的长城！……"李诚说："这不是旅长的声音？他在家。" 赵劲一进门就冷冰冰地说："旅长，你的嗓子确实不行！" 陈旅长说："要唱得好，我就不必关住门唱咯！"说罢，他从床头摸出了照相机，兴头蛮大地讲，他的照相技术怎样好，会洗印还会放大，好像，谁不会照相就是了不得的憾事。 赵劲不感兴趣地说："旅长，你照相技术再好，我也不羡慕！" 李诚说："旅长，这简直是给你泼凉水！" 陈旅长把照相机往铺上一扔，故意生气地说："赵劲，我照相的积极性叫你一脚踢光咯！" 赵劲嘿嘿嘿地笑了。 他们谈了一阵，李诚说："下午两点钟我们团党委会要开会，请你和杨政委去参加。" 陈旅长问："怎么，刘邓大军进入反攻的消息，你们还没传达？" 赵劲说："早传达咯。今天开会是总结传达工作，布置练兵工作。" 陈旅长说："战士们听到我军进入战略反攻，高兴得很吧？ 我刚听到这消息，整夜都睡不宁！ "他看着墙壁上的一张中原地图又说："你们要随时把刘邓大军反攻的情形，向战士们报告。这样，战士们便知道刘邓大军带头反攻就是中国革命战争的伟大的转折，就是直接援助我们西北战场，援助我们全国各战场。这是有重大的战略意义和历史意义的事件啊！ " 赵劲说："从今天消息看，刘邓大军进展非常迅速。" 陈旅长说："反动派，是一帮饭桶！他们招架不住刘邓大军的打击噢。"四 团首长们住在长城边一家老乡的上房里。傍黑，赵劲从连队里回来。他的裤子扯开了几绽，绑带上还沾着沙土。大概，他和战士们一块练习战术动作了。李诚背朝门坐在桌子跟前，正看二营的一个工作报告。他看了一阵，把报告轻轻地往旁边一堆，说："毫无头绪，简直连问题的性质还没闹清！"从本子上撕下一页纸，低下头唰唰地写着什么。 赵劲放轻脚步，用两手把李诚的肩膀猛地按着。李诚肩膀摆了一下没摆脱，说："别捣鬼！"他想回头看，赵劲两条胳膊使劲推着他的肩膀，躲着不让他看见。李诚说："老赵，我知道是你。" 赵劲两手松开，望着李诚，说："你怎么知道是我？" 李诚说："由你的手劲上我感觉到是你，由你呼吸的声音我听到是你。" 赵劲不出声地笑着。 李诚问："莫非我说得不对？" 赵劲摇头，眼睛调皮有趣地闪着光，说："对。我也有这经验：夜战中，有好多回我在阵地上喊你，你准答应。其实，并不是我看清了你，我感觉到那是你。" 两人眼对眼笑了。 赵劲转过身，坐在床边，迅速地解下绑带，又使劲地缠着，缠得非常整齐。他的帽子、绑带、皮带，都整齐而有次序地放在枕头左边。他到现在还保持着这样习惯：晚上睡觉的时候，数着身上脱下的东西，而且记着数目。比方说，解下来的东西是七件，晚上如果有事，他一爬起来，把七件东西数着带上，头也不回就走出去了，准不会丢东拉西。 赵劲两手托在脑后，身子往后仰着靠在铺盖卷儿上。他在回想着这几天练兵的情形。 赵劲的警卫员真够麻烦。一阵，他进来报告："团长，水打好了，洗脸吧！"赵劲根本没听见。警卫员轻手轻脚地走出去。一阵，他又进来说："饭搞好了！"赵劲不耐烦地摆着头，让他走开。警卫员摸不着头脑，又不敢多问。他走出去，对李诚的警卫员说："咱们这些首长，我看等不到四十岁，头发都要落光的！" "首长们哪里能像咱们，干罢工作就吃饱喝足，扳倒睡觉。他们肩上的担子重！" 李诚说："赵劲！我要政治处所有干部赶快把评纪律的工作结束。然后，他们好集中力量搞练兵工作。" 赵劲没有回答。 李诚走过去，看见赵劲躺在床上，眼睛望着天棚发愣。他笑着说："赵劲，你像是得了什么病？"赵劲坐起来，一字一板地说："不是害病的时候啊！" 李诚问："你今天到第一连去了吗？我下午到六连去了一趟，听六连战士说：第一连练兵工作搞得挺不错。" 赵劲伸了个懒腰站起来，像是要摆脱疲劳似的。他想起今天的练兵情形，想起战士们在练兵中的创造，想起他从连队上带回来的启示和心得。他觉得浑身都是力量，脸上闪过兴奋的光。 赵劲把两个大拇指头挂在腰间的皮带上，来回走着，讲着第一连练兵的情形。李诚听着，寻思着。 八点钟了，熄灯号吹过了。沙漠中刮来的大风，摇着门窗，撞击着长城。 卫毅闪进门来，说："好大的风哟！"他揉着眼睛，唾着口内的沙土。他眼窝、鼻孔都是沙土。从他朴实稳厚和精力饱满的样子看来，像是他也从连队上带回来很多启示、心得和劲头。他向赵劲和李诚摆了一下手，说："你们谈什么？一定是谈练兵。嘿！战士们想了很多办法，真是越练劲头越大！" 他盘腿坐在床上，立刻把参谋们都找来，要他们汇报今天参加各连队练兵时光了解到的情况。 卫毅带来满房子的工作热情。 一天，太阳快落山的时光，在野外练习战术动作的战士们，都集合起来，回到小村里去了。周大勇和一营教导员张培，从练兵场走到一块草地上。他俩周围是一片肥沃的田野和草地--沙漠中的绿洲。 目下看来，沙漠中的绿洲便是世上最如意的地方。绿茸茸的草地像绒毯子一样铺在地上。成熟了的麦子散放着香味。 骆驼在远处的沙漠中浮游。放羊的人赶着一群群的牛羊回来了。他们边走边唱"信天游"小调： 人都说三边有三宝，牛羊咸盐甜甘草哟！ 这一切在经过连续行军连续战斗以后的战士们看来，格外清爽，格外美好。 张培的旧灰军衣，整齐而清洁；破烂的地方，他都一针一针缝补过了。他慢慢地走着，不停的低下头瞧自己移动着的脚步，看来很清闲。有时候他望着远方的沙漠，像是很有趣味地想算什么。 他上了一个土堆，两条胳膊向前平伸，让风吹进袖筒。回头望望周大勇，笑了笑，像是说："这样挺舒坦，你也试试！" 周大勇觉着，张培这样谦逊、沉静、诚挚的性情挺好，连最毛躁的人见了他也会心平气和。张培打完仗，到什么学校当个教员，真是太好啦！ "战争考验人，严格地考验着人。这多时，艰苦的生活，唬倒了不少的人啊！"张培望着远处的沙漠，手指轻轻在空中弹着。"营部的刘副官，哎，这个人！他以前是我们的同志，可是现在变成我们前进路子上的障碍物了。"他的头轻轻地摇了摇。"那些把个人利益放在第一位的人，不管他的本质曾经怎样好，功劳怎样大，才能怎样高，都会丧失自己的一切变成精神空虚的人，一直到毁掉自己！" 周大勇说："上级批准开除他的党籍了。依我说，早就应当开除了！刘副官这样人，他就不知道他为什么活着。一天吃饱喝胀就满足了，让他干点子工作，他就佯佯吾吾混日子。胡搞乱来，……还说什么革命有前途他没前途！我最恨这种人……一个人没有思想，怎么可以活下去呢？一个人逃避生活的担子，逃避斗争的责任，那不就是一块废料吗？"激愤的情绪使得他的脸色更加刚毅。"像我们党的那些把自己的一切都献给人民的领导人，像我们的英勇而无私的战士，像那许许多多为劳动人民做过好事的人，他们硬是把历史向前推进了。人难道不应该像他们一样生活吗？" 张培说："是呀！人都应该像他们那样生活、斗争。"他望望周大勇纯真的脸膛和那喷发着热情的眼睛。停了一阵，他又把周大勇打量了一番，像是从周大勇那魁梧的身材上得到了什么启示。他掉转话头，说："政治工作做久了，就会觉着： 人的力量是不能估量的，是无穷无尽的。像我们的战士们，你大胆地去估量，他们的力量也比你的估量高出一百倍。 " 周大勇说："我们有不少同志，很年青就牺牲了。他们要活着，那该还有多少力量可以发挥！" 张培轻轻地喊了一声，说："我们在斗争的道路上，是负着很大的痛苦向前进的！他们有的人只活了二十多岁，有的还没活到二十岁……当然，生命的价值是不能拿时间长短来衡量的。" 周大勇折了根小蒿枝，在口里嚼着，顽强地思量着张培说的话。 张培说："周大勇，我们的战士们，在旧社会是一钱不值的人。可是他们到了革命队伍以后，就发挥了伟大的力量，成了顶天立地的人。我常想，要是将来我们走到共产主义社会，那所有的人更该发挥多么难以想象的力量啊！" 周大勇说："教导员，我也想过：我要好好处发挥自己的力量，还得住住什么军事学校。我参加部队以后，只住过几次教导队，知道的东西太少！" 张培望着周大勇的豁亮而愉快的面容，说："太阳一落，可真凉快啊！--周大勇同志，能有这样机会更好，不过你不要把一个人的学习、锻炼的范围看得太狭小。--看，看，周大勇。那种鸟儿，你见过吗？啊，你没见过。据说，它是沙漠地特有的一种鸟儿。多好看呀！--像你已经比普通人升高了一截。笑什么？你不是战斗英雄吗？告诉你，我们在战斗生活中学到了别人得不到的东西。比方，平时同志们批评你，上级教育你，劳动、学习、锻炼……一句话：你得经过千辛万苦才能懂得那么一点点道理，学得那么一点点知识。可是在战斗中，猛烈的炮火、生死的斗争、艰苦的考验、英雄们壮烈的事迹、同志们的鼓舞，这一切很快地就把人那些庸俗的想法烧掉了！战斗中一个人会很快获得纯洁、高尚的品质。是吗？" 周大勇很少看见过张培这样的热情流露。他很感动，他仿佛看到思想在闪光。这种思想的闪光，让周大勇又一次清楚地看到了人生的道路。 "大勇，我常想，我们的军队不仅是一支军事力量，而且是一支政治力量、思想力量和新道德的伟大力量。你想想看，我们军队到了哪里，我们就把党的声音带到哪里。而且我们的战士拿自己勇敢和无私的行为，给人们建立了这样的榜样： 每一个人应该怎样爱自己的人民，应该怎样生活、斗争，应该怎样一直向前。这就是说：我们军队不但是消灭敌人、打碎旧社会的力量，而且是移风易俗的力量！Am I right?你懂得我的意思吗？ " 周大勇说："教导员，我懂得你的意思。党让我成为一个有用的人，我呢，也有决心成为一个对人民事业有用的人。" 张培说："这是个很好的志愿。能这样，我们就不会辜负这英雄的时代；能这样，我们就能用自己有限的岁月，创造出无限的光辉事业。"他两条胳膊前后晃悠，脚在柔软的土地上轻轻地踏着，自言自语地说："光辉的事业，光辉的事业……"他转过身来，手托在周大勇肩膀上，望着天和沙漠相接之处，说："大勇同志，要是世界上没有那一帮剥削人压迫人的畜生，那人生会变得多么美好啊！" 周大勇眼睛一眨也不眨地望着张培那因兴奋而更加光彩的脸色，身心沉浸在一种庄严的向往中。