Chapter 9 Chapter 4 The Great Desert (2)

The sun engulfed the desert, and a cool breeze blew.Faint blue smoke rose from the chimneys of the villagers.The women poured the washing water into the pig trough.Some fellow villagers sat under a tree and smoked dry cigarettes to dissipate the exhaustion brought about by a whole day's hard work.Soldiers, some sat on the stone bed outside the villager’s gate and wiped their guns, some pressed paper on their knees to write letters, some tore rags into strips and beat straw sandals, and some helped fellow villagers fetch water, grind fields, pick manure.There was singing and merry chatter everywhere.

Ning Jinshan was wearing a shirt and shorts, and was helping fellow villagers pick up excrement.He had of late the untroubled cheerfulness of the soldiers.He felt that his mind was wide open, those dark shadows in his life disappeared, and there was bright and joyful everywhere.He has a wish, which is getting stronger every day, that is, to do more things. Ning Erzi blushed, he ran under a tree and shouted, "Brother, come quickly!" Ning Jinshan saw that Erzi Ning was out of breath, and thought that he had caused some trouble. The second son Ning shouted: "Hurry up, I'll see how slow you are!"

Ning Jinshan put down the dung load, lowered his face, and said, "What are you busy with?" But he was really happy in his heart.He felt that the second son only looked like a young man now.He seemed to have seen his brother seven or eight years ago.At that time, the second son was a child of twelve or thirteen years old - he was honest and honest, but he was also like ordinary children: curious, active, and lively. From the day Ning Erzi joined the army, he felt that something unusual happened in his heart.From his birth to the world, others didn't treat him as a human being, and from then on, he also felt that he was a lowly person.Just like the poor people in the past generations: suffering and being burdened, until the spine is broken and the legs are straight, it is not like dust and no one notices.But from the day he entered the first company, he felt that he was a human being.This discovery filled his mind with strength.Therefore, he fought bravely in the "Battle of Longdong" and made a great contribution.

The two brothers stood shoulder to shoulder against a big tree. Ning Erzi put his face close to Ning Jinshan's shoulder, exhaled, and called: "elder brother!" Ning Jinshan turned his head to look, and saw that the second son blushed and his neck swelled.He felt the second son's heart beeping, and thought, the second son must have a happy event, and this happy event has something to do with him.He asked: "What's the matter?" The second son jumped across to Ning Jinshan, almost touched Ning Jinshan's face, and said: "Brother, I, hey, where did you say that! So, brother, I have asked to join the party!"

Ning Jinshan turned his head away and heaved a sigh of relief, as if he had a heartache. He pulled away Erzi Ning who was staring at him, and said, "Second son, you asked to join the party? Good thing, good thing! Did you mention it to the branch?" Ning Erzi didn't look at his brother's posture.He felt that his brother had poured a ladle of ice water on his hot heart.When his brother pulled him away with his hands just now, the ground under his feet moved away automatically.The distance between him and his brother is getting farther and farther. The two sons said one or the other: "The matter of joining the party has been mentioned, and two party members and comrades have also talked to me. They said that I have passed the test of two battles and performed well. During the party group discussion, I also participated!"

Ning Jinshan grabbed Erzi's arm and asked, "Has the group passed?" The second son felt that his brother was strangling his arm so painfully.It took him a lot of effort to suppress the anger in his stomach and say, "It didn't pass!" Ning Jinshan asked: "Why? Why?" The second son felt that his brother was putting on a show.He kicked the ground into a small pit with his foot.Suddenly, he ran forward a few steps and kicked a fist-sized stone about a foot away.The second son said: "The group did not pass. No one needs to worry about it. At the group meeting, party members and comrades said that I will pass the test for a period of time and improve my class consciousness a little bit before I can join the party. I Ning Erzi had a hard time. Find this path. Even if I risk my life, I will... Anyway, I know the way to go!" He tore off his hat viciously to wipe his sweat.

Ning Jinshan took a step towards the second son, staring at the second son, his lips twitched.Ning Erzi looked at his brother's face with horror and dirty eyes.He said: "The matter of joining the party, if you are not interested in listening to it, you will dismiss it. Here, this is a letter from home." Ning Jinshan mechanically received the letter without even reading it.He stood there as if frozen, with his chest forward.After a while, he seemed to wake up, and sat under the tree again to open the letters from home.The words on the letter were as big as fingers, bouncing around.Ning Jinshan read the first line and forgot the second line.The lines of words kept changing positions, just like the situation of the drill team's attack these days: sometimes the squad leader led everyone to run forward in column; A ridge, the squad leader swung his hand, and everyone squatted under the ridge, separated by a considerable distance.

Ning Jinshan reluctantly read it several times, and finally understood it.The letter said that the year before last, my father led the family across the Yellow River and arrived in the liberated area.Now I have been assigned to the land and escaped from the sea of ​​suffering.My father was the chairman of the "Township Farmers' Association", and my mother also did some women's work incidentally.A few days ago, my father met a retired honorary soldier.This man was originally a clerk in the first battalion of the "Hero Department" of the Northwest Field Army.He said that the two brothers Ning Jinshan and Ning Erzi worked in the first company, and the family was very happy to hear that; the mother cried.Anyway, I hope to write a letter to my family as soon as possible.It has been several years since Ning Jinshan let the Kuomintang army tie up the soldiers.In the past few years, he has missed his home day and night, and his relatives who are connected by flesh and blood.Now that he has received a letter from home, his happy mood is much different from what he had imagined earlier.

He looked at his second son and said, "Look, they have settled. The family has been allocated land. This is something our ancestors never dreamed of!" Ning Erzi said: "Brother, it is a good thing that the family has been allocated land. But this land was allocated to us only under the leadership of the Communist Party. You don't mention this important matter!" Ning Jinshan's face turned pale.He said: "Second son, even you don't know my sadness? Second son, I have suffered more than you, and I have gone through more detours than you! I am miserable, second son, I am worthless! Dad and mother shit and pissed The ground dragged me up, they expected me to walk the right path,...I, I am sorry to no one!" He squatted on the ground, crying with his head in his hands, his shoulders trembling from crying.

Ning Jinshan cried for a while, feeling refreshed. He said, "Second son, give this letter to the instructor and ask him to read it in front of the team, so that comrades can also know how our family survived!" The second son is also feeling very uncomfortable these days. Just now, he misunderstood what brother meant.Brother, I lived a few years longer and carried more burdens. I didn't help him well, but stabbed his heart with sneering words. How does this look like a Communist!He felt that he was already a party member. They walked towards the company without saying a word.The second son wanted to reassure his brother, so he said:

"Brother, the instructor conveyed the news the day before yesterday: The big counterattack has begun, and Liu Deng's army has crossed the Yellow River. Dad's letter said that they are busy supporting the front line. I guess it is to support Liu and Deng's army to cross the Yellow River!" "Well, it must be." Ning Jinshan felt happy when he thought of Liu Deng's army crossing the Yellow River.He said: "Second son, look at how well our various battlefields across the country cooperate, just like a person's arms and legs. We suffer a little bit here, and I feel very unhappy when I suddenly think about it. How about going to the whole country? My heart is happy. It turns out that we have a great effect when we step over the mountains and step by step in the sand. Knowing this, people will be particularly motivated when doing work. I didn’t understand this in the past, and I often regarded myself as an ordinary person. Soldiers, really!" Ning Erzi looked at his brother, and saw that his eyes were shining with joy.He said: "Brother, the instructor said that Liu Deng's army counterattacked; Chen Geng's corps fought in a hurry in Shanxi; Chiang Kai-shek wanted to send reinforcements, but we attracted Hu Zongnan, and he wanted to withdraw troops but couldn't. That's how I know The significance of the victory of the three-sided battle. Brother, to be honest, I haven't thought of these things in the desert." "That's right, if a soldier wants to think about these things often, he is willing to fall into the sand nest!" Wang Huo said slowly. The second son Ning looked around but saw no one.Ning Jinshan went around the haystack and saw Tiger Wang squatting under a big tree, quietly watching the clouds floating in the distant sky, whistling slightly. Wang Huo said with a smile: "You two brothers have a lively talk!" On his left are two clothes, two pairs of old shoes, hemp rope and needlework; on the right are two letters.There are two pieces of paper on his knees, as if he has finished mending his clothes, and he is writing something on his shoes. Ning Jinshan snuggled up to Wang Huhu and said, "Did you hear me talking to my second son? Squad leader! When I first joined the army, I heard Li Jiangguo talk about the journey from Tiannan to Haibei. It was very strange and annoying. At that time, I have been thinking about the twisting and twisting under my nose all day long, and I feel that there is no taste in it, but now it is different, I always feel--" Wang Huo took out a small smoke pot from his pocket, and filled the smoke pot while filling the cigarette Said: "I always feel very happy in my heart, don't you? A good soldier is always happy and happy. In comparison, when we win a battle in the Northeast, he feels like we won a battle in the Northwest; there is a soldier in Shandong Becoming a hero is like being a hero himself; when the instructor said how many new factories were built in the Soviet Union, he was overjoyed; He cares about everything. You can figure it out and see if I'm right." Ning Jinshan thought about it, Wang Huhu's words made people like it, but he had never experienced this kind of feeling. He looked at the clothes and shoes next to Tiger Wang.Yes, the things Wang Huo mended belonged to the soldiers of the first class.Ning Jinshan remembered: just last night, when he woke up after a nap, he saw Wang Huhu mending a shirt by the light.That shirt belonged to the soldier Lin Zide.Tiger tightly sewed up the torn hole in the shirt.After sewing, he folded the shirt neatly and placed it beside Lin Zide.Ning Jinshan felt that people like Wang Huhu lived in this world to care about others. He flipped through the letter next to Wang Huo and saw a picture of a woman.The words on the back of the photo: Ren Dongmei. Ning Jinshan said: "Squad leader, is this sister-in-law?" Wang Huhu smiled: "You're called sister-in-law before you go through the door?" Ning Erzi took the photo from Ning Jinshan, looked at it, and said, "This woman must be in her twenties, why hasn't she been married yet?" Wang Huo said: "The sons and daughters raised by soldiers are still soldiers. Chiang Kai-shek is most afraid of this, so he blocked us with American cannons and prevented us from getting married. Look, how wicked!" There are a few wrinkles; those wrinkles may hide his tragic life experience, simple and loyal love and difficult but glorious fighting career. The three of Wang Huo and the others were talking enthusiastically here; however, in the woods to their left, three people were arguing vigorously. The two little devils in the first company-San Niu, the hygienist, and Xiao Cheng, the correspondent, stayed around all day long. After Xiaocheng was liberated in the battle of Yangmahe, he joined the first company.For a long time, although he has made progress, this thin and clever child sometimes has a little trouble.It is difficult for the whole company to count him, he is jumping like a dream!The soldiers nicknamed him "Monkey". Sanniu is different from Xiaocheng.He likes to learn and has his own goal of striving.For example, he admires the company commander and instructor very much, and often thinks: like the company commander and instructor, commanding hundreds of people in battle, how majestic is it to carry a pistol at ordinary times!Therefore, Sanniu worked hard to learn the bravery and wit of the company commanders and instructors, learn their tone of voice, and learn the life path they walked.What about Xiaocheng?He was still undecided.You have to ask him, who does he like and who does he hate in the company?He will say: He hates Ma Changsheng and likes Wang Huhu.Why do you hate Ma Changsheng?Once, he accidentally broke a bowl from a fellow villager. Ma Changsheng criticized him kindly. He felt that Ma Changsheng was "restraining" him.He got along best with Wang Huo, because Wang Huo would tell him war stories whenever he was free, without losing his temper.When it comes to other people in the company, Xiaocheng likes it or doesn't like it.For example, when Lao Sun was alive, Xiao Cheng liked him, but felt that he would not play with him, and always persuaded him to study.His head swells when he mentions studying.Comrades all said that he was a "little man and a big ghost", and this sentence was not wrong.Because no one can tell how many thoughts flashed through his little heart in a day.Xiao Cheng wanted to get a hand in everything, but after three days or two, he felt tasteless.Sometimes, he followed San Niu to learn characters in a serious manner.Sometimes, he jumped up and down to learn how to play the trumpet from the superior trumpeter.Sometimes, he spent a long time watching the chirping birds on the trees in a daze, and he also wanted to fly in the sky like the birds.Once when he saw the cook cutting vegetables, he got excited and fiddled with the kitchen knife enthusiastically, and finally cut off a piece of meat from his finger.One evening, San Niu had a serious conversation with him, criticizing his shortcomings, and said: "Is this okay? You are a correspondent, you must understand your responsibilities, and don't make trouble half-heartedly!" I decided not to do anything else.However, one day he saw the barber of the company cutting his hair, his hands itched again, and he learned to cut hair again.This little ghost, strange elf, is also very courageous. He volunteered to shave his head after just a few days of learning. On this day, after dinner, Li Jiangguo came back from publicizing to the villagers, singing while walking, and kept kicking the stones on the road; when he saw a child, he also made a funny face. Li Jiangguo is a good hand in mass work.For example, when the army is stationed in a certain village, he immediately establishes a close relationship with old men, old ladies, and children, especially those young men in the countryside, who stick to him as soon as they see him. Li Jiangguo walked outside the courtyard wall where the first company was stationed, but no one went in, but the voice entered. In the blink of an eye, his voice was heard everywhere, and it could be heard even thousands of miles away.He met San Niu, a little hygienist. San Niu asked: "Li Jiangguo, you are as busy as a big boss!" Li Jiangguo said: "Arrows never leave my butt, I don't even have time to fart all day! A day of study, training, and meetings... I don't have time until after dinner, but I still have to do propaganda to the masses and write letters to my comrades.San Niu, if I continue to toss like this, I will be too tired to eat four steamed buns! " San Niu said: "You are bragging. Our company has a lot of highly educated people. Who wants you to write a letter!" Li Jiangguo said: "You need to match your eyes when you buy glasses! Someone asked me to write a letter. For example, Shi Ershuan asked me to write a letter to his wife today. I said: You can also carry a bamboo pole, and your hands are not broken." He said: My body is not beautiful. He was lying on the edge of the kang, watching me write from a distance of one foot. I wrote, wrote, and drew everyone, horses, chickens and ducks on the paper... ...Shi Ershuan asked me: Why do you always draw circles when writing letters? I think you are messing around! I said, what do you know! You need to draw a punctuation mark when writing a sentence. Shi Ershuan said: You are making trouble, who Draw punctuation marks like you, draw such a big circle? I said, draw the circle bigger, your wife said happily when she saw the letter: Oh, my Shi Ershuan drew such a big circle, I must have strength When he grows up, his body must be strong. Shi Ershuan said: Huh, the truth is all yours. I said: To be unambiguous, to be able to write these two words must have a certain level of political culture.After I finished writing, he came up from the kang to read the letter, hey, I’m so irritable, he scolded me so badly!I said, okay, okay, this is going uphill with my daughter-in-law on my back, and I was scolded for exerting my strength! " San Niu writhed his guts out laughing.Li Jiangguo winked and said secretly: "San Niu, I want to get a haircut, but when I go back to the company, I have to report, have a meeting, and do this and that. San Niu! My hair is growing, and my nose bleeds from the heat. Salute! Please help me. The barber from the Ministry called to the small forest outside our door and asked him to cut my hair. Look, isn't it very quiet there!" San Niu said: "The barber is helping the cook to roll the dough, so I can't take care of it. I'll call you Xiao Cheng, he's a good haircutr now." It was the first time for Xiaocheng to hear that someone asked him to have a haircut, and a small heart rushed into his throat with joy.But he still put his hands in his trouser pockets, shrugged his shoulders, and asked impatiently, "San Niu, who is the haircut for? I'm very busy!" San Niu said: "Come on, you can negotiate the price without meat tofu. Go, give Li Jiangguo a haircut. Let me tell you, Lao Li is not easy. Wang Huhu often said: He has been selling steamed buns since he was a child, and he has experienced everything. , Head of the regiment, who doesn't praise him for his ability!" Li Jiangguo and Xiaocheng were not close in the past.Li Jiangguo felt that this brat was annoying and ignorant.I also feel that I am an old soldier, and I want to show Xiaocheng everywhere, so I show a posture of indifference and indifference. With sullen face and hands behind his back, Li Jiangguo asked like a veteran, "How is your skill? You can't dance on my head." Xiaocheng pretended to be an expert and said: "Hmph, asking the price if you don't see the goods, shaving a head is a very complicated question!" San Niu said: "It's not enough to shave your head and pay for a new one!" Li Jiangguo glared and said, "It's a joke on any occasion!" San Niu said: "Don't pretend to be a ghost! I just invited him here because I have a lot to say, and I don't accept it!" Li Jiangguo washed his hair worriedly and sat on the stool. Xiao Cheng looked at Li Jiangguo's head, and felt terrified.Hey!The black ferocious hair is hard and thick. It seems that the problem is very complicated.Xiao Cheng was afraid that Li Jiangguo would find out that he was guilty and wanted to support him with a strong and competitive mentality, so he bit the bullet and started shaving.When he shaved, Li Jiangguo gritted his teeth.The more Xiao Cheng shaved his heart, the more panicked he became, and the more panicked his hands became, the more trembling he became.After shaving for about five minutes, Li Jiangguo had 10 to 20 small cuts on his head.Beads of blood dripped from Li Jiangguo's face. Li Jiangguo couldn't bear it anymore, he pushed Xiao Cheng away, and shouted loudly: "You're using my head to learn your craft! It's unfortunate that you don't pick a good day!" San Niu stared at the side and smiled foolishly. "Hu is playing around, there are more cabbages in black buns, and more ugly people are doing tricks! I have met many people, but I have never seen such a rambunctious person like you." Li Jiangguo cursed more and more fiercely, his tongue was sharp and hot.Xiao Cheng also got angry, jumped to the side, and flew to his face like sparks, saying: "Don't blow your beard and stare. Although you didn't post red and white posts, you always invited me anyway!" Li Jiangguo shouted: "Go away! Go away!" Xiao Cheng said, "Whose business am I standing in the way of? Hmph, are you so vicious that you want to eat people? I'm here for the revolution, not to pretend to be a coward!" After Li Jiangguo left, San Niu said to Xiao Cheng: "Don't argue with him. Old Li is loud and rainy, that's his temper. If you don't believe me, you can talk to him, and you will be blown away in one breath. The sky is full of clouds." Xiao Cheng said: "I don't care about him!" After that, he left angrily. Xiao Cheng has been in a low mood for more than a day since he touched this bad nose.San Niu advised him not to be discouraged and to continue to work hard to master haircutting skills.Then, Xiaocheng found a gourd from a fellow villager, and practiced haircuts by scraping it back and forth with a knife.Unfortunately, he met Ma Changsheng again.Ma Changsheng straightened his neck, his eyes stared like lamps, as if he wanted to swallow Xiao Cheng.He said: "You, you like to break the discipline of the masses. Why do you just take the gourds of the fellows?" This time, Xiao Cheng was blown up.He didn't dare to confront Ma Changsheng face to face, but after Ma Changsheng left, he was aggrieved and said, "I'm sure I've got my ass. Hmph, you're unlucky, even if you fart, you'll touch your heels!" Six It was dark, and the troops gathered one by one on the grass outside the Great Wall.Everyone sat there, some lit matches and smoked, some talked in low voices, and some counted the number of people in front of the team.There were also people in twos and threes who came out of the village to check the "discipline of the masses" or to bid farewell to the masses. The Northwest Field Army is about to dispatch again.Where are the troops going?The soldiers guessed that they were heading east along the Great Wall and heading towards the Yellow River, which is seven or eight hundred miles away. The fellow villagers surrounded the troops to see off their soldiers.Some villagers forcefully stuffed steamed buns and tobacco leaves into the hands of the soldiers.Some villagers told the soldiers: take care of your body, and be more careful when walking and fighting.The children hugged the soldiers' legs and did not let them go.Soldiers wiped the snot of a child who was struggling to leave.An old lady put her face on Zhou Dayong's chest and cried: "My child, when will we meet again?" Zhou Dayong felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.He fought here, and the bodies of his comrades are buried here.Here he helped the villagers cut the wheat and played the cutscene.It was this old mother who mended Zhou Dayong's clothes in her dilapidated house while telling her difficult days and moons. "When will we meet again?" Who knows?There are still a long time to come and go in the wind and rain, and the important thing now is to run around and kill. Zhou Dayong took the old lady's hand and said: "Old mother, I will come to see you next time!" He said this sentence everywhere, so it sounded very empty. The soldiers embarked on a difficult journey again. ... The troops passed through the desert after three overnight marches.The soldiers saw that the terrain going east was slowly rising.After another fifty or sixty miles, the mountain suddenly rose in front of them and covered half of the sky.It seemed that as long as the soldiers climbed to the high mountain in front, they could lightly cut through the vast blue sky with bayonets. The soldiers walked for another night, and at dawn, they fell into a ditch.This ditch is more than three hundred miles from east to west, directly leading to Suide City and reaching the bank of the Yellow River. The main road in Chuando-ri was crowded with teams heading east.From the hill fork on both sides of the road, many fleeing people came out. The enemy's planes kept swooping down the valley and strafing. Zhao Jin rode a horse and walked in front of the regiment's troops.He is like any commander: no matter where he goes, he always pays attention to various terrains with a scouting eye.Suddenly, Zhao Jin saw a few soldiers-like people walking slowly on the hill in front of him. Moreover, those people were observing something with binoculars from time to time. The troops then entered a very narrow channel lined with dark mountains.The soldiers raised their heads, and the sky became a long narrow belt. As the army moved forward, the river gradually widened, the mountains gradually became lower, and there were more and more villages. Zhao Jin sat on the horse, his body straightened.Sometimes he reined in the horse a little, turned his head and looked back: the soldiers sang, told stories, and joked; The sun was hanging on the western mountain line.The soldiers are dying of exhaustion.Everyone thinks: It would be so beautiful to rest for a few minutes! Strange to say, the road was crowded with advancing infantry, cavalry, artillery and fleeing masses; enemy planes strafed, gunshots, and the smell of gunpowder—everything was a scene of war.But when the soldiers looked forward, there was no crowd in front of them, no horses screaming, and there was no sound.It seemed that something unusual had happened up front.The soldiers guessed: "Is there a situation"?No, firstly, there was no order to "run" or "take off the gun"; secondly, Commander Zhao and Political Commissar Li were not ordered to go to the front; Spread to the side of the road and study something.On the contrary, Political Commissar Li also stretched his neck and looked forward, and a look of excitement that was rarely seen on Zhao's face flashed across his face.They also seem to be guessing something, premonitioning something. Looking back and forth, you can't see the flow of people from the beginning to the end. This huge flow of people is a whole.The overall feeling is sharp.It feels serene and serious ahead.Every soldier was staring ahead, listening to something; even the soldiers on the road dozens of miles behind were doing the same.Soldiers who are still behind, do you really think about what will happen ahead?No, it was just an infection of mood peculiar to the ranks of the army. Suddenly, there was a great force, like an electric current, passing through the ranks of the troops and passing through everyone's heart.Fatigue was driven away, and the faces of the soldiers became vivid, tense, and extraordinarily serious.Each soldier straightened his chest, zoomed in on his steps, and stared ahead without blinking. "Chairman Mao!" "Chairman Mao!" These three words passed like lightning from one mouth to another, from one heart to another; in the blink of an eye, they spread to the ranks of troops dozens of miles away. The uncontrollable excitement swelled in the ranks of the troops.The cheers are about to erupt, but now is the tense war period. In order to keep secrets, the soldiers can't shout: "Long live Chairman Mao!" But they raised their fists and shook the sky and shouted: "Long live...Long live... ..." Huge excitement stirred the sky, countless fiery eyes stared ahead; countless arms swayed, like the wind blowing a big forest. "We have the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao!" Relying on this belief, the soldiers survived many difficult days and successively attacked enemies ten times more than our army.How many ordinary people have done earth-shattering deeds at an emergency because they thought of the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao.But now the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao are right in front of us! Zhou Dayong and his soldiers could not see Chairman Mao. It turned out that Chairman Mao and the central government had stepped in front of their regiment. The soldiers hurriedly urged the people in front: "Go quickly, don't distance yourself!" In fact, no one distanced themselves.They were all crowded together, standing on tiptoes, stretching their necks as far as possible to look forward, they wished they could put on their wings and fly to the front. Suddenly, the soldiers saw that on the hill in front of them, fellow villagers were crowded together, as if those fellow villagers suddenly emerged from the cracks in the ground.The soldiers are really jealous of the good place where the fellows stand. Zhou Dayong stomped his feet anxiously, shouting: "Old Wang, Lao Wang, I am so anxious! Every time we are either in front or behind, we can never see Chairman Mao and the heads of the Central Committee!" Whether it was the soldiers or Wang Chengde, no one heard Zhou Dayong yelling. At this moment, the little ghosts of the first company--Sanniu and Xiaocheng were also anxious.They are small and low, with a back when viewed from the front and a chest when viewed from the back.They wanted to get out of the ranks, but the people in front and behind squeezed them into the air, unable to touch the ground!The little ghosts almost cried out in anxiety! "Long live... Long live..." The cheers flowed down from the front of the troops and surged up from behind, shaking the sky and the earth. The soldiers sang with all their strength: "The East is red, the sun is rising, and Mao Zedong came out of China..." The singing echoed among the mountains, causing a booming sound. After walking for more than ten miles, the singing of the soldiers turned into a lively discussion.Everyone felt: No matter whether they saw Chairman Mao and his comrades in arms or not, Chairman Mao and his comrades marched with them today, which was the most glorious and unforgettable event in their lives!And they all felt that seeing Chairman Mao and the central government passing by here today has something to do with the upcoming war.Thinking of this, they sang vigorously again: "Without the Communist Party, there would be no new China..." In the sky, flocks of birds were dancing joyfully up and down.A gust of cool wind blows, and the leaves of sorghum and corn in the ditches on the ravine rustle, as if these crops are discussing something intimately and eagerly after a burst of excitement.seven On August 1, the Northwest Field Army set off from the Dali River in the west of Suide City, crossed the Wuding River, and went northward day and night, advancing towards the front line of Yulin near the Great Wall.During the march, the soldiers were excitedly talking about General He Long.Because, before leaving today, the commanders and fighters of the Northwest Field Army held a meeting in Dali River to commemorate the "August 1st" Army Day, and General He Long spoke at this meeting. General He Long was the commander of the Northwest Military Region during the war in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region.During the war, sometimes he and deputy commander-in-chief Peng commanded the Northwest Field Army to fight, and sometimes commanded the local corps to fight against the enemy; he also continued to organize the manpower and material resources of the five provinces of Shanxi, Sui, Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia to support the Northwest Liberation War.Most of the Northwest Field Army was the Red Second Front Army led by Comrade He Long, the 120th Division during the Anti-Japanese War.A few months ago, it was under Commander Peng.But Mr. Peng is very good at directing.Here, it contains decades of hard work of the party, Boss He and his comrades in arms!Boss He's famous saying is: "The army led by any of us is the party's army. Wherever it is transferred and whoever is in command, it will be proactive. There is no problem. If you can't do this, you are not worthy of being a revolutionary under the leadership of the Communist Party." Soldiers." This bell-like voice is still ringing in the ears of the warriors who marched on this journey. Zhao Jin and Li Cheng rode in front of the regiment's troops.They put their horses' heads together.Sometimes, they turned their heads to see the soldiers talking enthusiastically behind them.Obviously, the two of them had also talked about General He Long for a long time.Because as far back as the era of the Honghu Soviet Area, Zhao Jin served as Boss He's bodyguard; when the Anti-Japanese War began, young students like Li Cheng joined the army, so they all became Boss He's subordinates.How Boss He likes knowledgeable people!When he found that Li Cheng was brave in combat and very creative in his work, he promoted Li Cheng from the company's clerk to an instructor, and said to Zhao Jin, who was the battalion commander at the time: "I handed you an ink pot, you are going to break it." , I want to settle accounts with you!" Zhao Jin said: "Lao Li, this time the Yulin campaign was communicated and mobilized, but I always feel that the superiors didn't tell us something." Li Cheng said: "Not necessarily! Didn't Political Commissar Yang make it very clear at the Party Committee of the Brigade? We beat Ma Hongkui and Ma Bufang solidly in the Longdong and Sanbian divisions, and now we are going to beat the enemies in Yulin. Hu Zongnan If all these accomplices are knocked out, the future affairs will be easier. The most important thing is that Yulin City is the anti-communist fortress on the back door of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region. Chiang Kai-shek and Hu Zongnan have always attached great importance to it. Therefore, we besieged Yulin Fortress, Hu Zongnan's gangsters will definitely reinforce. As long as we can pull Hu Zongnan's main force to the Great Wall line, it will give us a chance to destroy it. This is called pulling a long line to catch big fish!" Zhao Jin said: "The significance of the Battle of Yulin is probably more than that. I think that Commander He came this time..." Li Cheng said, "What's so strange about it? Boss He came to participate in every important battle! What did he do?" Time will never forget us!" Zhao Jin said: "No. You know that the Party Central Committee is stationed in Dali River. I heard that the Party Central Committee held a meeting a few days ago. Chairman Mao, Comrade Zhou Enlai, Comrade Ren Bishi, President Peng, President He, Comrade Xi Zhongxun and the Northwest Bureau The comrades in charge have all participated. I think this Yulin campaign is part of a big national plan, or else it is to cooperate with the whole country..." "Then it should be a big attack in the Central Plains, or it is that the Chen Geng Corps is going to start from Fenglingdu crossed the Yellow River and attacked Xi'an?" Zhao Jin said: "Maybe. Maybe Chen Geng's corps will do something. In short, there must be something unexpected..." He drew a big circle in the air with his hand. "It is strategic..." After two or three days of marching day and night across the mountains, a part of the Northwest Field Army entered the vicinity of Sancha Bay. Sancha Bay is a major stronghold twenty miles south of Yulin City and the gateway to Yulin City.The village is surrounded by desert.One regiment of the enemy is sticking to Sancha Bay.In the morning, Sancha Bay was full of gunshots and cannons.Chiang Kai-shek's American-made planes also rushed to bomb. In the past few hours, the battle became more and more intense, and the transporters and stretcher bearers who delivered the ammunition ran forward.Telephone operators were sweating profusely running back and forth, pulling and checking wires.There are several large blockhouses on the sand beam along the east and west, and the soldiers of Zhao Jin's regiment are attacking the enemy.Suddenly, the strong wind swept the yellow sand and rushed towards my attacking troops. The sound of gunfire, artillery and enemy aircraft bombing merged into a huge roar.The wind, sand and smoke obscured the sky and the earth. The soldiers flickered in the wind, sand and smoke, charging bravely. Zhou Dayong led his soldiers and cooperated with the brother troops to capture four bunkers.But when they attacked one hundred and fifty meters away from the "No. 5 Blockhouse", they were knocked down by enemy fire on the flat sandy beach. The artillery fire covering Zhou Dayong and the others continued to fire, but the gunners and heavy machine gunners were blinded by the strong wind.Some of the heavy machine guns were still firing, while others were blocked by sand and could not fire! Zhou Dayong lay down in the sand nest.He put his hands on the ground, his chest was slightly raised, his face was tense, and his eyes were fixed on the front.He is responsible for the outcome of this battle; responsible for the lives of the soldiers who lay under the enemy's fire net.The burden of responsibility is getting heavier and heavier. As time goes by, the danger also increases. Zhou Dayong rolled to Wang Chengde, and the two looked at each other for a few seconds. Zhou Dayong said: "The telephone line was interrupted. I sent a correspondent to report to the battalion commander to move the firepower covering us forward, but so far there is no reply. What happened!" Wang Chengde pointed to the left side and said: "Look, the bunker that the second company attacked has not been captured yet, and the enemy's flanking fire has already cut off our connection with the battalion command post!" Zhou Dayong and Wang Chengde tried their best to look straight ahead and to the left and right flanks.The brother troops on the left were attacking the enemy's blockhouse; a hundred meters to the right was a ditch, and on the other side of the ditch, there was the sound of bugles and the shouts of our own troops charging. Zhou Dayong's mind whirled in circles rapidly; the sweat on his face drew the sand and soil into ditches.Like those courageous and experienced commanders, he was anxious but clear-headed.He is very shrewd in finding the enemy's weak points.Suddenly, a plan flashed in my mind.他说："老王，派一个班拖两挺机枪到右边去佯攻，吸引住敌人火力，正面就好进行爆破：让敌人坐飞机升天。好，这里交给你，我到右前方去了。" 王成德用手死劲地压住周大勇的腰，说："你在正面，我到侧翼去。"他弯下腰，像飞一样跑去。 王成德指挥两挺机枪向敌人射击，吸引住了敌人的注意力跟火力。 这时周大勇指挥正面的战士们，正在炮弹爆炸的火光中，在风沙中，准备爆炸敌人的高碉堡。 马长胜拿起第一包炸药，对爆炸组的战士们说："同志们，跟我来！" 李江国扑过去推开他，说："撒手，撒手！第一包炸药是我的。" 两个人你推我拉，谁也不肯让谁。 马长胜是越急越说不出话的人。他跺着脚，说："李江国，你--"周大勇喊："不准争夺！李江国带第一组去！"他的声音这样严厉，连脾气执拗的马长胜也不敢吭气。 李江国抓住二十五斤重的炸药包，向他身后的战士们喊： "跟我来！" 第一名，第二名，第三名，第四名，几个矫健的影子，在炮火、烟雾和风沙中前进了！敌人工事中吐着火舌，炮弹爆炸的黑烟柱一直顶住了天，爆炸手们前进的道路又被封锁得风雨不透。 ... 李江国带领爆炸小组，跑到离敌人碉堡四五十公尺的地方，他让敌人的手榴弹震得跌倒在地，昏过去了！一个战士的炸药包被子弹击中爆炸了……其他两个战士被敌人的火力按倒在地下，头也不能抬。 一股冰冷的感觉，一直透进周大勇的心脏。他很想把自己的全部力量，都添给爬在敌人火力下的爆破手们。 周大勇猛地回过头来，正要喊第二爆炸组上去，马长胜一步抢前，喊："连长！"他那执拗的脸上，出现了严肃果断的神情。这神情是那准备以生命去换取胜利的神情。 马长胜带领第二爆炸组的四个战士，一口气跑到李江国跟前。李江国在地下一动也不动。马长胜像每个在激烈战斗中的人一样，这一刻没有一点心疼李江国的情绪。他向前跑去。前边是火，是烟，是下雹子一样的手榴弹，是打飞了的铁丝网……爆炸手们跑到离敌人工事的外壕三十公尺的地方，突然，马长胜被爆炸了的地雷震得掼倒在地。 马长胜从地上蹦起来，喊："前进！"他没有感到疼痛，只觉得浑身麻木，头昏眼花。他什么也听不见，记不得别的任何东西，只记得"爆破"。他跑着，对身后的战士喊："爆破！" 马长胜鼓起全身力气一纵身，向敌人碉堡扑去，他身后的两个战士没上来，--他们永远上不来了！ 他周围有成百颗手榴弹在爆炸，他的衣服被炸成了絮絮。 他在危险包围中，安上炸药，拉响雷管，往后滚了两滚；一片飞红的火光一闪，轰隆一声，烟雾冲天，碉堡垮下了一大片。 "不行，不行，还得一包炸药。"马长胜躺在地上想。他眼里直冒火星，浑身盖满沙土、石块；烟雾罩着他。是活是死他不管，只固执地想："一包炸药，再来一包炸药！" 突然，浓烟烈火中喷出来一个人。那人一阵旋风似的，弯下腰抱着一包炸药，贴在敌人碉堡上，拉响雷管，往后一滚，正压在马长胜身上。马长胜一看是李江国。他一转身抱定李江国--这世上最亲的人，正要喊什么，轰隆一声巨响，一切都从记忆中消失了…… 周大勇举起驳壳枪，身子往后一仰，伸展左臂用力向前一挥，喊："上呀！"他跳起来，飞一样地率领战士们扑上去。 ... 敌人放弃了高碉堡，乱得像一窝蜂一样朝后跑。周大勇知道建制被打乱的敌人，就失去了战斗力量。他率领战士们猛追敌人。……八 各兄弟部队紧密地配合起来把敌人从三岔湾四面的沙梁上，压缩到三岔湾村里。我军四面猛攻三岔湾，不到半小时敌人就被全部消灭。 赵劲跟李诚从沙梁上往下走。赵劲手里提着皮带，一边走一边用皮带打着身上的沙土。李诚走在赵劲后边，不停地呐喊，向打扫战场的人员吩咐什么。 周大勇、王成德和第一连的战士，带着八九十个俘虏从战场上走下来。 王成德指着后边沙梁上一个残破的碉堡，说："团长！攻那个碉堡可费了点周折！" 周大勇说："拿下那个碉堡，李江国、马长胜可真是加了一把劲啊！" 站在一旁的马长胜一心一意地抽着个烟头。李江国筋疲力竭，满脸沙土，可是他还在咕咕地笑着。 赵劲正回头望那个碉堡，卫生员三牛带领一副担架走过来。 赵劲问："抬的谁？" "一营刘营长！" 赵劲、李诚、周大勇、王成德连忙走近担架。李诚弯下腰叫："刘元兴！怎么，不要紧吧？" 刘元兴脸色蜡黄，半闭着眼，不能说话。 赵劲摸着刘元兴的手，手是冰冷的。 卫生员三牛像是给首长们宽心，说："卫生队队长说，子弹穿过肺，生命不一定有啥危险！" 赵劲背着手站在那里，什么也不问，什么也不说，有一种感情，深深地震动了他。他那冷淡、刚毅、严峻的脸上，闪着凶猛的火。他这样子看了让人畏缩、害怕。 李诚摆了一下手，三牛就领上担架朝临时手术站急急走去。 大伙走下了沙梁。担任主攻任务的一营伤亡大些。因此，李诚没有和赵劲一块回团部，他一直向一营走去。李诚到第一营营部驻的院子里，碰见团政治处组织股长。组织股长说："二连指导员挂花了，我和张培商量：先让组织股干事刘云，暂时代理二连指导员。行吗？" 李诚说："行。让他暂且代理，回头报告旅党委。杨主任呢？" 组织股长说："看，他不是正和张培谈什么？" 李诚走到杨主任跟前，说："部队一个钟头以后就出发，连续作战。政治处的干部要火速分配到各连队，帮助整顿组织。" 杨主任说："谁能闲着？真恨不得把一个人分成十个人使用。保卫股的人全部去押俘虏了，民运股的人正打扫战场，宣教股的人都在二营，组织股的人统到了一营。" "三营呢？" "三营有我负责。另外，旅政治部李科长还带四个干部在三营帮助工作。"说罢，杨主任一摆手就走开了。 李诚跟杨主任说话的工夫，张培一直静静地站在旁边，不说话也不吭声。 张培左手缠着绷带，因为左手五个指头被炸去了三个。他眉头子有时候动一下，嘴边和鼻尖上就冒出一串串的汗珠。俗话说，"十指连心"，也许他手上的伤痛得厉害！ 李诚口气枯燥地问："刘元兴负伤了，你也负伤了！营里的工作……"他想算着，头微微偏着，眼睛盯着墙根。 张培望着政治委员。他的眼总是那样温和、谦逊。他一只脚在地下慢悠悠地前后移动，说："他负伤了，工作担子我们就统统挑起来！该怎么干还怎么干。说到我的伤，全不碍事啊！"他微微一笑，像是安慰政治委员，可是他手上伤口裂痛的感觉，又不自觉地爬上眉尖。他摆过头去。 李诚，是因为焦急还是因为疲乏，总归，他像猛烈战斗罢的每一个人一样：脾气很凶、面容枯燥，不愿意说话。他瞅着张培那青癯的脸膛，头用力地点了一下，说："部队马上要出发，你立刻召开营党委会。一刻钟以后，我来参加。" 李诚低着头，边走边筹思什么。他从昨天晚上到现在没有休息，口干舌焦，鼻子像要喷出火。 张培一面让通讯员通知营党委会的各委员来开会，一面找来周大勇，要他把第一连缴获到敌人的那些重要文件、电稿，亲自送到团司令部去。 团部离一营营部只有五十来公尺，周大勇三跷两步就走到团部了。 团部驻的院子好红火：挤着清点武器的人，这里喊，那里叫，人人都紧张得快丢了魂。俘虏们，坐满了一院子，脸都灰溜溜地吊着。 周大勇走到一间房子里，只见团参谋长卫毅盘腿坐在炕上，衣袖揎在肘子以上，一边写战斗报告，一边指挥院子里的人。有时候，卫毅还把头从窗口伸出去，大声地给参谋们吩咐事情。身边的电话铃，不停地响，他也不停地拿起耳机，简单地讲几句话，满头是汗，但是毫不忙乱。他沉着紧张精力饱满的神气，显出他朴实稳厚的性子和充沛的工作热情。一个参谋扒在窗口报告："参谋长，俘虏来的团长带到了，你是不是要审问他？"那个参谋大声报告了三次，卫毅才听懂，就说："停会再说，现在顾不上。"埋下头又唰唰地写起报告了。周大勇想把材料交给卫毅，可是插不上手。 这工夫，进来一个参谋。他是从各营了解战后情况回来的。 参谋报告："参谋长，营级干部阵亡二名，负伤一名，连级--"卫毅摆了摆手，说："停会再讲，你去先清理武器。" 参谋说："六连的……六连副指导员卫刚同志牺牲！……"周大勇忙问："卫刚？不能吧？" 这位参谋以前和卫刚一块在旅部工作过，两人交情挺亲密。因此，卫刚牺牲，他很难过。他望着周大勇，眼泪滚滚而下！ 卫毅没有听清参谋的报告，也没注意参谋还在那里站着。他还是边写报告，边向窗子外面的人吩咐事情。那位参谋把一片血迹斑斑的纸，放在卫毅面前。 团营党委的同志们： 我是一个青年的共产党员，缺乏锻炼，但是我知道自己的神圣义务。 今天听到敌人侵占延安的消息，我哭了，夜里睡不着。我誓以流鲜血、拚性命的决心，保卫党中央和毛主席，消灭美国走狗蒋匪军，使中国人民永远幸福。我希望党时时刻刻审查我的行动：看我在斗争中，像不像个共产主义战士，够不够个党中央和毛主席忠实的警卫员。假如，我牺牲了，假如，党审查我生前的一举一动，像个共产主义战士，够个党中央和毛主席忠实的警卫员，那么，我这一生便没有虚度；虽死也身心愉快。 同志们，不要为我难过。为我们的事业而斗争是志愿，为我们的事业而牺牲也是义务。同志们，我牺牲了，但是革命事业和中国人民却永远活着。同志们，勇敢地砍杀美国走狗卖国贼，为中国人民报仇！ 希望党把我的信转给我哥卫毅。 敬致布礼共产党员、第六连副指导员卫刚写于我军退出延安的第二天深夜 （这是给我哥卫毅的信） 哥：今天你批评我，说我的情绪不对头。道理我清楚，但是我心里难受。美国走狗占了我们的延安，他们这一群恶狗卖国贼，想打击我们党中央，想征服我们，想使我们世世代代当亡国奴。想起这，我真想立刻去和敌人拚。你听到我军从延安撤退的消息，也很难过，但是你不像我，我压不住自己的感情。哥，我有你那份修养就好了。我知道自己的缺点，我知道你对我的爱护。我对不起党，也对不起你，因为我做的事太少。哥，我虽然倒下去了，但是，我永远相信延安一定会收复，窜到陕甘宁边区的敌人一定会消灭，美帝国主义的走狗一定会打倒，人民解放的事业一定会胜利，新社会一定会建立，共产主义一定会实现。哥，我有许许多多的话要说，但是没法子说清楚。我想去找你，可是我看见你，又什么都讲不出来。哥，你要爱护身体，多多为劳动人民做事。我不愿意你看到这封信，你要看到这封信，那我们就永别了，哥！ 卫刚三月二十日于延安东川山沟 卫毅看了看卫刚的信。他微微耸动肩膀，脸抽动了一下，一阵剧烈的震动通过全身。他左手按住那封信，右手扼着那管笔，两手冰冷。他睁大眼睛，凝视那封信，但是什么也看不清。他觉着头上像是箍了一道铁环，那铁环不停地缩小。有什么雾腾腾的东西在眼前旋转，耳朵里塞满了杂噪的响声。有一眨眼工夫，他觉着胸口闷气的像要爆裂，心剧烈地绞痛，思想混乱。他问自己："谁牺牲了？"想来想去还是想不清。过了一会，他鼻孔微微张动了一下，仰起头，脸像青铜刻的一样，没有表情。停了一阵，他那呆滞的眼光，落到那个参谋脸上（他始终没有看见周大勇站在他面前），嘴唇机械地动了一下，像是说："他完了？不会！"他的心颤动了一下，又埋下头去写报告。写了一阵，一看，歪歪扭扭不成话，他用钢笔嚓嚓拉去了两行。眼睛死死地盯着墙角，卫刚冒腾腾的样子显在眼前。他觉得，说卫刚牺牲，完全是胡扯，根本没有这回事。他又埋下头去写报告。当他写了四五分钟，再抬头看时，那个参谋还站在原地。他直想发火；一边写一边眼不离纸地说："去，该干什么还干什么。打击，我们能经受得起！ 就要前仆后继嘛！他倒下去了--"他用拳头猛击桌子，墨水瓶跳起来。"难过什么？把眼泪擦去，同志，你要--一参谋，俘虏是五百六，还是五百七？捉住的敌人团长是不是叫张效武？Hi!俘虏数目要搞清，旅部又打电话催哪！ "他摇了摇电话，讲了几句什么，接着，又叫人，又忙着吩咐事情。他的声音是森严的，微微颤动的；感情是不平衡的。 周大勇望着卫毅那朴实稳厚的脸膛，想着卫毅那无穷无尽的工作精力和热情；心里沉甸甸的。他想："我一生一世都要把参谋长这样人，记在心里。" 周大勇走出团部。他记不清自己怎样把材料交给参谋长的。他眼前只有卫参谋长那忙碌的形样和卫刚那气刚刚的脸膛！ 周大勇走到河槽里，见团卫生队长一边用河水洗手上的血，一边气汹汹地批评他身边的军医。军医好像很不服气，和卫生队长吵起来。 周大勇停住脚步，听到他们说话中不断地提到卫刚。他就跑过去问："卫刚怎样？" 卫生队长说："怎么样？说起来真气死人！敌人飞机把十来颗大炸弹扔在卫刚周围。卫刚头上负伤了。伤并不重，血却流的不少，最倒楣的是他被沙子埋住了。后来，医生和卫生员把他从沙子里刨出来，都说他牺牲了。嗨嗨！我偏偏不信他会牺牲。" 周大勇被兴奋和吃惊的感情，同时抓住。他急迫地问： "那么卫刚还活着？是吗？是吗？" 卫生队长说："死活还不一定，不过目前还不能把他放在阵亡人员名单中，最少我希望如此！"