Chapter 9 Chapter Nine Adversity Follows, Deng Yingchao Shares Woes for Zhou Enlai, who is Sick

At 3 o'clock in the middle of the night, Zhou Enlai came out of the meeting at the Lama Temple in Shawo, feeling dizzy and aching in the head. The night wind from the plateau hit his thin body in waves, and he shivered and coughed continuously. The moon in the sky casts a cold radiance, and a few lonely cold stars blink their sleepless eyes in the dark night sky, watching the tired night travelers affectionately. Zhou Enlai's body was limp, his legs and feet seemed to have no strength, and he felt a little difficult to lift his feet and legs, and he seemed to be a little nauseous and wanted to vomit.In the light of the lantern, Xiao Wei, a special agent, saw Zhou Enlai walking unsteadily and coughing continuously. He quickly supported Zhou Enlai's arm and said with great concern:

"Vice Chairman Zhou, I'll call for a stretcher." Zhou Enlai waved his hand: "No need, walk back slowly." It wasn't very far from the meeting place to the headquarters of the Military Commission, but they actually walked for dozens of minutes. Zhou Enlai struggled to get back to his room. His head hurt sharply, his body felt extremely cold, and the joints of his arms, legs and feet also began to ache.He couldn't bear it any longer, and unconsciously fell on the wooden bunk, muttering in his mouth: "Xiao Wei, it's terribly cold! Quickly cover me with something."

Xiao Wei quickly put Zhou Enlai's yellow cotton blanket on the thin gray quilt, and asked cordially: "Want to drink water? Vice Chairman Zhou!" Zhou Enlai shook his head and said: "It's still cold, cover it up a little more." Xiao Wei then covered Zhou Enlai's gray cloth coat on the cotton blanket. Zhou Enlai kept saying with his red eyes half-opened: "Cold-cold-so cold!" The voice gradually weakened, and his eyes were tightly closed. Xiao Wei is in a hurry.He has lived by Zhou Enlai's side for more than a year, and he has never seen Vice Chairman Zhou so ill.So I tried it on Zhou Enlai's forehead with my hand:

"Hey! My head is so hot and I have a high fever!" He didn't dare to neglect, and ran towards the Ministry of Health's resident. Since breaking out of the encirclement and the Western Expedition, Zhou Enlai had worked extremely hard. Just like in the Central Soviet Area, the main responsibility of the Military Commission fell on his shoulders.In the evening, every time he arrived at a garrison, he asked people to set up wires to receive telegrams from various legions. At the same time, he hung up maps to observe and choose routes for marching and fighting.Then he sat down in a chair to rest for a while.After the situation in all aspects came together, he discussed with Mao Zedong after analysis and research, then drafted combat orders and issued marching routes, and he didn't go to bed until the telegrams to all the legions were sent.At this time, the sky is approaching dawn, and a new day of busy life will begin again.Originally, Liu Bocheng was the chief of the general staff, but his eyesight was bad, and it was inconvenient to work at night, so Zhou Enlai didn't ask Liu Bocheng to draft the combat order, but let him do it himself.During the day, he will march with the troops again.I was too sleepy in the morning, sometimes lying on a stretcher for a while was compensation for staying up late.Because of lack of sleep, I often doze off when riding a horse and fall off easily.As soon as he arrived at the station, he didn't care about taking a rest, and it was usually the middle of the night when the matter was dealt with.This is how Zhou Enlai worked day after day, week after week, day and night.Sometimes just after lying down, when a situation arises, he has to be woken up to deal with it, otherwise the military plane will be delayed.Near Liping, Guizhou, Staff Officer Luo of the First Bureau of the headquarters woke up Zhou Enlai three times with tears in his eyes in order to ask him for an urgent matter.When crossing the Chishui River for the third time, Staff Officer Luo asked him for instructions. Zhou Enlai said "hmm" in his sleep. Xiao Luo thought he had agreed and withdrew.The next day, Zhou Enlai didn't know anything about it.So Zhou Enlai stipulated from then on that in the future, he must be woken up and sat up before he was woken up, or he was simply asked to stand and listen to the staff members asking for instructions or reporting on work, so as not to fall asleep again.Since the army marched to the west, he often stayed up all night. When he couldn't bear it any longer, he fell on the table and took a nap for a while, then quickly raised his head and continued to work. Zhou Enlai, who was in the west expedition, was like this day and night, eating clothes and eating food!

Zhou Enlai's body was very weak due to selfless work.When crossing Jiajin Mountain, the high mountain lacked oxygen and the wind and snow raged, which tortured his body again. He began to fall ill due to the wind and cold of the snow mountain.When the troops arrived in Maoergai, due to the extreme lack of food, Zhou Enlai had to eat wild vegetables and barley with everyone. Finally, his weak body could no longer support him and he collapsed completely. Xiao Wei invited Dr. Dai from the Ministry of Health to take his temperature and found that he had a high fever of 40 degrees.Dr. Dai said to Xiao Wei:

"Vice Chairman Zhou is suffering from malaria." Then he took out a pack of quinine pills from the "Pacific Pharmacy" in Zunyi from his satchel, handed it to Xiao Wei and said: "To deal with malaria, there are only a dozen or so quinine pills left. I have been keeping them, and I am reluctant to use them. Hurry up and give them to Vice Chairman Zhou. After a few days, the fever will subside." According to Dr. Dai's instructions, Xiao Wei took good care of Zhou Enlai, and boiled a bowl of barley noodles for him, adding a few drops of ghee. But Zhou Enlai's high fever persisted and he couldn't eat.Xiao Wei was so anxious that he cried and ran to find Mao Zedong.

When Mao Zedong learned that Zhou Enlai was seriously ill, he urgently sent two doctors, Wang Bin and Li Zhi, from the Ministry of Health to diagnose and treat him.After examining Zhou Enlai, Wang Bin and Li Zhi found that the liver was swollen and the skin was yellow. After discussing and researching, they were diagnosed with hepatitis. At this time, it had developed into an amoebic liver abscess and urgently needed to be drained, otherwise life would be in danger. But in this environment with no equipment and no medicine, not to mention surgery or puncture, even disinfection cannot be carried out.what to do?Wang Bin thought about it for a while and hurriedly said to the special agent standing beside Zhou Enlai:

"Get some ice cubes from the snow mountain." Xiao Wei and Xiao Fan discussed briefly for a while, and decided to let Xiao Wei stay and take care of Zhou Enlai, and Xiao Fan and the others went to the Daxue Mountain 60 miles away to get ice. Wang Bin and Li Zhi took out a few capsules of Emidin, helped Zhou Enlai who was in a coma, and asked Zhou Enlai to swallow it with warm water.This emetine is actually used to treat dysentery, but where can I find a specific medicine for hepatitis at this time, I have no choice but to use it instead. Wang Bin and Li Zhi have been guarding Zhou Enlai's side all the time, not daring to move a step, paying attention to observe the changes of Zhou Enlai after taking the medicine.They kept applying wet towels to Zhou Enlai's forehead, and waited until the afternoon before Xiao Fan and Xiao Wu panted and brought back a few large pieces of crystal clear ice.Wang Bin and Li Zhi quickly applied the shiny ice cubes to Zhou Enlai's abscessed liver area.After a while, Zhou Enlai heard one or two weak groans.

Deng Yingchao learned that Zhou Enlai was seriously ill in the recuperation company, and rushed from the station to the headquarters of the Military Commission.Along the way, I feel very heavy.Originally, her health was not very good. At the beginning of the Western Expedition, she suffered from tuberculosis and vomited blood. As a result, she was assigned to the cadre recuperation company of the General Health Department and marched, and she was not with Zhou Enlai. For more than ten months, Deng Yingchao had few opportunities to meet Zhou Enlai, mainly because Zhou Enlai was too busy and Deng Yingchao didn't want to disturb him.Several times, when Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai walked past the recuperation company, the comrades in the company shouted: "Chairman Mao and Hu Gong are here!" (Zhou Enlai grew a beard during the Long March, and the comrades affectionately called him Zhou Huzi, or Hu Gong ) Zhou Enlai walked up to Deng Yingchao, talked briefly in a few words, and broke up again.I remember that before the troops rushed across the Beipan River in Guizhou, the Kuomintang planes threw bombs at the camp of the recuperation company. He Zizhen, Zhong Chibing and others were injured, and several soldiers were killed.Upon hearing the news, Zhou Enlai came to visit the comrades of the recuperation company with a lantern in the middle of the night, and only talked with Deng Yingchao for a few minutes before breaking up.

Deng Yingchao and Zhou Enlai met several times in such a simple way during the ten-odd months of military service.They don't have the time to be humble, like Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao! This time, because Zhou Enlai was seriously ill.Deng Yingchao had no choice but to come to see him because he was seriously ill. Deng Yingchao walked into Zhou Enlai's room anxiously, and saw Zhou Enlai sleeping unconscious on a wooden bed, with his eyes closed tightly, and his tired eyes, which had been looking at the situation of the war all day long, had temporarily rested.She stroked her husband's forehead lightly with her hand, feeling hot and burning her hands.She stared at her husband's bearded cheeks, feeling thinner and thinner. It seemed to be only the size of a palm. The wrinkled and shriveled face seemed to be covered with sallow. The corners of Deng Yingchao's eyes rolled unconsciously. Hot tears.

The ice cubes pressed on Zhou Enlai's abdomen were melted by the high fever body temperature, and the clear snow-capped water fell into a wooden basin under the bed with a tick-tock, and the teardrops anchored in the corners of Deng Yingchao's eyes also fell down, dripping down. On her dusty clothes. Only then did Xiao Wei "discover" that Deng Yingchao was by his side, so he said softly: "Sister Deng, please sit down!" Deng Yingchao nodded and remained silent, leaning forward and standing beside her husband. It was getting dark gradually.The afterglow falling to the west gradually disappears in the shadow of the dense mountains. The distant snow-capped mountains lose their white light, leaving towering silhouettes on the horizon. Xiao Wei said to Deng Yingchao: "Sister Deng, I'll take you back to the recuperation company." Deng Yingchao said calmly: "No! I can't go back tonight, I have to take care of Enlai." "Then how do you sleep?" "I'll spread some straw in front of Enlai's bed, and put Enlai's furoshiki on the straw to make a bedding." Xiao Wei said anxiously: "Sister Deng, you are also sick." "It's okay, tonight, you all go to rest, I will be on duty for you, these days when Enlai is sick, you have really worked hard." Xiao Wei pouted and said, "If Sister Deng doesn't leave, we won't either." Deng Yingchao said: "Okay! Let's take care of Vice Chairman Zhou together tonight." Deng Yingchao sat by Zhou Enlai's bed and took a look at the gray wool vest that Zhou Enlai had taken off, in order to take the opportunity to find lice for him.Breaking out, the troops were not hygienic at all, and there were lice all over the place, and Zhou Enlai, who was plagued by diseases, was no exception.Under the flickering horse lights, Deng Yingchao saw lice squirming feebly in the woolen eyes of the vest. Some lice were fat and fat, as if they had drunk enough blood plasma and had trouble moving. His eyes were motionless.Seeing so many pests and parasites occupying Zhou Enlai's clothes, Deng Yingchao felt extremely uncomfortable.I thought to myself, since the Western Expedition, Enlai's body was already weak, how could he stand the bite and torture of so many lice, how could he have so much blood to feed these hateful creatures.While listening to Zhou Enlai's groans, she squeezed the lice with the big nails of both hands, pinched one, and memorized the numbers in her heart, wondering how many could she find?Every time you pinch one, there will be a slight "click" sound in the quiet room.The blood of those fat lice even splashed on her arm, she wiped it off, shook her head, and sighed slightly. Accompanied by Zhou Enlai's intermittent groans, it took about two or three hours. Deng Yingchao found more than 170 lice on Zhou Enlai's gray wool vest. The blood of the lice stained both of her fingernails red.Even so, Deng Yingchao doubted whether he had caught all the lice on the sweater.Because clusters of white lice eggs are firmly stuck to the folds of the sweater, no matter what you do, you can't get them clean.Deng Yingchao had no choice but to pinch the lice eggs in groups with her big nails, and there was a crackling sound in the house.She shook her head again and sighed. In the early morning of the next day, Zhou Enlai woke up, with cries of "liver pain" interspersed with his groans.Deng Yingchao, Wang Bin, and Li Zhi hurriedly helped Zhou Enlai up, and finally half a basin of green pus was discharged. The room was filled with a strange smell. Everyone felt a stone in their hearts, thinking that Vice Chairman Zhou was saved, and then His fever also slowly subsided.Zhou Enlai opened his eyes and found Deng Yingchao by his side. He was a little surprised and asked in a weak voice: "Xiao Chao, when did you come?" Deng Yingchao stretched her eyebrows: "yesterday afternoon." Zhou Enlai said slowly: "Why don't I know?" "You have a high fever and are unconscious, and you don't know anything." Zhou Enlai said weakly: "This time, I feel more comfortable in my abdomen, and it doesn't hurt like yesterday." Deng Yingchao looked at Wang Bin and Li Zhi, and nodded knowingly. Zhou Enlai took Emidin and lowered the temperature with ice cubes. After the pus was drained, the disease gradually improved, and the fever began to subside, so he could eat some soft food.Deng Yingchao took care of him for three days before returning to the recuperation company.The day after Deng Yingchao left, Mao Zedong came to visit Zhou Enlai. Mao Zedong approached Zhou Enlai's bedside and asked softly: "Enlai, is it better?" Zhou Enlai blinked his big, expressionless eyes: "It's much better. It seems that I won't be going to see Marx for the time being. How is the Xiatao campaign plan being implemented? Have the first and third armies left Banyou and gone north?" Mao Zedong slowly told Zhou En: "Two days ago, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee held a meeting at the Suohua Temple in Maoergai to discuss the strategic policy and combat operations in the Xiatao campaign." Zhou Enlai asked with concern: "There was no quarrel." "Fortunately, there was no quarrel in this meeting." Mao Zedong subconsciously took out a cigarette from his jacket pocket, then inserted it into the cigarette case in his pocket, and decided not to smoke.Because he suddenly thought of Zhou Enlai's cough, he was afraid that it would be exacerbated by the stimulation of the smell of smoke. Mao Zedong said to Zhou En: "At the meeting, in accordance with the policy of the central government to establish Sichuan-Shaanxi-Gansu base areas, I emphasized that after the Red Army goes north, it should use the Tao River Basin as the basis to establish a base area. Because this area is backed by grasslands, it is not easy for the Sichuan enemy to come over, and it is close to Qinghai. If the party's ethnic policy is appropriate, the Hui people will not oppose us. If the eastward advance is blocked, it is also good to use the west of the Yellow River as a strategic retreat. Therefore, going east to west is the key. We should adopt a positive strategic policy to strive for Go east." Zhou Enlai lay on the bed and listened carefully to Mao Zedong's statement, nodding constantly. Mao Zedong went on to say: "At the meeting, all the princes basically agreed with my proposition, and Chen Changhao's attitude was particularly firm. He advocated that we should move northward quickly, concentrate the largest force, and attack eastward, so as to realize the established policy of the central government." When Zhou Enlai heard this, a smile appeared on his clear face. Mao Zedong went on to say: "Xu Xiangqian's opinion also advocates that we should develop eastward, towards the Shaanxi-Gansu border, and not westward of the Yellow River. After our army goes north to Gannan, we should resolutely move eastward along the right bank of the Tao River, break through the defense line of Wang Jun's department in Minzhou, and develop eastward. If it fails, attack east from the left bank of the river." "It seems that there were no differences of opinion at the meeting, and everyone agreed to Xiangdong." Zhou Enlai said joyfully, smiling happily. Mao Zedong emphasized: "Whether to go east or west is the key to the overall situation. Going east is a positive policy, and we must adopt this policy. Otherwise, the enemy will force us to go west, and the troops will be in a disadvantageous situation. Advance from the left or right bank of the Tao River , depending on the situation. If possible, take the route from Baozuo to Minzhou to go north. If you want to occupy Xining, it is currently unfavorable. Before the Shawo meeting, it was decided that the left army led by the general headquarters: five Army, Ninth Army, Thirty-first Army, Thirty-Second Army, and Thirty-Third Army should approach the right army led by the Red Army's former enemy headquarters: the First Army, the Third Army, the Fourth Army, and the Thirty Army. Aba can quickly After a fight, the follow-up troops should move closer to the right army without going through Aba. We should not regard the left army as a strategic reserve. In short, we must resolutely fight eastward, centering on Minzhou and Taohe areas Development will never turn westward just because of some difficulties.” Zhou Enlai understood Mao Zedong's interpretation of the current strategic policy in all directions.Although he did not attend the Mao Ergai meeting due to illness, he fully understood the spirit of the meeting after Mao Zedong introduced it, thinking that this was a supplementary decision on the strategic policy of the Shawo Politburo meeting. Zhou Enlai happily said to Mao Zedong: "Your thinking is right. It should be like this. We have hope. Yesterday, Xu Xiangqian came to see me and brought a few catties of beef. This is a first-class tonic. Xu Xiangqian also talked about some of the meeting and made it clear that he Dongjin’s opinion. You also said that you especially praised Chen Changhao’s speech at the Maoergai meeting.” Mao Zedong smiled and said: "Chen Changhao is different from Zhang Guotao. Although he is close to Zhang Guotao, he is young and easy to accept correct ideas. Brother Guotao is different." Zhou Enlai asked Mao Zedong: "I heard that Zhang Guotao did not attend the Maoergai meeting, did he?" Mao Zedong laughed: "He said he had a stomachache and hid in the headquarters of the Fourth Front Army, unwilling to participate." Zhou Enlai: "I'm afraid everyone disagreed with him at the Shawo meeting, and got angry?" Mao Zedong shook his head and said: "It's not easy to handle. Zhang Guotao is stop and go, stop and go, and say that this problem has not been solved well, and then say that he will hold a meeting to study that problem. It is always difficult to deal with it." Mao Zedong sat here with Zhou Enlai for a while, and left soon because he had to go to the former enemy headquarters for a meeting. In late August, according to the decision of the Maoergai meeting, the right-hand army began to cross the grassland north.The first army went first, and Zhou Enlai, who was ill, followed the third army led by Peng Dehuai to the rear. The right-hand army entered the edge of the Zoige prairie and began to march across the grassland. The grassland in Northwest Sichuan has been under the jurisdiction of Songpan in history, so it is also called Songpan Grassland.It is located at the connection between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Sichuan Basin, covering the south of Reerlang Mountain, the west of Langjialing, and the north of Chazhenranzi, with an area of ​​about 15,200 square kilometers and an altitude of 3500-4000 meters.Its terrain slopes northward from east, south and west, with little ups and downs, endless and boundless, and is a typical flat plateau.The Baihe River (ie Gaqu) and the Heihe River (Jimoqu) run through it from south to north and flow into the Yellow River.The river course twists and turns, the water flow is sluggish, and the Han River and the meandering currents make the huge grassland torn apart and fragmented.Due to poor drainage and water retention, oxbow lakes are dotted all over, forming large swamps, and sewage flows across.Over the years, the aquatic plants have intertwined roots, forming patches of meadows covering the swamps.In the inter-river zone, there are sometimes shallow hills with a relative height of less than 100 meters, and their shapes are mostly gentle slopes and flat hills, with very few sharp-edged rocks or steep valleys.The climate in the grassland is very harsh. The annual average temperature is below zero degrees Celsius, and the rain, snow and hail come and go impermanently.Sometimes the sky is clear and clear, and the sun is scorching; sometimes the sun is covered by haze, and there are lightning and thunder.From May to September every year, it is the rainy season on the grassland, with 90% of the annual precipitation. During this period, lichens are injected into the grassland, which makes the grassland that is already muddy and stagnant water even more "cross-flowing".The four fields are desolate and uninhabited. This is how a rare and arduous march in the history of the Chinese Communist Party began.This is a life-and-death struggle between man and nature. Nature is waiting for the starving Red Army with extreme cruelty and mercilessness.Occasionally, bouquets of flowers swayed on the edge of the grass and smiled at the Red Army who lacked clothes and food. In fact, it was the Grim Reaper grinning there.In this mysterious and unpredictable land, it not only shows the ferocity and ruthlessness of nature, but also shows the will, perseverance and tenacity of the vast number of Red Army commanders and fighters. Zhou Enlai, who was suffering from amoebic liver abscess, had a high fever for several days and had not eaten for five or six days. He reluctantly got up from the bed, trying to walk around the room, but he staggered and fell to the ground.Xiao Wei quickly helped him up and said: "Vice Chairman Zhou, don't worry, I'll report to Commander Peng Jun." Peng Dehuai listened to Xiao Wei's report at the headquarters of the Three Army Corps. He was very anxious, thought hard for a while, and then said one word to Xiao Wei resolutely: "lift!" Peng Dehuai found Xiao Jinguang, Chief of Staff of the Three Armies, and told him: "Comrade Enlai is sick and unable to move. You are responsible and organize a stretcher team to carry him immediately. If it is impossible, I would rather throw away some of the equipment and carry him out of the grass!" After Xiao Jinguang accepted the task, he went back and thought about it, and decided to draw people from the mortar company to form a stretcher team to bury the mortar shells that could not be taken away.The stretcher team was divided into several groups, and took turns carrying Zhou Enlai, Wang Jiaxiang and other leading comrades who were seriously ill across the grass. The stretcher team still lacks a captain, who will be it? Chen Geng, head of the cadre regiment, ran to find Yang Shangkun and Peng Dehuai, and volunteered to be the stretcher captain. Yang Shangkun said: "The burden of the cadre regiment is heavy, so you should take care of your troops." Chen Geng stared at Yang Shangkun with pleading eyes and said: "Political Commissar, Comrade Enlai is seriously ill, and carrying him out of the grass is more important than anything else." Peng Dehuai looked at Chen Geng: "Can consider it." Chen Geng was amused, and further said: "I have been a doctor, and I can take care of Comrade Enlai along the way." Yang Shangkun smiled and said to Peng Dehuai: "Chen Geng still finds reasons for wanting to be the stretcher captain." Chen Geng said seriously: "I really was a doctor." "Where is it?" Yang Shangkun asked. "In Shanghai, I, Chen Geng, had a sign and opened a hospital. I can treat everything except tooth extraction and delivery." Peng Dehuai gave Chen Geng a white look: "Forget it, stop bragging, you are a fake." Yang Shangkun said: "Old Chen, since Lao Peng agrees, you should hurry up and get ready. The troops are about to march on the grass." Yang Lisan, head of the military depot and political commissar, also signed up to carry a stretcher for Zhou Enlai, and volunteered to be a stretcher member under Chen Geng's name. After the troops entered the grassland, it rained almost every day.The rain not only drenched the soldiers' clothes, but also covered the troops' advance route.In some areas, the water is knee-deep for dozens of miles, and it is difficult for the Tibetan tongsi (guide) to find the traces left by the past nomads.It was August, and it was also the season when hailstorms raged on the grassland. Hailstones the size of goose eggs sometimes overwhelmed the sky, and the Red Army could not even find a place to hide on this vast grassland.In this water town of Zeguo, there are no other trees except for occasional clusters of bushes appearing on gentle slopes and flat hills.If anyone deviates from the line of the troops and gets stuck in the mud, it will be difficult to extricate themselves. Chen Geng led the stretcher team, carrying Zhou Enlai, Wang Jiaxiang and other seriously ill patients, and marched hard on the grass. Chen Geng, Yang Lisan and the stretcher team members were also really pitiful.After traveling long distances, they lacked food and salt. Sometimes wild vegetables were used to satisfy their hunger. When they were in good times, a handful of barley noodles could satisfy their hunger.But often hungry, dizzy with hunger.Lack of food and clothing, cold and hunger, a very weak physique, and the road under his feet is so difficult.Several times Zhou Enlai struggled to get off the stretcher to prevent his comrades from suffering more, but he was dissuaded by the stretcher team.Everyone always insists on lifting, as if this is a sacred task, and no great power can shake it. Yang Lisan was already a fairly high-level cadre, so he could assist Chen Geng and take care of the stretcher team, just be a manager.However, he insisted on sharing a share of fatigue for the soldiers, putting the stretcher on his shoulders, and fulfilling a responsibility.The reason why he did this was because Zhou Enlai's character and strength of personality inspired and supported him. It seemed that only in this way could he show his respect for Zhou Enlai and his loyalty to the revolution.Yang Lisan and Zhan Tu walked together with a heavy stretcher on their frail shoulders. When the heavy rain fell, Chen Geng hurriedly lifted up an oilcloth to cover Zhou Enlai's upper body on the stretcher, while they Woolen cloth?Then everyone was drenched in water.As long as Zhou Enlai is kept, they themselves will completely ignore it. The legs of the stretcher members straddled the sluggish sewage and grassland, striding with difficulty at every step.If it is broken by a rock, the turbid water full of poisonous substances soaks into the wound, and it will immediately become red and swollen, and then rot, causing unbearable pain.The excruciating pain often made the stretcher on my shoulders shake and tremble, and my teeth were almost crushed.Yang Lisan has always been a cadre, unlike soldiers who often carry guns and cannons, and their shoulders are always exercised.Soon, his shoulder was worn out, and the stretcher was placed on it, which was extremely miserable. The soldiers advised him not to carry it anymore, but he persisted, suffering the pain silently. The blood oozing from the wound on his shoulder, When it sticks to the clothes, it quickly forms layers of dark red blood scabs.Dirt, blood, and clothes were completely solidified together. At night, when he was sleeping on the grass, Yang Lisan not only felt pain in his shoulder, but also pain in his neck, which was so stiff that he couldn't move.It hurts when it's crooked. Marching on the grass is really difficult!What's more, there was a heavy stretcher on his shoulders. Since Zhou Enlai was still ill and needed someone to take care of him, Deng Yingchao was approved by the recuperation company to take care of Zhou Enlai across the grassland.One day, Deng Yingchao received a notice and immediately went to catch up with Zhou Enlai's stretcher. Suddenly it began to rain, and it became heavier and heavier. There was not a room, not a tree, only some low bushes, but there was no way to hide. Where can I find a place to hide from the rain?Thinking of Zhou Enlai who was ill, she braved the heavy rain, propped up the dilapidated red oil-paper umbrella, and walked through the haystacks along the route of the troops.Go, go, she accidentally fell into the swamp, she didn't dare to move anymore, she knew that if she tried harder, she would sink deeper and deeper.Just half of his body stuck in the mud for a long time.Her tuberculosis was not cured, and the cold water soaked her lower body again. She felt breathless, dizzy, and sad as if she was suffocating, and then coughed violently.The rotten grass roots, soaked in sewage for a long time, gave off a stench, mixed with the stench of red dysentery and feces, pouring into her nostrils one after another, making her feel sick, as if she had to spit out all her internal organs to feel better. "Yeah? It's Sister Deng, what's the matter with you—" Xiao Wu, a soldier of the recuperation company, passed by here, and when he saw Deng Yingchao's appearance, he screamed.Quickly stretched out his hand and slowly pulled Deng Yingchao out. "I was in a hurry and got stuck in the mud by accident. I was lucky to meet you, otherwise I don't know how long I would be stuck." Deng Yingchao stood on a clump of grass, twisting the sewage on his pants while talking, shaking from the cold silent. Xiao Wu quickly took off one of his clothes and put it on Deng Yingchao. "Vice Chairman Zhou's illness, is it better?" Xiao Wu asked with concern. "I just went to see him. I had a high fever and liver abscess a few days ago, which is a bit dangerous." "Let's go together." Xiao Wu supported the wet Deng Yingchao, and walked forward step by step along the sparse footprints on the grass. Deng Yingchao hurried and hurried, and finally caught up with Zhou Enlai.The wet clothes on her body gradually became half-dry due to the continuous "baking" of her body temperature.She came to Zhou Enlai's stretcher and saw that Peng Dehuai was reporting the situation to Zhou Enlai. She didn't want to disturb him, and she didn't greet Zhou Enlai quickly, but just stood aside quietly.Zhou Enlai looked at her silently, nodded affectionately to her, and said nothing. Zhou Enlai's stretcher rested on a small mound.Zhou Enlai sat on a haystack covered with an oilcloth.Peng Dehuai and his agents stood beside Zhou Enlai.Seeing Deng Yingchao coming, Peng Dehuai greeted her kindly and asked her about her health.Deng Yingchao hadn't seen Peng Dehuai for a long time. Seeing that his body was much thinner than before, his face was dark yellow, haggard, and his eye bags were swollen. It was obvious that he was overworked and lacked food and sleep, so he said with concern: "Legion commander, you have to pay attention to your health." Peng Dehuai replied: "It doesn't matter, I'm better than Comrade Enlai, you have to take good care of Enlai." Deng Yingchao nodded. Peng Dehuai turned to Zhou Enlai to report what happened to the three armies crossing the grassland. Entering the grassland, the number of soldiers of the three armies was severely reduced. Every day, soldiers died.Some were poisoned to death by eating poisonous wild vegetables.Some died of dysentery after drinking poisonous dirty water.Diseases, plagues, and dysentery abounded.Before the grassland was finished, some dry rations ran out, and when wild vegetables could not be found, they had to chew on leather belts, gun belts, leather shoes, and saddles that had been boiled in water.The soldiers were so hungry that they stole and killed animals in order to survive.Huang Kecheng, Chief of Operations Department of the Political Department of the Legion, has had a mule with him for a long time. He is afraid that someone will kill him. At night, he sleeps in a tent with his beloved mule tied to his hand. When someone pulls the mule, he will wake up with a start, and his heart is full. I thought, only in this way can the mule's life be saved.Huang Kecheng secretly rejoiced that he came up with this method, so he can sleep peacefully at night.A few nights ago, Huang Kecheng slept in the tent, always restless, whenever he heard a noise, he would get up.From time to time, he heard miserable screams on the cold and lonely, boundless prairie. Needless to say, they were mules and horses crying for help.These animals, following the suffering warriors of the Western Expedition, crossed thousands of mountains and rivers.The strong female warriors, sometimes clinging to their tails, climbed the towering snow-capped mountains and crossed the rapids, so cute.At this time, their masters had no food to live on, so their fate was even more miserable.They have no food, are even more emaciated, and are skinny. They are sick, but they still struggle to carry the luggage, the wounded and the sick, and the objects, and move forward step by step.In order to survive, the soldiers no longer cared about discipline at this time, and had to raise their "butcher knives" sadly and ask them for "food" to fill their rumbling stomachs.As for them, they couldn't resist what the soldiers did, and they couldn't resist. They could only let out a sad scream one after another, which was regarded as a farewell to this miserable world.This scream, is it resentment?Is it an accusation?Is it nostalgia for these difficult years?For Huang Kecheng, who loves mules very much, hearing this voice makes his heart ache like heartbreak. In the past, he would immediately go to teach the soldiers who killed mules and horses a lesson, and even punish them.However, in these extraordinary times and severe days, in order to save their lives in troubled times, the behavior of the soldiers seems to be beyond reproach, only pity and pity.As long as you strictly control your livestock and don't lose your life. Huang Kecheng thought of this good way to sleep while pulling the animal's stiff rope, and he did have a good night's sleep, eliminating the extreme fatigue of the past few days.But when he woke up the next morning, he found that a piece of meat had been cut off from the back of his mule's buttocks. Some of the blood dripping on the grass had begun to solidify, and the cut place was red and bloody.Has the disabled mule been in pain?Still numb to pain?It didn't groan at all, and saw its master, whom it had seen every day, coming. Instead, it flicked its thin tail, as if reporting its tragic experience to the master.Huang Kecheng felt sad for a while. He stroked the mule's head and found that there was a layer of glitter in the mule's eye sockets. Could it be that the mule was crying?Who is to blame?Who are you scolding?Who are you going to get mad at?At this point it was useless.In the end, Huang Kecheng had no choice but to hand over the mule that lost half of its buttocks to the Political Department, and finally killed it to rescue the Red Army suffering from hunger and cold. After hearing Peng Dehuai's report, Zhou Enlai felt very heavy.He asked Peng Dehuai: "According to the dead bodies you took in and buried along the way, what is the estimated loss of staff?" "Three or four hundred people in the first legion were left behind, left behind and sacrificed, and the number is still increasing day by day." "Ah—" Zhou Enlai gave a long sigh, and then told Peng Dehuai: "Pay special attention to improving supplies, organize experienced people to dig wild vegetables and taste 'baicao', and everyone should not dig and eat indiscriminately; we must minimize all unnecessary baggage and cadre mounts, and free up horses and yaks for slaughter and food; Strengthen political and ideological work, carry forward the spirit of unity and friendship, and never abandon the sick and wounded. Rely on the high awareness and perseverance of the vast number of commanders and fighters, go out of the grassland! Survive in despair! Seek victory in despair!" After Zhou Enlai finished explaining, he watched Peng Dehuai walk down the hill, and then he started talking with Deng Yingchao.