Chapter 8 Chapter 7 Foundation Laying, on the basis of 300,000 earthworks

The grass withered, the leaves fell, the reed flowers turned white, and the geese flew south again. Sleeping for hundreds of years, desolate for hundreds of years, and deserted for hundreds of years, Peach Blossom Yin is silent. It waits with usual helplessness to spend another longer and quieter winter in its life history. However, Taohuayin did not expect that as the soaring phoenix was about to return to its hometown, its fate would be completely changed and its life would be recast. This seems to be an omen.On this day, Taohuayin was awakened by several stones falling into the water one after another.It opened sleepy eyes.At this time, it was surprised to see more than a dozen people standing on the shore, some of them were holding tape measures, some of them were holding various instruments, and they were gesturing to it excitedly.One of the tall men waved his right hand violently, making a gesture of making a decision.

It was also on this day that the Huai'an Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government issued a notice to the relevant townships and towns to organize labor to complete the earthwork of the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall. One morning a few days later, a team of thousands of people suddenly drove over, carrying straw bales, sticks, springboards... In an instant, this cold wasteland boiled. Taohuayin has a wide area, with a natural water surface of more than 500 mu.According to Qi Kang's design, in order to make the memorial hall surrounded by water on three sides, creating a tranquil and solemn effect, a memorial peninsula with a width of 100 meters and a length of more than 300 meters should be piled up in the middle of the lake.The workload of this project is enormous.But the people of Huai'an did not hesitate to take on this important task.They are looking forward to building the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, and their hearts are almost anxious.Today, they will use their love and sincerity to cast the pedestal of the memorial hall in this water.

The north wind was howling, and the cold was threatening.A thin layer of ice formed on the water surface of Taohuayin.But the hunting red flags, roaring voices, and roaring motors quickly melted the thin ice.Before the water in the pond was drained, people jumped into the rotten mud pond and started digging. Mud is knee-deep.In some places, it even dipped into people's chests.But people didn't hold back.The sky is cold, but people's hearts are as hot as fire. After years of barrenness, Taohuayin has become a Chaibutang.In winter, although Chai Pu withers, its intertwined roots are still there.Soil is so hard to dig!Every shovel requires a lot of strength.Every time you step on it, you have to use your whole body's strength.His body was sweating, his palms were blistered, his tiger's mouth was cracked, and his feet were bleeding from time to time when they were poked by sharp firewood roots.

Comrade Zhang Yousheng, an engineer and technician, was running back and forth in the muddy pond in a leather jacket and pants, commanding and greeting while running.He served as an infrastructure engineer in the army for many years, and is now the deputy director of the Construction Management Office of the Huai'an Urban Construction Bureau.It is conceivable that it takes a lot of energy to organize a team of thousands of people for construction under extremely difficult conditions.In order to allow everyone to transport the excavated soil to the designated location, he instructed people to pack the soil with hemp and pave several roads first.He also took the lead in carrying a bag of soil, and ran forward unsteadily in the swamp.

Xiao Zhu is a college student who has just returned to his hometown from other places during the winter vacation.After a night's train ride and a half-day bus ride, he felt very tired.But as soon as he heard that people were going to Taohuayin to do earthworks for the establishment of the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, he became more energetic and followed with a shovel.When he arrived at Taohuayin, he was a little stunned.He didn't know that Taohuayin was a pond, and he was wearing a pair of newly bought leather shoes!He became ruthless and was about to jump into the pond when the village head happened to see him.The mayor wore a pair of sneakers on his feet and carried a pair of boots in his hand.The mayor gave him the boots.He gave the mayor a grateful look, and then he swung his shovel and started to dry. The mud splashed on his clean and neat clothes, but he didn't care about it.

The middle-aged man running forward with two cloth pockets of dirt on a shoulder pole was Li Changshun.He sold two piglets at the market, and then rushed to Huai'an City to buy things.When passing by Taohuayin, I heard the sound of the chant here, so I ran over to see the novelty.Seeing that people were doing earthwork for the establishment of the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, he was tempted.He looked up and saw that it was still early, and with the ready-made tools in his hands, he quietly joined the labor team.He was very proud of himself, he had done his own personal business today and also contributed to the establishment of the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, which really killed two birds with one stone.

Master Yu was also attracted by the sound of the chant on the construction site.After he retired, he lived a happy and comfortable life.The son and daughter-in-law are also filial, and they hardly let him do anything.Every day, besides taking care of his little grandson, he just finds a few other people who have also retired to chat and play chess together.Master Yu was born in a very poor family, his father died early, and his mother left him and remarried.He had lived a near-orphan life.It was the Communist Party that saved him.As soon as the Communist Party was mentioned, his heart was filled with gratitude.He was very happy when he heard that Huai'an was going to build the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, and said repeatedly: "It should be built, it should be built!" He has always been concerned about when the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall will be built, because he also wants to do his best to do his part.As soon as Taohuayin's trumpet sounded, he knew something was going on, and hurried over with a pair of wicker baskets.

There are more and more people in Taohuayin.There is a family size of eight all in battle.The old man bent his back and carried the soil in a willow basket.The son took off his cotton coat and pushed the soil with a wheelbarrow.The little granddaughter staggered behind with a willow basket in her hand.After seeing that scene, people couldn't help but feel their eye sockets heat up, and their hearts throbbed! In order to complete the earthworks of the memorial peninsula as soon as possible, a vigorous labor competition was launched between the townships and townships.People wear the stars and wear the moon, and every second counts, and they use all their abilities.

One night, Tiangong suddenly fell a heavy snow.The surrounding fields are vast and covered with snow.The comrades at the headquarters thought, it's time for people to take a rest.Unexpectedly, after dawn, the chant sounded as loud as usual.In the sporadic snowflakes, people are still shuttled and busy in Taohuayin! In 1986, 1987, and 1988, the fathers, fellow villagers, brothers and sisters in Huai'an fought hard for three consecutive winters, volunteered more than 800,000 man-days, and dug more than 300,000 earthworks. A memorial peninsula was built in the middle of Taohuayin. On March 5, 1988, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Zhou Enlai's birth, the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall was grandly held on the Taohuayin Memorial Peninsula.On this day, the spring breeze was soft and the sun was shining brightly, and Taohuayin looked extraordinarily beautiful and vivid.Jin Ming, member of the Central Advisory Committee, Ping Jiesan, vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, Gao Zhenpu, former secretary of Zhou Enlai, Han Peixin, secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee, Gu Xiulian, governor of Jiangsu Province, Sun Jiazheng, deputy secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee, Huang Bing, secretary of the Huaiyin Municipal Party Committee, and famous British nationals More than 1,000 people including Chinese writer Ms. Han Suyin, the director of the Associated Press in Beijing, and people from all walks of life in Huai'an attended the groundbreaking ceremony.Comrade Deng Yingchao was unable to attend the groundbreaking ceremony due to old age and infirmity. Gao Zhenpu conveyed her heart on behalf of her: She thanked the people of Huai'an and the folks in her hometown.There was a warm applause from the audience.

The foundation-laying stele stands in the soil, and the flowers made of red silk on the stele are bright and dazzling.With the soil raised by spades, people seem to see that a tall building is rising from the ground.