Chapter 54 Chapter 6 Inseparable Precious Treasure——X-ray Machine

A rugged mountain path leads to the clouds.The small road was full of people, and a Red Army team was marching with difficulty.Some of them carried stretchers, some carried medicine boxes, some carried iron pots, and some carried bulky medical equipment. The sun is already westward.The golden sun shines on the hills, dyeing the whole valley red.The Red Army soldiers and militiamen on the small road were shirtless, sweating profusely, chanting chant and moving slowly up the mountain.Gradually, gradually, the sound of the trumpets became quieter... "Comrades, come on! After passing this mountain, we will arrive at the camp!" A slender female soldier with ear-length short hair shouted loudly standing halfway up the mountain.

Following her cry, the horn rang again. This female soldier is Li Guiying, the instructor of the stretcher company of the Ministry of Health.When the Red Army withdrew from the Central Soviet Area, she offered to work in the stretcher company.It's a lot of work: a company of stretchers is actually carrying a hospital forward. Walking at the back of the stretcher company were two medical staff: Ouyang Hui and Xiao Zhou.In front of them, eight peasants carried a large wooden box, which they called a "coffin". The folk husbands were all bare chested and backless, with blue veins sprouting on their necks, chanting hoarsely, and moving slowly with heavy steps.

What is in the "coffin"?Why is it so heavy? Inside the "coffin" is the treasure of the Red Army Hospital, a precious machine-X-ray machine. When it comes to mentioning it, there is still a history! In the battle against "encirclement and suppression" of the Red Army, there were often wounded commanders and fighters.In order to treat them accurately, an X-ray machine is urgently needed.After the comrades of the underground party in Shanghai knew about it, they went through all kinds of risks and spent a lot of effort to get an X-ray machine made in Germany.They tried every means to send it to the Soviet area, but because Chiang Kai-shek blocked the Soviet area, the X-ray machine failed to pass the blockade several times in a row.Later, the comrades of the underground party in Shanghai figured out a way to put the machine in a coffin and pretend to be a funeral. Only then did they deceive the enemy and send it to the Central Soviet Area.

As soon as the X-ray machine arrived in the Soviet area, it played an important role. In April 1933, the Red Army fought fiercely with the enemy in Gugong Village, Le'an County.Wang Jiaxiang, director of the General Political Department of the Red Army, led Zhou Enlai, Xiao Hua and others to the fortifications when they were attacked by enemy planes.Wang Jiaxiang was hit by shrapnel and wounded, a piece of shrapnel pierced his intestines. His injuries were serious and he was in critical condition.The doctor couldn't determine the location of the shrapnel and was in a hurry.It happened that the X-ray machine arrived.The doctors quickly installed the machine, took pictures of Wang Jiaxiang in time, and quickly took out the shrapnel.Wang Jiaxiang said the machine "saved his life".Since then, the X-ray machine has become the treasure of the Red Army.

At the beginning of the Long March, the X-ray machine was packed in a large wooden box a little smaller than the coffin, carried by eight civilians, and followed the troops.As soon as they arrived at the campsite, Ouyang Hui and Xiao Zhou, who were managing and using the X-ray machines, didn't have time to eat and sleep, so they went to look for civilian husbands and torches to prepare for the night march. In the past 4 months, after going through untold hardships, the X-ray machine was carried to Guizhou and then to Yunnan. At this time, the civilian husband who carried the X-ray machine couldn't hold on anymore, and the chant became smaller and smaller...

Li Guiying stood on the top of the mountain, anxiously waiting for the X-ray machine to go up the mountain. "Where's the wooden box?" Li Guiying asked in surprise when she saw eight civilian husbands walking up to the top of the mountain empty-handed. "—" The folks were silent. "Turned into a ravine? Where are Ouyang Hui and Xiao Zhou?" Li Guiying continued to ask. Still no answer. "What's the matter? You talk!" Li Guiying was angry. "We can't lift such a heavy thing, and we won't do it no matter how much money we pay." One of the peasants murmured.

"What?! You threw it halfway up the mountain!" The peasants drooped their heads. "This wooden box must be lifted up! Quick, go back and lift it up!" Li Guiying ordered.A courageous civilian husband said: "Comrade Li, the 'coffin' is too heavy, and the hillside is so steep, who can lift it? Besides, I am hungry." "Hungry? After passing this mountain, the following It’s just a campsite, I’ll make sure you’ll have enough to eat.” The peasants stood silent. "I still have a teapot of rice here. Come! Eat two bites each." Li Guiying often saves her own rations for her husband, and this teapot of rice is her noon ration.

The man still stood still. Li Guiying is on fire. The X-ray machine is the most important medical device of the Ministry of Health. How can it be left halfway up the mountain? She waved her hand and yelled: "Comrades can't do it, we female comrades?" After that, she took a dozen or so female soldiers down the mountain. Before reaching halfway up the mountain, Xiao Zhou called out to her: "Instructor, you have to teach these peasants a lesson, they even left the machine and ran away." The machine was lifted up the mountain." "You?" "Stop talking nonsense!" She waved to the female soldiers, and everyone took their positions in an orderly manner, and Ouyang Hui and Xiao Zhou also found their places.

"Get up!" Li Guiying shouted. Everyone shouted: "Hey-yo!" The weight of the big wooden box was overcome by the female warriors, and it slowly left the ground and moved slowly to the top of the mountain. The female soldiers flushed their necks and shouted loudly... The X-ray machine was finally carried to the top of the mountain. "How about it, our lesbians lifted it up." After putting down the bamboo stick, Li Guiying proudly said to the civilian husband. The eight civilian husbands looked at each other, full of shame. "It's not easy being a lesbian! Admiration, admiration!" said the civilian husband, and continued to carry the machine away with all his strength.

On the third day after arriving in Tashi (now Weixin), Mao Zedong came to the stretcher company of the Ministry of Health.He pointed to the X-ray machine and asked Li Guiying, "What is that coffin-like thing?" "A mirror for illuminating the lungs." Li Guiying replied. "How many people will it take to carry it, and how many miles can it walk in a day?" "Eight people carry it. It's 20 miles a day on flat ground, but it's hard to say in mountainous areas. When climbing mountains and wading through dangerous rocks and narrow roads, you can't walk half a mile in an hour."

"What are you doing with this? It's just a burden! Leave it behind and pack lightly!" Mao Zedong said firmly. "Did you lose it?" Ouyang Hui thought he heard it wrong, so he asked. "Yes, drop it!" Mao Zedong said firmly. "This is an imported, advanced X-ray machine!" Ouyang Hui blurted out. "It has saved the lives of many comrades, such as Wang Jiaxiang and Chen Yi..." Xiao Zhou said a series of names. Li Guiying's mood is complicated: because of this machine, the stretcher has suffered a lot and suffered enough crimes. Now throwing it away is really liberating!From then on, you can go into battle lightly and walk with ease.However, this machine has been with everyone day and night for 4 months, and how much hard work has been condensed by comrades, it is really reluctant to leave it.So she said: "I'm really reluctant. When crossing the Xiangjiang River, many Red Army soldiers were sacrificed for it. Now throwing it away, I feel so sorry for them." Mao Zedong said sadly: "Yes! I shouldn't have taken these pots and pans on the road. If I had left these cumbersome machines earlier, many comrades would not have died, and the tragedy would not have happened! We are marching and fighting. With such a heavy guy, how can we maneuver combat? How can we have the initiative in war? How can we destroy the enemy and lose our tail? Comrades, we cannot let the tragedy repeat itself!" Mao Zedong said very emotionally.Everyone seemed to see his grief and indignation from his serious eyes, and nodded in agreement. "But—" Xiao Zhou suddenly remembered a question, "Minister He told Ouyang Hui and me: we must not throw away the machine! Otherwise, we will be questioned." "Minister He also said the same to our stretcher company." Li Guiying confirmed by the side. "Hahaha!" Mao Zedong laughed, "You little stubborn, you have a strong organizational discipline. It seems that you have to give orders from Minister He, and my words will not work!" Mao Zedong said so that everyone felt embarrassed of. At this time, Health Minister He Cheng came. Mao Zedong turned to He Cheng, and said with a smile: "Comrade He Cheng, your subordinates are really powerful. My orders can no longer be used, and they only obey your orders. How about you, give the order and leave that 'coffin' behind." After finishing speaking, Mao Zedong's eyes were fixed on He Cheng's face. He Cheng immediately understood what was going on. He said to Mao Zedong: "The Military Commission decided to reorganize, decided to get rid of the burden and travel lightly. I completely agree. We are going to get rid of the heavy equipment. But this X-ray machine is too precious. It cost a lot of money and took a lot of money." Tiger Power only got it. Lost it, where can I get it later?" "Okay, so you can't figure it out!" Mao Zedong exclaimed, and then said calmly: "He Cheng, He Cheng, you are really brainless! If you win the battle, you are afraid that there will be no X-ray machine! In the future, the whole country will be liberated. Lack of X-ray machines? Chiang Kai-shek has already prepared for us, you just take over." "But the war is still going on, and the injured comrades need to be checked with an X-ray machine." "Did you use it along the way?" "No." "Why is it not used?" "It needs electricity, it needs to be installed..." "Now that the enemy is chasing and intercepting us all around, how can we use it? If you carry it, you will carry a heavy burden on yourself. Why don't you reduce it! Reduce it!" Mao Zedong said in a firm tone, without any intention of retreating. "Okay, then leave the X-ray machine behind!" He Cheng agreed. "That's right!" Mao Zedong nodded and left. He Cheng sent Mao Zedong away, turned around and said to everyone: "Find a reliable person and hide the X-ray machine. Be quick, or don't let the wind out." It was late at night, and the mountains, trees, and villages were shrouded in a faint light. In the moonlight, there was silence. A group of people carried a heavy wooden box, stepped on the moonlight, and quietly came to a hut next to Shichian Yang's village, and stopped.Chen Zhifang, director of the Medical Affairs Bureau, stepped forward and knocked on the door. The door opened, and a man in his 40s stood in the middle of the door. Chen Zhifang took his hand enthusiastically: "Hello, Comrade Yang Baohe." "Where is the machine?" "There." Chen Zhifang pointed to the back. Under the hazy moonlight, a "coffin" appeared in Yang Baohe's eyes. "This..." Yang Baohe was stunned. The Red Army had agreed to hide some important machine in his house, so why did they bring a coffin? "Oh, this is not a coffin, this is a large wooden box, shaped a bit like a coffin. The machine is installed inside." Chen Zhifang quickly explained. "So that's the case." Yang Baohe nodded. He moved the ladder and leaned against the attic without making a sound, and helped the Red Army carry the X-ray machine upstairs, put it away, and then covered it tightly with broken straw mats. Chen Zhifang repeatedly urged: "My fellow, this machine is very important. You must keep it a secret. Don't let the Kuomintang search it away. We will use it when we return." Yang Baohe nodded silently. Ouyang Hui, Xiao Zhou and others looked at the attic affectionately, and reluctantly left the hut. The next day, the Red Army set off. The captain of the political police came to the county government office in a hurry. "County magistrate, there is an urgent letter from above!" After speaking, he submitted the letter. The county magistrate did not accept the letter, but asked, "What's the matter?" The police captain took out the letter from the envelope and read: "What is an X-ray machine?" The county magistrate was puzzled. "It's a machine that takes care of sickness." "Can it still take pictures of sickness? Strange thing, strange thing." The county magistrate shook his head again and again. "County magistrate, what should we do?" the captain of the political police asked in a low voice. "Search for me! Search it upside down, I don't believe it won't come out." The county magistrate said viciously. A large search was carried out in the Tashi area.The vicious militia searched from house to house. Three regiment men walked into Yang Baohe's home in Yangjiazhai with guns in hand.They searched inside and out, but found nothing. A member of the regiment pointed to the attic and asked: "What's on it? Is the sickness mechanism on it?" Yang Baohe's heart thumped. Could it be that someone had leaked the news?But he pretended to be calm on the surface, and said: "It's full of broken grass mats, smelly, and nothing else." "You have to tell the truth, or I will kill you!" "I'm telling the truth, I don't mind It stinks, go up and have a look." Yang Baohe said boldly. The members of the regiment stared at him, saw that he was not in a hurry, and walked away resentfully. After searching for a month, no clues were found.The boss sent a letter of stern criticism.The county magistrate was in a state of panic all day long, worried that Wu Shamao would not be able to protect himself.He called his men to discuss countermeasures. The leader of the militia offered a plan: "Offer a reward of 200,000 oceans to track down the whereabouts of the X-ray machine." "What? 200,000 oceans! Where does this county get so much money?" The county magistrate became angry when he heard it. The head of the militia quickly explained: "This is called 'Under the heavy reward, there must be a brave man'. For the sake of the 200,000 oceans, who would not come to report? As long as we find that machine, we can make a job and receive the reward. As for the 200,000 yuan Wan Dayang, that's a bad promise, and you'll just have to let it go." "Hahaha! High, really high!" The county magistrate was proud. On the same day, a striking notice was pasted at the gate of the city, which read: The Communist Party hid an X-ray machine in this county. Anyone who informs will be rewarded with 200,000 yuan. "A reward of 200,000 yuan!" Passers-by were stunned by the figure. "If you want to get rich, find a machine." The head of the militia fanned the flames beside him. The news of the reward of 200,000 oceans spread to ten, ten to hundreds, throughout the Tashi area and throughout the county. Those local tyrants and evil gentry felt very itchy when they heard this, and they did everything possible to find out the whereabouts of the X-ray machine. A year later, the X-ray machine is still hidden in the farmer's home, and Yang Baohe keeps his mouth shut. Later, an evil gentry found out the news and reported the secret to the Kuomintang government. Only then was the X-ray machine found and sent to Kunming.Of course, this evil gentry did not receive the 200,000 Dayang reward.