The Story of Cai Chang on the Long March

In mid-October 1934, the Red Army began the Long March of great historical significance. Cai Chang did mass work in the local work department of the Red First Army. The organization provided her with a mule and sent Xiao Xianzhong to be her groom. Xiao Xianzhong, a native of Ji'an, Jiangxi Province, once worked as a servant for Li Fuchun. Knowing that Cai Chang was approachable and deeply supported by the masses, he was very happy to report to Cai Chang. After the Zunyi meeting, the organization assigned Cao Chang, a 16-year-old "red kid", to her as a servant. From then on, on the long Long March, they were as close as family members, getting along day and night, sharing weal and woe.

On the Long March, unless Cai Chang rode on a mule in a rush march, she always gave the mule to the sick and wounded, or let the mule carry the luggage for the sick and weak comrades. She marched on foot with the soldiers, sometimes walking more than 100 miles a day, which was very tiring. At first, Xiao Xianzhong couldn't see it, and couldn't hold back a few nagging words: "Sister, please ride the animals and rest your feet, if you are exhausted, how can I explain to the political commissar?" Political commissar is Lao Xiao's customary name for Comrade Fuchun. Cai Chang said: "The sick and wounded need it more than I do! If they fall behind and fall into the hands of the enemy, how can we live up to these brothers who were injured by the revolution? Besides, it is easier for me to relieve fatigue when I walk with my comrades, talking and laughing. "Later, Xiao Xianzhong saw that many leaders usually gave their animals to the sick and wounded to ride. He cared about them very much and was deeply educated. He also understood Cai Chang more. Later, when he saw the sick and wounded, he did not wait for Cai Chang to speak, so he took the initiative to help them ride on the cattle.

Cai Chang has been trained for a long time, has a strong character and can bear hardships. Many comrades know that she loves singing, and when they see her, they ask: "Elder sister, let's have a song. "She never refused, and immediately sang the" Internationale "and" Marseillaise ", and the atmosphere immediately became active and lively. Sometimes I happened to meet Li Fuchun and comrades Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Nie Rongzhen, Xiao Jinguang and other comrades who had studied in France for work-study programs. Everyone came to sing in French together, and they were all in high spirits and heroic. This passionate song has magical power, which inspires everyone and fills them with confidence in the future. Xiao Xianzhong is often infected by this optimistic mood and feels full of energy.

On the long march, the enemy troops pursued and intercepted them, and the troops walked while fighting, often marching day and night. Cao Chang, who is in his teens, is small and physically weak. He is easy to get sleepy when marching at night. Cai Chang always takes him away. Xiao Xianzhong was worried about her safety and always advised: "Elder sister, you can go at ease. I will take care of Xiao Cao. "Xiaocao felt very embarrassed and thought that the leader sent me to serve the chief. How can I let the chief worry about me. He summoned up his spirits and said sheepishly, "Chief, don't worry, I can do it! "The three of them took care of each other in this way, followed the troops safely through the enemy's layers of blockade, and finally successfully crossed the Dadu River to Jiajin Mountain south of Maogong in Sichuan.

This is a big snow mountain with rare people and snow all year round. It is more than 4000 meters above sea level and the mountain is majestic. The mountain peaks are continuous, shrouded in a white mist all year round. Before going up the mountain, the troops took a short rest, and the headquarters specially mobilized and announced the matters needing attention. They especially urged everyone not to stay at the top of the mountain, otherwise they would easily freeze to death. Each of the troops was given a little beef jerky, a few glutinous rice cakes, a few chili peppers and two or three ginger slices as "cold-proof" food. Before leaving, everyone had a full meal, drank a few mouthfuls of chili soup, and made full preparations. Each of them, leaning on a stick, set off in high spirits. The mountain road is paved with snow for thousands of years. It is steep and slippery. Every step of climbing requires great effort. Xiao Xianzhong told Xiao Cao to follow Cai Chang closely and take care of her carefully, while he himself led the animals forward with difficulty. Cai Chang was not at ease and often walked behind him to help push the mule. Xiao Xianzhong said, "Elder sister, you don't mind me, you must pay attention to safety."

After everyone reached the top of the mountain, it seemed that their strength was exhausted and their legs could hardly move. How much they wanted to sit down and have a rest. But the mountain is cold and the air is thin. As long as you sit down, you can't get up any more. The comrades of the propaganda team kept encouraging everyone in front. Despite fatigue, Cai Chang joined the propaganda team with cadres, some shouting slogans, some playing allegro, and some singing revolutionary songs. The team marched forward in bursts of enthusiastic encouragement.

On August 21, 1935, the troops set out from Maoergai and marched into the big grassland. At a glance, there is a vast and boundless grassland in front of it, and there is a black quagmire of rotten grass everywhere. If anyone accidentally steps in it, it will be swallowed up in an instant. The headquarters issued a circular warning everyone to follow the mark left by the advance team and pointed out that the water in the straw pit was poisonous and must not be drunk. Cai Chang repeatedly told Xiao Xianzhong and Xiao Cao to be on high alert and not to be careless. Along the way, they avoided one dangerous quagmire after another, supported each other, one foot deep and one foot shallow, and moved forward with difficulty. The weather on the grass is changeable. It is either torrential rain or strong winds, and sometimes hail. When it is sunny, it is rare. Everyone is often drenched in the rain. When camping at night, there was not even a dry place, so everyone had to sit on the cold and wet grass to take a nap and make do with the night. Cai Chang, the three of them, often sat back to back to sleep like this. It was extremely cold at night, and they were thinly dressed and "warmed" by each other's body temperature ". Although the body is still wet, but everyone feels warm in the heart.

Three or four days after walking into the grassland, the food was eaten up and the water was drunk. Everyone was facing the desperate situation of lack of food, water and salt, and their lives were seriously threatened. But the great difficulties will not defeat this indomitable and indomitable Red Army team. In times of crisis, they live by digging wild vegetables and peeling bark, and some even take off their belts and chew them. Some comrades died of poisoning because they ate poisonous wild vegetables by mistake. This is really a desperate struggle with nature, earth-shattering. Cai Chang and the cadres organized Xiao Xianzhong and several comrades who could identify wild vegetables to lead everyone to collect wild vegetables separately and teach everyone to identify which can be eaten and which is poisonous, so as to ensure everyone's safety. The problem of eating has been solved for the time being, but there is no water, everyone is so thirsty that their throats and eyes are smoking, and some lips are cracked. It's so hard! Later, Xiao Xianzhong and several comrades took pains to find a pool under the hillside in the distance. Because the water was shallow, they had to leave it to the animals to drink, so each person could only drink three or two mouthfuls of water at a time. Everyone worked with one heart and one mind, united and helped each other, overcame the unbearable hardships of ordinary people, walked on the grass for seven days and seven nights, once again overcame natural dangers, and walked out of the grass safely.

Food was the material on which the Red Army depended for its survival. However, the grain collected during the march is four or five kilograms at most when it is distributed to each person. Everyone regards it as a treasure and cherishes it very much. Even when sleeping, they hold it tightly. Cai Chang is generous and generous by nature. When many comrades encounter difficulties, she will take them out to support others.

When crossing the grass, on one occasion, several female comrades, Wei Xiuying, Deng Liujin, Liao Saguang and Liu Caixiang, had to go hungry and drag their tired bodies to find the team because they were taking in the fallen soldiers behind. When they found Cai Chang, they couldn't even speak. Cai Chang saw their embarrassed appearance, knew that they were hungry, and did not care to talk to them. He quickly cooked a large basin of highland barley and brought it to them. They also don't mention it, eating up a basin of highland barley. When Xiao Cao was tidying up the dishes, he saw that they had not left Cai Chang any, so he pursed his mouth and felt very unhappy. Cai Chang saw Xiao Cao's heart and talked to him about the fighting stories of these lesbians. She said meaningfully, "Kid, do you understand? Life is more precious than food!"

Source: People's Daily Online