13.金色的鱼钩（4174）

13. 金色的鱼钩

1. 1935年秋天，红四方面军进入草地，许多同志得了肠胃病。

2. 我和两个小同志病得实在跟不上队伍了，指导员派炊事班长照顾我们，让我们走在后面。

3. 炊事班长快四十岁了，个儿挺高，背有点儿驼，四方脸，高颧骨，脸上布满皱纹。

4. 全连数他岁数大，对大家又特别亲，大伙都叫他“老班长”。

5. 三个病号走不快，一天只走二十来里路。

6. 一路上，老班长带我们走一阵歇一阵。

7. 到了宿营地，他就到处去找野菜，和着青稞面给我们做饭。

8. 不到半个月，两袋青稞面吃完了。

9. 饥饿威胁着我们。

10. 老班长到处找野菜，挖草根，可是光吃这些东西怎么行呢！

11. 老班长看我们一天天瘦下去，他整夜整夜地合不拢眼。

12. 其实，这些天他瘦得比我们还厉害呢!

13. 一天，他在一个水塘边给我们洗衣裳，忽然看见一条鱼跳出水面。

14. 他喜出望外地跑回来，取出一根缝衣针，烧红了，弯成了钓鱼钩。

15. 这天夜里，我们就吃到了新鲜的鱼汤。

16. 尽管没加作料，可我们觉得没有比这鱼汤更鲜美的了，端起碗来吃了个精光。

17. 从那以后，老班长尽可能找有水塘的地方宿营，把我们安顿好，就带着鱼钩出去了。

18. 第二天，他总能端着热气腾腾的鲜鱼野菜汤给我们吃。

19. 我们虽然还是一天一天衰弱下去，比起光吃草根野菜来毕竟好多啦。

20. 可是老班长自己呢，我从来没见他吃过一点儿鱼。

21. 有一次，我禁不住问他：“老班长，你怎么不吃鱼啊？

22. 他摸了摸嘴，好像回味似的说：“吃过了。我一起锅就吃，比你们还先吃呢。”

23. 我不信，等他收拾完碗筷走了，就悄悄地跟着他。

24. 走近前一看，啊！

25. 我不由得呆住了。

26. 他坐在那里捧着搪瓷碗，嚼着几根草根和我们吃剩的鱼骨头，嚼了一会儿，就皱紧眉头硬咽下去。

27. 我觉得好像有万根钢针扎着喉管，失声喊起来：“老班长，你怎么……”

28. 老班长猛抬起头，看见我目不转睛地看着他手里的搪瓷碗，就支吾着说：“我，我早就吃过了。看到碗里还没吃干净，扔了怪可惜的……”

29. “不，我全知道了。”

30. 我打断了他的话。

31. 老班长转身朝两个小同志睡觉的地方看了一眼，一把把我搂到身边，轻声说：“小声点儿，小梁！咱俩是党员，你既然知道了，可不要再告诉别人。”

32. “可是，你也要爱惜自己啊！”

33. “不要紧，我身体还结实。”

34. 他抬起头，望着夜色弥漫的草地。

35. 好久，才用低沉的声音说，“指导员把你们三个人交给我，他临走的时候说：‘他们年轻。一路上，你是上级，是保姆，是勤务员，无论多么艰苦，也要把他们带出草地。’

36. 小梁，你看这草地，无边无涯，没个尽头。我估计，还要二十多天才能走出去。

37. 熬过这二十多天不简单啊！

38. 眼看你们的身子一天比一天衰弱，只要哪一天吃不上东西，说不定就会起不来，真有个三长两短，我怎么去向党报告呢？

39. 难道我能说，‘指导员，我把同志们留在草地上，我自己克服了困难出来啦’？”

40. “可是，你总该跟我们一起吃一点儿呀！”

41. “不行，太少啦。”

42. 他轻轻地摇摇头，“小梁，说真的，弄点儿吃的不容易啊！有时候等了半夜，也不见鱼上钩。

43. 为了弄一点儿鱼饵，我翻了多少草皮也找不到一条蚯蚓……还有，我的眼睛坏了，天色一暗，找野菜就得一棵一棵地摸……”

44. 我再也忍不住了，抢着说：“老班长，以后我帮你一起找，我看得见。”

45. “不，咱们不是早就分好工了吗？再说，你的病也不轻，不好好休息会撑不住的。”

46. 我还坚持我的意见。

47. 老班长忽然严厉地说：“小梁同志，共产党员要服从党的分配。你的任务是坚持走路，安定两个小同志的情绪，增强他们的信心！”

48. 望着他那十分严峻的脸，我一句话也说不上来，竟扑倒在他怀里哭了。

49. 第二天，老班长端来的鱼汤特别少，每个搪瓷碗里只有小半条猫鱼，上面漂着一丁点儿野菜。

50. 他笑着说：“吃吧，就是少了点儿。唉！一条好大的鱼已经上了钩，又跑啦！”

51. 我端起搪瓷碗，觉得这个碗有千斤重，怎么也送不到嘴边。两个小同志不知道为什么，也端着碗不往嘴边送。

52. 老班长看到这情况，收敛了笑容，眉头拧成了疙瘩。

53. 他说：“怎么了，吃不下？要是不吃，咱们就走不出这草地。

54. 同志们，为了革命，你们必须吃下去。

55. 小梁，你不要太脆弱！”最后这句话是严厉的，意思只有我知道。

56. 我把碗端到嘴边，泪珠大颗大颗地落在热气腾腾的鱼汤里。

57. 我悄悄背转身，擦擦眼睛，大口大口地咽着鱼汤。

58. 老班长看着我们吃完，脸上的皱纹舒展开了，嘴边露出了一丝笑意。

59. 可是我的心里好像塞了铅块似的，沉重极了。

60. 挨了一天又一天，渐渐接近草地的边了，我们的病却越来越重。

61. 我还能勉强挺着走路，那两个小同志连直起腰来的力气也没有了。

62. 老班长虽然瘦得只剩皮包骨头，眼睛深深地陷了下去，还一直用饱满的情绪鼓励着我们。

63. 我们就这样扶一段，搀一段，终于走到草地边上。远处，重重叠叠的山峰已经看得见了。

64. 这天上午，老班长快活地说：“同志们，咱们在这儿停一下，好好弄点儿吃的，鼓一鼓劲，一口气走出草地去。”

65. 说罢，他就拿起鱼钩找水塘去了。

66. 我们的精神特别好，四处去找野菜，拾干草，好像过节似的。

67. 但是过了好久，还不见老班长回来。

68. 我们四面寻找，最后在一个水塘旁边找到了他，他已经昏迷不醒了。

69. 我们都着慌了。

70. 过雪山的时候有过不少这样的例子，战士用惊人的毅力支持着自己的生命，但是一倒下去就再也起不来了。

71. 要挽救老班长，最好的办法是让他赶快吃些东西。

72. 我们立即分了工，我去钓鱼，剩下的一个人照料老班长，一个人生火。

73. 我蹲在水边，心里不停地念叨：“鱼啊！快些来吧！

74. 这是挽救一个革命战士的生命啊！”

75. 可是，等了好久，还不见鱼上钩，好容易看到漂在水面的芦秆动了一下，赶紧扯起钓竿，还是空的……

76. 当我俯下身子，把鱼汤送到老班长嘴边的时候，老班长已经奄奄一息了。

77. 他微微地睁开眼睛，看见我端着的鱼汤，头一句话就说：“小梁，别浪费东西了。我……我不行啦。你们吃吧！

78. 还有二十多里路，吃完了，一定要走出去！”

79. “老班长，你吃啊！

80. 我们抬也要把你抬出去！”

81. 我几乎要哭出来了。

82. “不，你们吃吧。

83. 你们一定要走出草地去！

84. 见着指导员，告诉他，我没完成党交给我的任务，没把你们照顾好。

85. 看，你们都瘦得……”

86. 老班长用粗糙的手无力地抚摸着我的头。

87. 突然间，他的手垂了下去。

88. “老班长！老班长！”

89. 我们失声地叫着。

90. 但是老班长，还是慢慢地闭上了眼睛。

91. 我们扑在老班长身上，抽噎着，很久很久。

92. 擦干了眼泪，我把老班长留下的鱼钩小心地包起来，放在贴身的衣兜里。

93. 我想，等革命胜利以后，一定要把这个闪烁着金色光芒的鱼钩送到革命烈士纪念馆去，让我们的子子孙孙都来瞻仰它。

The Golden Fishhook

1. In the fall of 1935, the Fourth Red Army entered the grasslands, and many comrades got stomach illnesses.

2. I and two young comrades were too sick to keep up with the team, so the instructor sent the cook squad leader to take care of us and let us walk behind.

3. The cook squad leader was almost forty years old, quite tall, with a slightly hunched back, a square face, high cheekbones, and a face full of wrinkles.

4. He was the oldest in the company and very kind to everyone, so everyone called him "Old Squad Leader."

5. The three of us patients couldn't walk fast, only covering about twenty miles a day.

6. Along the way, the old squad leader would lead us to walk for a while and then rest for a while.

7. When we reached the campsite, he would go everywhere to find wild vegetables and mix them with barley flour to make food for us.

8. In less than half a month, the two bags of barley flour were finished.

9. Hunger threatened us.

10. The old squad leader searched everywhere for wild vegetables and dug up grass roots, but we couldn't survive on just these things!

11. Seeing us get thinner day by day, the old squad leader couldn't sleep at night.

12. In fact, he himself had lost more weight than us!

13. One day, while washing clothes by a pond, he suddenly saw a fish jump out of the water.

14. He was overjoyed and ran back to take out a sewing needle, heated it red-hot, and bent it into a fishhook.

15. That night, we had fresh fish soup.

16. Although there were no seasonings, we felt nothing tasted better than this fish soup, and we finished every drop.

17. From then on, the old squad leader would find places with ponds to camp, settle us down, and go fishing with the fishhook.

18. The next day, he would bring us steaming hot fish and wild vegetable soup.

19. Although we still got weaker day by day, it was much better than just eating grass roots and wild vegetables.

20. But as for the old squad leader, I never saw him eat any fish.

21. Once, I couldn't help but ask him, "Old squad leader, why don't you eat fish?"

22. He touched his mouth as if savoring something and said, "I already ate. I ate as soon as I cooked it, even before you did."

23. I didn't believe him, so after he cleaned up the dishes and left, I secretly followed him.

24. When I got closer, I was stunned.

25. He sat there holding an enamel bowl, chewing a few grass roots and our leftover fish bones. After chewing for a while, he frowned and swallowed them with difficulty.

26. I felt like a thousand needles were piercing my throat and cried out, "Old squad leader, how could you..."

27. The old squad leader quickly raised his head, saw me staring at the enamel bowl in his hand, and stammered, "I, I already ate. I saw there were still some left in the bowl, and it would be a pity to throw it away..."

28. "No, I know everything now."

29. I interrupted him.

30. The old squad leader turned to look at the two young comrades sleeping and then hugged me, whispering, "Keep your voice down, Little Liang! We are both party members. Since you know, don't tell anyone else."

31. "But you need to take care of yourself too!"

32. "It's okay, I'm still strong."

33. He looked up at the grassland covered in the night.

34. After a long time, he said in a low voice, "The instructor left you three in my care. Before he left, he said, 'They are young. On the way, you are their superior, nanny, and orderly. No matter how hard it is, you must get them out of the grassland.'

35. Little Liang, look at this grassland, it's endless. I estimate it will take more than twenty days to get out.

36. Surviving these twenty days won't be easy!

37. Watching you get weaker day by day, if you don't eat one day, you might not be able to get up. If anything happens to you, how can I report to the party?

38. Can I say, 'Instructor, I left the comrades in the grassland, but I overcame the difficulties and got out?' "

39. "But you should eat with us!"

40. "No, it's too little."

41. He shook his head gently, "Little Liang, honestly, it's hard to get food! Sometimes I wait half the night, and no fish takes the bait.

42. To get some bait, I've turned over so many grass clods without finding a single worm... And my eyes are bad. When it gets dark, I have to feel for each wild vegetable..."

43. I couldn't hold back anymore and said, "Old squad leader, from now on, I'll help you find them. I can see."

44. "No, haven't we divided the work already? Besides, your illness is not light. If you don't rest well, you won't make it."

45. I still insisted on my opinion.

46. The old squad leader suddenly said sternly, "Comrade Little Liang, a Communist Party member must obey the party's assignments. Your task is to keep walking, calm the two young comrades, and boost their confidence!"

47. Looking at his stern face, I couldn't say a word and fell into his arms crying.

48. The next day, the fish soup the old squad leader brought was very little, with only half a small catfish in each enamel bowl, floating with a bit of wild vegetable.

49. He smiled and said, "Eat, even though it's a little less. Sigh! A big fish got hooked and then escaped!"

50. I held up the enamel bowl, feeling it weighed a thousand pounds and couldn't bring it to my mouth. The two young comrades, not knowing why, also held their bowls without eating.

51. Seeing this, the old squad leader's smile faded, and his brows furrowed into knots.

52. He said, "What's wrong? Can't eat? If you don't eat, we won't get out of this grassland.

53. Comrades, for the revolution, you must eat.

54. Little Liang, don't be so weak!" The last sentence was stern, and only I understood its meaning.

55. I brought the bowl to my mouth, tears falling into the steaming fish soup.

56. I turned my back, wiped my eyes, and gulped down the fish soup.

57. The old squad leader watched us finish eating, the wrinkles on his face relaxing, and a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

58. But my heart felt as heavy as lead.

59. Day after day, we gradually approached the edge of the grassland, but our illness got worse.

60. I could barely walk, and the two young comrades couldn't even straighten up.

61. Although the old squad leader was skin and bones and his eyes were deeply sunken, he kept encouraging us with high spirits.

62. We supported and helped each other, finally reaching the edge of the grassland. In the distance, layers of mountain peaks were visible.

63. That morning, the old squad leader said happily, "Comrades, let's stop here, get some good food, and gather our strength to walk out of the grassland in one go."

64. Then he took the fishhook and went to find a pond.

65. We were in high spirits, searching for wild vegetables and collecting dry grass as if celebrating a holiday.

66. But a long time passed, and the old squad leader didn't return.

67. We searched everywhere and finally found him by a pond, unconscious.

68. We were all anxious.

69. Crossing the snow mountains, there had been many cases like this. Soldiers supported their lives with incredible willpower, but once they fell, they never got up again.

70. The best way to save the old squad leader was to get him to eat something quickly.

71. We immediately divided the tasks. I went fishing, one took care of the old squad leader, and one started a fire.

72. I squatted by the water, praying, "Fish, please come quickly!

73. This is to save a revolutionary soldier's life!"

74. But after a long time, no fish took the bait. Finally, I saw the reed floating on the water move, quickly pulled up the fishing rod, but it was still empty...

75. When I bent down to bring the fish soup to the old squad leader's mouth, he was already barely alive.

76. He opened his eyes slightly, saw the fish soup I was holding, and the first thing he said was, "Little Liang, don't waste it. I... I can't make it. You eat it!

77. There are still more than twenty miles, eat it and get out!"

78. "Old squad leader, you eat it!

79. We'll carry you out!"

80. I almost cried.

81. "No, you eat it.

82. You must get out of the grassland!

83. When you see the instructor, tell him I didn't complete the party's task and didn't take good care of you.

84. Look, you are all so thin..."

85. The old squad leader weakly patted my head with his rough hand.

86. Suddenly, his hand dropped.

87. "Old squad leader! Old squad leader!"

88. We cried out.

89. But the old squad leader slowly closed his eyes.

90. We lay on him, sobbing for a long, long time.

91. Wiping away my tears, I carefully wrapped the fishhook he left behind and put it in my inner pocket.

92. I thought, after the revolution succeeds, I must send this golden-glowing fishhook to the Revolutionary Martyrs' Memorial so that our descendants can all come to admire it.

   93. We trudged on with heavy hearts, knowing that the sacrifice of the old squad leader would not be in vain.