Famine age: Is unable memory which put behind
When Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese forces obtained Yang Qingyu. They are very strange, can eat in what in the thing all no boundless boundless forest, what are the against Japan allied armies depend on eat to live down? Is bringing the question which this How thought that, all cannot know,they have dissected General Yang Qingyu. After the dissection, they discovered in Yang Qingyu's stomach unexpectedly all is the subtilis, the bark and the cotton fiber. This result lets the Japanese forces shock certainly very much, these intruder face are this stubborn resistance Chinese, do they how possibly halt in here the foot? Looking from another angle that, this fact also showed person vitality tenaciousness, all could eat including these things, it can be imagined, person in extreme hungry situation, what but also had not to be able to eat?
All possibly draw a conclusion after the oversized famine people, more is the noisy famine, can eat the thing are more, feared feared at that time, any thing also cannot find. I in "Reluctant to part All grasses Sentiment" center, once said we ate All grasses the situation, I am actually impossible all grasses and the wild herbs which eats us all 11 write, has not written are more. In that age, except wild herbs, bark, leaf substandard, but also some many many things we all have eaten. These things, even if lets the present the person even if only tastes a spot, they also meet the hard work not not dryly. Some person boasts to the others that, "Does not have I has not eaten the food, also does not have I has not gone the place." Some people and he lifts shoulders said that, "I said a place you have not gone on the affirmation, you take?" Boasts the person said that, "Refuses to accept, you said, which I haven't gone?" Lifts the person which shoulders to say that, "You have gone ' Sees the hometown (fable, after person died, must arrive this)
'?" Boasts the person has been scared, said: "That place has not certainly gone." "I said the same food you have not eaten, you take?" Boasts the person does not dare to say has refused to accept, only said: "You said." "You have not eaten ' to the end the food ', to?"
"After to the end the food" is the person died the food which supplies in front of the spirit, he has not certainly eaten. This only is in says the joke, actually, the food which we eats at in that noisy famine age, casually says several type, now 40 year old of downward person all has not eaten.
We here 1958 were the bumper crop year, remembered that year the autumn, the geographical features sweet potato (sweet potato) was longer much good, casual dug a pillar, had five, six 12 catty heavy big sweet potato. The old people all said that, has not seen the crop such well. But the bumper crop actually cannot the abundant harvest, at that time the Great Leap Forward, do any lecture of "much, quick, good, the province", thereupon above got down the instruction, the sweet potato has not been able to use four teeth to dig, such too was slow, has not worked the effect law, had to use the pear to plough, ploughs lets the woman child toward together ascend again. Thus, many sweet potato have been cut open by the pear piece, a part the sweet potato which shut off has been remained in the earth. After ships back, must store up winters, above has gotten by now down the instruction, the storage method which the change fell behind in the past, had to dig two meters widths, three meter long pit, laid down the sweet potato, again used the earth to bury. To the second year, all sweet potato have all become by the bubbles fat, digs is sticks the flour gruel a pile. The grain has delivered, the sweet potato becomes fat by the bubbles, the people have not eaten, everybody had to try to find another way is living.
The spring sandstorm, unceasingly one layer upon layer flattens the place on earth. A first year digs the sweet potato with the cultivated land method, is shut off remains the geographical features the part, passed through for a winter, under the sandstorm function, has revealed the ground. Some reveal a spot, some reveal most, some completely exposes in outside. These sweet potato, in place already by winter bad, again is blown by the sandstorm does, normally was cannot eat, but we were hungry, do not have the means, ascended these to do the sweet potato to eat. Has, we on gnaw in the place are eating, bring back the family, we grind to it the surface, irons the pancake to eat. This kind of pancake, also painstakingly burns, is really unpalatable, now remembers, probably and takes the Chinese native medicine the taste almost. When eats meal, the adults said that, do not have always to chew in the mouth, do not have to suck the taste, must a bit faster swallow, like this ate good.
Spring day very unendurable, crossed the spring, the geographical features wild herbs has gotten up, could eat the thing have been also many, we rather ate the wild herbs, also was not willing to eat that kind of bitter pancake. To the dog days of summer, the geographical features corn long enough to has been higher than the person, above corn's ear of Zichang came out. We arrive the geographical features to hit "the inexpensive head", this is the locality calls the law, it is called any me in the biology not to know, but I knew it actually is on the corn stalk the long one kind of fungus, big has the fist in a big way, small a ping pong is bigger than spot. This kind "the inexpensive head" is very delicious. If in the tender time recovery, eats remains also may season, will keep later to eat. These years this kind of thing were very many, has rescued very many people.
In that season, whenever has rained latter two, three days, the geographical features has very many underage children to carry the basket, puts on in the corn geographical features puts on, looks for this kind "the inexpensive head", now go I to the geographical features have not been many, did not know also has these things. "Inexpensive head" eats the law to be very simple, puts boils thoroughly in the pot, bails out slivers the block, again puts salt, like this we very much like eating.
To the autumn, the geographical features corn started is in the milk, we had found new food. Some corn, have a liking for are a each one big stick bud, but bares as soon as looked, inside actually is package of black flour, we are called "the ash loosely" with such good bud, was the corn receives sickness in the growth process to grow into. Such "the ash loose" we also can recognize in the distant place, it and the ordinary corn different place is this kind of corn is not long "Looks like the flowered the silk appearance", some places are called "the corn beard". We "the ash loose" put back into these the family, again makes genuine corn flour to mix in the same place, pastes the cake cake to eat, at that time was also delicious.
It is said, Ming Dynasty last years, Shaanxi noisy big famine, people any can eat the thing could not also have found, eats "the guanyin clay". Afterwards I listened to the person to say that, "the guanyin clay" actually was the clay, our here was called "the clay". This kind "the clay" we also all have eaten, because eats not too are many, therefore also does not have therefore makes the human life. This kind of putty must eat dryly, calls "the clay petal", hungry anxious time eats.
At that time is very bitter, also has starved to death some people, but the present has turned head thinks, resembles the person which starves to death is not very many, at least does not look like the present fable such to be many. Until one day, I had known a surname Zhang over 60 year-old person, only then knew I think not to be right, he says the situation listened to let the person shock. Lao Zhang is the Henan Xinyang people, sells the tea with me in a market, at in that big famine age, their that might pass through miserably us have been more than, he said their that some villages almost all Completely died, with also had a Xinyang person in a market, suffered very much near with the Lao Zhang village, that year he worked as the soldier, after demobilized comes back, in the family nobody, has all starved to death, has remained his.
These year people often said a speech is: "Has not starved to death person's policy." Yes, truly is has not starved to death person's policy, but actually has starves to death person's fact!
抗日战争时，日军得到了杨靖宇。他们很奇怪，在什么能吃的东西，都没有的茫茫的林海中，抗日联军，是靠吃什么活下来的呢？带着这个，百思不得其解的疑问，他们解剖了杨靖宇将军。解剖后，他们，发现杨靖宇的胃里，竟然都是枯草、树皮和棉絮。这个结果，当然很让日军震惊，这些入侵者，面对的是这样顽强抵抗的中国人，他们，怎么可能在这里站住脚呢？从另一个角度看，这个事实，又说明了人生命力的顽强，连这些东西都能吃了，可想而知，人，在极度饥饿的情况下，还有什么不能吃呢？
经过大饥荒的人，都可能得出一个结论，越是闹饥荒，能吃的东西就越多，怕，就怕到了那个时候，什么东西也找不到。我在《依依百草情》中，曾经说了，我们吃百草的情况，其实，我不可能将我们所吃的，所有草和野菜，都一一写出来，没写的更多。在那个年代，除了野菜，树皮，树叶等外，还有许多；许多的东西，我们都吃过。那些东西，即使让现在的人，哪怕只是尝上一点点，他们，也会死活不干的。有一个人，向别人吹牛说：“就没有我，没吃过的饭，也没有我，没去过的地方。”有人就和他抬扛说：“我说个地方，你就肯定没去过，你服吗？”吹牛的人说：“不服，你说吧，哪，我没去过？”抬扛的人说：“你去过‘望乡台’吗？”吹牛的人傻眼了，说：“那个地方，当然没去过呀。”“我说一样饭，你也没吃过，你服吗？”吹牛的人，不敢说不服了，只说：“你说吧。”“你也没吃过‘倒头饭’，对吧？”
“倒头饭”是人死后，在灵前供的饭，他当然没吃过了。这只是在说笑话，其实，在那个闹饥荒的年代里，我们所吃的饭，随便说出几样，现在四十岁往下的人，就都没吃过。
我们这里的1958年，是个大丰收的年头，记得那年的秋天，地里的山芋（红薯）长得特别的好，随随便便的刨上一墩，就有五、六块，一二斤重的大山芋。老人们都说，从来，没有见过收成这么好的。但是，丰产却不能丰收，那个时候大跃进，干什么讲个“多、快、好、省”，于是，上边下来了指示，山芋，不能用四齿刨，那样太慢，没有工作效律，要用梨耕，耕出来，让妇女孩子再往一起拾。这样，许多山芋被梨片切开了，一部分被切断的山芋，留在了土里。运回后，就要储存过冬，这时，上边，又下来了指示，改变，过去落后的储存方法，要挖二米宽，三米长的坑，把山芋放下去，再用土埋好。到了第二年，所有的山芋，都被沤成肥了，刨出来，是粘糊糊的一堆。粮食上交了，山芋被沤成肥了，人们没有吃的了，大家，要另想办法活着了。
春天的风沙，不断地，把地上的土，一层层地剥蚀。头一年，用耕地的方法刨山芋，被切断留在地里的部分，经过了一个冬天，在风沙的作用下，露出了地面。有的露出一点点，有的露出大半个，有的，全部裸露在外面。这些山芋，在地里，已经被冬坏，再被风沙吹干，按说，是一点也不能吃了，但，我们饿，没有办法，就去拾这些干山芋吃。有好一点的，我们，就在地里啃着吃，拿回家的，我们把它磨成面，烙饼子吃。这种饼子，又苦又辣，实在难吃，现在想起来，大概和吃中药的滋味，差不多吧。每到吃饭时，大人们就说，不要总在嘴里嚼，不要咂滋味，要快点咽下去，这样吃，就好一点了。
春天的日子，很难熬，过了春天，地里的野菜，就多起来了，能吃的东西也多了，我们宁可吃野菜，也不愿吃那种苦饼子。到了伏天，地里的玉米，长到比人高了，玉米上边的穗子，长出来了。我们，就到地里去打“贱头”，这是当地的叫法，它，在生物学上，叫什么我也不知道，但，我知道它，其实是玉米杆上长的一种菌，大的有拳头大，小的比乒乓球大一点点。这种“贱头”很好吃。要是在嫩的时候采收，吃剩的，还可以晒干，留着以后吃。那些年这种东西很多，救了很多的人。
在那个季节里，每当下过雨后两、三天，地里，就有很多未成年的孩子背着筐，在玉米地里，穿来穿去，找这种“贱头”，现在，我到地里去的不多了，不知道，是不是还有这些东西。“贱头”的吃法很简单，放在锅里煮熟，捞出来切成块，再放一点盐，这样我们就很喜欢吃。
到了秋天，地里的玉米，开始灌浆的时候，我们，又找到了新食物。有些玉米，看上去，是一个个的大棒苞，但剥开一看，里边，却是一包黑色的粉面，我们和这样的棒苞叫“灰蓬”，是玉米在生长过程中，受了病长成的。这样的“灰蓬”，我们在远处也能认出来，它，和普通玉米不同的地方，是这种玉米不长“花线”，有的地方叫“玉米胡子”。我们，把这些“灰蓬”弄回家，再弄一点，真正的玉米面，掺在一起，贴饽饽吃，当时也还好吃。
据说，明朝末年，陕西闹大饥荒，人们什么能吃的东西，也找不到了，就吃“观音土”。后来我听人说，“观音土”其实是粘土，我们这里叫“胶泥”。这种“胶泥”，我们也都吃过，因为，吃得不太多，所以，也没有因此闹出人命来。这种泥，要吃干的，叫“胶泥瓣”，饿急了的时候吃一点。
那个时候是很苦，也饿死了一些人，但，现在回过头去想一想，好象饿死的人，不是很多，至少，不象现在传说的那样多。直到有一天，我认识了一个姓张的，60多岁的人，才知道，我想的不对了，他讲的情况，听了让人震惊。老张，是河南信阳人，和我在一个市场卖茶叶，在那个大饥荒的年代里，他们那，可比我们经过的惨多了，他说，他们那有些村，差不多都死光了，同在一个市场的，还有一个信阳人，和老张的村，挨得很近，那年，他去当了兵，复员回来后，家里没有人了，都饿死了，就剩了他一个。
那些年，人们常说的一句话就是：“没有饿死人的政策。”是，确实是没有饿死人的政策，但，却有饿死人的事实！
