轉載-饑荒年代：無法忘卻的記憶-English

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!

   抗日戰爭時，日軍得到了楊靖宇。他們很奇怪，在什麽能吃的東西，都沒有的茫茫的林海中，抗日聯軍，是靠吃什麽活下來的呢？帶著這個，百思不得其解的疑問，他們解剖了楊靖宇將軍。解剖後，他們，發現楊靖宇的胃裏，竟然都是枯草、樹皮和棉絮。這個結果，當然很讓日軍震驚，這些入侵者，麵對的是這樣頑強抵抗的中國人，他們，怎麽可能在這裏站住腳呢？從另一個角度看，這個事實，又說明了人生命力的頑強，連這些東西都能吃了，可想而知，人，在極度饑餓的情況下，還有什麽不能吃呢？
  
   經過大饑荒的人，都可能得出一個結論，越是鬧饑荒，能吃的東西就越多，怕，就怕到了那個時候，什麽東西也找不到。我在《依依百草情》中，曾經說了，我們吃百草的情況，其實，我不可能將我們所吃的，所有草和野菜，都一一寫出來，沒寫的更多。在那個年代，除了野菜，樹皮，樹葉等外，還有許多；許多的東西，我們都吃過。那些東西，即使讓現在的人，哪怕隻是嚐上一點點，他們，也會死活不幹的。有一個人，向別人吹牛說：“就沒有我，沒吃過的飯，也沒有我，沒去過的地方。”有人就和他抬扛說：“我說個地方，你就肯定沒去過，你服嗎？”吹牛的人說：“不服，你說吧，哪，我沒去過？”抬扛的人說：“你去過‘望鄉台’嗎？”吹牛的人傻眼了，說：“那個地方，當然沒去過呀。”“我說一樣飯，你也沒吃過，你服嗎？”吹牛的人，不敢說不服了，隻說：“你說吧。”“你也沒吃過‘倒頭飯’，對吧？”
  
   “倒頭飯”是人死後，在靈前供的飯，他當然沒吃過了。這隻是在說笑話，其實，在那個鬧饑荒的年代裏，我們所吃的飯，隨便說出幾樣，現在四十歲往下的人，就都沒吃過。

  
   我們這裏的1958年，是個大豐收的年頭，記得那年的秋天，地裏的山芋（紅薯）長得特別的好，隨隨便便的刨上一墩，就有五、六塊，一二斤重的大山芋。老人們都說，從來，沒有見過收成這麽好的。但是，豐產卻不能豐收，那個時候大躍進，幹什麽講個“多、快、好、省”，於是，上邊下來了指示，山芋，不能用四齒刨，那樣太慢，沒有工作效律，要用梨耕，耕出來，讓婦女孩子再往一起拾。這樣，許多山芋被梨片切開了，一部分被切斷的山芋，留在了土裏。運回後，就要儲存過冬，這時，上邊，又下來了指示，改變，過去落後的儲存方法，要挖二米寬，三米長的坑，把山芋放下去，再用土埋好。到了第二年，所有的山芋，都被漚成肥了，刨出來，是粘糊糊的一堆。糧食上交了，山芋被漚成肥了，人們沒有吃的了，大家，要另想辦法活著了。
  
   春天的風沙，不斷地，把地上的土，一層層地剝蝕。頭一年，用耕地的方法刨山芋，被切斷留在地裏的部分，經過了一個冬天，在風沙的作用下，露出了地麵。有的露出一點點，有的露出大半個，有的，全部裸露在外麵。這些山芋，在地裏，已經被冬壞，再被風沙吹幹，按說，是一點也不能吃了，但，我們餓，沒有辦法，就去拾這些幹山芋吃。有好一點的，我們，就在地裏啃著吃，拿回家的，我們把它磨成麵，烙餅子吃。這種餅子，又苦又辣，實在難吃，現在想起來，大概和吃中藥的滋味，差不多吧。每到吃飯時，大人們就說，不要總在嘴裏嚼，不要咂滋味，要快點咽下去，這樣吃，就好一點了。
  
   春天的日子，很難熬，過了春天，地裏的野菜，就多起來了，能吃的東西也多了，我們寧可吃野菜，也不願吃那種苦餅子。到了伏天，地裏的玉米，長到比人高了，玉米上邊的穗子，長出來了。我們，就到地裏去打“賤頭”，這是當地的叫法，它，在生物學上，叫什麽我也不知道，但，我知道它，其實是玉米杆上長的一種菌，大的有拳頭大，小的比乒乓球大一點點。這種“賤頭”很好吃。要是在嫩的時候采收，吃剩的，還可以曬幹，留著以後吃。那些年這種東西很多，救了很多的人。
  
   在那個季節裏，每當下過雨後兩、三天，地裏，就有很多未成年的孩子背著筐，在玉米地裏，穿來穿去，找這種“賤頭”，現在，我到地裏去的不多了，不知道，是不是還有這些東西。“賤頭”的吃法很簡單，放在鍋裏煮熟，撈出來切成塊，再放一點鹽，這樣我們就很喜歡吃。
  
   到了秋天，地裏的玉米，開始灌漿的時候，我們，又找到了新食物。有些玉米，看上去，是一個個的大棒苞，但剝開一看，裏邊，卻是一包黑色的粉麵，我們和這樣的棒苞叫“灰蓬”，是玉米在生長過程中，受了病長成的。這樣的“灰蓬”，我們在遠處也能認出來，它，和普通玉米不同的地方，是這種玉米不長“花線”，有的地方叫“玉米胡子”。我們，把這些“灰蓬”弄回家，再弄一點，真正的玉米麵，摻在一起，貼餑餑吃，當時也還好吃。
  
   據說，明朝末年，陝西鬧大饑荒，人們什麽能吃的東西，也找不到了，就吃“觀音土”。後來我聽人說，“觀音土”其實是粘土，我們這裏叫“膠泥”。這種“膠泥”，我們也都吃過，因為，吃得不太多，所以，也沒有因此鬧出人命來。這種泥，要吃幹的，叫“膠泥瓣”，餓急了的時候吃一點。
  
   那個時候是很苦，也餓死了一些人，但，現在回過頭去想一想，好象餓死的人，不是很多，至少，不象現在傳說的那樣多。直到有一天，我認識了一個姓張的，60多歲的人，才知道，我想的不對了，他講的情況，聽了讓人震驚。老張，是河南信陽人，和我在一個市場賣茶葉，在那個大饑荒的年代裏，他們那，可比我們經過的慘多了，他說，他們那有些村，差不多都死光了，同在一個市場的，還有一個信陽人，和老張的村，挨得很近，那年，他去當了兵，複員回來後，家裏沒有人了，都餓死了，就剩了他一個。
  
   那些年，人們常說的一句話就是：“沒有餓死人的政策。”是，確實是沒有餓死人的政策，但，卻有餓死人的事實！