Mao sent his men in several directions trying to confuse Chiang. Chiang had between 500,000 and 750,000 men on the chessboard to prevent Mao from escaping north across the Yangzi. The KMT leader sent men to this place and that to defend where he thought Mao would attack next. A feint was made to Guiyang and KMT forces were sent to defend that city. A feint was made to Kunming and KMT forces were sent to defend that city. In fact, the Red Army was everywhere. Probably never before or afterward has it been so scattered, moving simultaneously in so many directions. Red Army forces were, by this time, down to 20,000 men. The feints succeeded in opening a way for the Red Army to cross the Golden Sands River, a tributary of the Yangzi.

Zhang Chaoman helped ferry the Red Army across the Golden Sands River. Fifty years later at 71 he is still a ferryman.