At the beginning, he took his seven younger siblings to join Yi Zhonghai.

"Alright then, God hope it's true, and I also hope your older brother is a kind and righteous person who can take care of you a little. You poor kids."

"Go make the call. I'll keep an eye on him for you, don't worry."

Aunt Wang raised her hand and stroked the two little ones' foreheads, speaking with genuine affection.

"Oh, thank you, Auntie."

After thanking him, Yi Zhongding turned and left.

The township committee is not far from his home.

It's only a ten-minute walk.

After all, his house was arranged by the military district and the township committee.

We arrived at the township committee.

Yi Zhongding first found the head of the publicity department who had just visited his home and explained his purpose.

Then he took him to see the township head.

The entire township committee only had one telephone.

The telephone was installed here because a temporary command post for suppressing bandits had been established here.

It's not something anyone can just start fighting.

The township head learned of the situation.

They immediately agreed to help with the search.

He also felt guilty towards the Yi family.

Militia members are not normally required to fight in the mountains.

He was the one who found Yi Shixin to guide the army back then.

Because nobody knew the phone number for the Hongxing No. 3 Steel Rolling Mill.

So the township head personally took to making the calls.

We fought our way up, level by level.

They kept calling the newly established Ministry of Machine Building and the Dongcheng District Office in Beijing.

Both organizations agreed to help locate Yi Zhonghai.

But just making that long-distance call took up a whole day.

It's unclear how long it will take to recover.

"Alright, Dingya, that's all the phone calls can do. They'll get back to us as soon as they've confirmed the situation."

The township head put down the phone and said with a smile.

"Thank you, Uncle Township Head, you've worked hard."

Yi Zhongding stood up and sincerely thanked him.

"Hey, what's so hard about this? Hey, to be honest, I'm the one who wronged your family. If I hadn't found your father, he wouldn't have sacrificed himself, and the pillar of your family wouldn't have fallen."

"The old leader who inspected the area back then gave instructions that we must do our best to help your family solve your living difficulties."

"So don't worry, whether they find the person or not, the township committee won't turn a blind eye to your family's situation. You can take over your mother's job as a propaganda clerk."

"The township committee will continue to provide your younger brother and sister with a living allowance of five dollars each (using the second set of currency) every month until they reach adulthood. After that, their school fees will be waived."

"If your work makes it inconvenient for you to take care of your child, you can bring him/her to the township committee, and we will help take care of him/her."

The township head held his hand and said with heartfelt sincerity.

"My father sacrificed himself for the peaceful and stable life of the people. How can you say that you have let my family down? If anyone should be blamed, it should be those bandits."

"You have already sacrificed so much for our family."

Yi Zhongding also showed his true feelings.

"Good child, I know your grades are excellent, and you're a sure thing to get into high school next year. Even getting into university later isn't out of the question. Do you still want to continue your studies?"

The township head suddenly asked another question.

"No, Uncle Township Head, given my family's situation, I can't continue my studies in peace. This is how fate has arranged things. The sky isn't going to fall, so we'll just have to get through it. It's not a big deal."

Yi Zhongding smiled rather nonchalantly.

"Haha, well done! That sounds impressive. Don't worry, with you here, the sky won't fall down."

Upon hearing this, the township head laughed heartily and patted him on the shoulder.

"Uncle Township Head, I won't disturb your work any longer. I'll go outside and wait. Call me when you have any news."

Yi Zhongding glanced at the clock on the wall. Almost two hours had passed since he made the call, and he felt bad about wasting any more time.

"Okay, you go home and take care of your younger siblings first. You know this place well. There's nothing else. This bottle of malted milk powder is a token of my appreciation. Take it back and give it to the younger ones."

The township head nodded and took out a bottle of malted milk powder from under his desk and handed it to him.

Yi Zhongding couldn't refuse, so he accepted it.

I'm getting ready to go home.

I saw Aunt Wang playing with a few kids downstairs at the township committee building.

He was too lazy to go back.

Just wait for news here.

There was still no reply by lunchtime.

He then realized that his concern had clouded his judgment.

What era is it now?

How could I possibly get a phone call back so quickly?

It's not like the communication networks of later generations.

So he went straight home and cooked.

The township committee does not have a canteen.

After all, this town only has three or four thousand people.

The township committee only has a few dozen people.

Everyone lives nearby.

After get off work, I can just go home for dinner.

It continued until the afternoon of the following day.

Aunt Wang rushed home to tell him to go to the township committee to answer the phone.

"Dingya, the township head said that the Third Steel Rolling Mill in Beijing and some alley have been connected, and there is indeed a person named Yi Zhonghai."

"But I don't know if it's your older brother. Hurry up and answer it, the line is busy."

"Okay, I'll be right there. Could you watch the kids for me for a bit?"

"Don't worry, don't worry, go ahead."

Yi Zhongding was extremely excited and ran towards the township committee.

at the same time.

The Third Steel Rolling Mill in Beijing, Factory Office.

A middle-aged man with a buzz cut and an honest-looking face rubbed his hands together and paced back and forth.

His eyes gleamed with expectation and anxiety.

He was still muttering to himself.

"Yi Zhongding? That's the name of my fourth uncle's son. That little baby Dingya back then, it has to be you. I've been looking for you for so long. I thought I was the only one left in the Yi family."

"Ding Ya Zi, it's you, it must be you. If it really is you, no matter where you are, your big brother will definitely find you and bring you home."

......

The middle-aged man's eyes were fixed on the phone, his hands clasped together and raised to his forehead, bowing repeatedly.

"Master Yi, sit down and wait. They said they'd be here in a few minutes. You've made me dizzy."

The factory office clerk poured him a glass of water and offered him some advice.

"I'm so sorry, please bear with me. I can't sit still. Our family has been scattered ever since the Huayuankou dike broke in 1938. I finally got news of a relative, and I... I'm so anxious."

The middle-aged man took the water with trembling hands and said urgently.

Upon hearing this, the factory office clerk did not try to persuade him further and sat back down.

Just then.

The phone on the table rang.

The man quickly stepped forward to answer the call.

But the clerk picked up the phone first: "Red Star Third Steel Rolling Mill"

"Please help me find Yi Zhonghai in Songluo Township, Shennongjia."

"He's right next to me, just wait a moment."

......

"Hello, this is Yi Zhonghai. Are you Ding Yazi?"

"I am Yi Zhongding. Do you know Yi Shidan from Weishi County, Henan Province?"

"Yes, I know him. That's my father. You're Dingya, the eldest son of Fourth Uncle Yi Shixin, right?"

"Yes, he's my father, big brother. We've finally found you! You're the first relative we've found in all these years."

"Hey, little brother, little brother, you're the first relative I've found in all these years. I've been looking for you all this time, I've been looking for you all this time. I even went back to my hometown, but there was no one left in the village."

"Brother, my parents are gone. My mother told me on her deathbed that she had just heard about you and asked me to find you. I... I finally got in touch with you."

"Little brother, don't be afraid, we're not afraid. Big brother will come to find you right away. Big brother has a job and a house in Beijing. Big brother can support you. I'll come pick you up right away. Tell me your address."

"Brother, let me explain the situation first. My parents have eight children, including me. The other seven were born after we settled down in Shennongjia. They are all still very young, the youngest being only 2 years old. If you feel it's a heavy burden, just pretend we've never been in contact."

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is rubbish. I can afford to raise you, not just eight, but eighty. I have a high salary. You are my only family. I will bring you here and raise you even if I have to eat chaff and wild vegetables. Dingya, you and your younger siblings wait for me."

"Then please write down the address and phone number, and I'll tell you how to get here."

"Okay, okay, I'll write it down. I'll go buy the train tickets right away. You guys wait for me, I'll be there soon."

......

After a brief but lengthy conversation, the two brothers reluctantly hung up the phone.