Reborn in 78, I made my fortune by working in the mountains, supporting three families on my own.

"Yuanyuan was crying in the yard, I couldn't calm her down, so I rushed over to find you!"

Zhao Lei didn't dare to delay. He hurriedly gave an explanation to Grandpa Liu, then climbed onto the old-fashioned bicycle and pedaled like a madman back to the Heping Brigade.

As soon as I rushed into Zhang Sanpo's yard, I saw Zhao Yuyuan standing in the corner wiping away tears. Her little body was trembling, and she was crying intermittently.

Several neighbors from the village also rushed over upon hearing the news, looking around the yard in bewilderment.

"I just saw two kids playing at the door, how did they suddenly disappear?"

"Could it be that she ran off to play on the edge of the paddy field with the other kids in the village?"

Zhao Lei squatted down, gently touched Zhao Yuyuan's face, and asked softly, suppressing his inner panic.

"Yuanyuan, don't cry. Tell Daddy, where did Little Stone go?"

Zhao Yuyuan's eyes were red from crying, her little shoulders were trembling, and she choked out her reply.

"I...I was playing in the mud...I looked up...and my little brother was gone...I called for him, but he didn't answer..."

Zhao Lei's heart sank completely.

"It's impossible for it to run around on its own."

Zhao Lei looked up at the villagers and said in a deep voice, "Little Stone is only two years old and usually can't be separated from his sister. It's impossible for him to run away on his own."

Upon hearing this, the villagers instantly fell silent, and the relaxation on everyone's faces turned into solemnity.

"Then let's hurry up and look around, maybe it's nearby."

"Yes, yes, let's all look together. Lei Zi, don't rush."

The crowd immediately dispersed, searching along the village entrance, field ridges, paths, riverbanks, and around haystacks.

"Little stone!"

"Zhao Yufeng!"

"Little Stone, where are you?"

The shouts echoed throughout the village, but no matter how hard they searched, there was no trace of the child.

On a country path.

It was the busy afternoon farming season, and the fields were full of villagers working, all engrossed in their tasks, oblivious to the pedestrians on the roadside.

A bald man wearing a tattered straw hat and a coarse cloth jacket was dressed exactly like an ordinary farmer.

With his back bent and head bowed, carrying a large cloth-covered basket on his back, he silently walked along the path between the fields, blending into the crowd of people in the countryside, looking completely inconspicuous.

The basket was tightly covered with a thick cloth, making it completely airtight.

Inside the basket, two-year-old Xiao Shitou lay softly, his little face flushed and his eyes tightly closed. He had been drugged and was fast asleep, making no sound at all.

Baldy avoided crowds and the main road at the village entrance, choosing instead to take secluded paths to successfully bypass the village and enter the quiet surrounding mountains and forests.

Deep in the mountains, Ma Dali leaned against a tree trunk, smoking and waiting.

Seeing the bald man approach, Ma Dali looked up and asked in a low voice, "Did it work?"

The bald-headed henchman quickly stepped forward, put down the basket on his back, and yanked off the thick cloth covering it.

Inside the basket, Little Stone slept peacefully, his face fair and tender, his eyes and brows innocent, completely unaware of his surroundings.

Ma Dali looked down and his eyes lit up instantly. A wildly joyful yet sinister smile appeared on his face, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Great! Well done!"

Ma Dali reached out and gently pinched Xiao Shitou's soft, round face, his tone both greedy and ruthless.

"Damn it, Zhao Lei is living a really good life. He's got all sorts of skills, married three wives, and his kids are all so healthy and well-raised."

"Such a well-behaved little boy, with excellent looks, he could definitely fetch a top price!"

The bald henchman asked in a low voice, "Boss, what's the next step? Take them away directly?"

A fierce, cold light flashed in Ma Dali's eyes.

"Take him away! Take him out of Qingfeng Town first. I want to use this kid to make a lot of money, and I also want to use him to control Zhao Lei."

"Isn't Zhao Lei supposed to be a good fighter, arrogant, and protective of his own? I'll make him taste the pain of losing his son!"

The news of Zhao Lei's child going missing spread quickly.

The Peace Production Brigade was suddenly no longer peaceful.

The entire village was in complete chaos.

Zhao Lei, along with Granny Zhang and her second daughter Zhao Yuyuan, frantically searched along all the paths, field ridges, haystacks, and ditches at the village entrance.

The calls of Little Stone's name echoed throughout the village, reverberating through the mountains and fields.

Four-year-old Zhao Yuyuan cried uncontrollably, still clutching the unfinished clay in her little hands, constantly muttering that she wanted to find her younger brother.

For over an hour, they searched every nook and cranny of the village, but they couldn't find a trace of two-year-old Zhao Yufeng, nor could they hear any response.

The news of the child's sudden disappearance spread like wildfire throughout the entire Peace Brigade.

The first to arrive were the Qin family.

Qin Mancang, the father-in-law, and Chen Xiumei, the mother-in-law, were working in the fields when they heard the news. They didn't even have time to drop their farm tools, and covered in yellow mud, they ran all the way into the village.

Following closely behind were his brother-in-law Qin Dashan and Qin Bowen, whose face was still bruised. The group looked flustered and anxious as they ran to Zhao Lei's side.

Qin Mancang was panting heavily, his voice trembling: "Lei Zi! What happened? Little Stone was perfectly fine, how could he just disappear?"

Chen Xiumei's eyes instantly reddened, her heart filled with anxiety. She looked Zhao Lei up and down, bewildered: "Did the child run off and fall into the ditch? Or was he taken away by a passerby?"

Before Zhao Lei could explain further, the Qin family members immediately turned around and rushed into the fields, the back mountain paths, and the banks of the river, frantically searching while calling out Xiao Shitou's name.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Zongbao arrived with Qin Xiaocui.

The two were resting at home when they heard that the Zhao family's child was missing. They didn't dare to delay for a moment and rushed over to help.

"Brother Lei, don't worry! Let's search the low-lying area and woods to the east. It's secluded there, and children could easily get lost if they hide there!" As soon as Wang Zongbao finished speaking, he immediately led Qin Xiaocui to search the secluded area to the east of the village.

As the news spread, Qin Changlin, a respected old hunter in the village, rushed over. Qin Changlin was familiar with all the mountain paths, dense forests, and hidden corners in the area, having hunted in the mountains year-round. Upon hearing that Xiao Shitou had gone missing, his expression instantly turned serious.

"Lei Zi, don't panic. Maybe the kid just went out to play with other kids nearby. Besides, Xiao Shi Tou is too young; he definitely couldn't have gone far. I'll take some people to check the shallow forest and the grassy areas along the cliffs behind the mountain. Those places are easy to overlook."

After saying that, Qin Changlin immediately led several young villagers to search deep into the dense forest behind the mountain.

Not long after, Qin Dajun arrived in a hurry with his wife Wang Xiaoli and Liu Erwa.

Upon hearing the news, the group members all looked solemn. Having worked alongside Zhao Lei before, they had long regarded him as their most trusted elder brother. Now, upon hearing that the Zhao family was in trouble, they all rushed to his aid immediately.

"Brother Lei! Don't panic! We'll search the main roads outside the village and the river upstream and downstream. We won't give them a chance!"

As soon as Qin Dajun finished speaking, he led his men to quickly disperse and guard all the entrances to the village.

Village officials also rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.

Women's Director Liu Hongxia and Deputy Director Qin Yulan put aside all their village affairs and rushed to the scene. They immediately organized the women left behind in the village and the able-bodied villagers into groups and sections.