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

The two arranged manpower in an orderly manner. Some people were responsible for searching the village lanes, some were responsible for searching the fields and ridges, and some were guarding the village entrance and questioning passers-by. In an instant, a tight search network was formed throughout the village.

Within half an hour, the entire Peace Brigade was mobilized.

Villagers working in the fields stopped their farm work, while those resting at home came out of their houses. The elderly led the way to search for hidden corners, young people ran long distances, and women called out along the way to find people.

In the mountains, villages, by the river, and along the roadside, the sounds of people calling for Little Stone could be heard everywhere. The noise was deafening, yet filled with anxiety, and the entire village was completely enveloped in a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

All the villagers volunteered to help; no one shirked or backed down, and everyone did their best.

At that moment, everyone could clearly see that Zhao Lei's connections and prestige in the village were far beyond what ordinary people could compare to.

Zhao Lei is a righteous and fair person who helps his neighbors and fellow villagers, helps people make money, mediates disputes, and treats every relative and neighbor with kindness.

Now that the Zhao family is in trouble, the whole village is helping them without hesitation. No one is standing by; everyone is eager to help.

Zhao Lei stood at the village entrance, looking at the people searching in all directions, his heart filled with gratitude.

But the anxiety and resentment in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

How can he explain the lost child to Su Wanqing?

At this moment, in the commune clinic.

Su Wanqing and Li Qingsong, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, were busy treating villagers and dispensing medicine.

Several villagers were still waiting in line at the clinic; everything was peaceful and calm.

Just then, a villager from the village rushed into the clinic with a panicked expression, his voice frantic and hoarse.

"Dr. Su! Something's happened! Your little Shitou is missing! He disappeared without a trace at the village entrance, and the whole village has been searching for him for over an hour, but they can't find him anywhere!"

The moment those words were spoken, Su Wanqing shuddered violently and froze completely.

Little Stone is Su Wanqing's biological child, the child whom Su Wanqing raised day and night.

Su Wanqing's mind went blank, her ears were ringing, and her vision was blurring.

It felt as if all the strength had been forcibly drained from my body, and I instantly lost my balance.

The news that her child, who was playing happily in front of her house, had vanished into thin air in a short time was like a bolt from the blue, shattering Su Wanqing's mind.

Li Qingsong, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor who has practiced medicine for decades and is usually calm and composed, changed his expression drastically upon hearing this and immediately stood up.

"How could this happen! How could a two-year-old child just vanish into thin air!"

The villagers who were there for medical treatment were also in an uproar.

Li Qingsong, without having time to see the remaining patients, immediately got up, closed the medicine cabinet, and locked the clinic door.

All the villagers waiting for treatment understood, and no one complained. The child's disappearance was a huge deal, and everyone was anxious.

Li Qingsong accompanied the distraught Su Wanqing, and the two ran quickly back towards the Peace Brigade.

Along the way, villagers were everywhere, running around searching for their children and calling out their names.

Many villagers saw Su Wanqing, who was pale and unsteady on her feet, and tried to comfort her.

"Dr. Su, don't worry, the whole village is helping to search, we're sure to find Little Stone!"

"We've searched every corner of the fields and are still looking; we won't miss a single spot!"

The comforting words did nothing to soothe Su Wanqing's broken spirit. Su Wanqing kept crying and her steps were hurried as she rushed home with all her might.

After running all the way, Su Wanqing finally saw Zhao Lei standing at the entrance of the village, his eyes bloodshot.

After just over an hour of searching, Zhao Lei was already on edge, his body radiating anger, and his face was filled with exhaustion and deep guilt.

Zhao Lei knew perfectly well that someone in the village had been deliberately targeting his family recently, and he had clearly told his family to be extra careful, yet his youngest child still got into an accident.

Seeing Su Wanqing rushing over with tears streaming down her face, Zhao Lei's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice hoarse, filled with remorse.

"Wanqing, it's my fault for not taking good care of the child."

Su Wanqing couldn't hold back any longer. She grabbed Zhao Lei's arm tightly and burst into tears, her sobs heart-wrenching.

"Where is Little Stone... We must find Little Stone... My child cannot be harmed..."

Seeing Su Wanqing trembling with tears, Zhao Lei felt as if his heart was being torn apart. Heartache, self-blame, and anger intertwined, making it hard for him to breathe.

Zhao Lei gritted his teeth, suppressing all the panic in his heart. His eyes were filled with determination. He secretly vowed that even if he had to search the entire mountain forest and traverse all the surrounding villages and towns, he must find the little stone.

Qin Bowen, standing to the side, looked grave and, seeing the two of them in such a state, couldn't help but speak up.

"Brother-in-law, we can't panic anymore. I think it's very strange that Xiao Shitou went missing this time. Besides, the child is right under our noses, how could he suddenly disappear from the whole village? I think he must have been deliberately taken away."

This statement completely shattered any remaining hope.

Upon hearing this, everyone present felt a chill in their hearts.

Everyone looked at Zhao Lei, waiting for him to make a decision.

But at this moment, Zhao Lei was deeply mired in self-blame and anxiety.

The person involved was confused; his usually calm and composed thoughts were completely thrown into disarray, his mind was in chaos, and for a moment he didn't know where to start.

"Bowen, if what you're saying is true, does that mean human traffickers have come to our village?"

Wang Zhongbao suddenly voiced a conjecture from the side.

These words, once spoken, immediately stirred up a huge uproar.

Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines; this would be the worst possible outcome.

In reality, after searching for so long without finding any trace of the child, everyone already had some suspicions, but they just didn't want to think the worst.

When Wang Zhongbao pointed it out, everyone's emotions plummeted to their lowest point.

"Human traffickers?"

Zhao Lei was suddenly shocked, realizing that it was indeed possible.

Because there is no Skynet in this day and age, and no surveillance cameras around, as long as no one is around, you can do it without anyone noticing.

At that time, even getting electricity was difficult, and every household had a problem getting electricity, let alone installing cameras everywhere.

Moreover, the preference for sons over daughters was still quite strong in this era. Xiao Shitou and Yuanyuan were playing together, so why was it that only Xiao Shitou was missing?

Moreover, Xiao Shitou's age is exactly the age range that human traffickers target.

At two years old, not too big or too small, they are usually sold elsewhere and raised for ten or twenty years until they no longer recognize their original family.

Because people's memories of what they had before the age of two or three are very vague during the process of growing up.

With the world changing so much, many people have returned to their hometowns where dirt roads have become paved roads, tiled houses have become apartment buildings, and various infrastructure projects have completely changed the landscape. Most people can no longer remember their past when they were two or three years old.

Therefore, it is highly likely that Wang Zhongbao mentioned that Xiao Shitou might have been abducted by human traffickers.

So what should we do next?

Zhao Lei scratched his head and slapped his forehead hard, trying to come up with a solution as soon as possible.