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

"The two children were playing in the mud in the yard when, in the blink of an eye, Xiao Shitou disappeared, while Yuanyuan remained where she was. We searched everywhere in the village, but there was still no trace of Xiao Shitou. Brother Lei instructed me to go to the town immediately to investigate."

Upon learning that her daughter was safe and sound, Jiang Xinyue's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

But the devastating news of Little Stone's disappearance still broke her heart and left her extremely anxious.

She quickly calmed herself down, forcing herself to remain rational, and immediately said to the two of them, "Zongbao, Xiaocui, don't worry about me, hurry to town and investigate the clues as quickly as possible! I'm going home right away!"

Seeing her pale face and unsteady gait, Wang Zongbao asked worriedly, "Sister-in-law, are you really alright?"

"I'm fine!"

Jiang Xinyue shook her head vigorously, her tone urgent: "I can't help the town. I need to go home and check on things right away. You all need to hurry, don't delay!"

"Okay! Sister-in-law, please stay calm. Our whole village is searching with all our might, and we will never give up on Little Stone! I will not come back until I find the child!"

Wang Zongbao nodded emphatically and then beckoned Qin Xiaocui to get into the car.

Qin Xiaocui quickly reassured her, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, we'll go to the town's bus station right now to keep watch and investigate!"

"Hurry! Make sure you have plenty of time!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Zongbao, carrying Qin Xiaocui, sped off on his bicycle towards the town.

Watching the two leave, Jiang Xinyue didn't dare to linger and ran home as fast as she could.

She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. After traveling for a long time under the scorching sun, her legs were sore and weak, and she even staggered.

But the extreme anxiety in her heart kept her from stopping for even a moment.

Child abduction by human traffickers is a common occurrence in this day and age.

Every year, children mysteriously disappear in villages and towns. Due to the passage of time and the lack of surveillance footage, once abducted, finding them becomes extremely difficult.

The only hope lies in the golden hours after the disappearance, a race against time to search everywhere.

Jiang Xinyue hurried along while silently praying in her heart, repeating the prayer over and over again.

Little Stone, please don't get hurt, please don't let anything happen to you.

What would normally be a journey of more than forty minutes, she rushed home in just over twenty minutes, driven by sheer determination, combining brisk walking and jogging.

Along the way, villagers could be seen searching everywhere.

On the ridges of the fields, by the roads, and beside the woods, everyone was calling out Little Stone's name again and again, their voices hoarse and filled with anxiety.

Every call confirmed the fact that the child was missing, and it also tore at Jiang Xinyue's heart.

Villagers passing by offered words of comfort, telling her that the whole village was doing their best to search for her and that she should go home first to comfort her family.

The joy I felt upon starting work at the textile factory vanished completely at that moment.

Her heart was filled with endless anxiety and worry.

She rushed to her door and shoved the gate open.

"Bang!"

The courtyard gate opened in response.

Only Su Wanqing, Granny Zhang, and Zhao Yuyuan were inside the house.

Su Wanqing and Zhao Yuyuan had red, teary eyes, clearly having just cried for a long time, their eyes filled with despair and helplessness.

When the three saw Jiang Xinyue returning in a hurry, they all looked up at her. In the instant their eyes met, they understood each other perfectly.

Jiang Xinyue already knew the devastating news of Xiao Shitou's disappearance.

Jiang Xinyue suppressed her panic and quickly stepped forward, gently comforting her, "Wanqing, don't panic. I saw it all along the way; the whole village is helping us find our child. Everyone is doing their best."

In the critical moment, she did not think of her own daughter first, but instead comforted the distraught Su Wanqing immediately.

Little Stone is Su Wanqing's biological child. She is the one who suffers the most pain and torment when her child goes missing.

At this moment, Su Wanqing was in extremely poor condition, trembling all over and sobbing uncontrollably.

Zhang Sanpo, standing to the side, was filled with self-reproach and regret, repeatedly slapping her own face.

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap echoed inside the room.

"It's all my fault! It's all my fault, you old woman!"

"Wanqing, Xinyue, it's all my fault. My eyesight is failing, and I didn't take good care of the children!"

Granny Zhang raised her hand, ready to continue slapping herself in self-reproach.

Jiang Xinyue rushed forward, grabbed her arm tightly, and hurriedly stopped her: "Third Aunt, don't do this! This isn't your fault!"

Granny Zhang was in tears, shaking her head repeatedly in self-reproach: "How can it not be my fault? It's all my fault!"

"If Little Stone really can't be found, how can I face Lei Zi! How can I face Wan Qing! This old woman of mine will have no face to show anyone!"

Jiang Xinyue sighed and comforted her, "Third Aunt, there's no use talking about this now. This isn't the time to assign blame. The most important thing right now is to find the child. Think carefully, were there any strangers or other people wandering around nearby at the time?"

Jiang Xinyue has calmed down.

She could clearly see the state of the people in the room: Yuanyuan was crying uncontrollably because her younger brother was missing, and her little heart was full of self-blame;

Su Wanqing was the most anxious after losing her child; her eyes were red from crying, and she was completely disoriented.

Zhang Sanpo was also deeply mired in endless self-blame.

Having seen many storms, Jiang Xinyue calmed herself and began to sort out the clues.

Granny Zhang was still filled with regret: "Oh dear, Xinyue, I went to collect the salted vegetables that were drying outside, I never expected this to happen. What if Little Stone really can't be found..."

Jiang Xinyue reached out and grabbed Zhang Sanpo's withered hand, gently shaking her arm: "Sanpo, calm down. Now is not the time to blame yourself. Think about it carefully."

"Oh dear, Xinyue, my brain... I wasn't paying attention, and I didn't see anyone around..."

As Granny Zhang was speaking, she suddenly stopped and hissed.

"Wait! It seems like I saw someone walk past the front of your old house before the incident."

Jiang Xinyue immediately perked up: "Third Aunt, what did that person look like?"

Granny Zhang scratched her head, trying hard to remember.

She was far away at the time and didn't take a close look. She only glanced at it briefly while the salted vegetables were drying, assuming it was just a villager working in the fields, and didn't pay it any mind.

Now that her child is lost, she desperately tries to recall, racking her brains for a long time, and finally remembers a detail:

"Oh, right, Xinyue, I couldn't see her face clearly, but I remember that person was wearing a hat and carrying a backpack on her back."

"A backpack?" Jiang Xinyue's heart skipped a beat.

The child disappeared into thin air. In the Heping Brigade area, most villagers knew Xiao Shitou. If someone carried the child across the road, it would be easy for others to notice something was amiss and leave clues.

The whole village has been searching for so long without finding a trace, so the child is very likely being hidden.

The baby carrier fits perfectly. If you put a two-year-old in it, as long as the child doesn't cry, who would guess that the baby carrier isn't filled with hay, but with a child?

Jiang Xinyue quickly asked, "Third Aunt, can you see anything inside that bag?"