Ancheng is located in the central part of China, where the climate is hot and arid year-round. Anlong County, nestled deep in the Funiu Mountains, only recently completed a cross-regional water supply project with the help of the government, which has solved the major problem of "difficulty in accessing drinking water" in remote mountainous areas.

On the mountain road, a dozen small dark figures slowly walked up the winding dirt road, and the leader would occasionally use a walkie-talkie to urge the people behind to keep up.

The search team of more than a dozen people is composed of a variety of people, including local police officers, local residents, and volunteers from the "Baby Come Home" volunteer association.

"Sister Wang, have some water. Wangjia Village in Anlong County is just ahead, but the mountain road is too steep for us to drive in, so we can only walk."

The speaker was a young man wearing a red vest and a badge that read "Baby Come Home" Volunteer Association. He was holding up a bottle of mineral water and handing it to Wang Lan.

"I'm not thirsty, please give the water to everyone."

Wearing a windbreaker, Wang Lan shook her head. Her short hair was haphazardly tied back with a hair tie, and she was wearing gray sneakers and carrying a black fanny pack. She looked nothing like the sophisticated and dignified woman she was at the company.

Another volunteer quickly caught up and pointed to the village in the distance:

“Sister Wang, we have a clear understanding of the situation in the village. The third household at the east entrance of the village, Wang Fugui’s family, has a six-year-old grandson. Officer Zhang said that the grandson has a red mole on his eyelid, which is very consistent with Lele’s symbol. Moreover, we have completed the DNA comparison based on the DNA information you provided, and the child’s DNA has indeed matched Shi Lele’s.”

Wang Lan didn't speak, but gently touched the black pouch at her waist. The closer she got to the village, the brighter the branches of the maze inside became, which gave Wang Lan a lot of confidence.

A middle-aged man in plain clothes with an upright expression nodded and whispered a reminder:

"Ms. Wang, we'll make an excuse to come to your home for a census. You can use this opportunity to confirm if your child is home. If you're 100% sure, you should take your child and run away as soon as possible. The locals are quite tough, and things could get out of hand if things escalate."

One of the less knowledgeable volunteers couldn't help but ask in bewilderment, "Aren't we here to find abducted children? Why are we having to sneak around like thieves?"

Another plainclothes policeman gave a wry smile and helplessly shrugged:

“Don’t underestimate this remote village. The more remote the village, the more united the villagers are. It’s not an easy thing for us to take someone out of the village. Back in 2002, when we were catching fugitives in the Funiu Mountains, as soon as they heard that the police were arresting people, the whole village came out with their farm tools. You’ll be ours in a bit. After you confirm the child’s identity, take the child away quickly. Don’t linger, or you won’t be able to leave once the villagers realize what’s happening.”

The volunteer association had dealt with these "buyers" before, so experienced volunteers immediately chimed in:

"Yes, let Xiao Liu and the others drive the car down the mountain to wait for us. Once we pick up Lele, we'll run. They won't be able to catch up. Don't you believe me? We've encountered college students who were trafficked to villages before. When we took them away, the whole village blocked the police car and wouldn't let them leave."

"ah?"

"This is just too... you know."

Some volunteers couldn't help but gasp in surprise, but they still obediently went down the mountain to drive their cars. Officer Zhang, fearing something might happen, found a few more volunteers to meet them at the village entrance.

...

...

The group walked silently into the village, and soon they saw a large stone standing at the village entrance. Next to the stone, several naked children were urinating and playing in the mud.

The group made a point of entering the village early in the morning. At this time, only the elderly and children remained in each household, as the young and middle-aged people had gone to the fields to cultivate the land. Therefore, under Officer Zhang's guidance, the group easily found Wang Fugui's house.

Officer Zhang knocked on the door, and soon a heavily pregnant woman answered it.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Hehe, ma'am, I'm Xiao Zhang from Shilongzi Police Station at the foot of the mountain. I'm here today to conduct a population census. Are you home alone right now?"

Officer Zhang explained in the local dialect, which finally put the pregnant woman at ease. She then turned to the back and said:

“My father-in-law and the man went to work in the fields. It’s just me, my mother-in-law, and my son at home. Gou Dan? Gou Dan? Don’t do the laundry yet, go boil some water.”

No sooner had the words been spoken than a little boy of about four or five years old ran out of the backyard. His face was dirty, and he was wearing a baggy gray shirt—it was almost autumn, yet the child was barefoot.

The little boy's face lacked any childlike vitality; instead, he resembled a numb old man, skillfully tiptoeing to scoop water from the water vat, burn firewood, and build a fire. It was clear that this was his usual job.

"This is my son, Gou Dan. Officers, you're not here to investigate whether we've violated the one-child policy, are you? Let me tell you, I adopted him from outside, he's not my child. Can we not fine him?"

The woman touched her belly, looking somewhat worried, but everyone could tell that she wasn't worried about the baby.

Wang Lan's tears welled up instantly. Although the child's face was dirty and she couldn't recognize any features, the bond between mother and child was strong, and she recognized him almost instantly—this was her Lele!

The little boy, after boiling the water, glanced at Wang Lan with some confusion, clearly not understanding why this strange aunt was crying in front of him. But he still obediently returned to his original spot and began washing the pile of clothes at his feet.

Officer Zhang glanced at Wang Lan discreetly, and after receiving confirmation, he immediately gave a wink to his colleague. One of them spoke to distract the other, while the other picked up Lele and ran away!

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