But we didn't know whether she was still alive, nor did we know the escape route of her fellow villagers. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. We didn't find your mother until the complete victory.

After the country was at peace, I submitted a report to the organization to transfer to civilian work, because I knew that if I stayed in the base, I would never find your mother.

After I was demobilized, I became the mayor of Suzhou. I mobilized all the connections I could and asked them to help me look for her all over the country, but I still couldn't find her.

The thing I regret most now is changing back to my original name after the victory.

If I were still called Xiao Pingkou, Qingqing would be able to find me easily if she asked the local armed forces for help, right? After all, there are only a few thousand division-level cadres in the entire country.

I never thought that I, who had been so smart all my life, would make such a low-level mistake at the most critical moment."

Xiao Qingyang pounded his chest in regret.

"Grandpa, don't get excited, maybe fate is playing a joke on us.

Everything has two sides. It’s not entirely a bad thing that you didn’t find my mother. At least it’s definitely not a bad thing for Xiaoxiao and me.

In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, my mother was only fourteen or fifteen years old. If she had returned to you then, wouldn't we not exist?"

Yang Baiyi didn't say anything else. You have all worked yourselves to the farm. If mother comes back to you, we will either break off relations with you or follow you to the farm to suffer. The uncle next to you is a living example.

PS: Even cadres of Xiao Qingyang's level have special guards when they are demoted. The author wrote this just because the plot requires it.