Chapter 297: Recognizing Kin

"My name is Yi Jiabao," Yi Jiabao said, a vague guess forming in his heart regarding Qi Qingbei's reaction, though he was not certain.

"Alright, alright, you all wait a moment, don't leave."

Qi Qingbei was almost certain that this was the child who had been abducted years ago, belonging to his clansman and older brother, Qi Qingshan.

However, the couple was a bit deranged now, and he did not know if they could still recognize their own child.

Qi Qingbei brought everyone close to Qi Qingshan to the Brigade Headquarters in one go, and many busybodies followed along as well; seeing Yi Jiabao's appearance, they were all in disbelief.

"This..."

"Isn't this exactly what Qingshan looked like when he was young?"

"Yes, it's too similar."

"Child, where is my child?"

An elderly woman, somewhat deranged, rushed into the crowd, locked eyes with Yi Jiabao instantly, stepped forward, grabbed Yi Jiabao, and burst into tears.

"Child, my child."

Yi Jiabao seemed to be able to feel that surge of blood-related affection; he did not push the disheveled woman away, but instead hugged her back.

"Brother Jiabao, you this..." When Yi Jiabao and his sister were adopted, Jia Donglai was still young and did not have much of an impression.

The other educated youths were also bewildered; how did a perfectly normal trip to the countryside turn into a large-scale family reunion scene?

"Child..." The disheveled woman fell asleep just like that in Yi Jiabao's arms, still murmuring in her mouth.

Yi Jiabao carried her into the room, settled her on the bed, and then came out.

"Uncle Qingbei, I would like to ask what is going on." At this moment, Yi Jiabao was in the Brigade Headquarters office; except for Jia Donglai, the room was surrounded by people from Qi Family Village.

Although Yi Jiabao knew he was adopted, his memories of the past were very blurry.

"Child, tell me the truth, are you the biological child of your father and mother?"

Before Yi Jiabao could answer, he was interrupted by a hurried voice, and the office door was pushed open.

"Brother Qingbei, where is my sister-in-law? Where is the child of my older brother's family?" Qi Qinghai limped in, carrying a disheveled old man with vacant eyes on his back.

Yi Jiabao looked at the person who had arrived and his body jolted; this person looked five or six parts similar to him. He then looked at the person on his back, whose face was obscured by stubble.

"It can't be wrong, it absolutely can't be wrong. By the looks of it, you are definitely my older brother's child, Tongli. No, wait, where is your sister, Tongli?"

"Qinghai, don't get excited yet, you are still injured yourself. Put your brother down first. Young man, my question from just now, you..."

"I was indeed adopted, and I have a sister. When I was three years old, our siblings were adopted by our current father and mother at an orphanage."

"Wow~" The crowd exploded; there was no doubt now.

"It really is Qingshan's."

"I knew it."

"Qinghai, hurry and tell the young man what happened."

Actually, everyone knew the story; back then, Qi Qingshan and his wife took their two children to visit relatives, and they accidentally lost the children at the station.

The two searched like madmen for three or four years, but there was no news. The two were exhausted, and combined with their guilt, they became muddled, and later even mentally unstable.

If it hadn't been for the care of his younger brother Qi Qinghai's family all these years, they would have likely starved to death long ago.

"Right, there is one more point that can prove your identity. My older brother told me that you have a circular birthmark on the inside of your left leg."

Yi Jiabao had actually already confirmed it just now, and now that the birthmark was mentioned, there was no more doubt.

"Sec, Second Uncle."

"Hey, alright, alright, good, good. Older brother, did you hear that? It's Tongli who has returned." Qi Qinghai, a man nearly thirty, could not help but shed tears.

"This..." Jia Donglai could not quite believe everything before his eyes.

Yang Qingmei, who had been placed in the room by Yi Jiabao, woke up in a daze. She felt as if she had had a very, very long dream; she was clearer than ever before, and she remembered seeing her grown son just now.

"Son, my son."

"Mother." Hearing the commotion, Yi Jiabao was the first to come out of the office.

"Son, it really is my son. It was Mother who failed you back then, losing you both. Mother has searched for you so bitterly all these years."

"Mother."

The mother and son wept in each other's arms; many young women in the village wiped away tears when they saw this scene.

They often saw Yang Qingmei crazily holding a pillow and coaxing it like a child; now, Heaven had eyes, and she had finally waited for her child to return.

"Tongli, where is your sister?"

"My sister is in Sijiucheng. She is doing very well. This is her partner," Yi Jiabao said, pointing at Jia Donglai.

"Uh... hello, Auntie."

"Alright, alright, alright. You have all grown up, it's truly good. I have no regrets if I can see you both before I leave."

"Mother, what do you mean? Mother, don't scare me."

"Mother knows her own body, don't worry, child. Can you call your sister back? I want to see her."

"Alright, alright, alright, I will call her over right now."

"Brother Jiabao, don't be anxious, I will go. Uncle Qingbei, is there a telephone here?"

"No, you have to go to the Commune. Come, I will take you."

"Okay."

"Brother Jiabao, my uncle gave me many Pills, and they all have instructions. You watch and give Auntie two of them."

"Right, right, right, how could I forget that."

At the Guying Commune Post and Telecommunications Bureau, Jia Donglai called Jia Dongxu directly.

"Alright, alright, wait six or seven minutes and call back. I'm going to go call Uncle Yi right now."

Outside the Fitter Workshop, Jia Dongxu waited anxiously.

"What's wrong, Dongxu?"

"Donglai called, it seems to be about Jiabao."

"Let's go," Yi Zhonghai said, anxious the moment he heard; it had only been a few days since they left and something had already happened.

"Ring-a-ling, ring-a-ling."

"Donglai, what happened to Jiabao?"

"Don't worry, Uncle Yi, it's like this..."

Yi Zhonghai's expression shifted constantly as he listened to Jia Donglai; ten years ago he certainly would have stopped it, but now, he had come to terms with it—given Jiabao's character and conduct, even if she found her biological parents, she would not abandon them.

"Alright, we will take the earliest train over there."

After hanging up the phone, Yi Zhonghai thought of the illness of Jiabao's biological parents and couldn't help but ask:

"Dongxu, where is Ping'an?"

"Uncle was called over by Factory Director Li; he should be back soon."

"Fine, I'll go ask for leave first and come back in a while; when Ping'an returns, tell him to wait for me for a moment."

"Alright, Uncle Yi."

Yi Zhonghai went straight to the Workshop Director to ask for leave, and after Zhang Ping'an returned, he also heard from Jia Dongxu about the matter regarding Yi Jiabao.

"Such a coincidence?"

"Who's to say it isn't? Uncle Yi probably isn't feeling very well right now."

"Don't guess wildly; we've all seen Jiabao's character, and besides, the grace of raising is greater than the grace of birth."

"And according to what Donglai just said, Jiabao's biological parents are likely not long for this world; letting Jiabei go back this time is probably to see them one last time."

"Ah? How could that be..."

"They have likely been consumed by guilt for over a decade for losing their child, and with the hard times in previous years, they were only holding on by a thread; now that they've seen Jiabao again, with such great joy and sorrow, I'm afraid it's difficult for them."

"Brother Yi asking me to wait for him is likely because he wants me to go with him and see if I can cure them."

"Then, Uncle, are you still going?"

"I'll go take a look; for now, it's just my guess, but what if they can be saved?"

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Yi Zhonghai came over, and he spoke of this very matter.

"Done, let's pack up now and go."

"Ping'an, thank you."

"What's there to thank? Jiabao is my future niece's husband."

Yi Zhonghai nodded and didn't stand on ceremony anymore; he still had to go back and let Jiabei ask for leave.