Chapter 244

After dinner, Shi Muhuan and Xiao Jia left.

Lu Weiguo played with Shen Shen while Shi Tingyu returned to her room to continue drawing based on the useful information Xiao Jia had provided. She worked on the drawing until Lu Weiguo put Shen Shen to sleep and came in to check on her.

Lu Weiguo said, “You’ve been drawing for a long time. Take a break and gather your thoughts. You’ll be more productive tomorrow.”

Shi Tingyu massaged her sore wrist and decided not to push herself any further.

The next day, Shi Muhuan and Xiao Jia came over to help with the child, allowing Shi Tingyu to continue her drawing. She had already completed five portraits, but none of them satisfied her. She started afresh, placing the previous drawings on the floor within view for easy reference.

Finally, after lunch, Shi Tingyu finished a portrait she felt confident about. The man in the drawing was slender, with eyes that resembled Xiao Jia’s by about eighty to ninety percent. Shi Tingyu felt a sense of closure.

Xiao Jia looked at the portrait, his hands trembling as he held it. He felt a deep sense of familiarity and warmth from the image.

“Is this my older brother?”

For some reason, Xiao Jia felt certain that the man in the portrait was his brother. The resemblance to his brother’s childhood features was clear in the eyes.

“Yes,” Shi Tingyu confirmed, confident in her work.

Xiao Jia’s eyes reddened, and he said with a trembling voice, “Thank you, Shi Tingyu!”

No amount of thanks could express his gratitude.

Shi Tingyu said, “Although we have the portrait, finding him won’t happen overnight. I hope your family can reunite soon.”

Xiao Jia nodded heavily.

He believed that with the portrait, finding his brother was only a matter of time. Shi Tingyu made several copies to facilitate the search.

The next day, Xiao Jia and Shi Muhuan returned to their camp with the portraits. Xiao Jia first went to the newspaper office, spending money to place a missing person ad with the portrait and a childhood photo of his brother.

Newspapers were widely read at the time. Even if not everyone subscribed, each production brigade usually had a copy.

Although members might not read it, the brigade leaders certainly would.

More than a month passed without any news.

Near May Day, the newspaper office received a letter from a small village in the southwest. The sender was Xiao Jia’s brother, though he no longer bore the surname Jia. He was now Song Youde.

The letter included a photograph. The editor compared the black-and-white photo with the portrait published in the newspaper. While not identical, it was unmistakably the same person.

The portrait was at least ninety percent accurate.

The editor was amazed.

When Xiao Jia had initially approached the newspaper with the portrait, everyone thought it was a far-fetched idea. How could anyone draw an adult from a childhood photo?

But the evidence was undeniable.

Suddenly, the editor became very interested in the artist behind the portrait.

First, though, they needed to notify the young soldier who had placed the ad.

After more than a month without news, Xiao Jia had begun to lose hope. But on this day, during training, he received a summons from the commander, informing him of a phone call from the newspaper office.

Xiao Jia nearly sprinted to answer the call.

When the call came through, he could hardly breathe.

Hearing that his brother had been found, he could barely believe it.

After confirming the details and arranging a visit to the newspaper office, he began to process the news.

Back at the training ground, Xiao Jia requested a month’s leave to visit family. He then set off for the southwest with the newspaper’s address and the photo.

It took a week to find Song Youde.

The village where Song Youde lived was Wadu Village, inhabited by many ethnic minorities.

Xiao Jia’s arrival drew considerable attention. Fortunately, his military uniform commanded respect.

When Xiao Jia found Song Youde, he was working in the fields. Upon hearing from the brigade that someone was looking for him with a photo, Song Youde had a feeling about what it was about. Ever since he learned about the missing person ad, he had been waiting for news.

Hearing that someone was looking for him, he dropped his farm tools and ran to the village entrance.

Seeing the man in military uniform standing before him, Song Youde’s mind was flooded with childhood memories, and he couldn’t help but shed tears.

The two brothers nearly broke down in each other’s arms.

Once they calmed down, Song Youde took Xiao Jia home. Xiao Jia had initially thought his brother would at least be married by now. However, he found that apart from two chickens, his brother was living alone.

Song Youde poured water for his brother and began to recount his story.

He had gotten lost on his own and was eventually abducted and taken to the southwest. Among the abducted children, he was the oldest and most cunning, managing to escape. However, before he could find help, he collapsed from exhaustion and high fever due to the ordeal he had gone through while being abducted. He was eventually rescued by a family with the surname Song, who became his adoptive parents.

After he woke up, he couldn’t remember much and lived with his adoptive parents in the small village. The Song family’s conditions weren’t good. They had no children, so they saved him, hoping he could take care of them in their old age.

A couple of years ago, the elderly Song couple passed away, leaving Song Youde alone. He buried them and continued to live by himself.

People had tried to introduce him to potential partners, but as an adopted child with no relatives in the area, he faced discrimination. No girl was willing to marry him, so he remained single.

He learned about the missing person ad from a middle school student in the village. This triggered fragmented childhood memories, and by the time he wrote to the newspaper, he had fully recalled his identity.

He was Jia Dajun from the Hongqi Brigade in Anyang County. He had parents and a younger brother.

Upon hearing his brother’s ordeal, Xiao Jia felt deep sympathy and sorrow for him.

In the end, the two brothers decided to sell Song Youde’s house to the brigade. They sold or donated the household items, and Song Youde returned to Anyang with Xiao Jia.

The elderly Jia couple were overwhelmed with joy and tears when they saw their eldest son again.

Since Jia Dajun had only been missing, his household registration was still intact. The Jia family was well-established in Anyang County, and Jia Dajun quickly integrated into the brigade, working alongside his family to earn work points.

He was happy with this life.

As for the Song family who had raised him, Jia Dajun had cared for them until their final moments, fulfilling his duty of gratitude for their upbringing.

Although he wished to offer paper money to the Song couple as a token of respect, current regulations didn’t allow such practices.