Sichuan villager finally finds daughter after 17 years through short video platform

A villager in Sichuan province has finally called off his 17-year search for his missing daughter after she managed to find him through a short video-sharing platform, according to a report by Redstar News.

Zhong Rengui's 4-year-old daughter, Zhong Jinrong, disappeared in Chengdu in 2006 while playing outside their home. Devastated by the loss, Zhong embarked on a nationwide search, traveling to provinces like Anhui and Henan and even seeking help from a renowned forensic artist to create an age-progressed image of his daughter.

In 2021, Zhong put up a billboard near his home with a message that read, "Child, no matter where you are, we will find you."

Zhong also actively posted information about his daughter on social media, and his efforts finally bore fruit this year. A young woman named Xuexue, who was working in Guangdong, saw Zhong's post on the short video-sharing platform Douyin and contacted a volunteer who helped her get a DNA test.

The test results confirmed that Xuexue was Zhong's long-lost daughter. It turned out that she had been adopted by a family in Bazhong, Sichuan, and was now happily married and living in Guangdong province.

Zhong and Xuexue were reunited on Nov 2. Speaking to reporters before the reunion, Zhong expressed his relief and anticipation. "Now that my child has been found, my heart feels much calmer," he said. "However, the anticipation of our upcoming reunion keeps me awake at night. I can't help but imagine the scene when we meet again, can't tell this is excitement or happiness."

Xuexue recalled that on the day she went missing, a stranger approached her and offered to buy her new shoes. She doesn't remember how she ended up at the home of her foster parents, but she was only told that they had found her by accident.