At 00:36, a cover news reporter and photographer named Huang Xiaoqing filed this report. On September 23, at the Dongxing District Comprehensive Elderly Care Service Center in Neijiang City, 60-year-old Wang Mingsheng joined other elderly residents in making ciba, tasting mooncakes, and enjoying a reunion dinner, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival early in a lively atmosphere. This was the first time in 33 years of wandering that he had returned home for the holiday. Although he had no close relatives by his side, he felt very "at ease." Wang Mingsheng is from Baimatan Village, Fuxi Town, Dongxing District, Neijiang City. In 1993, he left home to work elsewhere, but later lost his ID card, which blocked his way back and cut off all contact with his hometown. This year, with the help of a rescue station, he finally set foot on his native soil again. However, his family's old house was long gone, his close relatives had passed away one after another, and his household registration had been canceled. Facing the predicament of having no house, no relatives, and no household registration, the town and village, civil affairs departments, and public security police stations coordinated to help him, reissuing his household registration booklet and resident ID card and including him in the scope of special hardship support. Now, Wang Mingsheng has a new home at the elderly care service center. After half a lifetime of wandering, he has finally settled down.

Hard to Return Home: His Grandmother's Birthday Was When He Missed Home Most

At noon on September 24, the cafeteria of the elderly care service center was filled with the aroma of food. On the table, the bowls held taro braised duck, carrot stir-fried pork, and shredded pumpkin. Wang Mingsheng held his rice bowl and ate with great relish, saying, "It's cooked so tender, delicious." Wang Mingsheng picked up a piece of taro and told the reporter. Wang Mingsheng was eating because he had smoked for years, his voice was very hoarse; afraid the reporter could not hear clearly, he repeated, "Delicious." Wang Mingsheng lost his mother when he was one year old, and by the time he was in his teens, his older sister and father had also passed away one after another. He grew up with his grandmother. In the first month of 1993, when he was 27, Wang Mingsheng followed fellow villagers to Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, to make a living. He worked on construction sites, at pig farms, and in orchards. He said he was diligent, his bosses liked him, and he could earn some money each year, but because he was generous and hospitable, he spent a lot and saved nothing. "It's not that I didn't want to come back, it's that I couldn't." Wang Mingsheng said his ID card was lost as early as 1994, so he could not buy a ticket and could not go home. Every holiday, when he saw his fellow workers heading home, his heart was full of disappointment. What he missed most was his grandmother back home. Every year on the fifth day of the ninth lunar month, his grandmother's birthday, his homesickness grew even stronger. Unfortunately, because he had no phone at home, he had never been able to contact his grandmother all these years. It was not until he ran into an old classmate by chance that he learned his grandmother had passed away at the age of 104. Not being able to see his grandmother one last time became a regret in his heart.

Returning to His Roots: After 33 Years, He Has Household Registration Again

After wandering for many years, the thought of returning to his roots was always buried deep in Wang Mingsheng's heart. This year, he finally made up his mind to go home. In May, he sought help from the police station in his residential area in Huizhou. The local police station sent him to a rescue station. With the assistance of the rescue station, Wang Mingsheng boarded a bus back to Neijiang, Sichuan. On May 18, Wang Mingsheng, who had been away from his hometown for 33 years, finally arrived in Neijiang and returned to Baimatan Village in Fuxi Town. By then, the old family house no longer existed; only a patch of wasteland remained at the original site. When they saw Wang Mingsheng return, villagers who knew him quickly contacted village officials. Chen Fei, deputy director of the Baimatan Village Committee, recalled that when he first saw Wang Mingsheng, his mental state was not good and he was taciturn. The village immediately reported to higher authorities and helped send him temporarily to the Fuxi Town Nursing Home so he would have a place to stay. Further verification found that Wang Mingsheng's family members had long since died, and after 33 years with no news, his household registration had been canceled in 2015. After he was settled, with the push of the local civil affairs department, the town and village, public security, and other parties coordinated and, through on-site visits, investigations, and sorting of supporting materials, step by step helped Wang Mingsheng reapply for a household registration booklet, resident ID card, and social security card. Wang Mingsheng showed his new household registration booklet. "This is my new household registration booklet and ID card. It's convenient now." Holding the documents, Wang Mingsheng smiled broadly.

Basic Guarantee: The Elderly Care Center Became His New Home

On June 30, Wang Mingsheng moved from the Fuxi Town Nursing Home to the Dongxing District Comprehensive Elderly Care Service Center. This newly built elderly care service center has a total floor area of about 25,000 square meters, consists of five buildings with different functions, and can provide 500 high-quality beds with an excellent environment. The public notice board in the courtyard not only clearly posts management rules but also weekly menus and activity schedules. Morning exercises, painting, chess and cards, pitch-pot, and other recreational activities enrich the daily lives of the elderly. "Look, it's clean and bright here, and the bed is warm. It's nothing like when I worked away from home and several or even a dozen people were squeezed together." Wang Mingsheng showed the reporter around the double room dormitory where he lives. The quilts and clothes were folded neatly, and next to the bedroom were living facilities such as a water dispenser and washing machine. Wang Mingsheng was cheerful by nature and quickly integrated into collective life, making many new friends here and getting along very harmoniously with the care staff. "When he first came, he looked worried, but now his mental state is much better." Song Chao, vice president (presiding over work) of the Dongxing District Comprehensive Elderly Care Service Center, had also been transferred from the Fuxi Town Nursing Home, and he saw all the changes in the elderly man. In September this year, Wang Mingsheng was formally included in the scope of special hardship support, and his daily life is guaranteed by the elderly care service center. The care staff also took the initiative to advance him 3,000 yuan for social security back payments. Now that he has reached the age of 60, he can receive more than 200 yuan in pension each month. "When I worked away from home before, I lived one day at a time and never dared to think about what I would do when I got old. Now I eat well and live well here, and I can spend my later years in peace." Looking at the new residence before him, Wang Mingsheng's words were full of gratitude. Although he had only moved in a little over two months ago, he had long since regarded this place as home.