This novel portrays the joys and sorrows, love and heartache of people living on the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi around the 1990s. Three young people, Liu Shufeng, Liu Shufei, and Tian Muge, grow up determined to change their poor and backward village. For generations, their ancestors have eked out a living in this remote corner of the Loess Plateau, dependent on the weather and enduring poverty. This stirs in the three a fierce desire for change, and after years of hard work, they achieve their dreams in a remarkable journey through life.
In the early 1990s, they attend junior high at Shimaogou Town Middle School, creating unforgettable memories of their student days. After graduating, all three are admitted to the county high school. But just before classes begin, Liu Shufeng’s mother falls gravely ill and undergoes major surgery. The family is buried in debt and cannot afford his tuition, forcing him to give up his education. Crushed by the blow, he packs his bags and goes away to work. When he runs into trouble in the county seat, he meets Gao Anning, who has failed the college entrance exam. The two then meet Peng Dalong, a young martial arts enthusiast who is also down on his luck, at the Red Star Hotel. They later learn that Peng Dalong’s father owns a silicon-calcium plant. With Peng Dalong’s help, Liu Shufeng gets a job there, but the good times do not last: the plant shuts down two years later.
Liu Shufeng returns to his hometown, Shapo Village, and starts a rural business raising chickens and growing vegetables in greenhouses. Along the way, he faces hard times: the chicken farm burns down, the vegetables fail to sell, he suffers a breakup, and a family member loses their mind. He sinks into despair, loses hope, and even gives up, but for the sake of his dream, he grits his teeth, gets back on his feet, and keeps fighting. After graduating from university, Liu Shufei and Tian Muge go on to become officials in relevant government departments. They do everything they can behind the scenes to help Liu Shufeng develop the village, ultimately transforming Shapo Village.
