The story takes Zhou Yuansun from Xiaogan County, Hubei Province as the protagonist, and tells the story of how he was forced to drop out of school and go north to make a living due to his family's financial difficulties. Yuan Sun was born into an aristocratic family. His father Guangfu was a former member of the Qing Dynasty. His family was once very prominent, but it gradually declined due to the family's extravagant spending. Yuan Sun was smart and studious since he was a child, but due to the early death of his father, he had to face family difficulties.
On the train going north, Yuan Sun met all kinds of people, including an overbearing fat businessman, a righteous rebel soldier and a mysterious old man Chen Bojian. With his wisdom and courage, he successfully taught Fatty a lesson and won the respect of the soldiers and the appreciation of the old man. After arriving in Tianjin, Yuan Sun visited his uncle Yifu, but found that there were many conflicts within the family. His cousin Shaozhang owed a huge sum of money due to gambling and was facing investigation by the government.
During his days in Tianjin, Yuan Sun witnessed the corruption in the officialdom and the suffering of the bottom class of society. He and Chen Bojian became lifelong friends and learned many principles of life from each other. At the same time, he also realized that he shouldered the hope of his family and was determined to work hard to change his family's destiny.
