Reborn in a Beijing courtyard in the 1950s, Chen Yu looks at the familiar yet strange gray-brick buildings and tiled roofs and feels a headache coming on. Yi Zhonghai hides schemes to secure his retirement behind a mask of fairness, while Xu Damao is always up to no good and tripping people up. Silly Zhu is straightforward, but love has blinded him, and Qin Huairu struggles to make ends meet while raising three children... In this chaotic little courtyard, where is there any peace and quiet?
Since he's here, Chen Yu decides to make the best of it. With his modern mind, he is determined to make something of himself in this era of shortages. He helps Qin Huairu improve her cooking and earn work points, so she no longer has to worry about putting food on the table. He opens Silly Zhu's eyes to how others are using him, and even helps him hone his skills. As for Xu Damao's underhanded tricks and Yi Zhonghai's favoritism? Chen Yu meets every move with a counter, making the schemers suffer the consequences of their own schemes.
