On the Yangtze River in the seventh year of Xianfeng's reign, the mist wrapped in the lingering chill shrouded the fate of Tongling City in confusion.
Shen Yanzhi held on to his only savings and set foot on the awning boat returning home. Three years ago, a strange robbery brought the prosperous Shen family to ruin. His father was seriously ill, his mother was haggard, and his brother was at a loss. The dignity of the past was now in ruins. He thought that returning was the beginning of redemption, but he didn't know that when he opened the mottled wooden door, he was greeted not only by the embarrassment of his family, but also by the intimidation of his creditors, the coldness of relatives and friends, and the vague mystery of his father's robbery - was it really an accident?
The cobwebs of the old house hide fragments of the past, and the turbid river water reflects the darkness of people's hearts. From a high-spirited scholar to a wanderer struggling to make a living, Shen Yanzhi stood in front of his precarious home, clenching his fists. He wants to support this family, find out the truth, and find a way out for himself and his family in this confusing and troubled world.
But when he peeled away the peaceful appearance of Tongling City step by step, he discovered that the daggers of business competition and the undercurrent of collusion between government and businessmen had already drawn the Shen family into a deeper whirlpool. Those seemingly unrelated people and things are actually closely connected with the robbery and the fate of the Shen family. In the pull of family affection and morality, in the choice between survival and conscience, can Shen Yanzhi keep his original intention, and finally let the fog clear and see the true face of the long river?
