The Le'an Inn in Donghai County, Haizhou, Great Song

During the Xuanhe era of the Song dynasty, at the entrance to Shiliu Street in Donghai County, Haizhou, five people each find themselves in a difficult situation. Escort guard Wang Boqing is being pushed out by his escort agency, while the businesses of Zhang Tu's rice shop, Li Pi's carpentry workshop, and Wang Li's bookshop are all on the verge of closing. Even Wang Zhongde, the dissolute son of the Wang family, has no respectable work.

As the town lies on a major trade route between north and south, Wang Li suggests that they go into business together and open an inn.

The five pool everything they can and draw up a contract clearly dividing the profits. The sign for the Le'an Inn is hung up, and the inn is born.

The everyday bustle of welcoming guests, pouring tea, balancing the books beneath the lamplight, and preparing meals in the kitchen brings them joy and liveliness. But amid the warm bustle of ordinary life, the five have built their lives around a little inn. As the past becomes a prelude, what shape will their lives take in the years to come?