During the troubled times of the Republic of China, warlord separatism, foreign investment dumping, and Jiangnan silk industry were in turmoil. Zhang Li, the daughter of a Suzhou silk merchant, was influenced by her father's philosophy of "saving the country through industry" since she was a child. However, her family fell into decline - her father's silk factory was maliciously suppressed and bankrupted by Hengchang Foreign Company with a Japanese capital background, and she ended up with resentment. Eighteen-year-old Zhang Li was entrusted with the task of reviving her ancestral business and protecting domestic products. Starting from a small business of embroidering handkerchiefs for wealthy families, she gradually rebuilt the "Zhenxin Silk Factory".
The road to entrepreneurship is full of thorns: Liu Jingtang, the comprador of Hengchang Matheson Company, monopolizes the raw materials of silkworm cocoons and frequently intercepts Hu to snatch goods; Zhao Hu, the head of the local security group, imposes exorbitant taxes and coerces her to rely on power; fellow profiteer Zhou Qiyuan plagiarizes and counterfeits, setting off vicious low-price competition. In a desperate situation, Zhang Li relied on her tenacity to resist the oppression of foreign capital and united with small and medium-sized merchants to stay warm. She pretended to secretly learn advanced loom technology, risking war and going deep into Huzhou to collect cocoons. In order to revitalize the factory, she lost her original intention and relied on Zhao Hu's security team, which caused the factory to cut corners and lose people's hearts.
The appearance of Chen Yong, a down-and-out patriotic scholar, became Zhang Li's sobering agent in the troubled times. Chen Yong understands foreign languages, knows current affairs, and sees through the rules of troubled times. He refuses the inducement of high salary from foreign companies and chooses to use his knowledge to help Zhang Li: translating foreign textile documents and improving techniques, connecting with Nanyang overseas Chinese businessman Chen Nanyang to open up overseas sales, and even speaking out to advise her when she relies on power. Even if she breaks up due to this, she will stick to the bottom line. Su Min, the heroine's best friend, never abandons her. While helping Zhang Li take care of the factory's internal affairs, she also fights for the rights of the workers.
