Set in Shenyang in the early days of reform and opening up, it tells the funny and inspiring story of Hu Lai, a grassroots young man who counterattacked with his porcelain making skills. He was once ridiculed as "nothing will come from playing in the mud". He started from a tin barrel kiln, and with his obsession with old craftsmanship, he found his way to entrepreneurship amidst all the bumps and stumblings.
The work is full of the fireworks of the Northeast region, with the red-glazed Oolong character for "happiness", the "four different" patterns of the Lucky Cat, and the patches on Deliang's shirt. Every detail reveals the freshness of a small person in the city. Ma Yiyan's fancy tricks, the fat aunt's tough talk and soft heart, Uncle Wang's inheritance of skills, and the contrasting supporting roles create a lot of laughter.
From setting up a stall in the night market to receiving bulk orders, from operating without a license to setting up a legal factory, Hu Lai broke through doubts with his hard work and revitalized the old ceramic craftsmanship in the 1980s. The story resolves the hardships of starting a business with humor and interprets the value of struggle with passion. It not only shows the style of the times in the early days of reform and opening up, but also conveys the simple belief that "ordinary people can make a difference by relying on craftsmanship."
