This is a realist novel about young people in contemporary cities finding steady ground and growing through life. Zhang Tao, a design graduate with simple hopes for the future, squeezes into a partitioned room in an aging shared apartment in the city. Starting with a potted pothos and a well-worn account book, he struggles to make ends meet between overtime and daily expenses. His first project is harshly rejected, sending him searching for inspiration amid the bustle of the morning market. When his landlord suddenly decides to sell the apartment, he scrambles through a brutal rental market. He faces unfairness at work and clashes between ideals and reality, struggling onward as family responsibilities tug against his professional ambitions.
