Those Mountains, Those Waters

1. Theme: Against a backdrop of green hills and clear waters, and following the thread of rural revitalization, the story traces the transformation of a traditional mountain village into a new countryside with a new ecology and a new way of life. It portrays the warmth and hardships of human relationships, tangled interests, steadfast commitment, and renewal in rural China.

2. Worldbuilding and Historical Setting

1. Geography

Qingxi Village: Nestled deep in the mountains of southern Anhui or western Zhejiang, it is surrounded by peaks, with a stream running through it. The village retains its traditional homes, bamboo groves, Chinese hickory orchards, terraced fields, and irrigation channels. Once a typical hollowed-out, left-behind, impoverished village, it is a microcosm of millions of mountain villages across China.

2. Historical Setting

Time span: Three years, during the full-scale rollout of rural revitalization.

Social backdrop: The conclusion of the campaign against poverty leads into rural revitalization from the start, followed by ecological agriculture, the integration of culture and tourism, e-commerce reaching villages, preservation of historic villages, and the modernization of grassroots governance. The story closely follows national policies and the real course of rural development.

3. Core Conflicts

- New ideas versus old traditions

- Collective interests versus personal gain

- Ecological protection versus short-term profits

- Young people returning to their hometowns versus villagers left behind

- Local resources versus outside capital

- The pull between family, hometown ties, love, and career