The novel takes Muhua Township, a remote town at the foot of the Qilian Mountains in the Hexi Corridor in the 2000s as the narrative background. It tells the story of the growth of young cadre Tian Linhan who took the initiative to move from the political research office of the county committee to work at the grassroots level. When he first took office, he and Liu Jingzhou, the veteran party committee secretary, had conflicts due to differences in work philosophy. The two worked together to solve the repayment dilemma of 350,000 yuan in agricultural revolving funds, strive for Chinese herbal medicine planting and high-standard farmland projects, resolve basic farmland verification risks, and promote the implementation of multi-million-kilowatt wind power projects. Under the temptation of high GDP, they adhered to the ecological red line of the Qilian Mountains, withstood pressure to reject high-polluting industrial projects, and led the entire township out of the development path of ecologically prioritized characteristic industries. The work is based on real details of grassroots work, outlining the changes in the northwest countryside in the tide of the times, and showing the spirit of grassroots cadres taking root in the countryside and being pragmatic for the people.
