Beijing, in the 1960s. In a courtyard home, carpenter Lin Manceng doesn't transmigrate or return reborn. He relies on his family's woodworking skills and his sincere heart to establish himself among shrewd, calculating neighbors. He shares a bowl of braised pork with the whole courtyard, earns respect with every mortise and tenon, and slowly wins the heart of Song Xiaoman, the girl who works at the general store. From an ordinary carpenter to an eighth-grade master craftsman, through turbulent years and into the winds of reform, he silences those who look down on him and warms the hearts of those who are kind. No System to give him an unfair advantage, no face-slapping drama: just a craftsperson's steadfast belief in taking things one step at a time, and the warmth of everyday life slowly simmering in a Beijing courtyard. This is a heartwarming coming-of-age story set in a bygone era. The young carpenter's life, built joint by joint, proves stronger than a fist and more enduring than calculation.
