In 1987, as urban and rural life began to open up, opportunities for the times were everywhere, just waiting to be seized.
Yet for ordinary people, it was still a bitter, lean time, when they wore themselves out just to scrape by.
The family had little to its name. His parents worked hard year-round, but still couldn't keep up with life's demands. Debt weighed them down, and their circumstances were desperately poor.
Carrying the regrets of a turbulent half-life in his previous life and a traditional family recipe for old-fashioned dough, Chen Dong returns to the hardest year of his youth.
This time, he refuses to watch his family struggle for half their lives and miss their chance again.
No heaven-defying pocket dimension, no foreknowledge of a sudden fortune. All he has is real skill and a steady, hardworking heart.
With his meager savings, he sets up a tiny noodle stall by the roadside. He slowly simmers the broth, carefully kneads the dough, and gets every detail of the cooking just right, as his family taught him.
A steaming bowl of noodles eases hunger and cold, while a modest profit gives his family a little security. He stands up to mean-spirited neighbors and protects the warmth of his home. He does business with a clear conscience and wins people's hearts with his craft.
From braving wind and rain at his stall to establishing himself, then opening a shop and steadily building up the family, he rides the wave of the 1980s, pays off the debts bit by bit, and restores the family's fortunes. He helps his parents, who have suffered all their lives, make it through the hard years. With the warmth of everyday life, he brings springtime happiness to the whole family.
