Shen Yan was seventeen years old and failed in his first government examination. The tear between ideal (imperial examination) and reality (survival). After his father died, the family became extremely poor. How can an ordinary person settle down and live in an era when "the upward channel is almost closed"? How to not fall, not collapse, and find your own way? Find the "skill" to settle down, transform existing knowledge into practical abilities, and don't be bound by "respect"; find the "way" to settle down. Altruism is not a moral requirement, but a way out of a difficult situation - when "for yourself" fails, "for others" can open up a new way; find a "fate" to settle down. Accept the limitations of the times, stick to your own bottom line, and leave a trace of "humanity".
Intent: The story of how a lower-class scholar in the late Ming Dynasty went from "seeking fame" to "seeking a way to survive" in an era of imperial examination involution, class consolidation, and value collapse, and finally found a place to live in "doing things for others." Corresponding to the contemporary people's spiritual dilemma of "involution - lying flat - looking for true meaning".