In 1955, supplies were scarce, and grain mattered more than anything. Shen Yanqiu transmigrates to this era and takes a job as an assistant cook at the State-Run Third Canteen, scraping by on a meager income to support his wife and children.
By chance, he discovers that the canteen's accountant, Qian Mangyuan, is using slop as cover to collude with outsiders and steal state-owned grain. If Qian catches on, Shen could lose his job and bring trouble down on his family.
His adversary closes in at every turn, spreading rumors, framing him with planted evidence in the storeroom, and resorting to one dirty trick after another. Shen doesn't rush into a head-on fight. Instead, he keeps his wits about him and endures, protecting himself while secretly searching for the account books and gathering witnesses.
Gossip spreads through the courtyard. Some people cower, while others stand up for what's right. Husband and wife support each other as they gather evidence and fight corruption, holding fast to an ordinary life of peace and stability amid the strict rules of the times.
