Genyi Yu

The film tells the story of the protagonist "Yellow River", an outstanding young man in Beijing, responding to the government's call and staying in the village to his hometown to help his father and elders start their own businesses and get rich. Driven by the "Yellow River", the villagers actively breed Yellow River carp, plant sweet waxy corn, cherry tomatoes, raise geese, and establish breeding cooperatives to expand the scale of breeding.

The film is based on a true story, inspired by the touching real-life events of the 1993 (01) class of the Fruit Tree Department at Hebei Agricultural University, whose students took care of their late classmate’s parents for 15 years. After the sudden passing of Li Baoyang in his youth due to illness, his classmates—unrelated by blood but bound by love—make a lasting promise to honor his memory and care for his aging parents as their own, embodying the spirit of “treating others’ elders as one’s own.” Their 15-year journey of devotion is tied together by a bet between Liu Qu’er, a man hardened by life’s harsh realities, and a village chief who still believes in kindness and trust. Though Liu Qu’er ultimately loses the bet, he stands on stage singing, “A promise worth a thousand gold.” This moving story of commitment and compassion became a symbol of “Good Deeds in Hebei,” echoing across the land and warming countless hearts.

When a celebrated Chinese opera troupe loses its sponsorship funding, the laid-off performers must seek out temporary jobs in a wide spectrum of fields. But all along, they yearn to reunite their company and perform again.