Ma Li

Old factory workers from a state-owned enterprise in the North, who, amidst changing times, break free from constraints, innovate, and continually transform as they pursue their industrial ideals.

Lin Zhihua, Xu Weibiao, Wang Lei, and Zhang Peng are childhood friends with different personalities who parted ways and took different paths due to their choices during a time of change, leading them to stand on opposite sides.

In the 1980s, the Mu siblings chase their dreams amid a rapidly changing world. As they navigate careers in education, industry, journalism, and the arts, they face challenges, ethical dilemmas, and family conflicts. Over the years, their ambitions drive innovation, justice, and reconciliation, shaping their futures and the lives of those around them.

In a remote mountain village, impassable roads hinder progress. Led by Ma Chunxiu and Yu Dahe, villagers attempt to build a road but face setbacks, forcing them to work in the city to raise funds. As they fight for their village’s future, personal relationships shift, and life-changing decisions are made. With government support, their perseverance finally connects the village to the outside world.

In 1977, childhood friends Yang Chunxue and Liang Maicha dream of taking college exams together, but Chunxue is forced into marriage due to a family crisis, prompting Maicha to leave home. After enduring hardship, Chunxue finds a new beginning by starting a sewing business in her village, while Maicha returns with brick-making skills to revive the local kiln. Together, they transform their poor village into a provincial model of economic growth.