Yong'an Village is so poor that its residents can barely afford to eat. Wu Shidao leads the villagers in begging Sun Changqing, the village's only university graduate, for help. Sun quits his job, buys equipment with his own money, provides meals and accommodation, pays insurance, and takes the entire village out to work. Three years later, incited by Wu Yanyan, the villagers collectively go on strike, demand higher wages, and tear up their contracts, throwing them in his face and completely denying everything he has done for them. Sun Changqing turns away and starts over with neighboring Anfu Village. He builds schools, repairs roads, and establishes factories, turning it into a model of rural development for the entire county. Meanwhile, Yong'an Village follows a crooked employer and loses everything. When the villagers finally come back begging for his help, Sun has already walked away and refuses to help them again.