In 1985, Lin Mei, an aunt who has served time in prison, returns to her hometown after being released, only to be shunned by the entire village and rejected by her family. But she immediately takes a liking to her niece, Xiao Xue, who has dropped out of school and stays at home. She takes the girl to the city to do business, teaches her how to make money, and even uses a ten-yuan banknote to force her back to school. By making and selling roasted sunflower seeds, her aunt seizes the opportunities brought by China's reform and opening-up, leading her entire family out of poverty and into prosperity. She also uses recruitment rules to pressure the whole village into taking girls' education seriously. Xiao Xue studies with all her might and eventually gets into the university of her dreams, transforming from a village girl into a university student. Through her own efforts, the aunt changes the fate of one girl, one family, and even an entire village, demonstrating the true power of the motto: 'Study hard and make progress every day.'