In a northern mountain village in the late 1970s, Changshan, a demobilized hunter, commands respect with a single shot and rescues the widow Xiuzhi and her daughter from the flames of Yang Sister-in-Law's torch. He publicly reads out a letter of entrustment and tears up a forged agreement. From then on, he establishes his authority through hunting, shares meat and takes Xiuzhi as his wife, fights a bear to save a girl, catches a traitor and battles unscrupulous merchants, and leads the entire village in establishing a cooperative to achieve prosperity together. The cold-faced hunter and the resilient widow go from protecting each other to building a family, as his hunting rifle helps them create a warm and happy life.