Modern single mother Jiang Lan and her daughter travel through time into the Great Yu Dynasty, becoming a frail widow and her young daughter in a border village inhabited by widows. Exiled convicts are assigned as live-in husbands, and to support her family of elderly and weak members, Jiang Lan chooses Gu Mingzhou, a seemingly foolish man who has traveled across the stars. Gu Mingzhou possesses a mysterious synthesis ability and secretly helps her synthesize auspicious termite mushrooms and improve crops. Jiang Lan makes jelly from herbs, clears wasteland, and builds a new house. She outsmarts Xiao Yunhan, a remnant of the Grand Tutor's faction, and finds potatoes and sweet potatoes at the border market. She makes a deal with a general: if she can grow high-yield potatoes, the entire village will be released from military registration. When enemy troops attack from beyond the border, Jiang Lan leads the villagers in making bamboo crossbows, digging traps, and training a militia to defend their home together. In the end, the family truly works as one and builds a better life.