In the mid-1980s, a young man named Chen Yu takes over a pickle factory on the verge of bankruptcy and turns it into Haicheng's largest pickle factory. Just as he secures a major supply contract with a restaurant, four veteran master picklers band together to pressure him into giving them a share of the profits. Chen Yu immediately fires all four. After they destroy the factory's aged pickling stock and walk away, Chen Yu leads the ordinary workers in using traditional methods to create a quick-aged starter brine. Together, they produce six premium varieties of pickles in time to fulfill the order, which unexpectedly doubles. Meanwhile, Wu Houde and the others set up their own business and use various tactics to attract customers. After obtaining evidence, Chen Yu reports Wu's pickle business to the authorities, and Wu Houde and his associates are punished. Chen Yu's business continues to flourish, his products reach international markets, and he eventually turns the factory into the number one pickle producer in the country.