In 1993, Lin Chunxiao is reborn and returns to her family's fishpond, where she stops her younger brother from signing a contract that would let the unscrupulous businessman Zhao Jinbiao buy their fish fry at a rock-bottom price. She sees through the schemes of Zhao Jinbiao and her relative Lin Dafu. Relying on her fish-farming knowledge and a small fish-ball stall, she establishes a foothold and overcomes crises involving blocked ponds, rumors, and inferior fry. She takes the lead in forming an aquaculture mutual-aid cooperative, makes the accounts public, and coordinates production and sales. Together, she leads the village's fish farmers out of price-cutting exploitation and onto a path to prosperity through their fishponds.