Zhou Qingshan is a bachelor whom the village chief persuades to move in with the widowed Liu Yuqin, helping provide for her and her nine-year-old sister-in-law, Xiaoyue, while protecting them from harassment by the local bully Zhao Dazhu. Brave and resourceful, Zhou hunts wolves and fights bears. Under the guidance of veteran hunter Song Laokui, he ventures into the mountains to find a king ginseng plant and earns an income by turning it in according to regulations. Zhou takes the lead in establishing a cooperative for mountain produce from the back hills, setting five rules to help villagers prosper together and settle various disputes. Once Liu Yuqin obtains her late husband's death certificate, the two finally register their marriage. They put down roots in the back hills, protect their family and neighbors, and build a prosperous, peaceful new life.