At the turn of the millennium, Lu Qing returns to his hometown and leases wasteland. By raising crayfish alongside rice, he faces malicious price cuts and deliberate obstruction from local traders, who even refuse to supply ice. His father pawns a treasured silver bracelet passed down through generations to buy equipment. Lu develops vacuum-packed, ready-to-cook crayfish products, repeatedly breaking capital monopolies and supermarket barriers. He invents innovative self-heating fast meals and defeats opponents from multiple sides. After establishing a rural cooperative, he leads farmers throughout the village to work together toward prosperity, rising from an impoverished young man to the founder of a major agricultural group.