In 1982, in the Changbai Mountain forest region, Li Weidong is shot and crippled by armed bandits who rob him on the road. As he lies on the brink of death, he is reborn at the very moment his tragedy occurred. Armed with memories of his previous life and his hunting skills, he reclaims the land and grain that rightfully belong to him and fights to make money. He ventures into the mountains to hunt bears, capture leopards, and surround wild boars. While dealing with greedy relatives and cunning troublemakers in his village, he does everything in his power to rescue his mistreated younger sister and develops feelings for Lin Xiulian, a widow. By hunting in the mountains and making a living off the land, he builds up his savings and establishes himself through his position as a forest ranger, amid the poverty, desires, and tangled relationships of an impoverished northeastern Chinese mountain village in the 1980s.