In 1986, Chen Mo, a young intellectual returning to his hometown, comes back to Tianmaling and witnesses local villagers struggling as wild gastrodia rhizomes they have harvested are deliberately bought at unfairly low prices by traders and rot in large quantities. Determined to change their fate, he sets out to improve the traditional earthen kiln method of drying gastrodia by carefully controlling its temperature. Despite repeated failures, he refuses to give up and insists on maintaining strict quality standards. Eventually, he produces premium-quality gastrodia, breaking the market monopoly. He takes the lead in establishing a local produce cooperative, bringing surrounding villages together to pursue development. Through hard work, responsibility, honesty, and a shared commitment to prosperity, he leads the villagers onto a solid path toward rural prosperity.