In 1988, Lin Weiguo, a worker at a state-owned seafood processing plant, is laid off. Having lost his secure job, he faces setbacks in his marriage prospects and struggles to make ends meet, yet he never gives in to despair or complaints. With help from his neighbors, he draws on his seafood-handling skills to set up a small grilled seafood stall. Facing harassment from competitors and challenges in keeping seafood fresh, he remains honest and diligent, working hard to develop practical preservation methods. As business gradually flourishes, he also reaches out to help fellow workers who have fallen on hard times. Through careful saving and planning, he works toward opening a shop and builds a stable new life with his own hands amid the sweeping changes of the era.