It tells the story of a regular family which migrates from Shandong province to the Northeast, approximately from the late Qing Dynasty to the Manchurian Incident before the outbreak of WWII.
The family of Zhu Kai Shan came to Baishan Heishui from their hometown in Shandong because of war and famine. They panned for gold, fell wood, collected ginseng, fought with bandits, officials, and feudalism, and escaped death time and time again; finally, they had their own pastoral fields, but the local tycoons regarded them as "foreigners" and made things difficult for them. After several battles, the Zhu family taught the more advanced farming techniques in Shandong to the local people, and the local people also formed life and death brothers with them; in order to develop, Zhu Kai Shan led the whole family to the city again, but he didn't want to be attacked by "Jehe".