This novel tells the life stories of several ordinary people. The protagonist, Zhao Zugang, comes from a family of Shandong people who migrated to Northeast China. When he was young, his father and grandfather passed away one after the other, leaving him to live with his grandmother. During his junior high school years, coinciding with the Reform and Opening Up, he dropped out and went to Guangdong to make a living. Due to his youthful ignorance, he went astray and was punished by law. Later, he reformed and returned to his hometown of Dengzhou according to his grandmother's last wish, running a barbecue stall and starting a new life. The second protagonist, Guan Lin, after graduating from university, joined the Dengzhou Broadcasting Bureau. There, he met Wu Juan, a girl from Dengzhou, Zhao Zugang, and Yang Wan, who came to Dengzhou from Zhangzhou to work after escaping an arranged marriage. Later, to keep up with the trend of starting a business, he resigned from the Broadcasting Bureau and founded a software company. Due to business setbacks, he was forced to work at the Jianggezhuang graphite mine. Later, he returned to Dengzhou to help Yang Wan.
本小说讲述了几个平凡小人物的人生经历。主人公赵祖刚的祖辈是闯关东的山东人。在他小的时候, 父亲和爷爷先后过世, 与奶奶相依为命。初中时恰逢改革开放, 辍学前往广东讨生活。因为年轻无知, 竟误入歧途, 受到法律的惩罚, 后来洗心革面, 按奶奶遗愿回到老家登州, 操持烧烤摊, 开始新生活。第二主人公关林大学毕业后入职登州广电局, 先后结识了登州女孩吴娟、赵祖刚和因逃婚由漳州到登州打工杨婉, 之后为赶下海的时代风潮, 由从广电局辞职, 创办软件公司, 遇商业变故, 只能蛰伏于姜戈庄石墨矿, 后来回到登州帮杨婉打
本小说讲述了几个平凡小人物的人生经历。主人公赵祖刚的祖辈是闯关东的山东人。在他小的时候, 父亲和爷爷先后过世, 与奶奶相依为命。初中时恰逢改革开放, 辍学前往广东讨生活。因为年轻无知, 竟误入歧途, 受到法律的惩罚, 后来洗心革面, 按奶奶遗愿回到老家登州, 操持烧烤摊, 开始新生活。第二主人公关林大学毕业后入职登州广电局, 先后结识了登州女孩吴娟、赵祖刚和因逃婚由漳州到登州打工杨婉, 之后为赶下海的时代风潮, 由从广电局辞职, 创办软件公司, 遇商业变故, 只能蛰伏于姜戈庄石墨矿, 后来回到登州帮杨婉打
