For Zheng, a veteran director who has shot a lot of real-world TV series, such as Red Sorghum (2014) and Medal of the Republic (2021), the TV series hooked him around six years ago, when he read the story outline written by Zhao Dongling, an award-winning scriptwriter with a 2015 Golden Rooster Award to her name.
"In the last few years, the domestic film and TV industry has produced a lot of tales reflecting how villagers have shrugged off poverty to lead a prosperous life," says Zheng. "But what makes our story a bit special is that it highlights that, aside from pursuing economic development, rural areas should also enhance their juridical system infrastructure and modernize societal behavior."
The latter part of the TV series sees He and her husband depart the village to find work in the city, escalating family tensions over whether they should return home or continue striving in the city.
"China has seen a lot of changes taking place, both in the cities and rural areas, in recent decades. The TV series also endeavors to explore the influence of the country's urban-rural integration effort," explains Zheng.
"In the drama, audiences will see that China's rural areas have achieved a lot of progress in multiple areas, such as environmental protection and rising job opportunities, hence making the countryside more appealing to the younger generation," he adds.
Filmed between September 2020 and early 2021, the TV series was shot in Ningbo in Zhejiang province, as well as Huangshan in Anhui province.
Zheng reveals that he maintained his trademark habit of eating fried melon seeds on set, as a method to reduce stress and spark inspiration.
