It tells the ups and downs of a group of young people in Beijing during the 1970s, reflecting the changing times through the struggles of the "little people" and depicting the next generation amidst a wave of reform and opening up.

Xiao Chunsheng along with his two buddies Ye Guohua and Chen Hongjun, are children of military families and government workers who grew up in the same courtyard. They share many experiences like joining the army, taking the gaokao, going out to sea, and starting a business, while supporting each other the entire way. They also meet Tong Xiaomei, a Beijing girl pursuing her dreams of becoming a doctor.