本故事讲述了20世纪80年代改革开放初期，在温州创业潮兴起之时，温州瑞安古树村的周万顺毅然决定将年仅13岁的女儿周阿雨只身送往意大利。自己则把祖屋和全部家当卖掉，带着妻子赵银花和儿子周麦狗背井离乡徒步来到温州。到温州后进 城的周万顺从拾荒做起，一步一步变身为成功商人。爱面子又叛逆的周麦狗为了摆脱父亲，羞愤之中离家出走大西北，开始了自己的艰辛创业路。而远在意大利的周阿雨排除万难从洗碗工做起，凭借出色的商业头脑在意大利普拉托成功创业。周万顺和他的家人在时代的商业大潮中又将经历怎样的沉浮故事呢？

The drama begins during China’s Reform and Opening Up era in the 1980s in Wenzhou, south China, an area renown for the emergence of many successful businesses. It charts the progress of a certain family headed by Zhou Wanshun, that lived in Rui’an village. The family had the opportunity for one of their two children to go to Italy to study. Wanshun (quite extraordinary at the time, and even today) chose to let his 13-year old daughter, Ayu, go to study rather than his 16-year-old son, son Maigou. Unbeknownst to his wife, Zhao Yinhua and son he sold their ancestral home cum cottage industry and spent all the proceeds in funding the Italy study trip. Although he had no business plan, he set out with his wife and son to Wenzhou City to “make money”, any which way. Together, they make it to Wenzhou City, while the daughter goes to Italy, each forging different paths, especially the children each persevering through challenges and hardship, achieving individual success.