Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, it also features the highly anticipated return of actress Zhou Xun to television after 10 years.

[1] The series chronicles the struggles of the protagonist Jiu'er (played by Zhou) in rural Shandong province in early 1930s.

To reproduce the scenes of the novel, the Gaomi local government planted more than 200 hectares of sorghum.

[4][5] The series premiered to rave reviews online on Weibo and has enjoyed good ratings.

It topped the ratings on four satellite TV channels for three weeks during its broadcast; and has been viewed more than 1.4 billion times on major streaming site iQiyi.