Wealthy couple Ma Chenggang and Chunlan decide to design a life of poverty for their little son to teach him the values Ma Chenggang learned during his own tough upbringing. The family embarks on a hilarious journey, living in a dilapidated yard and working as donkey drivers in their contrived impoverished existence. Despite the hardships, their son Ma Jiye is their only hope. Ma Jiye excels academically and is determined, but as he grows older, he starts noticing the increasingly strange behaviour of those around him