故事发生在上个世纪70年代，有一群北京青年与黑龙江的青年结下深厚的友谊，在返程经历高考和改革开放等一系列的过程中，奋勇拼搏，走出不同的人生轨迹。其中主人公彭天翼为了完成老科学家毕生的学术成果，受尽冤屈入狱，案件平反之后彭天翼继续在农村扎根，利用自己的力量改变农村目前贫困问题。在改革开放前夕，为了更好的推动农业的改革，坚持保护自己与农民们艰辛的改革成果。奋力的与保守势力抗争，错过高考。回到城市中，又在经济体制改革中快速的发展，因为个人坚持的意志，导致铁面无私的家庭出现裂痕。然而一直坚守内心的梦想，放弃出国继承财产的机会。一直在平淡的经济学院研究，最终用自己的学术成果为革命改革作出巨大的贡献，展现出彭天翼坚持不懈的奋斗精神，成为一名真正的科学家

The story happened in the 1970s. A group of youths from Beijing formed a deep friendship with youths from Heilongjiang. In a series of processes, they fought bravely and walked out of different life trajectories. Among them, the protagonist Peng Tianyi was wronged and imprisoned in order to complete the lifelong academic achievements of the old scientist. After the case was rehabilitated, Peng Tianyi continued to take root in the countryside and used his own power to change the current poverty problem in the countryside. On the eve of reform and opening up, in order to better promote agricultural reform, we insisted on protecting ourselves and the hard work of farmers. Fighting hard against conservative forces, he missed the college entrance examination. Back in the city, and rapid development in the reform of the economic system, because of the will of the individual insisted, the stern and selfless family was cracked. However, he has always stuck to his inner dream and gave up the opportunity to go abroad to inherit property. He has been studying in the mediocre School of Economics, and finally used his academic achievements to make great contributions to the revolutionary reform, showing Peng Tianyi's unremitting fighting spirit and becoming a real scientist