He Doudou, a lucky koi spirit sent to the mortal world, awakens as a five-year-old orphan in 1960s rural China. Her parents died saving a village child, leaving her in the care of her greedy uncle He Dafu and aunt Zhang Jinhua, who treat her as a slave and hoard her inheritance. Determined to fulfill her wish for a real family, Doudou uses her sharp wit to expose her uncle’s affair with Widow Wang and his plan to sell her as a child bride. The scandal erupts into a public fight, drawing the production team leader and villagers. Outraged by the abuse of an orphan, the community forces the couple out of the He family home and awards Doudou their meager savings as rent.
Left alone, Doudou ventures into the snowy mountains to find food. She discovers a frozen man, Lu Jianguo, a government investigator on a secret mission who had been ambushed and left for dead. Using her spiritual spring water, she revives him and insists he become her father. Lu Jianguo, recognizing the strategic advantage of blending into village life, agrees. The brigade leader, moved by Doudou’s maturity and bravery, allows them to stay in the empty He family house.
As Lu Jianguo recovers, Doudou’s innate luck continues to aid them. She catches an abundance of fish in the frozen river, sharing them with neighbors to build goodwill. However, her generosity sparks jealousy. He Dafu and Zhang Jinhua, now living in squalor, plot revenge. They steal ration tickets and sweet potatoes from the village granary, framing the theft to undermine Doudou. Lu Jianguo anticipates their move and sets a trap. He Dafu is caught returning the stolen goods and is arrested by the police.
Just as their new life stabilizes, a new family arrives in the village: Chen Li, Sun Li, and their daughter Chen Yuanyuan. Chen Li is a disgraced official sent to the countryside, while Chen Yuanyuan arrives with knowledge of the future. She specifically seeks out Lu Jianguo, knowing his future rise to power and wealth. Her arrogance and entitlement clash with the humble village life, and she immediately targets Doudou, mocking her poverty and demanding information about Lu Jianguo’s whereabouts. Doudou, protective of her new father, refuses to cooperate. The arrival of the Chen family introduces a new layer of conflict, as their hidden agendas and social status threaten the fragile peace Doudou and Lu Jianguo have built in the village.
