In the winter of 1978, 18 peasants from Xiaogang Village in Fengyang County, Anhui Province put their fingerprints on an agreement, knowing that they risked a lot.

It was a decision born of desperation, but one that initiated the nationwide household responsibility system, marking the beginning of a new era in the Chinese countryside.

Forty years on, the younger generation chooses to leave the village and seek opportunities in big cities. But a pioneering generation, represented by Cheng Xibing, Zhou Dangzhi, and Yuan Huaiqing is still deeply attached to the land handed down from their ancestors. They are still pursuing happiness and prosperity through self-reliance, diligence, and hard work – just as they did all those years ago.

Today, however, they're no longer as vulnerable as they were 40 years ago. With money and wisdom accumulated, support from the government, technological advances, and the agricultural insurance system, they have become very resilient in the face of an array of failures and setbacks, going all out to explore new methods of rural development and adapt to changing times.

Join us and find out how villagers are writing a new chapter in the history of this pioneering village on CGTN Documentary, airing from October 18 to 21.