Zhu Shuzhen was a difficult birth, and she was frail from the moment she was born. At eight months old, she fell ill and was struck from the household register. At three, she nearly drowned, and before she was four, she almost got lost. After a hard childhood, she and the village Party secretary’s son fell secretly in love, but their feelings went nowhere. To arrange a marriage for her older brother, she was married off to the second son, a young man eight years her senior. She suffered endless grievances and torment. The second son was infertile from birth, a “mule,” and everyone tried to find a way to make Zhu Shuzhen have a child. Depressed and on the verge of a breakdown, she was taken by the second son to a distant place, where they began a new life. But then he became terminally ill.
Fourth Sister, Xiaolan, was tormented by her deranged mother-in-law. Sixth Sister, Zhu Shuqin, went into hiding everywhere to have a son. When she was six months pregnant, she secretly had the baby’s sex checked and learned it was a girl. She went in for an abortion and came out with a boy. Zhu Shuqin went mad. Fifth Sister, Yang Yang, was abused by her husband. Third Sister, Huaxin, was driven nearly crazy by her mother-in-law, who had Alzheimer’s. Second Sister had enjoyed a happy first half of her life, but during the pandemic she lived with her daughter-in-law, and their conflicting values led to clashes. The sisters each endured the many hardships women face.
Fourth Sister, Xiaolan, suffered miserably under her deranged mother-in-law. Fifth Sister, Yang Yang, endured a hellish life of domestic abuse. Sixth Sister, Zhu Shuqin, had a mother-in-law who wanted a grandson. When she was six months pregnant with her third child, she had a checkup and was told it was a girl. She aborted it, only to discover it had been a boy, and she lost her mind. Third Sister, Huaxin, was in a military marriage and sank into despair as she cared for her mother-in-law, who had Alzheimer’s, all by herself. Second Sister, Zhu Yanhong, had a happy youth, but after turning seventy, she lived through the pandemic. Her whole family was locked down at home over the New Year, and their conflicting views sparked clashes. The six sisters each faced different experiences and different hardships. Only the fake eldest sister, who was really a man, enjoyed a comfortable life and happiness.
