After Xia Tian’s mother fell ill and died, her father raised her and her older brother Wen Su on his own. Through a coworker’s introduction, her father started a new family with Xiao Yue, a contract worker. Xia Tian liked her plainspoken, kind stepmother at first sight, but grew hostile toward Xiao Yue’s naturally beautiful daughter, Tang Xiaomeng. The two stepsisters clashed constantly, and only Wen Su could calm things down. After their father was laid off, Xiao Yue opened a small restaurant, which did well, and through her hard work, their lives gradually improved. The children grew up, and Xiaomeng and Wen Su fell in love in secret. Wen Su, an excellent student, was accepted to a university in Shanghai. He came home for part of the summer vacation, and after it ended, Xiao Yue discovered Xiaomeng was pregnant. Xiaomeng had been frail since childhood, and the doctor advised against terminating the pregnancy, so her parents had no choice but to let her leave school and return to their hometown to give birth to Nini. Wen Su was kept in the dark the whole time. Xia Tian discovered the relationship between Wen Su and Xiaomeng, failed her college entrance exams, and broke up with her boyfriend. While at university, she suffered a mental breakdown and returned home to recuperate. After giving birth, Xiaomeng went to Guangzhou to work. Her parents took Nini in and registered her as their adopted child. Wen Su got into graduate school and married Jiahui, his supervisor’s daughter, but they never had children. After Xia Tian recovered, she married Li Jie, a classmate from primary school, and gave birth to their son Yongbin. When Li Jie died in a car accident, Xia Tian’s illness returned. After working away from home for several years, Xiaomeng saved some money and started a clothing business, but her love life went nowhere. During the pandemic, their parents died one after the other. Xiaomeng returned home and reopened the little restaurant her mother had left behind, caring for her younger sister Xia Tian and the two children, Wenbin and Nini. After learning the truth, Wen Su returned home with Xiaomeng to hold their broken family together.
