Dear readers, this novel tells the story of two young women who leave their impoverished rural homes at different times for the bustling city. Chen Miao and Li Yimeng spend half their lives pushing forward through hardship. When they first arrive in the city, they work as café servers and supermarket cashiers. The difficulties of starting out, competition at work, and the trials of daily life never break their resolve. They overcome one obstacle after another and work hard until they establish their own company. Along the way, their friendship, built on mutual support, grows into a bond between their families as their children marry. Wrinkles come to their faces, but their original passion never cools. The story of these two country girls’ struggle is a hymn to life for everyone who refuses to accept their fate. As society develops, they devote themselves to building better lives while quietly contributing their talents to the city.
