In Yangzhou, Su Wanyue is the young widow who runs Su Embroidery Workshop. Facing three crises at once, her husband's early death, covetous relatives from a collateral branch of the family, and crushing government taxes, she relies on her exceptional embroidery skills and keen understanding of people to grow from a small shopkeeper protecting her family business into the owner of a ten-city chain. Through her partnership with Gu Mingyuan, a newly appointed assistant prefect, she uses business to improve local livelihoods and resolve crises such as a salt-tax scandal and famine among the weavers. Along the way, she must deal with household battles caused by her mother-in-law's favoritism toward her younger brother-in-law, as well as underhanded attacks from officials and merchants working together. In the end, she makes Su Embroidery a tribute craft of Jiangnan and raises her young son to become a talented candidate in the imperial examinations. She herself earns the title of Madam Su, writing a rags-to-riches legend of an ancient businesswoman without a golden finger. The most satisfying moments include outsmarting a bid-rigging scheme, cleverly resolving a tax-silver case, face-slapping the relatives who kick her when she's down, and helping the weavers weather a year of disaster together.
