This is a tragic story about an ordinary family swept along by the tides of the times over seventy years, clinging to a marriage without love.
The protagonists, Jin Qishan and Liu Sipan, married when they had nothing. Rumors spread, driving them apart. In those days, divorce was considered a scandal of the highest order. Many people endured crushing social pressure, choosing to stay in unhappy marriages rather than divorce. Jin Qishan was no different. Two years later, after much urging from those around them, they reunited.
Just as Jin Qishan's career began to take off, he met Zhou Linghua, who fell for him at first sight. The two became entangled in a romantic turmoil that lasted for years. As a result, Jin Qishan parted ways with Liu Sipan once again. They remained apart until their son was ready to marry and the in-laws wanted to meet the bride's mother. With no other choice, Jin Qishan and Liu Sipan reluctantly resumed living together. Over more than thirty years, they repeatedly separated and reconciled, each retreating into a lonely corner of their emotional lives and enduring the cold of a loveless marriage.
Jin Qishan came from a politically disfavored family. With the support of Chen Yiyao, the old village Party secretary, he started out as an accountant on the production team. Through sheer drive, he turned a poor commune into a prosperous town. He also made a spectacular leap from
