Outline: Li Juan has been married to Li Jianjun for three years, but she still hasn’t gotten pregnant. Her mother-in-law is furious, convinced that Li Juan can’t bear her a son, and makes life miserable for her. She forces Li Juan to do all the hard labor around the house, while Zhang, the village widow, is always gossiping about her. Hearing the gossip fills Li Juan with anger and hurt, but she doesn’t dare talk back and can only sneak off to cry when no one is around. She can’t hold her head up in the village; wherever she goes, people whisper and point behind her back. Li Juan resolves to go to the hospital for a checkup, but learns that the travel and examination costs will be substantial. She searches through the little savings she has tucked away and borrows some money from relatives, but still can’t raise enough, so she has no choice but to give up. Back at her in-laws’ home, she realizes her husband, Li Jianjun, is completely spineless. After listening to Wang day in and day out, he too decides the problem must be Li Juan’s and asks for a divorce. Li Juan is utterly heartbroken. After the divorce, it becomes even harder for her to get by in the village. Then Zhao Tiezhu, an old bachelor from the village, takes pity on her and gives her a place to stay and some support. The two grow closer, working in the fields together and gathering herbs on the mountain to sell for a little money. As they spend their days together, Li Juan comes to see Zhao Tiezhu as honest and dependable. After some hesitation, she decides to marry him. Not long after the wedding, Li Juan discovers she’s pregnant. The news quickly spreads through the village, and the gossip takes a complete turn: now people say Li Jianjun is the one who can’t have children. Wang can’t accept it and storms over to Zhao Tiezhu’s home, but he drives her out. Later, Li Juan safely gives birth to a son and finally holds her head high, while the Li family becomes the laughingstock of the village for having no heir.
Character profile: Li Juan is gentle and long-suffering. When faced with her mother-in-law’s mistreatment and the villagers’ gossip, she silently endures it, too afraid to fight back.
