During the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, Yang Jikang, Vice Minister of Revenue, is sixty years old, widely respected for his integrity, and preparing to retire to his hometown. On his birthday, all five of his daughters and their husbands gather in the capital to pay their respects. Each presents a gift, hoping to welcome the elderly couple into their home. The eldest daughter's husband is a powerful official, haughty and arrogant. The second daughter, Shuangtao, is glib and has won the favor of Madam Yang. Only the third daughter, Yang Sanchun, and her husband Zou Yinglong, a poor scholar, arrive dusty from the road. Because their family is poor, they are treated coldly and looked down upon. Spoiled by her mother's favor, Shuangtao takes the opportunity to humiliate Sanchun and urges her mother to cast her out, severing their family ties.
Soon, the political climate changes dramatically. Yang Jikang's cousin Yang Jisheng impeaches Yan Song but fails and is executed. Yang Jikang is implicated, stripped of his post, and forced out of the capital after his property is confiscated. The once-prominent family is brought down overnight, its members scattered. As storms gather, only their maid Cuiyun remains loyal, helping the old couple travel a thousand miles to seek refuge with their relatives. But when Shuangtao sees her parents reduced to poverty, she refuses to support them and drives them away. Their in-law, Chen Songnian, fears the powerful and keeps his doors shut. Worse, the eldest daughter's husband curries favor with Yan Song, becoming his sworn son and treating an enemy as family, abandoning his own kin.
With nowhere to turn, the Yangs wander the streets without food or proper clothing, nearly starving to death. By chance, they meet Sanchun and her husband, who take them into their humble home. Though they have only plain clothes and simple meals, the couple care for the old people morning and night without fail. Sanchun's filial devotion and Cuiyun's loyalty bring the elderly couple warmth and comfort in their final years.
Three years later, Zou Yinglong earns his degree through his talent and learning and enters government service. He boldly speaks out for justice and uses his wits to bring down Yan Song, clearing the Yang family's name. The court restores Yang Jikang to his post, and his reputation for integrity is renewed. When the old family's birthday comes around again, all the sons-in-law gather, their loyalty and treachery laid bare. The Yang family casts out the treacherous son-in-law, Shuangtao leaves in shame, and Chen Songnian comes to apologize. The storms pass, family bonds are restored, and the family reunites beneath one roof, bringing spring back to the splendid hall and restoring the light of family values and human decency.
