In the 1970s, twenty-eight-year-old Guan Nan and twenty-four-year-old Fan Xiaojing meet through a matchmaking arrangement. By the standards of the time, they are already considered late to marry, so they tie the knot just six months after meeting. In the second month of their marriage, Fan Xiaojing unexpectedly becomes pregnant. She thinks pregnancy will bring her a happy, stable life, but it turns out to be only the beginning of her suffering.
Fan Xiaojing comes from an ordinary family. Introverted and not good with words, she nevertheless finds herself caught in endless arguments and family conflicts after marriage. Guan Nan is a man with strong patriarchal views, accustomed to putting himself first. His attentive care for Fan Xiaojing at the beginning gives way to an ever-diminishing understanding of her. Her pregnancy does nothing to change him; instead, it brings the conflicts in their family further to the surface. Their differing beliefs and incompatible personalities lead to constant quarrels. A home that should have been full of love is now riddled with cracks.
In this kind of family environment, Fan Xiaojing must endure not only her husband's indifference and lack of understanding, but also her mother-in-law's endless “troublemaking” and discord with her own family. Her heart is full of pain and conflict, yet she can never find a way to solve the problems. Guan Nan, meanwhile, is wrapped up in his own world, turning a blind eye to all she does for him. When she needs him most, he even chooses to run away and treat her coldly.
With a baby crying to be fed and a family that seems on the surface to have her best interests at heart, she begins to doubt herself. She no longer knows how to make this marriage work...
