Oh Ae-sun, a rebellious literary girl born on Jeju Island in the 1950s, lost her father when she was young. After her mother, a haenyeo, remarried, she worked to raise her daughter and support the family. Despite suffering from lung and respiratory problems, she still went diving every day and shouldered the family's entire burden. Her mother passed away before Ae-sun could buy her a pearl necklace. Ae-sun was sent to live with her uncle's family, where she suffered mistreatment in a household that favored boys over girls. Later, she fell in love with her childhood sweetheart, Yang Gwan-sik, but social prejudice stood in their way. They eloped, only to be beaten down by reality, and after marrying, they also faced difficulties with her in-laws and financial hardship. But the couple supported each other and worked hard to build a life, eventually helping their daughter leave Jeju Island and become a career woman.
