Wang Yuling, a girl of exquisite beauty, made her way through Tiantangdu. Three years later, after falling ill, she headed south for home, where she met Xue Jinxin, a lowly textile dyer. The two married and set up a small textile-dyeing workshop together, scraping by as they raised their son, Xue Yunfan.
When poor management left them struggling to make ends meet, Wang Yuling went north and returned to her old line of work. Two years later, she accidentally became pregnant. She went to Xue Jinxin again and gave birth to Xue Lingyun.
Xue Lingyun was never welcomed by either of them, and grew up stumbling through one hardship after another...
