In 1970, Lou Xingqiao, a girl from Hunan Province, was forced to go to the countryside for her brother. With her anger and three hundred dollars, she learned to survive in the cold wind of the Great Northern Wilderness. The silent companionship of fellow countryman Liu Mingliang was her only warmth. For the next seven years, they dug in the soil and studied under kerosene lamps. During the autumn harvests and cold winters, they spent the hopeless days with the utmost strength. The college entrance examination was resumed in 1977, and both of them were admitted to Beijing. From the educated youth center to the large courtyard in Kyoto, and then to the second courtyard of their own, the family finally settled in this city - it turns out that the place where people can squat down with peace of mind is home.
