Life Really Isn't Easy

In 1990s northern Jiangsu, Zhang Jianmin has just turned twenty and teaches at Yanwan Primary School as a substitute teacher. He works hard every day, hoping to become a permanent privately employed teacher. Being a teacher gives him a certain prestige, so finding a girlfriend isn't a problem. But the girl's mother is strongly opposed to the two of them dating. With no other choice, Zhang Jianmin's parents ask someone to find him a match. The girl's name is Liu Xiaoyun, and both are pleased when they meet. But there are only so many positions for privately employed teachers. When it becomes clear that he has no chance of securing one, Zhang Jianmin decides to quit his substitute teaching job, which pays a mere forty-five yuan a month. To get married, he needs a house, and building one takes money. So Zhang Jianmin and his classmate Zhu Rengui go to work at a coal mine. The two board a train and leave their hometown. After a long journey, they finally reach a small village-run coal mine. If you're willing to work hard, you can still earn a living. When the mine pays its workers, Zhang Jianmin buys Liu Xiaoyun a red sweater and mails it home. When New Year comes, Zhang Jianmin returns home to celebrate. Back in his hometown, he reunites with his classmates at another friend's wedding. When he visits Liu Xiaoyun's family to deliver holiday gifts, Zhang Jianmin is full of confidence, and he and Liu Xiaoyun are deeply affectionate.