On New Year's Eve in 1982, Lin Xiuxiu works tirelessly making dumplings, only to be humiliated by her husband's family. After three years of giving everything without receiving anything in return, she still lives in the shadow of his ex-wife, Su Wan, enduring neglect from her husband, Zhao Weiguo, and mistreatment from her stepdaughter. Having reached her breaking point, Xiuxiu cuts ties with the family and leaves, seeking help from her childhood friend, Chen Dajun. Dajun drives through a snowstorm to take her away. From then on, Xiuxiu uses her sewing skills to help a garment factory flourish and build a successful career of her own. After Zhao Weiguo fails his college entrance exam, he takes his elderly mother and daughter to the provincial capital to find Su Wan, only to be rejected and thrown out. His family falls into ruin. In the end, Xiuxiu marries Chen Dajun and finds a happy life, while the Zhao family is left destitute, drowning in lifelong regret.