In the countryside of the 1980s, Xiuzhi, an orphan, publicly lays down five uncompromising standards for her future husband, earning ridicule from the entire village for her supposedly impossible expectations. Wang Jianguo, an honest factory worker, openly admits that his family is struggling financially, but his sincerity wins her over at first sight. After marrying into a family that openly favors its sons, she faces relentless torment from her cruel mother-in-law, sharp-tongued sister-in-law, and lazy younger brother-in-law. They force her to empty the chamber pot, steal her vegetable seedlings, and divide up her husband's wages. Finally pushed beyond her limits, Xiuzhi demands a family separation and makes a living by growing vegetables in barren sandy soil.