In the 1980s, Song Maisui and Xie Changchuan of Liuwan Town, in order to preserve the tofu workshop and grain mill left by their fathers, jointly took on the debt for an old motor, registered their marriage, and agreed to run their separate businesses independently. On the day after their new marriage, a hundred pounds of tofu were canceled. Starting from selling retail, finding customers, and testing new products, through difficulties such as bad beans, delayed payments, and machine breakdowns, they learned to calculate costs, fulfill responsibilities with integrity, and understand each other. Changchuan gradually came to understand her duplicity, and also learned to first inquire and respect her choices. After the debts were cleared, Song Maisui actively chose to continue living a life with Xie Changchuan. Their two signs stood side by side, and the smoky little courtyard ushered in a down-to-earth, prosperous new life.