Orphan He Xiu is forced by her aunt to take her cousin Su Yu's place and marry Gu Chengyuan, a boatman who has a four-year-old adopted daughter named Xiaoman. With her talent for pickling fish, she sets up a stall at the ferry crossing and starts her own business. Facing rumors and deliberate troublemaking, she remains dignified and unyielding, protecting Xiaoman while gradually warming Gu Chengyuan's heart. When the Su family's wicked deeds are exposed and the Gu family's life grows increasingly prosperous, the family of three finally finds happiness together amid the lively springtime riverside.