In the autumn of 1996, six-year-old Wanwan was found beside a garbage heap by Chen Deshan, an elderly scrap collector, who took her in and raised her for eight years. In 2004, when Chen became seriously ill and passed away, he used an old debt recorded from the 1987 Hongxing Factory accident, in which he had taken responsibility on behalf of He Jing'an, to arrange for Wanwan to enter the He family, securing her education and safety until she turned eighteen. Only Grandma in the He family genuinely treated her kindly; the other children regarded her with guilt, fear, or prejudice. Wanwan silently recorded every kindness in the old ledger, never understanding the three words at its beginning: 'You owe nothing.' She excelled in junior high school, but struggled after entering a prestigious provincial high school. Although she had regrets about her college entrance examination results, she unexpectedly found her path in writing. At university, she supported herself through scholarships and tutoring, got her articles published, and graduated with honors.