The story is set around 1992. After Qiulan was publicly jilted by the Wang family, she and her seven-year-old daughter Tiantian were rejected by both her in-laws' family and her maternal family. In desperation, she opened a cloth bag left by her mother and discovered the secret recipe of Li's Sauce Garden and an old case involving their elders. To ensure Tiantian could eat hot meals, see a doctor when sick, and afford an education, Qiulan started by setting up a stall in town selling dried radishes, winning back the villagers' trust with the old flavor. The Wang family repeatedly plotted, snatched people, and smashed the stall to seize the recipe and the child, but everyone saw through their true colors instead. With the help of Uncle Chen, Aunt Cuihua, and others, Qiulan cleared the Li family's grievance and re-hung the Li Ji signboard. Tiantian also grew out of the shadow of being a "little girl," ultimately proving that men and women should be equal.