In 1979, Li Yufen marries into the Lin family and begins a new life amid poverty and a heavy burden of household chores. Starting with stitching shoe soles, growing vegetables, and raising pigs, she gradually builds up an income and reclaims her voice within the family. Her husband, Lin Changqing, learns to shoulder his responsibilities while balancing obligations to his relatives with the needs of his own little family. Her sister-in-law, Yu Xiulian, seeks a way forward through the family separation and the struggle to make a living. As household farming contracts and private businesses emerge, the two families face the realities of making ends meet, caring for the elderly, and raising children, gradually transforming their lives through the everyday trials of food, clothing, and household necessities.