To escape an arranged marriage, Sun Yulan came to the provincial capital with her younger sister. From working in a restaurant and learning tailoring to saving money to buy a machine and opening her own shop, she established a difficult foothold with her own hands. Facing her family's demands, her sister's schooling, and her sister-in-law's predicament, she learned to maintain boundaries within family affection. Supporting each other, the three women gradually earned the confidence of life in straitened days and fought back the right to decide their own lives.