A young woman from a rural background, the eldest daughter in a family that values sons over daughters, is forced to marry a city man, Chen Dagong, to raise money for her comatose mother's surgery. In exchange for a dowry of 200,000 yuan, she discovers that her marriage is based on her brother's lies. Her city husband and mother-in-law treat her as nothing more than a childbearing tool, denying her medical checkups to save money. After giving birth to a disabled daughter, they abandon the child and even try to sell her, all while using her unpaid dowry as an excuse to prevent a divorce. This cruel treatment awakens her, and she decides to become independent and fight for her daughter's future. By sending her husband to prison and working hard to become a successful housekeeper, she builds a career, eventually winning the respect and love of a good man.
