Synopsis：In the rural Northeast China of the 1990s, Wang Xiulian marries Fan Laosi, a widower. After entering the household, she takes on all the heavy labor, her hands becoming thick with calluses, yet she still cannot earn the respect of her husband or his son, Fan Xiaoshuai. When the family strikes it rich through pig farming, Fan Laosi, wanting to secure a state-owned enterprise position for his son, forces Xiulian to divorce and remarry a retired cadre named Liu Kechang, so that Xiaoshuai can be adopted and inherit the job. However, on the first night of the new marriage, Liu attempts to assault Xiulian, only to be knocked unconscious by her, hardened from years of heavy work. She seizes the opportunity to escape, running toward her own freedom.