Qin Xiaoyue discovered that her shared roommate Xiao Yun disappeared suddenly, but because of insufficient evidence, she did not attract the attention of the criminal policeman Wen Sheng. She decided to find Xiao Yun's whereabouts by herself, but was obstructed by her friend Li Zhongping. Yun was once the lover of Ma Zheng, the boss of Marriott Real Estate Company, and she holds the video evidence of Ma Zheng's shady dealings, which is hidden beside Qin Xiaoyue, but no one can find it.
At the age of 16 Zhou Lian, who lost her parents at the age of two and was raised by a stepmother, marries Jiang Mei, a progressive young man from Changsha No. 1 Normal School. Jiang Meiqing has also lost both of his parents. The couple has two sons, Liqun, Xiaoqing and daughter Xiaolian. The film follows the family through turbulent times from 1924 to 1930.