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.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Yu Lan周莲 | 周莲 |
 Daolin Sun江梅清 | 江梅清 |
 Zhang Liang江立群 | 江立群 |
| GGuiling Liu江小莲 | 江小莲 |
 Shi Xiaoman江小清 | 江小清 |
 Luo Guoliang孟涛 | 孟涛 |
 Yang Yu老梁 | 老梁 |
 Wande Zhao小钱 | 小钱 |
 Fang Tian老刘 | 老刘 |
 Yu Zhongyi小王 | 小王 |
 Wen Xiying老李 | 老李 |
 Yu Shi特务 | 特务 |
 Ping Zhang医生 | 医生 |
 Qin Han赵侃 | 赵侃 |
 Jing Yang陈杰 | 陈杰 |
 Ling Yuan干娘 | 干娘 |
 Ziyue Zhao陈老伯 | 陈老伯 |
 Zhou Ting祝妈妈 | 祝妈妈 |
 Feng ShunNot listed | Not listed |
 Ronald Chin HanNot listed | Not listed |