The story takes place in the salt capital of Zigong in the 1980s, where an ordinary and simple mother, Gao Lanying, walks into the home of Yu Mancang with her son, Daman. The household includes Mancang's two daughters and his mother. The hot-tempered Yu Mancang dies in a car accident, leaving behind a peculiar elderly woman, the always dissatisfied Daman, the reckless Erman, the well-behaved Sanman, and the suddenly appeared illegitimate child, Xiaoman. After being released from prison, Daman slowly reaches the peak of his career, only to be framed and fall into a low point; Erman's student-teacher romance results in the teacher's death; and the usually obedient Sanman is expelled from school due to pregnancy just before graduating from university. Gao Lanying faces unexpected setbacks time after time, bravely shouldering the heavy burden of the family. Her resilience and kindness warm each child and those around them, leading them to find their own paths to happiness. She interprets the great ballad of motherhood through her ordinariness.
