In the 1940s, Xujiachuan was located in the south. Fugui (played by Chen Chuang), a young master of a wealthy family, was stubborn and unmotivated since childhood. Such a dandy boy happened to marry Chen Jiazhen (played by Liu Mintao), the beautiful and virtuous daughter of the rice shop owner, as his daughter-in-law, which was really envied by others. However, although his family was well-off, his parents were healthy, and his wife was virtuous, Fugui did not know how to cherish it at all. Under the temptation of the liar Long Erye, Fugui indulged in gambling, and eventually lost his family property and ancestral house, angered his father (played by Li Ding) to death, beat his pregnant daughter-in-law away, and became a pauper overnight. Jiazhen never left, and brought her daughter Fengxia back to continue living with Fugui. Civil war, liberation, land reform... In the next few decades, various hardships were imposed on Fugui's family alternately, death came unexpectedly, and pain followed like a shadow. Fugui, who has long since reformed his past, can only smile with tears in his eyes and silently savor the bitterness, sweetness, sourness and spiciness of life... This film is adapted from Yu Hua's novel "To Live".