Mountain Village Blessings

Synopsis

Li Xiujuan is a rural woman living during a time of famine. Her son-in-law, Fu Yuanhao, a hunter, broke his leg and had to move into her house with her daughter, Zhang Xiaoting. However, her eldest daughter-in-law, Wang Manli, is so harsh and mean that she thinks it's a waste of food for Fu Yuanhao and Zhang Xiaojuan to live in her house, and she also treats the elderly Li Xiujuan cruelly, constantly criticizing her. One winter day, Wang Manli forces Li Xiujuan to wash clothes by the river, and Zhang Xiaoting, the dutiful daughter, helps her. Unexpectedly, Li Xiujuan's lucky nature works its magic when a fish leaps into Zhang Xiaoting's basin, much to the family's joy, as they now have fish to eat. While her husband, Zhang Dayan, is away working in town, Wang Manli convinces him to split the family assets. Zhang Dayan, who is unfilial, agrees with her. Together, they forcibly expel Fu Yuanhao and Zhang Xiaoting from the house and falsely accuse Li Xiujuan of having tuberculosis. The three of them are forced to live in a dilapidated house on the mountain. One day, Zhang Xiaoting and Li Xiujuan go to the mountain to dig for ginseng. Li Xiujuan's luck strikes again. They find a rare ginseng root that helps Fu Yuanhao heal his leg.