The story took place at the end of the 1960s. Gao Xiulan, who had lost her husband, had a hard time raising her four children - one girl and three boys. The boys were mischievous and troublesome, and although she wanted to remarry, any men she met became intimidated after seeing her kids. Someone introduced her to Lao Guan, a boiler worker in a nearby factory. One evening, her eldest son, Baojin, got into trouble again. Xiulan couldn't discipline him, but when Lao Guan glared at Baojin, he became afraid. Xiulan felt that Lao Guan was truly reliable. With him, the problem of educating the children would be solved, so she agreed to marry Lao Guan. After marriage, the two had deep feelings for each other. However, those mischievous children, seeing how good Lao Guan was to their mother, not only felt uncomfortable, but also thought that Lao Guan wouldn't dare to do anything to them. Thus, the conflict with their stepfather began and continued until his death, without any reconciliation...