The story begins in the early 80s. A young widow named "Xiao Gu" (played by Chen Liping) takes her three children and runs a cooked food stall called "Happy Restaurant" at the streetside in Chinatown. There, she meets Jin (played by Nicholas Lee), a man who appears honest but is actually a bandit. On their wedding day, Jin's robbery of a gold shop is exposed and he is killed by the police. In his dying moments, he entrusts Xiao Gu to take care of his son and daughter.
With the spirit of "If you laugh or cry it's still a day, why not spend the day laughing", Xiao Gu actively raises her five children. With her adept social skills, the business of the "Happy Restaurant" thrives. She also takes over the coffee shop and market to operate. As life gets better and better, conflicts of interest and emotions arise among the five growing children...
Xiao Gu's eldest son, Kai Da (played by Zhou Chuming), studies in the medical school, while her second son, Kai Jie (played by Zheng Bin Hui), enters the law faculty. Her youngest daughter, Kai Qi (played by Bai Weixiu), is also a college student, all with limitless futures. However, Jin's son and daughter are not cut out for studying.