Chu Ju lives in China near the Gan River with her parents and her grandmother.

When she is fourteen, her mother gets pregnant and her whole family hopes the baby will be a boy.

Chu Ju develops a love for her new sister, so she decides to make a sacrifice.

Subsequently, Chu Ju meets a woman named Han Na and gets a job helping her with her rice paddies.

Kirkus Reviews called this story "well-done and convincing,"[3] and Publishers Weekly, Starred Reviews said that "Chu Ju emerges as a heroine worthy of the rare and coveted rewards she ultimately receives.