Struggle

Captives of the very relationships that define and sustain them, nine women resiliently meet the travails and disappointments of life.

A novelist is blinded in a car crash that killed his wife and several years later rediscovers his passion for life and writing when he embarks on an affair with the neglected wife of an indicted businessman.

Yu Hong leaves her home village and starts university in Beijing, where she develops a consuming and compulsive relationship with another student. The student riots from 1989 then ensue and take a toll on their lives.

A 17 year old finds out that his girlfriend is dying, so he sets out to give her an entire life, in the last year she has left.

Wang Tiemei, a single mother, loses her job and moves, befriending neighbor Xiaoye who appears cheerful but is depressed. Their bond grows as Tiemei navigates relationships with her ex-husband causing trouble.

The life of Tao, and those close to her, is explored in three different time periods: 1999, 2014, and 2025.