Orphaned at a young age, Meng Xiangying suffers brutal abuse from her husband and mother-in-law after marriage, even attempting suicide twice without success. In 1942, with the establishment of the Women's Association, she is elected as a leader and mobilizes local women to survive hardship and resist feudal oppression. She ultimately rises from an abused daughter-in-law to a model of women's liberation and a recognized labor hero.
