Ma Lanying was an ordinary ** in her hometown in Shandong when she was young, but she was deeply loved by patients and colleagues because of her hard work and optimism and cheerfulness. One day, when the newcomer Dr. Lin saw Ma Lanying in a white dress for the first time, he was deeply attracted by her delicate and gentle appearance, and since then he has launched a passionate pursuit. In the face of Dr. Lin's persistent confession, Ma Lanying shyly but sweetly accepted the marriage proposal. 
The wedding ceremony was held with the blessings of family and friends, and the young couple was full of longing and anticipation for the future. After getting married, Ma Lanying soon gave birth to her eldest daughter, Lin Li. However, life is not easy for children born in turbulent times. In pursuit of better development, Dr. Lin decided to immigrate to Taiwan with his family. At that time, Lin Li was only a few months old, and Ma Lanying couldn't bear to let her travel a long way, so she could only temporarily entrust her to her relatives in Shandong to take care of her. After moving to Taiwan, the couple started a business to make a living. Dr. Lin opened an outpatient department, and Ma Lanying used her savings to open a garment factory. They started from scratch and worked tirelessly. 
Finally, years of hard work have come to fruition, career and family have both harvested, and life has gradually become more prosperous. gave birth to a son and daughter Lin Qingxia. 17-year-old Lin Qingxia was discovered to enter the entertainment industry with her good looks, and soon became a smash hit, starring in dozens of movies. Ma Lanying's fame made Ma Lanying proud and honored, and her fame even overshadowed the chief doctor of the military hospital that year. The two daughters, one older and one younger, brought Ma Lanying two completely different lives. In the 40 years that Lin Li was left in Shandong, the distance between Ma Lanying and her was far more than geographically far. Every time she thinks that she has a daughter who is struggling to live there, Ma Lanying's heart feels like she has been cut by a thousand knives. 
Facing the infinite female star Lin Qingxia, Ma Lanying often fantasizes about what the two sisters would be like now if they hadn't left Lin Li back then. In 1987, she finally had the opportunity to reunite with Lin Li, Ma Lanying went to Henan excitedly, but when she saw her thin and haggard eldest daughter, her feelings of distress and self-blame arose. She really realized that the pain that Lin Li had endured in vain should not have happened, and if she could have taken her back then, she would have lived a good life today. Out of compensation and guilt, Ma Lanying kept sending gifts and money to Lin Li, hoping to help her improve her life. even asked Lin Li to move to Taiwan to live with him many times. 
But Lin Li resolutely refused, she didn't want her mother to pay for herself, and she didn't want to have more to do with her mother. This indifferent and detached attitude made Ma Lanying's self-blame even heavier. Her daughter's heartless response made her realize that her image in her daughter's mind was no longer a real mother, but just half a stranger. This painful feeling tormented Ma Lanying day after day and became the deepest burden in her later life. The separation from her eldest daughter and Lin Li's estrangement made Ma Lanying suffer from her career and family success on the outside. As we age, these traumas get worse. 
To make matters worse, his wife, Dr. Lin, also suffered from dementia in his 80s and became memory loss, and Ma Lanying had to take on the responsibility of taking care of him. On the other hand, I also have severe rheumatoid arthritis. The torture of illness caused Ma Lanying to lose her labor force and could only rest in bed. And the children have also started a family, Lin Qingxia went to the United States to develop, and her son is thriving on Wall Street. No one can often return to their hometown of Taipei to accompany their aging parents. Only Ma Lanying and her demented wife are left at home. They live in the mansion that Lin Qingxia bought, the house is very large, but it is also very empty. Every day that Ma Lanying spends is sitting and waiting in this cold and lonely environment. 
Waiting for the interval of sickness, waiting for the greetings of children, waiting for the final death. These long, meaningless waits are devouring the vitality and hope in Ma Lanying's body little by little. She would lie alone in bed in the middle of the night, listening to the whimper of the wind blowing across the windowsill. The back of her daughter leaving home came to mind, and the faint voice seemed to tell me that she was sorry. Ma Lanying knew that it was too late, there was no if in the choice of life, and she was destined to finish her life in this deep regret. Life in the mansion is also punishment and torment for 70-year-old Ma Lanying. The warmth between her and her husband has long been gone, and the two of them are now like two strangers who are about to die, and Ma Lanying even prefers to be alone. 
In the dead of night, she would climb up to the rooftop on the 12th floor by herself, sit by the railing and look at the stars. This was her last solace. The quiet and beautiful city in the moonlight reminded her of the moment when she eloped with her husband on a night train when she was young. But no matter how beautiful the picture is, after all, it only illuminates the barrenness in her heart. Tonight was no different from the previous night, and the only things that awaited her were the long, painful, and meaningless days that followed. "Is it really good to be alive?Ma Lanying asked herself. She's tired of everything. The original noble role of the mother has been dwarfed into a guilty person in the daughter's heart. 
That wrong decision many years ago ruined not only her daughter's life, but also the last bit of hope in her life. Late at night in the winter of 2002, Ma Lanying once again climbed to the 12th floor alone. She gazed long in the wind at the brightest star in the sky, and slowly climbed the railing under its gentle gaze. She knew she had had enough of the struggles and waits of this life. The height of the 12-story building is enough to make life drain the soul in an instant. At this moment, which was too small to be smaller, Ma Lanying saw all the regrets and mistakes in her life. It's a pity that time won't go back, and she can't make up for it after all.