The protagonist, a seventeen-year-old girl who runs away from her abusive father and stepmother after they attempt to force her into marriage for a bride price. She carries a letter from her deceased mother directing her to seek refuge with her mother's former foster mother, Li Suhua. She is intelligent, resourceful, and shows remarkable courage in confronting her family, threatening to expose their actions to authorities. She travels alone with two thousand yuan and minimal belongings to an unfamiliar town.
