In several decades, Taiwan transformed from a homogeneous group of people to a diverse, international culture. The traditional values of the past generation counter against the next generation’s extreme individuality. To many families, they are dealing with the clash of values of this era. Ai Cao’s is the biggest turning point in this generation. Facing choices and acceptances, only being open to half of the ideas is illogical. Does every mother-and every person-face the restrictions of her own life? And how can one face them bravely?

Ai Cao, 58 years old, was born in a conservative and isolationist town. When she was young, in order to have a romance with her foreign-province teacher who was 20 years older than her, married and moved to Taipei despite her mother’s protests. When she was 38, her husband passed away and she raised her son an daughter by herself. Her children are finally grown up, the difficult times are passed, and she is retired and enjoying the peaceful life. Every day, she practices some Tai Chi and reads some English. Every so often, she goes to take care of her mother, Yang Guai, in the village, who cares only about power and reputation.

Yang Guai, 78 years old. Her husband died of cancer when she was 35. She has a convenience store in a seaside town, and her life’s goal is to earn money. All of her three sons are do business on the mainland, and only a foreign-province worker takes care of her. Usually, it’s Ai Cao and the two daughter-in-laws who take turns to look after her. She feels that the most pitiful human tragedy is poverty, and to stay far away from poverty is the most important thing. Reputation is the next important thing. A bad reputation can be made up by money. Everyday, she suspects that her servant is stealing her money.

Ai Cao can’t stand her mother’s values, and often tries to educate Yang Guai. She is satisfied by and proud of her own independence, her role as a mother, and her daughter’s good education… Until she finds out that her obedient and dutiful son is gay, and her artistic daughter studying abroad in France brings back a bastard daughter with a black man. The lifelong values Ai Cao has cultivated are forced to fall apart. She discovers that her children and her do not belong to the same world. She feels lonely, helpless, and angry.