China, at the end of 1999. Tao, a young woman from Fenyang, is courted by her two childhood friends, Zang and Lianzi. Zang, owner of a gas station, is destined for a promising future, whereas Liang works in a coal mine. Her heart divided between the two men, Tao must make a choice that will seal her fate and that of her future son, Dollar. Over a quarter of a century, between China undergoing profound transformation and Australia promising a better life, the hopes, loves, and disillusions of these characters confronting their destiny.