Madam A-ssi, at 19, marries Geum-jae, 18, but suffers abuse from her husband. While studying in Seoul, Geum-jae has a son with a female student named Eun-shim, but Eun-shim entrusts the son, Bong-gu, to Madam A-ssi and leaves for the sake of both. Geum-jae squanders his fortune and spends his time with courtesans in Seoul, while Madam A-ssi raises Bong-gu, Eun-shim's son, and her own daughter Young-soon over the years. Finally, Geum-jae takes the house and land deeds and flees to Manchuria with the courtesan Hong-do. In Manchuria, Geum-jae is imprisoned by the Japanese police due to the scheme of Oh-nam, Hong-do's brother. Madam A-ssi travels to Manchuria to save her husband and meets the prosecutor Soo-man, who once secretly loved her, and with his help, her husband is released. Geum-jae realizes his mistakes for the first time and leaves after leaving a letter asking for forgiveness from Madam A-ssi.