Abandoned by her husband, elderly Mrs. Woo struggles to protect her family's reputation by setting high but inconsistent expectations on her disreputable son and independent daughter, Ai-Jia. Anxious to escape her mother's control, Ai-Jia leaves China to the U.S. After her son is jailed, Mrs. Woo and her teenage grandchildren, pliable Yu and rebellious Qi, must seek shelter from Ai-Jia.