Widowed just after giving birth, wife Nozomi faces sudden tragedy as she struggles to build a life with her family. After solemn funeral rites attended by neighbors and the local elders' association, harsh realities emerge—mounting debts and rent payments loom over her. Landlords and pawnshop men corner her with threatening demands. Though tensions briefly subside, Nozomi sinks deeper into despair. Then the head of the elders' association approaches, declaring, "I can take care of everything for you," setting the stage for a disturbing new chapter.