A triumphant reimagining of the life of a woman who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty and would be considered remarkable today. 15th century China : Tan Yunxian is born into an elite family but one haunted by death, separation and loneliness. Raised by her grandparents to be useful, she begins her training in the male-dominated world of medicine, when she meets a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. They find fast friendship, sharing in each other's joys and struggles. No mud, no lotus, they tell themselves : from adversity beauty can bloom. The two women are born under the same sign, the Metal Snake. But life will take them on very different paths