An elderly woman who raised her grandchild faces a painful choice when a distant relative offers to take the twelve-year-old to work in a factory, promising steady pay but a harsh household. The narrative follows the grandmother's recollections of hardship and devotion, the child's lively temperament, and the domestic and economic pressures that force the idea of separation. Through memories of family loss and the day-to-day care given and received, the story explores attachment, the demands of early labor, and the grandmother's struggle between protecting affection and securing the child's future.