Hai is the eleven-year-old eldest daughter of the Ang family, living a comfortable but emotionally strained life in Zhucheng. She shoulders heavy responsibility for caring for her younger sisters and frequently acts as the family peacemaker. Though she absorbs harsh cultural lessons that devalue girls, she possesses a strong intellect and a notable talent for calligraphy. She feels profound devotion to her mother while quietly yearning for a protective, supportive father.

Mom, whose birth name is Chiang-Yue, is the wife of Ang Xiao-Long and mother to four daughters and one son. Her feet bear the injuries of an incomplete foot-binding, reflecting her physical and emotional position caught between old traditions and a changing society. She is profoundly selfless when it comes to her children and quietly provides for the estate workers. She strictly adheres to traditional beliefs regarding gender, fate, and family duty.

Di is the second daughter of the Ang family, born just a year after Hai. Her birth name translates to 'Younger Brother,' revealing the family's deep disappointment at her gender. She is highly independent, resourceful, and resistant to the cultural demands placed upon her. She shows a strong instinct for self-preservation and easily adjusts to changing political environments.

Nai Nai is the wealthy matriarch of the Ang family in Zhucheng. She takes immense pride in her tightly bound lotus feet and strictly enforces traditional patriarchal values across the estate. She treats her workers with profound suspicion and directs extreme cruelty toward her daughter-in-law for initially failing to produce a male heir.

Father is a respected teacher at Shandong University and the patriarch of Hai's immediate family. He consistently defers to his mother's harsh demands out of a rigid sense of filial piety. His passivity and emotional distance create a massive rift with his daughters, as he routinely fails to protect his wife and children from domestic mistreatment.

Three is the two-year-old third daughter of the Ang family. She is a bright toddler who requires constant care and supervision from her older sister. Her fragile health becomes a focal point for the family's internal conflicts regarding the financial value placed on female children.

Lan is the youngest daughter of the Ang family, born just before political upheaval forces her mother and sisters to flee the estate. She is an infant who requires carrying and intense physical care during their travels. Her physical vulnerability drives many of her mother's desperate, protective decisions on the road.

Ming is the youngest child and only son born to Mom. His arrival shifts the family dynamic, as he automatically receives the privileges, nutrition, and resources denied to his older sisters due to traditional gender expectations.

Yei Yei is Hai's paternal grandfather and a respected university teacher. He holds a position of high authority in the Ang family but generally leaves the daily domestic enforcement of tradition to his wife, preferring to focus on broader political survival.

Uncle Jian is Father's brother and an officer in the Kuomintang military. His military connections provide the Ang family with valuable resources and early information about the retreating army. He fulfills his traditional duties to the broader bloodline by arranging legal permits and safe passage.

Chiao is Uncle Jian's son and the cherished male heir of the extended Ang family. He is close to Hai in age but receives vast preference and indulgence from their grandmother. His exceptional treatment highlights the sharp divide between the expectations for boys and girls in the household.

Mr. Zhang is a worker on the Ang estate who holds deep respect for Mom because of her past generosity with food. When the political situation turns openly dangerous, he risks his own safety to shelter Mom and the girls in his animal shed.

Comrade Cheng is a violent ideological cadre in the Communist army. He leads the public trials against the landowners of Zhucheng, demanding confessions and using brutal physical force to extract information from his captives.

Lucky is a loyal dog who initially belongs to Mr. Zhang but securely attaches himself to the Ang women when they flee Zhucheng. He trails behind them on their grueling journey, providing Hai with a small source of comfort and a final connection to her childhood home.

Uncle Sen is Mom's younger brother. He struggles with extremely poor health and lives in a state of destitution despite his family background. He upholds his strict familial duty by taking his sister and nieces into his small home when they arrive as refugees.

Cousin Wei is a policeman and a distant relative of the Ang family. He utilizes his official position and black-market connections to assist Mom in obtaining scarce train tickets out of the heavily restricted city.

Lin Biao-Wu is a young Nationalist soldier who lost his leg due to a war injury. Displaced and unable to join the army's retreat, he bonds with the Ang women over their shared Northern heritage. He helps build a strong sense of community in the temporary refugee camps.

Mr. Chong is a fellow Northern refugee in Hong Kong who deeply misses his own daughters left behind on the mainland. His obvious paternal love provides a sharp contrast to Hai's experience with her emotionally distant father.

Mrs. Ding is a neighbor who keeps an eye on the Ang family's activities during their stay in Qingdao. She warns Mom about Di's association with the cadres and eventually offers to take care of Lucky when the family must leave the city.

Yuan Jia-Shen is a young man from a medical family who suffered their own severe tragedies during the Communist takeover. He meets the Ang family in Taiwan and quickly proves to be an open-minded individual who actively supports financial independence for women.

Ang Li-Tang is a young man who becomes romantically involved with Di. Because he shares the Ang surname and is considered a tang cousin, their relationship faces intense disapproval from the older generation. This tension tests his strict commitment to Di.