Minister Kim's future daughter-in-law Lady Hong is locked into an annex and forced to maintain her chastity after her husband dies before the wedding. One night while walking in the forest, Lady Hong encounters Park Saeng and forms a relationship. Lady Im learns her daughter-in-law's loss of chastity and gives her an heirloom silver knife, pressuring her not to bring trouble to their families.

Knowing her mother-in-law has discovered her loss of chastity, Lady Hong tries to kill herself with the silver knife when Park Saeng suddenly runs after her. Her father-in-law Minister Kim shows up at that moment and tells Park Saeng to take Lady Hong with him and live in hiding. He gives them money and sends them to Hamgyeong Province. Minister Kim spreads rumors saying his daughter-in-law killed herself with the silver knife and fakes her funeral. On the other hand, the rich Lee family's daughter Eum Jeon turns seventeen and enters an engagement...

Chae Eung Il sends word to Lee So Jeo saying he has something urgent to say. He makes cuckoo noises every night, but Lee So Jeo refuses to go out, keeping her crime in her heart. One day before her wedding with Scholar Jang, word comes that Scholar Jang is dead. Official Lee says they're practically man and wife though the wedding hasn't been held...

Lady Kim visits concubine Eom and tells her to clear her room so she can separate her son from her daughter-in-law. Eum Jeon's family makes plans in case their daughter gets kicked out by the eccentric Lady Sa, but to no avail. As days go by, Lady Kim tries to drive her son and daughter-in-law apart but they endure, causing her to lose her temper.

Suddenly getting up from her sickbed, Eun Jeon suggests to her husband Chae Eung Il that they use separate rooms until the civil examination. Lady Kim discreetly tells her son and his wife to use separate rooms until the civil examination, snatching the initiative away from the couple who'd agreed beforehand. Lady Kim goes to concubine Eom's house and asks her to pick a pretty servant to send to her son...