A man returns to his native Beijing after serving in a labor camp, to find that he has no family or prospects or friends. He tries to make a living, but his old underworld contacts drag him back into a life of crime.

Tianqing falls in love with Ju Dou, his uncle's wife who is tortured for being childless. However, after they have an affair, they discover that his uncle is impotent and try to conceal the truth.