A series of bizarre, seemingly unrelated murders in a declining industrial town in 1990s Northeast China reveal the intertwined fates of their victims, ultimately uncovering hope and humanity amid brutal survival.

Li Wenxiu, a Han Chinese girl who grew up in Altay, is determined to pursue her literary dream in a big city. However, she repeatedly encounters obstacles and is forced to return to her hometown to rely on her mother who runs a small shop. After meeting Kazakh boy Batay, Wenxiu gradually discovered the beauty of the local area.