The River Spirit residing in the river resolves to change its form by attempting to refine into a human, a species with great adaptability. Dancing with the garbage in the river, which contains remnants of hormones and dopamine born of desire, the River Spirit acquires a completely new life.

Afei, a young factory worker, is 40 weeks pregnant out of wedlock. Her boss threatened to fire her if she didn’t return to work immediately after giving birth. She thought hiring an unlicensed babysitter would keep her job, but he took the money and disappeared, leaving her with no choice but to ask her ex-boyfriend, the baby’s father, for help, despite her hatred for him. Unbeknownst to her, this request led to a child abuse case.

A-Mao spends his days exploring with his little sister and his buddy A-Bao. When they are hungry, there are sweet potatoes and snails to eat, and sometimes they can eat some of the pork belly that his mother gets as a gift. His father cannot find work and is depressed, often drinking. Apart from washing people's clothes, A-Mao's mother prostitutes herself in exchange for pork to feed her family. A-Mao hears his parents quarrelling and he understands where the pork belly comes from. He starts to detest his mother and refuses to eat the pork belly that he once liked so much.