A young man recalls his childhood growing up in a poor alley in Beijing during the 1950s and 1960s.

Married couple Fugui and Jiazhen endure tumultuous events in mid-20th century mainland China as their personal fortunes move from wealthy landownership to peasantry.

A young girl come to work at Kunlun Mountain after graduation and decide to overcome all difficulties with the help of a passionate and sturdy lady and her encouraging story.