After the wife learns her husband's accidental death, she has an intense conflict with her own mother, in-laws, and public opinion about whether the posthumous child less than ten weeks old should be born.

Miner Junpo's daughter is seriously ill and needs urgent treatment. Junpo goes to the mine owner's house to demand money that is owed to him. To no avail. Unable to raise money anywhere for his child's treatment, in desperation Junpo kidnaps his boss's daughter. At the same time, several other unrelated people are involved, either by coincidence or on purpose, in the whole affair. The situation spins out of control. Some will lose their lives, some will be sent to jail, some will have to flee all their lives. A multifaceted story about crime, forgiveness and love in the scenery of the cold Chinese mountains.