Hong Kong was quickly becoming industrialised in the 1960s. The market was hungry for female labourers with a grasp of crafting skills. In addition to being wives and mothers, many women entered the labour market at that time. This ‘streamlined comedy' (as it was advertised) is called Three Love Affairs, but the main action is centred on the lovers played by Ting Ying and Cheung Yee. In order to make themselves more appealing, the factory girl pretends to be the daughter of a successful businessman, while the chauffeur pretends to be from a wealthy family. Their relationship is fraught with worry and anxiety, because they are confused about their own identities, and have not yet come to terms with themselves and their lives. With the support of the Manufacturers' Association, the film was shot on location at an actual factory, evidencing a prosperous period in Hong Kong's industrial history.

Madam Kum is a well-known dance hall girl. She gave birth to her daughter Yin-fan. Kum gave her to some relatives. Nineteen years go by, and Kum accidentally runs into Fan's husband, Man-fai, in Singapore. She tells him everything. Fai is surprised but accepts the truth. They have a talk and agree not to reveal the truth to Fan. However, Fai promises Kum that he will arrange for her to see Fan. Gum starts to see Fan on public occasions. Bing-chiu, who has been chasing after Fan since college, runs into Fai and Kum. He tells Fan about it. Fan goes to Kum to ask her not to destroy her family. Kum is hurt but still does tell her the truth. She decides to returns to Singapore. She goes to Fan's house to see her once more. Fan is having her birthday party. She insults Kum and throws a glass of wine in her face. Fai cannot stand it anymore and tells his wife who Kum really is. Fan feels guilty. All the others are moved by what Kum has suffered and they start to accept her.

Sau-chen goes out with the tenant Wong Chun-ching over the protests of her class-conscious parents Eighth Uncle and his wife. To foot the medical bills of his mother, Sau-chen works as a promoter at the Products Expo for Lung Wah Pharmacy and attracts the unwanted attention of the boss Chin Hoi-ngan. Chin desires the woman as a concubine. Acting on the advice of his subordinate Chiu Chik, the boss invents a phantom son and proposes marriage with the offer of a handsome dowry. The employee Wong, short of cash and needs money fast, is drafted as his saviour to meet the parents when the plot is duly exposed. Teaming up with his tenants, Eighth Uncle invites the henpecked husband's termagant wife along and causes a scene. In gratitude of their efforts, the landlord and his wife give blessings to their daughter and her lover.

The Diary of a Husband serves as an illustration for the arrival of the white-collar economy, in which the extended family is replaced by the smaller nuclear family. It is a story about four pals who work at the same office, which, like other white-collar workplaces, has become the men's primary site of life, where livings are made and friendships fostered. Meanwhile, their wives have fostered something of their own—a brigade to catch cheating husbands. Much comedy is then generated by the cat-and-mouse game between the men and the women...The battle line drawn here between the sexes remains for years, to the extent that this very same story has been retold many times in Hong Kong films, including Men Suddenly in Black, the 2003 Pang Ho-cheung film with a similar Chinese title.

Yuk Yin's father dies and her mother remarries to settle the debts. Yuk Yin lives with Auntie Wong. From then on, Chi Hung, Auntie Wong's son and Yuk Yin live and play together. But the Wongs move away. Yuk Yin stays with her mother. Her stepfather is mercenary. When Yuk Yin grows up, he pushes her to get married to get money. Considering her daughter's future, Yuk Yin's mother sends her away. Yuk Yin works in a restaurant. When she learns that her mother is ill, she marries a dying rich young man to get money for her mother's treatment. After her mother's death, Yuk Yin gets married immediately, but her husband dies on the wedding night. Her mother-in-law sees this as unauspicious and expels Yuk Yin. Later, Yuk Yin chances upon Chi Hung. They are still in love. They married and have a son Kwok Wah. But Chi Hung dies. Yuk Yin works as a dance girl to support their living. Kwok Wah grows up and cannot accept his mother's job. But soon he understands that she is respectable.

The Lok's family disperses when Japanese occupied China. Mrs. Lok's company prospers in Hong Kong. Her son Tin-yam looks after her business. She misses her daughter. Another daughter Chui-yin dates Kuk-tat. Mrs. Lok hopes that Tin-yam will find a good partner. Wan Yuk-yin works in Mrs. Lok's company and meets Tin-yam. They fall in love. Mrs. Lok asks Yuk-yin to leave Tin-yam. Facing his mother's objection, Tin-yam falls ill. Mrs. Lok let them marry. The wedding guests despised the bride, which makes Mrs. Lok uncomfortable. The couple lives happily, but Mrs. Lok and Chui-yin make Yuk-yin embarrassed. Kuk-tat covets the Loks' fortune. He steals their jewels. Mrs. Lok thinks Yuk-yin did it. Yuk-yin is innocent, but she is expelled. Tin-yam returns. Yuk-yin's parents seek justice at the Loks. Mrs. Lok's saw the Yuk-yin's birthmark. She realizes Yuk-yin is her lost daughter. Mrs. Lok decides to be a dutiful mother. Tin-yam is an adopted son of the Loks so the couple lives happily.

Yimin, the son of a carriage driver of Xinjiang ethnicity, is in love with Malihan. Malihan's father despises Yimin for his lowly background and forces his daughter to marry Bulate. Min then leaves town for development for 5 years and comes back as an army officer. However, Han has been forced to engage with Te. With Han defying the arrangement, Te challenges Min to a duel. Min catches the bullet meant for Te and wins him and Han's father to his side. But when war beckons, he sacrifices love to join the army. After the war, Min goes back to his hometown but everything has changed. Han and her whole family have gone without a trace. Min can only recall the past alone.

In order to wait for her lover Fan Chun-tak to finish his study in Australia, Tang Sau-man works as a governess in Chui Shek-wah's house. Chui is Fan's brother-in-law. Chui spoils his wife Fan Kam-ping. She becomes lazy and dependent on Tang. Fan finishes his study and returns. He decides to transform his elder sister. He asks her best friend, Pang Shui-ha, to persuade her. Pang has a crush on Fan. Pang uses this opportunity to get intimate with Fan. Tang originally thinks that after Fan comes back, she no longer has to live in somebody's shelter. But Fan spends all his time with Pang. Tang is unhappy and drinks to vent her unhappiness. Tang gets drunk and Chui takes care of her. However, Ping thinks that they have dubious relationship and throws Tang out. Tang falls down a slope and loses one leg. Fan is angry with himself and decides to marry Tang. Ping also realises that she is wrong. She decides to change her lazy character and takes care of the disabled Tang.

Hong Kong movie