During the early War of Resistance Against Japan in Baiyangdian, Hebei, the Yanling Squad, led by Communist Party member Hei Lao Cai, conducted effective guerrilla warfare. Yang Xiaomei, fleeing abuse from her husband Zhang Jinlong, joined the squad and developed feelings for farmer Niu Dashi. Zhang Jinlong, unable to change, defected to the Japanese. As Japanese sweep operations intensified, Xiaomei, Dashi, and Zhang Jinlong faced different paths in the conflict.

About May 1942, the Japanese elite mobilized thousands of troops to bases in central Hebei. A platoon of army troops were ordered to cover the transfer, the platoon leader was seriously injured. Yan Zhigang Li met his aunt and was saved. He led the soldiers with Qingsha Zhang, to fight the enemy , remove and destroy the enemy's guard towers and to break their cruelty.