At the tail end of the Cultural Revolution, Qiu Shi, a poet who has been in prison for six years, is transferred elsewhere by boat under the guard of two officers. During transit, he meets a series of passengers, who have also faced hardships in recent times.
During the Japanese evacuation from China in 1945, a poor and ill mother leaves her child to her Chinese sister-in-law. Years later, she returns to China to find her child.
