In the spring of 1949, a war is about to happen between the Liberation Army and Kuomintang Army on the Yangtze River. The Liberation Army dispatches a reconnaissance to scout the southern parts of the River, whose work is actually full of hardships and dangers. However, with the help of the local crowd and the guerrillas, finally, the members of the reconnaissance succeed in the commission and offer valuable information to the Liberation Army, making great contributions in the war.
Yuwen mora numa pequena cidade no sul da China e é casada há oito anos com Dan Liyan, um homem depressivo e de saúde frágil. Yuwen não ama o marido, mas se vê apegada a ele e presa à situação. Eles vivem numa casa velha e afastada, na companhia de um antigo empregado e da irmã mais nova de Liyan, uma jovem saudável e petulante. Um dia, o médico Zhang Zhishen, antigo colega de escola de Yuwen, retorna à cidade. Os dois foram loucamente apaixonados na juventude, mas Zhang a abandonou durante a Primeira Guerra, sem explicações. O reencontro reacende os sentimentos de um pelo outro.
Sister Ye lives in a rural village, where everyone makes traditional toys. When Sister Ye's husband dies of an unknown illness, and while Ye is attending to him, her son is kidnapped and sold to a wealthy lady in the city of Shanghai. Shortly after, the village is destroyed during an attack between rival warlords, forcing the villagers move to the city, where they continue to make toys. Ten years pass, and Ye's daughter Zhu'er has become a toy designer. While helping the Nationalist army at the rear, Zhu'er is killed in an attack by the Japanese. On New Year's Eve, Sister Ye is dressed in rags, sitting on the curb, selling toys. A young boy buys toys from her, and it is none other than her son, whom she does not recognize.
