When Xiu Niu is robbed by bandits and taken to a western town to be given to the town mayor as a concubine, she escapes in the night and is taken in by a herdsman.
In 1981, new county party secretary Qin discovered accountant Li was falsely accused after exposing village chief Jia's misdeeds. Persistent through backlash, Qin investigated, found wrongdoings, exonerated Li.