The film is divided into three parts. The first part is set in the small town of Fenyang in 1999. 25-year-old shopkeeper Tao (Zhao Tao) is torn between two suitors. Jingsheng (Zhang Yi (actor)) is a well-off gas station owner whom she has little connection with but could drastically improve her material circumstances. She feels closer to Liang (Liang Jingdon), a poor laborer. When confronted by both men, Tao decides to marry Jingsheng in the hope of leaving Fenyang.