The life and death of Zhao Yi-Man, a female member of the Chinese resistance

Yang Bailao, a tenant farmer, lives with his daughter Xi'er. The despotic landlord, Huang Shiren, attempts to forcibly take Xi'er for himself. On the eve of the Chinese Spring Festival, Huang forces Yang to sell his daughter as repayment of the debt Yang owes him.

Women play a heroic role in the Volunteer Army fighting the Japanese in the puppet state of Manchukuo.

Two old comrades who fought side by side on the battlefield are now working on the railway front after liberation. They clash due to differences in ideas and management methods. In the end, they learn from the advanced ideas of the Soviet Union to defeat conservative old ideas.